Targets of Opportunity

by Joe Weber

Overview

Joe Weber follows up his best-selling novel Rules of Engagement with another high-stakes thriller about a secret war and the courage of the men who fought it.

The Vietnam War is at its height, and the US has acquired a Soviet-built MiG-17. Marine aviator Brad Austin has been recruited to test-pilot it. The MiG is an aerial hotrod, crude yet lethally effective. But it's not what Austin is flying, it's where-behind enemy lines, disguised as a Russian pilot. If he succeeds in penetrating the enemy air space, he will find easy prey. But if he fails, he will be disavowed.

With edge-of-your-seat tension and gripping realism, Targets of Opportunity is thriller writing at its best!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937868192
Publisher:	Ignition Books(r)
Publication date:	03/11/2013
Pages:	382
Sales rank:	855,343
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

Joe Weber was a carrier-qualified fighter-attack-trained pilot for the United States Marine Corps. After his release from active duty, Weber flew commercially until 1989. His unique inside knowledge and flair for explosive drama have earned him praise from today’s masters of military fiction. His books have appeared on the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Weber lives near Pensacola, Florida.

Editorial Reviews

"A first-rate air-combat adventure by a master of the genre."-Publishers Weekly

"Some writers get better with age: Weber is among them. This novel will have great appeal for technothriller and military-fiction buffs, especially for those who love aviation."-Library Journal

"Thanks be to the book-writing gods; we have a writer who does what writers are supposed to do-tell a story."-The Wichita Eagle

From the Publisher

This Vietnam-era techno-thriller, a sequel to Rules of Engagement , takes hotshot Marine pilot Brad Austin and his Navy buddy Nick Palmer into the shadowy world of clandestine operations. After obtaining a MiG-17, the standard fighter plane of the North Vietnamese air force, the CIA recruits Austin and Palmer to fly the aircraft against its counterparts from a secret base in the heart of Laos. Weber takes a plot premise reminiscent of the aviation pulp novels of the 1920s and does it full justice in a story whose fast pace and exciting action outweigh implausibilities in the plot. He highlights the practical difficulties facing a rogue aircraft in a high-intensity combat environment as both sides target the MiG for destruction. Genre fans will also appreciate Weber's knowledgeable re-creation of the pilot's perspective on the MiG-17's capacities as a warplane. A first-rate air-combat adventure by a master of the genre. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Some writers get better with age: Weber is among them. His earlier technothrillers such as Defcon One ( LJ 9/15/89) demonstrated his excellent mastery of the intricate subject matter, but in his latest work Weber has brought his writing up to par with his plots and authenticity. Set in the Vietnam War, the novel concerns a U . S . Marine Corps aviator who is recruited for a bold plan by the CIA: to use a captured North Vietnamese Mig-17 to infiltrate the North Vietnam Air Force. Once in Vietnam, the American pilot, Austin, is thrust into a more complicated and dangerous assignment than he bargained for. Threats come from all angles, including his own side. This novel will have great appeal for technothriller and military-fiction buffs, especially for those who love aviation. It is highly recommended for public libraries.-- Jim Cunningham, Illinois Mathe matics & Science Acad., Aurora

Library Journal

This strange novel is replete with CIA dirty tricksters and men ready to give their lives for their country. Cynicism prevails throughout this story of American pilots who are flying a Soviet-built MiG-17 on bombing missions to confuse the enemy during the War in Vietnam. Yet that cynicism disappears in the romance scenes, in which hero Brad Austin is a bit of a bumpkin. Narrator J. Charles builds the suspense while maintaining the steely reserve of a combat pilot, a combination that is not easy. It’s also a tough job to make Austin sound like a man smart enough to fly such missions yet naive in many other ways. His performance will have the listener rooting for the good guy and hissing at the cold CIA bosses. M.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2009 - AudioFile