|  |
| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 8 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Catchers in the Sky Feb 02, 2008
By Brian Voelz
I highly recommend Catchers in the Sky. It's an interesting and easily accessible look at North Korea and the surrounding politics. It's also a good look at the personalities involved in the development of the Airborne Laser, and the potential of directed energy weapons. Besides being a well written, globe-spinning adventure, I also learned some geography, history, technology, politics, and cultural lessons. It's entertaining and educational - Bravo!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Hold on to your light saber! Aug 17, 2007
By laser guy
Great action/adventure story with a good dose of reality! Think of a strong dose of Tom Clancy, mixed with Cussler and maybe some James Rollins thrown in. Lots of twists, turns, heros, heroines, betrayal, friendship, love and stunning techology. Damien has infused the story with a host of political, geographical and social details that makes North Korea come alive. He has clearly done his research in this area. The story also details the development of an advance weapon and the people that make it happen. The interaction of the various groups and personalities within the US military is right on. For those that would like a peek into this crazy complicated aspect of the modern warfare, this is great way to get it - while being entertained all the way!. Damien has woven a great subject into a page turner that will keep you up reading all night - this is a good one.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Compelling and Timely Military Thriller Mar 30, 2011
By Richard Gazala
"Catchers in the Sky: Mission: Korea," by author Jonathan Damien (a pen name for research physicist John D. Gonglewski, Ph.D.), is a gripping military techno-thriller revolving around historical and current geopolitical instability in the Korean peninsula. Damien weaves his tale among several characters, countries, and the U.S. deployment of a laser-based antimissile system aboard a repurposed Boeing 747. He brings a gritty reality to the story from knowledge and experience earned in his tenure at the U.S. Air Force Weapons Laboratory, the Space Technology Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, including his work on actual airborne missile defense laser technologies. Combined with his nuanced understanding of the political and military complexities binding and dividing North and South Korea, and America's precarious military role on that perilous Asian peninsula, the book tells a compelling story that might foretell tomorrow's headlines. Incidentally, Damien's book also makes an intriguing (though unintentional) tie-in with the recently released video game, "Homefront," about a Korean invasion of the U.S.A. in the near future.
At 548 pages, the book is longer than it needs to be. It would have benefited from a thoughtful editor's touch. Nonetheless, it's a good read for anyone interested in military laser science, and for those of us who find the seemingly inane machinations of North Korea's international diplomacy fascinating.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
quaker approved Nov 02, 2007
By Jen Wren
As a Quaker and a pacifst I thought this book was extremely timely. I was moved by the difficult questions posed by Damien even as I was transported to a different world. Never preachy, always entertaining, he managed to balance serious speculation about world destruction and the moral repercussions of preventing it via war, with fascinating characters on mad-cap adventures. My favorite character was Abbey the crazed Japanese journalist, but I felt drawn to the heroine as well. Great portraits of two (entirely different) strong women. I also marveled at the author's spectacular knowledge of Korea and I understood the politics of that region like never before. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and highly recommend this novel. It would be a great beach read!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great read! What a trip! Aug 14, 2007
By Kala'i Makana
I really enjoyed reading this novel! It's a most remarkable experience, besides being a fun read, it's like watching a good movie enfold, very interesting being able to always visualize everything so well, it's incredibly cinematic. Judging by the reviews from experts in the field, Catchers In The Sky is very well researched. But the things that really make the story great for me are that it has heart, the characters have depth, are real, and engage our empathy, the story is tight, interesting, fast-paced, and sprinkled with humor throughout; and passions that move some of the characters in the book should move us all. Although this isn't my genre and seems like a man's book, I'm really glad I picked it up. I recommend the book highly, it's quite a trip! I think it'd make a great blockbuster movie for Hollywood!
See all 8 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| | |
|
|
