OT - What espioange/war novels do you read? [SURVEY]

I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?

6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

7) What story would you like to read?

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?


Eric Pinnell

(Author, "Steel Rain", "Claws of The Dragon", "The Omega File")

For a preview, see: http://www.ericpinnell.com/books/previews.shtml

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 12:53:23 -0400, Eric Pinnell see my web site
wrote:

I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

Assuming you mean fiction, then here is my short list:

John LeCarre
Frederick Forsythe
Nelson Demille
Ian Fleming
Trevanian
Tom Clancy

2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

No specifics here. The least enjoyable are also the ones least
published and least known. Typically I don't like pacifists,
apologists and conspiricists.

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

Plot, believability, character development and use of language that
interests me.

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

Strangely enough, I haven't read anything about Korea beyond Boots
Blesse's "No Guts, No Glory" which is more a tactics and attitude
primer for fighter pilots than espionage or war book.

5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?

Didn't read the book, but Bridges at Toko-Ri, Sabre Jet, The Hunters
were all pretty successful. I don't think the genre has been
overworked. If anything, it has been under-reported.

6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Again, if we are talking fiction, I tend toward espionage since there
are more plot convolutions possible. War stories tend to be blood/gore
or sex and tragedy. Both bore quickly.

7) What story would you like to read?

About Korea? Probably something about the F-84 air-ground forces
rather than the MiG-killers. Or artillery/armor rather than infantry.
Or patrol boat ops rather than carrier air.

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

Still buy them regularly.

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?

In fiction? I read period pieces like Clavell's Shogun, horror/fantasy
such as Steven King, legal novels ala Grisham, grand metropolitan
novels like Tom Wolfe's stuff. I tune out the political expose de
jour, since they are inevitably ghost written and self-serving. It
matters not whether they are from the right or the left--they all seem
to make tons of money, but like the stereotypical Chinese meal, an
hour later you're still hungry.


Eric Pinnell

(Author, "Steel Rain", "Claws of The Dragon", "The Omega File")

For a preview, see: http://www.ericpinnell.com/books/previews.shtml

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

Ed Rasimus wrote:

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 12:53:23 -0400, Eric Pinnell see my web site
wrote:

I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

Assuming you mean fiction, then here is my short list:

John LeCarre
Frederick Forsythe
Nelson Demille
Ian Fleming
Trevanian
Tom Clancy

Ed, if you like DeMille (as do I, and most of the rest of your list),
you'll almost certainly like Brian Haig (Alexander's son, but dont hold
that against him). I'd replace Fleming with Harold Coyle. Unlike Clancy,
he doesn't write techno-porn; **** happens in his books, and the people are
more important than the equipment. Come to think of it, Coyle's first or
second book was set in Korea. And I usually enjoy Stephen Coonts. My
current list would probably go

DeMille (moremystery than espionage or war, but just keeps getting better)
Forsythe (he's had a couple less than terrific ones recently, but like
Arnold Palmer in the Master's, he gets a lifetime pass for "Day of the
Jackal" as well as several lesser but still excellent subsequent works)
Coyle (already described)
Haig (getting better and better, obviously a fan of DeMille. His main
character is an Army JAG type)
Trevanian (haven't read much new by him, but he gets a 10-year pass for the
"Eiger" and "Loo Sanctions" plus "Shibumi")
LeCarre (haven't read his stuff in years, since before "The Little Drummer
Girl". I have a limit on depressing situations, but the man defined the
Cold War spy novel).
Coonts (heading downhill, but still enjoyable trash)
Clancy (he's been coasting downhill, but I still read him).



2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

No specifics here. The least enjoyable are also the ones least
published and least known. Typically I don't like pacifists,
apologists and conspiricists.

There are so many bad authors to choose from, but I'll have to give a
special mention to Dale Brown. I avoid his stuff like the plague.


3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

Plot, believability, character development and use of language that
interests me.

We both consider character development important, and yet we both read Tom
Clancy? ;-) Although I've got to say that his last few books have
noticeably dropped off in quality. At least he got through the
toilet-tongue phase he went through a couple of books back.

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

A couple by W.E.B. Griffin and James Brady recently, plus Bridges at
Toko-Ri a long time ago. I couldn't tell you the titles of the first two,
they weren't terribly memorable. I tend to read more non-fiction on Korea.

snip

6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Again, if we are talking fiction, I tend toward espionage since there
are more plot convolutions possible. War stories tend to be blood/gore
or sex and tragedy. Both bore quickly.

Generally agreed.


8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

Still buy them regularly.

With 8 library cards, who needs to buy? ;-) Seriously, I only buy books Im
going to use as references, or the few books of fiction I'm going to reread
repeatedly.

Guy

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 21:24:35 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

Come to think of it, Coyle's first or
second book was set in Korea.

His first, "Team Yankee", was set in Germany, west of the Fulda Gap.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

Mary Shafer wrote:

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 21:24:35 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

Come to think of it, Coyle's first or
second book was set in Korea.

His first, "Team Yankee", was set in Germany, west of the Fulda Gap.

And the second one, "Sword Point", was set in Iran.

Can't think of any of Coyle's books that take place in Korea.

Eric Barry's "Arc Light", on the other hand, begins with an invasion of
South Korea by North Korea, as does the first of the "WWIII" books by
Ian, um, Smith? (I've tried to block those out of my memory, as they
were utter crap.) Both books quickly expanded beyond a mere Korean
conflict, though.
--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

Marc Reeve wrote:

Mary Shafer wrote:

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 21:24:35 GMT, Guy Alcala
wrote:

Come to think of it, Coyle's first or
second book was set in Korea.

His first, "Team Yankee", was set in Germany, west of the Fulda Gap.

And the second one, "Sword Point", was set in Iran.

Can't think of any of Coyle's books that take place in Korea.

Yeah, you're right. I could swear that he wrote one and I know he served
there, but I can't seem to find it. I appear to be confusing it with
Bond's "Red Phoenix" or something else - for some reason I've never gotten
into Bond.

I just prefer Coyle's much more nuanced approach to Clancy's cartoons -
comparing say "Code of Honor" or "God's Children" to "Clear and Present
Danger", the difference between the two authors' approach is stark. I'll
be curious to see if Coyle writes one about Iraq; Clancy's approach would
be to write about the period of "major combat" and end it there when the
good guys 'won', in a victory for truth, justice and the american way.
Coyle would be writing about the whole last year, having to choose from a
bunch of bad options and co-opt people who often aren't very nice and/or
have their own agendas, collateral damage (there isn't any in a Clancy
book, at least none caused by the US -our weapons either score bullseyes or
miss/malfunction in open ground), the war would be fought by hot, dirty,
tired and scared 19 year-old PFCs led by 25 year old Sgts. instead of stock
Hollywood 'characters' led by John Wayne or Harrison Ford, etc.

Guy

Eric Pinnell wrote:
I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

Clancy, Some Coonts,

2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

The guy who wrote Circle William. I quit after two chapters.
Unbelievable premise, poor writing, cliched.

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

It has to grab my interest and it MUST be believable in a real-world
frame of reference.

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

First chapter of Steel Rain. The same applies as to Circle William.

5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?
Burned to a crisp.


6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Both

7) What story would you like to read?



8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

Just bought a book of short stories edited by Stephen Coonts, entitled
Victory - Call to Arms. Three stories, excellently done. I'm looking
for the rest of the series.

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?


Eric Pinnell

(Author, "Steel Rain", "Claws of The Dragon", "The Omega File")

For a preview, see: http://www.ericpinnell.com/books/previews.shtml


Eric, Have you been to the DMZ or done much research on how it's setup?
Or how the ROK is organized? Might be worth a look.

John

J Harris wrote:

Eric Pinnell wrote:
I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


[snip]

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

Just bought a book of short stories edited by Stephen Coonts,
entitled Victory - Call to Arms. Three stories, excellently done. I'm
looking for the rest of the series.

Well, there's a big honkin' hardback with all of the stories in it (much
like Coonts' first anthology, "Combat") and then they're being released
in paperback with three stories to a volume.

--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

"Eric Pinnell" see my web site wrote in message
...
I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

Clancy, WEB Griffin, Martin Caidin (RIP)


2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

There has to be a basis in reality. Don't try and sell me a stealth B-52 or
a Mach 5 SR-71

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

WEB Griffin's latest in one of his series is in Korea.


5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?

I'll read any well written book.


6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Doesn't matter.

7) What story would you like to read?

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

See #5

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?


Eric Pinnell

(Author, "Steel Rain", "Claws of The Dragon", "The Omega File")

For a preview, see: http://www.ericpinnell.com/books/previews.shtml

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 16:24:24 -0400, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:

WEB Griffin's latest in one of his series is in Korea.

Griffin's book on Korea that I started was TEDIOUS.