Review: Entertaining War: Let The Games Begin

I started to mark passages of this book to share with you, but I ran out of notes; then I started dog-earing the pages and my book now looks like it's stuffed with paper! What I mean to say is Entertaining War: Let the Games Begin is an amazing read of such scope, I cannot begin to explain to you all the twists and turns that happen in it - It is a thrill ride - and it is very hard to believe that this is Col.(Ret.) Lynn Carroll's 1st novel. It has the flow of a seasoned writer - maybe it is because it deals with the military, but it reads easily.

Carroll's main protagonist is a strong woman - Lt. Colonel Laura "Fox" Den - a fighter pilot and the first woman to command an F-22 Raptor Squadron. The work is tough, the personnel is rough, and you never show them any weakness - because you are the head and if they have doubts about your authority, there goes the whole ballgame. A lot of fight simulations happen - computing different scenarios, and how to react when a split second is all you have to react - An American hacker with a grudge finds a way to hack into these computer programs - even going into Laura's childrens' Playstation which can be hooked up to the Internet and you can play with people all over the world. The hacker downs a Raptor, and tries to instigate war between North and South Korea - even bringing in that wacky guy, Kim Jong-il - This reminded me of a movie I saw a very long time ago, that was kind of like this war simulation that a civilian, a child, got into confidential defense programs - War Games? - can't remember, but it doesn't hold a candle to Entertaining War - You will feel like you are in a pinball machine and are bounced from exciting situation to the next - the characters are believable and you root for the 'good guys' and are sad when the book comes to an end. Col. Carroll should be writing more - he has the chops for telling it like it is and has us understanding things military. An excellent read.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ellen George

Book Review: Entertaining War: Let The Games Begin