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Paperback
Publisher: Berkley
When old horrors are reborn in a newly unified Germany and neo-Nazi groups spread violence and hatred, Paul Hood and his team uncover shocking plans to destabilize Europe and the United States and set out to stop the explosive rebirth of the Third Reich.
The Cold War is over. And chaos is setting in. The new president of Russia is trying to create a democratic regime. But there are strong elements within the country that are trying to stop him: the ruthless Russian mafia, the right-wing nationalists, and those nefarious forces that will do whatever it takes to return Russia to the days of the Czar. Op-Center, the newly-founded but highly successful crisis management team, begins a race against the clock and against the hardliners. Their task is made even more difficult by the discovery of a Russian counterpart... but this one's controlled by those same repressive hardliners and represents everything Op-Center stands for. Two rival Op-Centers, virtual mirror images of each other. But if this mirror cracks, it'll be more than seven years of bad luck....
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| Op-Center Fan |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I have enjoyed all of the Clancy Op-Center books I've read, and this one is no different. "Games of State" has an entertaining and exciting story line with a great cast of characters. I still prefer the regular Tom Clancy novels, but the Op-Center books are a nice change of pace.
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| Not nearly as good the second time through |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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My first reading of Op-Center came about because I enjoyed Tom Clancy's previous novels. It led to me reading a number of other Op-Center books. I enjoyed them all.
I just reread the original Op-Center... it wasn't nearly as good the second time through.
Why is that?
Tom Clancy has a knack for spinning a complex story with many characters, and making each character stand out enough that the reader doesn't get mixed up. This didn't happen with this reading... I kept being confused who was where and with what agency. I think this is because I read it faster. The only other book I have read twice is The Hunt for Red October, and the second time was as a book on CD, meaning that I couldn't go any faster than the narrator. And it was great!
I'll try another Clancy book as a repeat in the future, and see whether I have the same reaction. Oh, and in Clancy's books, the good guys eventually win, technology works great, and guys are very manly. If you've read any of his novels, you know what I mean.
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| Op-Center what a ride! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is a Clancy classic! Keeps your interest and juices flowing from cover to cover!
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| It's ok, but 3.5 stars is closer. |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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First, I just want to say that this review IS about the first book. This book is not about Neo-Nazis or the Turks and Kurds. It is based in North/South Korea.
This book is an acceptable start to the series, but could have been much better. For one, it was a pretty lame "crisis". It didn't even last more than two days, which I realize is possible, but not very likely. Even more ridiculous is the marital problems mixed in that also last only two days and then are fixed (although in later books you find that it is not actually "fixed") as well as the son's sudden viral attack and even more sudden recovery.
One other pretty lame portion is where a major figure and two less heard-of figures go into a threatening position. The least mentioned of the three gets killed and the other little heard-of guy gets wounded, while the most heard-of guy is unharmed. The part of the one guy getting wounded is also somewhat ridiculous. He was knocked over and shot at from right above him, yet all he got was a shoulder wound. It does not seem right to be standing over someone and shoot him, but only get his shoulder, even if you are in a hurry.
Also, for being the first book in a series, it doesn't give very much information about op-Center as a whole.
As for the good parts, there are few that are easily mentioned. One part is how Major Lee is introduced. In the first section where he is mentioned, you are given the one detail that later reveals his true nature to you.
I feel that the subplot of Gregory Donald was a good and necessary inclusion. Without it, you wouldn't understand his great desire to get to the border and behind it.
Overall, I would recommend this book, but mainly just for those of you who have read other books in the series and want to know more about some of the earlier details. Otherwise, it is not very great material, especially for coming under Clancy's name. Read and enjoy.
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| Entertaining and somewhat insightful |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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A good read for anyone really. It provides a view of both sides, both US and the Kurds, and historical information and cultural background to the area.
Definitly a good read, and somewhat educational about the conflicts and ideals in the Middle East (atleast as far as the Kurds and Turks go).
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