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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Page Turning and Gripping Political Thriller, Jun 8 2000
In the near future, the United States gets its first female President. She is Madeline O'Keith Turner and she gets to the White House as a result of the death of her male predecessor (who turns out to be a traitor and betrayer of allies). Maddy Turner is a widow with two young children with her when she becomes President. Her mother, a retird hair stylist, who is full of every day wisdom is also part of the cast. Early in her Presidency, Maddy finds out that her running mate, his Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor sold out Taiwan to the Communists on the mainland. Despite the fact that the reunification is basically a peaceful one, the imperial designs of the Red Chinese are blatantly presented to the inexperienced President and her advisers. It is how this new leader of the Free World handles them, while fighting off internal intrigue in the Cabinet, the Congress and the Senate that makes this novel such an interesting study in domestic and international power politics. The author, Richard Herman, has written several other well constructed political and military thrillers. He gets better with each outing. In POWER CURVE introduces a new character, Lt Gen Robert Bender, a career Air Force officer who has to play the tenuous game of balancing the needs of a new and inexperienced woman President with the obligations he has to his military superiors. To Robert Bender, loyalty, honor and integrity are the watchwords by which he lives his life. Herman does an outstanding job of defining this officer, his sense of mission, his loyalty to the nation and the Constitution. The author also provides the reader with the political and military villains needed to keep the narrative tightly focused. The Chinese leadership is shown to be imperialistic, opportunistic and totally commited to achieving their ends, which are total domination of the ocean areas around mainland China. After Taiwan is returned to mainland control via the nefarious machinations of several American politicians, the Chinese think that Maddy Turner will be a pushover. In the beginning of the story, she does appear that way. What Herman does however, is provide her with a team of people who she can turn to and rely on. Key among them is Lt Gen Bender, who must handle his military/political responsibilities while dealing with the death of his only child, a daughter who just happens to be a "wizzo" in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle. She graduated from the Air Force Academy like her dad and followed him into fighters and she died too young. She is just part of what this man of honor and courage must deal with while trying to prevent nuclear war between China and Japan. Herman writes very well about military people. He also has a knack for writing about the sleazy side of politics and the gamesmanship that goes on in domestic and international politics. I started this book on June 7th and finished on June 8th. It held me that tightly. This is one of those books that can also be used as a moral allegory. I met people in this novel that could be part of the government in Washington right now. And although I do not agree with Maddy Turner's knee-jerk dislike for the military or her unwise decision to cut the defense budget 30% in two years, by the end of the novel, I must admit (grudgingly) that I had come to respect her. ...................... While Maddy Turner despairs of ever having to use military force and is hesitant to the point of total inaction, ................... After reading POWER CURVE, I also realized that much of the story line could happen. Just look at recent headlines re: China and Taiwan independence. Look at how the Chinese rattled their sabers. If you want to read a plausible scenario for just what is possible in East Asia, then read POWER CURVE by Richard Herman. It gave me hours of reading pleasure and another reminder that power is an incredibly addictive drug. END
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