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A review by komet2020
The Latakia Intercept: A Ross Brannan Thriller by R. G. Ainslee
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The Latakia Intercept is the first in a series of Cold War thrillers centered around Sergeant Ross Brannan.
The story begins in mid-September 1973, when Brannan, a soldier with 11 years experience in the U.S. Army, in whose service he has been trained as an electronic intelligence expert and analyst (known as ELINT), is counting the days until his enlistment ends so that he can return to the U.S. and take up a high-paying job in Arizona as a civilian. Unexpectedly, he is issued with orders to fly from West Germany (his duty station) to Turkey, where he would be part of a clandestine, hush-hush Air Force/CIA series of flights over the Mediterranean to Cyprus, not far from the Syrian coast. At this time, the Middle East is a tinderbox, with both the Egyptians and Syrians quietly mobilizing their forces for what may be a strike against Israel. The CIA is especially keen to find out what is going on, and Brannan, given his experience and high level of expertise, is called upon to monitor during these flights, various radar and radio traffic.
What I liked most about this novel was its build-up and cast of characters who emerged as the drama unfolded. The more I read, the more eager I was to see what the outcome would be. The novel reaches a climax during the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War the following month. A conflict in which Brannan unexpectedly has a ringside seat several thousand feet one night above the Mediterranean, where the Israeli and Syrian warships clash.
As someone who was in elementary school when the Yom Kippur War took place, I never realized the full extent of the dangers and risks we (i.e. the West, the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc) faced through different stretches of the Cold War. I highly recommend The Latakia Intercept for anyone who enjoys reading a slow-burning adventure novel brimming with intrigue.
The story begins in mid-September 1973, when Brannan, a soldier with 11 years experience in the U.S. Army, in whose service he has been trained as an electronic intelligence expert and analyst (known as ELINT), is counting the days until his enlistment ends so that he can return to the U.S. and take up a high-paying job in Arizona as a civilian. Unexpectedly, he is issued with orders to fly from West Germany (his duty station) to Turkey, where he would be part of a clandestine, hush-hush Air Force/CIA series of flights over the Mediterranean to Cyprus, not far from the Syrian coast. At this time, the Middle East is a tinderbox, with both the Egyptians and Syrians quietly mobilizing their forces for what may be a strike against Israel. The CIA is especially keen to find out what is going on, and Brannan, given his experience and high level of expertise, is called upon to monitor during these flights, various radar and radio traffic.
What I liked most about this novel was its build-up and cast of characters who emerged as the drama unfolded. The more I read, the more eager I was to see what the outcome would be. The novel reaches a climax during the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War the following month. A conflict in which Brannan unexpectedly has a ringside seat several thousand feet one night above the Mediterranean, where the Israeli and Syrian warships clash.
As someone who was in elementary school when the Yom Kippur War took place, I never realized the full extent of the dangers and risks we (i.e. the West, the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc) faced through different stretches of the Cold War. I highly recommend The Latakia Intercept for anyone who enjoys reading a slow-burning adventure novel brimming with intrigue.