The Silent Service: Grayback Class

By H. Jay Riker

Book Overview

Throughout the annals of history, the best of intentions -- and sometimes the worst -- have set in motion events with a vastly different outcome than originally intended. In this entertaining, fact-filled chronicle, William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett explore the watersheds of history that began as the best of ideas and ended as the worst of fiascoes. A HOLY WAR -- The Medieval Crusades for religious liberation become centuries of slaughter and destruction. SIBLING RIVALRY -- Leif Erikson spares his sister's life and delays the discovery of the New World for five hundred years. BIG GUNS -- Emperor Constantine XI refuses to buy a new supercannon that would let him dominate his enemies, so its creator sells the cannon to the Turks, who then crush Constantinople. With casual wit and subtle insight, It Seemed Like a Good Idea...tucks tongue in cheek and rides out the fiascoes of history. The year is 1985, and two great superpowers -- the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.-- are locked in a lethal, escalating race of arms and technology. When reports are received of a devastating new Soviet weapon -- a prototype attack submarine more advanced than anything in the U.S. undersea arsenal -- a nearly obsolete Grayback Class submarine carrying a platoon of SEALs is suddenly America's greatest hope. Their mission: to penetrate the Soviet sub's home port, the heavily defended Severodvinsk shipyard on the White Sea, and bring back secret data on the new sub. The task is almost impossible but failure would give a powerful enemy dominion over the Earth's waters -- and a first-strike advantage that could prove nothing less than catastrophic to the Free World.The year is 1985, and two great superpowers--the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.--are locked in a lethal, escalating race of arms and technology. When reports are received of a devastating new Soviet weapon--a prototype attack submarine more advanced than anything in the U.S. undersea arsenal--a nearly obsolete Grayback Class submarine carrying a platoon of SEALs is suddenly America's greatest hope. Their mission: to penetrate the Soviet sub's home port, the heavily defended Severodvinsk shipyard on the White Sea, and bring back secret data on the new sub. The task is almost impossible but failure would give a powerful enemy dominion over the Earth's waters--and a first-strike advantage that could prove nothing less than catastrophic to the Free World.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380804662
• ISBN13: 9780380804665
• Release Date: February 2000
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Riker does it again

Riker just keeps on turning out great books. This one is no different. He went from Navy Seals to the Silent Service without a hitch. I have read every one of his books and I,m not going to stop now.

Could not put this book down!

Being a big fan of the techno-thriller genre, and a huge fan of submarines, buying this book was a no brainer. Now I was unfamiliar with the author, but Riker drops you right into the driver's seat of both the state-of-the-art Los Angeles class as well as the aging Grayback, and doesn't let you up for air. The book has something for everyone from SEAL teams to skulking Russian attack subs to a climax that has to be read! Talk about the edge of my seat! Someone read this, and go "hmm.. we could make that into a movie!" A throughly good read, and I can't wait until his next Silent Service book comes out in Spring 2001

Good for a plane ride

This book was a page turner. It held more than enough suspense to keep me going. While the character depth wasn't all it could be, you still cared about their well being. The action in this book was excellent, and even though the plot sounds thin, that is probably the way that information was found on the Russian Akula class subs. A fine read, and I'll watch for the next Silent Service to come out.

Enjoyable page-turner

This is an enjoyable page-turner. It's not Clancy's _Hunt for Red October_, and the plot pushes reality a bit, but anyone who liked _Red October_ should enjoy this book.