Overall I enjoyed the read and feel Joe Weber did a good job blending military jargon and detail with the story.

The writing is excellent and the characters believable, though I did feel President Jarrett was a stereotype and not well fleshed out as a character.

There were a few things that bothered me that really have nothing to do with the writing. I was disturbed that the B2 bomber stolen by the Russians was ultimately destroyed, rendering some of the character's actions pointless. Also, when in aerial combat, the story focused on each pilot to the exclusion of the team they were a part of. It was as if the pilots were going into combat alone.

I also found it tough to swallow that an aging Cuban submarine could so easily slip through the security net surrounding an American aircraft carrier. In the same scenario, the captain of the sub gave in to the Russian KGB agent and attacked when he knew it was a suicide mission. I just couldn't buy into it.

While for some knowing the thrust level of each aircraft, what weapons each was packing, etc., may be of interest, I thought that level of detail was a distraction.

Again, it was a good read, if you ignore the concerns I voiced. ( )