From Amazon.com
"I do not imagine that a one-man crusade disguised as a thriller can change much," says Ralph Peters, career soldier turned bestselling author, in an afterward to
Traitor. Maybe not, but everybody on the Beltway who deals with (or votes on) defense budget issues should read this beautifully crafted story about a man of principle trying against all odds to do the right thing.
Lieutenant Colonel John Reynolds is "one of a legion of staff officers sweating blood to keep an underfunded Army alive." The army is faced with even more savage budget cuts if a project called NGFB (Next Generation Fighter Bomber) gets the approval that its corporate sponsor, Macon-Bolt Industries, seeks. Two of Reynolds's old Army buddies--a general and a former officer turned lobbyist for Macon-Bolt--die suddenly and suspiciously. But it's not until his own live-in ladyfriend, singer Tish O'Malley, is killed by a car bomb that Reynolds begins to realize his own life has somehow become linked with the fate of NGFB.
There are some superb scenes of action and many worthy opponents, especially a totally believable military madman called Roscoe "Punchy" Hunt who destroys works of art for dramatic effect. But the real villain in Traitor is a giant military-industrial-political complex determined to suck up as much public money as it can. People like Reynolds and Peters can only nip at its heels. The author has also expressed his strong opinions in the acclaimed nonfiction book Fighting for the Future: Will America Triumph? --Dick Adler
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
"I do not imagine that a one-man crusade disguised as a thriller can change much," writes career soldier turned bestselling author Peters (The War in 2020, etc.) in an afterword to his knowing, deeply involving new thriller. Maybe not, but everybody inside the Beltway who deals with (or votes on) defense budget issues should read this beautifully crafted story about a man of principle trying against all odds to do the right thing. Lt. Col. John Reynolds is "one of a legion of staff officers sweating blood to keep an underfunded Army alive." Reynolds will be faced with even more savage budget cuts if a project called NFGB (Next Generation Fighter Bomber) gets the approval for which its corporate sponsor, Macon-Bolt Industries, is lobbying so hard. Two of Reynolds's old army buddiesAan African-American general and an officer turned lobbyist for Macon-BoltAdie suddenly and suspiciously. When his live-in ladyfriend, singer Tish O'Malley, is apparently killed by a car bomb, Reynolds begins to realize his own life has somehow become linked with the fate of NGFB. In addition to superb scenes of action, there are many worthy opponents here, notably a sharply sketched military madman destroying pets and works of art for dramatic effect, and a pair of ruthless French agents limited only by their own country's budgetary problems. But the real villain of this smartly effective thriller with a message is a giant military-industrial-political complex determined to suck up as much public money it can while people like Reynolds (and Peters) nip at its heel.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
