Force 12

by James Stewart Thayer

Book Overview

MICHAEL CRICHTON'S "AIRFRAME" MEETS SEBASTIAN JUNGER'S "THE PERFECT STORM" IN A BRILLIANT, FAST-PACED TECHNO-THRILLER ABOUT A YACHT RACE ACROSS THE PACIFIC THAT DRAWS SAILORS READY TO RUN ANY RISK --... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684862859
• ISBN13: 9780684862859
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 347 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

I couldn't put it down

I took this book to Hawaii, and the last 100 pages kept me out of the water. I couldn't go swimming until I finished.

2001: A Space Odyssey meets The Perfect Storm

Another great book by my favourite author! This one brought back memories of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey (any connection to the year 2001 and the theme?) combined with The Perfect Storm's menacing ocean. Add a little "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" type race activity amongst the sailers, and Mr. Thayer's awesome sense of humour (the methodolgies used to get the foreign sailers to come into the race, for example), I could barely put this book down- and read it in three sittings!

AN ADVENTURE IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF ALISTAIR MACLEAN!!

James Thayer wrote two novels (WHITE STAR & FIVE PAST MIDNIGHT) that are on my top-20 list of most favorite thrillers. Now, he's written FORCE 12, a novel of intense drama and unbelievable courage as man takes on the sea. FORCE 12 is actually made up of three stories that come together in a stunning, climatic ending that will leave the reader feeling as if he's just gone over a water fall in the dead of winter and has almost drowned several times before being pulled out of the water by a set of strong hands. The first story deals with Rex Wyman, a billionaire who's going broke and has once last chance to save his software company, World Quest. Wyman has set up the world's longest and most dangerous yacht race, starting in San Francisco and ending in Japan, and passing through the Bering Sea at the onset of winter. The top ocean racers will be competing. Wyman, however, has the race locked up. There's no doubt in his mind that his yacht, Victory, will win, especially with his genius of a computer engineer, Gwen Weld, on board. In fact, the purpose of the race is to demonstrate to the world the newest technological and software achievements that have been installed on Victory by World Quest, enabling it to function by computer alone. The second story concerns itself with Lonnie Garvin, a fisherman who's afraid of nothing and has worked the harshest seas. Because of serious financial problems, Garvin is about to lose his ocean-going crabber, Hornet, to the creditors. As the Bering Sea begins to claim the lives of those who were foolish enough to pit their feeble skills against it, Garvin receives an offer over the radio that may just save him from financial ruin, but he will have to risk the lives of his crew and the possible destruction of his boat in order to carry out the rescue. The third story is about Jess McKay, one of the toughest members of the 212th Rescue Squadron. As a teenager, he watched his older brother drown in a raging river, afraid to risk his own life to save him. Since then he has been trying to balance the scales by putting his life on the line to save others. Trained as well as any Green Beret or Navy SEAL, Jess may have taken on more than he can chew when he has to helicopter in to the Bering Sea to rescue the woman he's fallen in love with, during the worse storm of the century. It's going to take all of his strength and courage to save her and to get back to safety. FORCE 12 is what's known in the movie industry as a "slow burn." It moves slowly at first by introducing the main characters and the important plot elements, then gradually builds to a roaring inferno that threatens to annihilate everyone within its path. I know absolutely nothing about yacht racing and what it takes to actually make the journey around the world, braving the elements with human skill and superior design. Therefore, I found myself utterly engrossed in the details that Mr. Thayer presents to the reader, especially with regards to the countless

You can't be all things to all people

(actually, I wanted to give 4 1/2 stars) This book, almost seamlessly, merges three separate plots - a 'daredevil' rescuer, a crab-boat-owner-loser and a bunch of computer geeks (not a PC term, but what the heck!). The computer bunch enters into a suicide polar boat race (operative words: suicide and polar), with no crew except for a ton of expensive computer equipment. Murphy's law states that everything that can go wrong will go wrong - and it does. Read it, it's fun

exciting thriller that tries to be too much for everyone.

Following the successful test of his new ship Victory, information technology billionaire Rex Wyman announces the yachting race to end all races. His ship will challenge the best to race from San Francisco Bay to Tokyo Harbor via the 5200-mile rhomb line that consists of the shortest nautical distance. This Pacific challenge will occur in the winter making it that much more hazardous.What makes the Victory different than its competitors is that it is a "ghost ship" whose crew is a computer. On board during the race will be Rex, his girl friend Gwen Weld (the coding genius behind the ship), and former partner and software guru Toby Odell. The world class rivals seem pale compared to the climatic conditions that places everyone at risk. However, more perilous to one's survival is Rex's need to win at all costs because his company is crumbling, but how far is he willing to go to claim victory?FORCE 12 is an exciting thriller that tries to be too much for everyone. The story line involving the pre-race and the race is fantastic as readers feel the wet wind on their face. That plot easily could have carried the tale and turn this into a must read great novel. The subplot of a deviously dangerous Rex takes front stage and actually slows down the great race. Still FORCE 12 is a very refreshing novel that proves James Thayer (see TERMINAL EVENT) is a talented author. However, though fans will gain pleasure from the book, many readers will believe that it came in second to what it could have been: a modern day humanity armed with technology vs. nature story.Harriet Klausner