The Gulf - Hardcover

The sequel to The Med is set in the Persian Gulf late in the Reagan administration in an uneasy climate of "no war, no peace" aboard the Turner Van Zandt , a Knox -class frigate whose captain, Benjamin Shaker, seeks to avenge the sinking of his previous command by an Iranian cruise missile. Taking artistic license with history, the story hovers between techno-thriller and naval procedural: an American helicopter is shot down and an Iranian sub torpedoes a supertanker. The U.S. responds with a full-scale attack on an Iranian naval base, with the Van Zandt in the thick of the fighting (a subplot involving a nuclear warhead, however, adds unwelcome melodrama). At the helm with Shaker are the lieutenant commander, Dan Lenson, a more cautious warrior; and Washington's delegate to the combat zone, senatorial defense aide Blair Titus. Poyer provides gripping descriptions of naval operations: helicopter searches, mine disposal, escort work; his mastery of technical and procedural detail does for the modern small-ship fleet what Tom Clancy does for nuclear submarines and Stephen Coonts for aircraft carriers.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.