As soon as I saw the recommendation from Clive Cussler I should have known....
Dale Brown has written some good stuff but this is awful. Overly technical and the first half reads like a soap opera! No action until way into the second half of the book and while the action is well handled, the characters are on the dull side.
I am sure many of you will now enjoy voting that this is an unhelpful review, but this was a painful read at times.
Zzzzzzzzzz.

Was excited about this new series from Brown based on the goings-on at Dreamland. The opening novel takes place in 1995, not long after the events in his novel Day of the Cheetah. Basically, General Elliot is out of the picture at Dreamland, and Congress and all the other higher ups are close to closing this place down.

Enter Colonel Dog Bastian. He takes over Dreamland, figuring it will be ditched by the powers that be. This is the slow, and I mean slow part of the book, pretty much the first one half to two thirds of the book. Generally, we introduce new characters, besides Bastian, including his daughter and pilot Breanna Stockard, and her husband, who is wheel-chaired after a training accident in the prologue, Jeff. A few cameos from Dale Brown's other novels appear, such as McClanahan and Briggs. The only one that takes part in most of this novel from the past novels is Nancy Cheshire.

While they are working on projects at HAWC, tensions are mounting in Somalia, where Iranians are shipping in Silkworm missles. Also, involved is Libya. The Iranians are trying to get a "Greater Islamic League" set up against the west.

Eventually, our friends at Dreamland are sent over, in their modified EB-52 Megafortresses...along with U/MF's Flighthawks, which are unmanned planes flown by Jeff from inside the EB-52.

The novel picks up speed in the last one quarter as we have aerial and land battle scenes. Can the guys and gals of Dreamland succeed in their mission, and if so, this could save the Dreamland facility.

Also enjoyed Brown and Defelice adding some action from the Navy, and Marines in this one. If not for most of the book being slow, this would have ranked higher.

Betting the series will get better, now that the characters have been developed. Worth getting if you're a techno-thriller fan.

Dale Brown has collaborated with Jim DeFelice(check out his WAR BREAKER, by the way) to produce an excellent new novel set roughly around the end of Dale's DAY OF THE CHEETAH but tying in nicely with SHADOWS OF STEEL. In the story, Colonel Tecumseh DOG Bastian is assigned by the White House to get Dreamland, the secret base at Nevada's Groom Lake, back into shape or else defence budget cuts will force the place to close. The first half of the book deals with experimenting on new weapons systems, in particular the FLIGHTHAWK unmanned aerial vehicles and also development of the EB-52 Megafortress, another old favourite! Dale Brown has also done well in creating some new characters, such as hotshot F-16 pilot Mack Smith, paraplegic ex-pilot Jeff Stockard who is a leading player with the FLIGHTHAWK system and is also burned out, concerned about his marriage to Megafortress pilot Breanna Bastian Stockard, daughter of 'Dog'. All these personal dramas intertwine well when things heat up in the book's secomd half. As well as the new faces, we also get cameo appearances from Patrick MacLanahan, loose cannon General Brad Elliot(who I sadly miss, this character really rocks!), Madcap Magician SPECFOR operative Hal Briggs and also National Security Advisor Deborah O'Day, who is undecided about closing Dreamland. Overall, memorable characters, fast pacing, easy-to-read narrative and some interesting military technology which might be in use today(you just never know what they've got hidden away) and some pulsating action scenes in the air and on the ground with a deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Unit on a search and rescue mission make this new Dale Brown story well worth the read. I eagerly look forward to reading more in the DREAMLAND series!

I wanted to read a general book on the Aztecs to round out some of my knowledged of Middle and South American Civilizations. This was a colorful though very general book on the subject, typical of other Time-Life books on selected topics. Wonderfully illustrated and with an extensive bibliography full of material for further investigation, it makes an adequate starting point for further research. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, in anthropology, or in Mexico.

This offers pictures and a brief overview into the Aztec world. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Aztecs. I found out some interesting things that I hadn't heard before.

I am an avid Dale Brown fan. I was excited to read Dreamland Nerve center. I was quite disappointed. I am not sure how much input Mr. Brown had on this project but it would be better if he took his name off of it. It was stale, predicatble and very cheesy. I think the characters are good but the only person who would actually enjoy reading this is a female highschool wall flower. It should be displayed in the cheap romance novel catagory. The next book in the Dreamland series can be nothing but better than this one. I will give Dreamland another chance because I like Mr. Brown. But, that being said, I can only take so much cheap romance.

Great second installment in the series. Brown revisits ANTARES, the mind/machine interface (see Cheetah) with some new twists.

This is my fourth book by Dale Brown.Although i am a fan, i can not say this is the best novel of him.Again this time the aviation stuff and scenario was very good but i think Mr.Brown did not do his homework well.He should have made a better research about the countries and armies he is telling in the book.He reflects that women are treated as second class people in Turkey and even a Turkish Squadron Commander insults an allied female officer because he thinks women can not fight.Things seem quite acceptaple when you look from 8000 miles away.But when you get closer and do a good research you see the fact that women are serving in the Turkish Army ,Air Force and Navy for 75 years.With the most sophisticated weapons, well trained personnel and modern commanders Turkish Army is not the one described in this book.Other than this matter i can say i missed ol'McLanahan whom i got used to see in 3 out of 5 Dale Brown book.Anyway Mr. Brown is a good storyteller so you will definitely enjoy this novel.

Another great thriller from DB. In this one you have a bit of a change from the normal Patrick McClannahan story and you meet Mace as well as the "Iron Maiden". The world has changed and many of the fighter pilots are now part of the reserves, and a huge percentage of them are women. See what they have to do to become fighter pilots.

You will also learn a lot about photon bombs and their destruction of life etc. In this story you will cover a lot of ground from the Ukraine, Turkey to Plattsburgh NY as well as Iraq. It is a fast paced story with the normal plethora of detail on military actions as well as equipment from DB. I really enjoyed this story but I think Fatal Terrain is my favorite so far...

Another first-rate military aviation thriller from Dale Brown which is next to impossible to put down. The scenario of Boris Yeltsin being ousted from power and being replaced by a hardline communist best on war is a highly feasible one considering how unstable Russia can be in real life. When Russia tries to invade the Ukraine, Moldova and Romania using tactical nuclear weapons and the neutron bomb, the US President(a southern hillbilly draft-dodger who has a passion for M&Ms, Coke and Fritos . . . guess who . . .) and his dominatrix(!!!!) First Lady (who is more evil than the Russian communist leader!) dallies over a miliary response and sends in a reserve F-111 fighter-bomber squadron to deal with the situation. The characters are well crafted, especially Daren Mace and Rebecca Furness and the chemistry both in the air and in bed betwen them! General Freeman is a worthy gung-ho Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and a flyer by the name of Fogelman is full of macho insecurity when it comes to real combat . . . The flying and war scenes are highly realistic and compelling; the first third of the book centres around Mace's secret mission in Desert Storm of nuking Saddam Hussein and his harassment by the military when he is forced to abort. The second part deals with the F-111 crew training and the build-up to the war in Turkey and the Ukraine, and the final half has intense action that's so brilliant you feel you're there. BUY THIS BOOK NOW!

While this book provides a large number of listings about the local parks and other places, there are serious flaws. First of all, there are no maps (!), and directions are minimal or missing from most listings. Second, a lot of the descriptions contain more details about the author's dogs than about the places they visited, which is fun, but largely unhelpful. Finally, a lot of the information is out of date (although that's par for the course with any guidebook). As a resident of Chicago, I found it only slightly useful. I think a visitor to the city would have a hard time using it at all.

A travel book without maps strikes me as not much of a travel book at all. While there is a lot of info. in this book, it's not easy-to-use. I'd rather have some directions, maps and tips than stories about Luna and Chaser and what kind of spaghetti sauce they prefer.

If you have a dog and live in Chicago, this book is a must. Just flipping through this book, you can quickly learn how dog friendly the Chicago are is.

Having recently moved to Madison, WI, I didn't realize what I had until it was gone (most parks prohibit dogs, and the designated "dog parks" are usually over run with extremely aggressive, untrained dogs that are a serious danger to you and your pet).

As one reviewer notes, you should phone ahead on some of the places in the book. The Renaissance Hotel downtown will allow small dogs (generally less than 15lbs), and even has a section on the room service menu for your furry friend.

Dale Brown uses current events to create a nonstop exciting military action and adventure. China attack Taiwan? It's a topic that's been circulated in very recent years.

You're given insight into military jargon, terms and strategies and a good dose of history to add more realism.

Brown is a good first step to reading Tom Clancy. He isn't too lengthy about technical terms, which at times are nice and at other occasions just too much detail. He tells you enough and continues the action without disrupting the scene.

This has been the first book by Dale Brown that I have read; I can't wait to read his others!

I was tempted to give this book a miss as I felt Dale Brown had faltered a bit with previous "sequels" such as Hammerheads but strong work in Chain of Command brought me back to the fold.

The character development was a bit weak in relation to the female protagonist, Senator Finegold (a thin veiled jibe at California's Senator Finestein?) The other characters, especially the military ones, were well done. I especially hated Admiral Balboa. I was disappointed with that loose end at the end of the book.

The action is typical Brown, fast-paced and exciting. His knowledge of actual weapon systems and great imagination make for a great read. I almost believe the U.S. military has that type of firepower and wish the B-52 could fly forever.

The scenarios set up are real world and very believable. The role of China in world events is still in question and although I don't personally believe China would undertake such actions, it is hard to dismiss the threat of a totalitarian regime in control of such a vast military machine.

I would have given this book 4 1/2 stars if possible only because Balboa did not get what he deserves.

Fantastic Audio Book by Dale Brown. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

In this story the US is about to retire the B2 and other large heavy artillery bombers from service as many see they are no longer needed...At the same time China has decided that it finally wants Taiwan back and is going to go after it. Mostly with the plans of one man with a few outrageous ideas, making it seem like the US is helping Taiwan and is sabotaging many different Chinese events etc. When in fact it is all just part of the Chinese plan. In this one you see the retired McClannahan as well as Gen. Brad Elliot. They along with some of their new toys from Sykmasters Inc. and a few pals you have seen before or in the future stories, help to turn the tide of the on slot. In addition the Chinese actually use Nukes much to everyone's surprise. This is a fast paced audio with lots of information coming at you.

One this that was sorta annoying was that the narrator used the same voice for a few of the characters which confused me at first.

Dale Brown returns with another aerial techno-thriller, after delving into a James Bondish yarn in Tin Man. This book, Battle Born, was not his best, but it wasn't bad either. 500+ pages and most of it was spent in building up a crew in Nevada to fly modified B-1Bs against ballistic missles.

The main storyline has South Korea coming into possesion of a nuclear weapon. Then after months of infiltrating North Korea with spys and helping to fight their poverty situation, the South Koreans attack, and most N. Koreans revolt against their fellow Communists to overthrow that form of government, effectively uniting Korea.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. a dysfunctional Air National Guard unit is being tested by Gen. Patrick McLanahan over the Nevada deserts in B-1B's. Dreamland is testing plasma-yield weapons as well as antiballilistic missles.

Back overseas, a United Korea has found a stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), i.e. chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. A leftover crew of loyal North Koreans, still with some WMD's launch an attack on the Southern part of Korea. The defense minister, Kim of United Korea, believes China launched the attack, and wants President Kwon to retaliate against the Chinese with nuclear weapons.

Hence, lies the political and military struggle for the rest of the book. China invades the northern part of Korea, while the
B1-B crews get their act together to keep Northeast Asia from becoming a nuclear wasteland.

Most of the book is dialogue, both normal and technical as only Brown can deliver. Some good aerial sequences, especially near the end.

Patrick McLanahan is back to face his most dangerous mission.

Patrick must put together a group of young pilots to help fight a nuclear conflict. The new mission begins with joining of US-Japanese-South Korean mock bombing raid, but turns deadly when the South Korean fighters decide to break free and cross the border to North Korea, and support the people's revolt against communists.

Patrick knows this move by the South Koreans can start World War III, but he knows of top-secret aviation technology to stop them in their tracks, to do this he must have his group of rebellious fighter pilots stop fighting each other, and work as a team, or the world as we know it will no longer exist.

"Battle Born" is a great techno thriller. It starts off with a bang, and keeps on banging until the last awesome battle has been fought.

Dale Brown writes easy to read techno thrillers, that keep the reader riveted from page one. His latest novel is a return to top form, by keeping the action scenes exciting, and the plot racing along.

Nick Gonnella

Military fiction novelist Dale brown has finally published,after a long wait mind you, his newest novel called "Battle Born". I personnaly received the book on last Thursday from the publisher. I hasten to say that this is the best Dale Brown novel to date. It only took two days to read this 390+ page novel. I just could not put the book down. Patrick McLanahan, Dave Luger and the rest of the Megafortress crew rejoin in this novel performing operations at the relatively new Elliot Air Force Base. And yes the rumors are true, this is new "Megafortress-2". It is a bigger and badder HAWC creation. I wont ruin anything from the book, but war erupts over Korea again and here comes the new EB-1C. As always, Elliot Air Force Base runs the risk of being shut down. Like I said earlier, this is my favorite military fiction novel of all time. I guess I can I am kinda bent toward this novel because I am currently a memeber of the 28th Bomb Wing of Ellsworth A.F.B., South Dakota. Dale came here last spring to get source material for this book. He kindly gives some hearty kudos in the book to the people here at Ellsworth. I will close this review with three words, "BUY THIS BOOK".

Take care all and read books!

Dale Brown has written another entry in the adventures of Patrick "Muck" MacLachan. This time they are fighting the Libyans with background assistance from Pavel Kazarov, the villian from the previous book.

On the positive side, Brown is excellent in describing the action, especially in the air. However, once he lands on the ground and starts in with dialogue, he is in trouble. Foreigners sound like Americans, with American slang and cadence, as opposed to how they really talk.

There are also plot points that are so big, you could fly a B-52 through them. Characters seem to appear in various locations like magic, without reliance on reality. Also, Brown kills off a number of recurring characters for no reason and without remorse.

Brown is capable of writing better than he does here. I hope his next effort is better.

I have read all of Dale Brown's fourteen novels and, with one exception, if you buy in to his premise that has developed over time, of a private US company modifying B-52 aircraft and developing others into a frightening air armada and then flying them against other countries without US approval, then you are going to enjoy this one as well.

From The Flight of the Old Dog to Wings on Fire has been a long and hazardous trip for Gen. Patrick McClanahan (USAF Ret.)and many others that served with him throughout the various campaigns.

In this book, Skymasters has been retained by some unnamed oil producers to "protect their interests" from the quite mad King of Lybia ( a successor to Quadaffi. All the King and his henchmen want to do is steal a few billion dollars and get out of Dodge. However when he starts by murdering the President of Egypt, he sets in motion a series of events that do not work out quite as he had hoped. The non-Arabic wife of the murdered president takes her husbands murder personally and embarks on her own plans for revenge. These get wrapped up with McClanahan and his Nightstalkers whose mission to Lybia has become somewhat undone and he finds himself rescued by Egyption forces after their ship is sunk by Lybia. However, not all of the forces are rescued and some fall into the hands of the Lybians, including McClanahan's wife, Wendy. McClanahan wants his wife and men back which Brown blends with the desires of the murdered President's widow and the rest is a typical air war pot boiler that is enjoyable to read, but a bit difficult to swallow in places.

If this is your first Brown book, you may find this hard going in places as a fair number of assumptions are made by the author that the reader knows more about his characters than the book reveals. That said, if it is not your first Brown book and you enjoyed the others, you will like this one as well. A sequel is clearly set up in the conclusion and the possibilities it raises are very interesting indeed. Buckle your seat belts.......

Dale Brown has put everything in to this tale, be they familiar characters, or the weapon systems that always play a role in his books. If this is the first book by this author that you choose to read there are going to be a variety of references that will not be clear. These can either be noted as a negative, or as I think, a catalyst for going back to the very beginning and enjoying all the books. This is novel number 14, and with the exception of one I have enjoyed them all.

Before commenting on this tale I need to make a general comment. The descriptions that have been offered about the storyline in this book do not match what actually happens during the tale. Some of the suggested elements of the plot are exaggerated, and others just do not take place. I may have not placed the same emphasis on certain events that the book's description highlights, and I look forward to what other reviewers have to say. In any event, if I had not read any description of the book it still is another great read from Dale Brown.

The familiar group of mavericks have become independent to the point of being mercenaries. This freedom to operate as they choose is satisfying from a reader's standpoint, but for these former military members the moniker of mercenary does not sit with much comfort. Events rapidly blur the line between their interests and that of governments friendly to their actions, and their reasons for operating become more comfortably defined.

The new toy this time out is another incarnation of The Megafortress with the moniker AL-52 Dragon. A close look at the book's cover will give you an idea of what this latest weapon is. The book opens with the testing of this weapon in the classic Mclanahan style. Testing against mock-ups and target ranges are not his way, so when he takes this plane out for a spin, international incidents start multiplying.

From this point on anything more descriptive would ruin the reading for others. Suffice to say that there is as much going on in the main plot, and a variety of subplots, that this is as dense a read as Mr. Brown has offered. Every trick that Masters and Mclanahan and their usual teammates have developed, is on display. And if that was not enough a new character is introduced that I think readers will either love or loathe. Think of Jon Masters as a tyke, that's all I'll say.

The reason for holding back the 5th star is because of the inconsistencies. I may have missed some subtle point, but I did not miss that a character that is alive at the beginning is alive at the end. And this contradicts what readers are told to expect.

In any event the book is a great read, and Dale Brown fans will feel they have been given their money's worth.