Protect and Defend: A Thriller
by Vince Flynn
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Book Summary Information
Author: Vince FlynnEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 074327041X
Number of pages: 401
Publisher: Atria Books
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Book Reviews of Protect and Defend: A Thriller
Book Review: Mitch Rapp Answers the Torture Question
Summary: 5 Stars
5+ stars. I have read all of Vince Flynn's novels and personally feel this is the best one yet. It was so gripping I read the entire book in one day. It is as current as today, up-to-date in ALL respects, and has the best analysis yet on why the current War on Terror is a total war on both sides. Its arguments on all facets of torture are extremely cogent in today's world of politically correct buffoonery. I am tempted to buy copies and mail them to all the current PC presidential candidates as a primer on the real world of terrorism. It is a timely examination of the current problem of Iranian nuclear proliferation and how the entire Middle East is a functioning part of this pressing conundrum. Mr. Flynn does an excellent job of using contemporary international players as thinly veiled characters. Is this really how America's secret, covert world of espionage works? One could only hope.
Protect and Defend opens with Mitch Rapp tying up some loose ends from his previous adventure. The story then quickly shifts to the Middle East and the Iranian Nuclear Question. The resulting destruction of a key Iranian nuclear site by an aggressive covert Israeli agent causes a blossoming crises as the bellicose Iranian President blames the United States. Dissension within the Iranian hierarchy over the incident leads to internal friction in the Iranian government. Things quickly spiral out of control as aggressive elements in the Iranian government try to draw America into a "hot" confrontation. Mitch Rapp devises a brilliant plan to thwart the Persians and turn the whole incident back on Tehran. Unfortunately, covert Iranian counter moves and a bloody ambush causes the head of the CIA, Irene Kennedy, to be taken hostage in northern Iraq while meeting with the head of Iranian Intelligence. The leader of this ambush is a vicious Hezbollah terrorist working with Tehran. His sworn goal is to inflame the Middle East and destroy Israel and American. Mitch rides to the rescue and disregarding any semblance of political correctness rescues Ms. Kennedy while exposing the dissident Iranian plot.
This is not a book for the squeamish. It is a gritty portrayal of the real world of today's War on Terror and how it is fought in the trenches. It asks and answers the key confounding questions of what is torture and does it work. It deals with reality and not the PC world of theory and legalese. It gets to the gut of how does one deal with captured terrorists in "real time" if lives and nuclear events are at stake. In essence, Mr. Flynn's book is not politically correct and as such probably will not be enjoyed by those of the liberal persuasion. Difficult times require difficult decisions and in that regard Protect and Defend is an outstanding novel.
Mediocre character development. As this is simply a serial character story, much of the character development has been done in previous novels. Mr. Flynn does an adequate job of character continuation but if this is your first Mitch Rapp book it might seem that the characters are a little thin/shallow. They aren't, but Mr. Flynn has had many books to develop and grow them.
Strong language and some very graphic violence. Neither are gratuitous and add to the storyline but squeamish readers should be warned: There are some brutal scenes. No gratuitous sex.
Must read. The story is gripping and a page turner, but, the most interesting facet is the torture aspect. Mr. Flynn gets into the torture questions in interesting detail and tackles it head on. You may disagree with Mr. Flynn but he makes you think. Some will agree, some won't, but Mr. Flynn makes a good argument for its use. That alone is worth the read.
I like Mitch Rapp and hope that somewhere in our intelligence network there is a Mitch Rapp character doing what Mitch does best: Protecting and Defending this great country.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell
Summary of Protect and Defend: A Thriller
New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true heavyweight in the political thriller arena (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a finger-blistering page-turner they won t dare put down.In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran s second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran s bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood.
Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart.
But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe.
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