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The First Commandment (Scot Harvath #6)
by
Brad Thor (Goodreads Author),
Armand Schultz
When the president of the United States is blackmailed into releasing five detainees from Guantanamo Bay, a sadistic assassin with a vendetta years in the making is reactivated. Suddenly, the people closest to counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath are being targeted and he realizes that somehow, somewhere he has left the wrong person alive. With his life plunged int...more
Audio CD, Abridged, 0 pages
Published
March 8th 2011
by Simon & Schuster Audio
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An assassin is targeting people close to counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath. His girlfriend is comatose in a hospital bed and the president has ordered him to stand down. But how can he stand down when the people around him are being gunned down?
First off, this was a birthday present and not something I picked for myself. I'm not into political thrillers.
The Good: The First Commandment is action-packed and feels like a blockbuster movie. Scot Harvath is a high c...more
First off, this was a birthday present and not something I picked for myself. I'm not into political thrillers.
The Good: The First Commandment is action-packed and feels like a blockbuster movie. Scot Harvath is a high c...more
I normally love all of Brad Thor's books--and admit that this one was just as edge-of-your-seat thrilling as his others, but I confess I was rather unhappy with how Scot behaved in this book. Granted his nearest and dearest were being tortured and killed while he tracked his attacker down, but the way he was extracting information from the terrorists was disturbing to one of my sensibilities. And my high opinion of Scot suffered as a result. I didn't like how torture was justified by only bei...more
One thing can generally be said of the books in the Scot Harvath series -they do not disappoint. Thor can be counted upon to deliver plots that are action driven with bad guys that are truly evil. The reader can also count on an ending where bad guys get their just rewards - with extreme prejudice as they used to say in the Ian Fleming novels.
The First Commandment picks up a thread from the end of the previous novel, Takedown. Harvath's girlfriend, Tracy, is in a coma after being sho...more
The First Commandment picks up a thread from the end of the previous novel, Takedown. Harvath's girlfriend, Tracy, is in a coma after being sho...more
Harvath goes rogue in this installment of the Harvath series. I was afraid of a dropoff from the previous book in this one, but it was just as quick paced as the previous book. Harvath is finally realizing what is important to him in his life (I'm still wondering if he'll ever stay with a woman though) as people related to him are being attacked. Oh yeah, the President is too happy with him in this book either. There were a couple of very interesting quotes in this book about America and the cul...more
Sheila
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone that really enjoys being held on the edge of your seat while reading
Recommended to Sheila by:
Sam
A master assassin. A vendetta years in the making. And a counterterrorism operative who will risk everything -- even treason -- to keep the people he loves alive.
Brad Thor, the New York Times bestselling author of Takedown, delivers an explosive international thriller featuring Navy SEAL turned Homeland Security operative Scot Harvath, who somewhere, somehow, has left the wrong person alive.
"Thou shalt not negotiate with terrorists..."
...more
Brad Thor, the New York Times bestselling author of Takedown, delivers an explosive international thriller featuring Navy SEAL turned Homeland Security operative Scot Harvath, who somewhere, somehow, has left the wrong person alive.
"Thou shalt not negotiate with terrorists..."
...more
Unabridged audio.
Someone tried to kill Scot's (Scot Harvath) girlfriend, and Scot intends nothing will keep him from finding the one. This is especially true once it becomes obvious that someone (the same someone?) is going after Scot's mother, and anyone who means anything to him.
What's the biggest rub? The President of the US himself has ordered Scot to stand down and stay completely hands off this one.
That's gonna happen, right? If it did we wouldn'...more
Someone tried to kill Scot's (Scot Harvath) girlfriend, and Scot intends nothing will keep him from finding the one. This is especially true once it becomes obvious that someone (the same someone?) is going after Scot's mother, and anyone who means anything to him.
What's the biggest rub? The President of the US himself has ordered Scot to stand down and stay completely hands off this one.
That's gonna happen, right? If it did we wouldn'...more
I'm not sure I should admit to reading this book! I had it on my "to-read" list for some time and then checked it out recently from the library for my husband to take with him on a flight. I would classify this as a "Book for Guys Who Like Movies." :) It is action packed in the vein of Mission: Impossible or The Da Vinci Code and is written with very short chapters as if they are scene changes. (Is the author hoping to sell the rights to his book and see this developed into a blockbuster movie? ...more
The First Commandment was a good quick read. There was a lot in this book I liked and it was full of suspense.
It was very anti-Islamic, and at times I read the political/social beliefs of Horvath and cringed. It is fiction, and I repect the fact that the character isn't an angel. However, I wish he would stop referencing America-ism's so much. Eg, 'American way of life,' 'Killing American citizens' 'Good old fashioned American' ect ect. I'm not American, and this just seemed to be exc...more
It was very anti-Islamic, and at times I read the political/social beliefs of Horvath and cringed. It is fiction, and I repect the fact that the character isn't an angel. However, I wish he would stop referencing America-ism's so much. Eg, 'American way of life,' 'Killing American citizens' 'Good old fashioned American' ect ect. I'm not American, and this just seemed to be exc...more
I'm counting this as "read," because "chose not to continue" is not a choice that Goodreads offers. I rarely give up on a book, but I quit when the hero (the hero!) drilled through the bad guy's kneecap in order to make him talk. We are supposed to admire Scott Harvath as a man of integrity. He is a skilled killer, but only kills in defense of his country (or in this story, his family), and he rarely enjoys it, unless the "scum" and "animals" he is killing...more
This is the first Brad Thor book I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This is an action-packed thriller, mystery and suspense book! Thor does an excellent job in writing the story and still allow the reader to feel like he/she is actually uncovering and discovering the plot. Scot Harvath, the hero, is a tough, no-nonsense Navy Seal, who has the connections and political savy to call on the many resources in the U.S. Government civilian and military arena, to help him in his fight against...more
Brad Thor is the best thriller writer out there. It takes you around the world and back, action packed into every page. You have to read this guy!
Another exceptionally 24-like book. It was intense and action packed. Harvath, our hero from the five books before, has to deal with the fallout of one of his earlier adventures.
I only have two complaints: Thor seems to be getting more political in his novels and happy to express his extremely conservative views. Some of it is fine and fits with his characters, but some of it seems to get a little too extreme. The second complain is that there are way too many chapters (over 115 ...more
I only have two complaints: Thor seems to be getting more political in his novels and happy to express his extremely conservative views. Some of it is fine and fits with his characters, but some of it seems to get a little too extreme. The second complain is that there are way too many chapters (over 115 ...more
Book 19 416
This is my first Brad Thor book. I enjoyed it. The book is a fast read and very similar to Vince Flynn. So if you like Vince Flynn you will probably like Brad Thor.
“Do not wish ill for the enemy, plan it.” That sentence tells it all. The US Government breaks the 'first commandment' which is not to negotiate with terrorist by releasing some high valued inmates from Guantanamo and one of the them goes after Scot Harvath's family and friends. Harva...more
This is my first Brad Thor book. I enjoyed it. The book is a fast read and very similar to Vince Flynn. So if you like Vince Flynn you will probably like Brad Thor.
“Do not wish ill for the enemy, plan it.” That sentence tells it all. The US Government breaks the 'first commandment' which is not to negotiate with terrorist by releasing some high valued inmates from Guantanamo and one of the them goes after Scot Harvath's family and friends. Harva...more
My bad, I picked this book up at the library without realizing it was number 6 in a series. Now I HAVE to start from 1 because I liked the book so much. Though the main character is interesting to me. He's obviously tortured in this book and perhaps I would act similarly, I don't really know. I understood the logic behind what he was doing but it almost felt like there really was no concrete right side. There was a definite wrong, bad and evil side but the good side wasn't all good either. Excit...more
Someone is on a revenge spree ripping apart Harvath's life and everyone in it. Harvath is not amused. Less so, when he learns that the President of the United States has done the unthinkable and approved the release of 5 dangerous terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. But why would the U.S. government do such a thing? Harvath is determined to learn why and protect those he cares about, while ending whoever is responsible for these reprehensible crimes. But Harvath learns that he has lost all suppo...more
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Another Brad Thor thriller finished! It's amazing how many books this guy has written in such a short amount of time, and they're good.
What is "The First Commandment?" It refers to the rule that the US government doesn't negotiate with terrorists under any circumstances. In this story, however, the president finds himself in a situation where he feels he must give in to demands in order to save a ridiculous number of US citizens. The demands are that a number of terrorists ...more
What is "The First Commandment?" It refers to the rule that the US government doesn't negotiate with terrorists under any circumstances. In this story, however, the president finds himself in a situation where he feels he must give in to demands in order to save a ridiculous number of US citizens. The demands are that a number of terrorists ...more
Six months ago in the dead of the night, five of the most dangerous detainees in the war on terror are pulled from their isolation cells in Guantanamo Bay. They are issued civilian clothes and driven to the base airfieldwhere they are put aboard a Boeing 727 and set free.
Screams awaken Agent Scot Harvath as he discovers that his world has changed violently -- and forever. Ordered by the president to stay out of the investigation, Harvath is forced to mount his own operation to uncover the ...more
Screams awaken Agent Scot Harvath as he discovers that his world has changed violently -- and forever. Ordered by the president to stay out of the investigation, Harvath is forced to mount his own operation to uncover the ...more
RJ McGill
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all suspense, mystery, political, thriller readers (& those interested in current events)
Shelves:
reviewed
Takedown raised the bar for political-thrillers, left readers in a state of shock and had critics wondering if Thor could possibly write another novel of equal quality. Well, he satisfied readers beyond their wildest dreams and silenced the critics with “The First Commandment.” The foreword is comprised of a single sentence: “Do not wish ill for the enemy, plan it.” With less than ten words the author set the tone, constructed the stage and prepared the audience for an adrenaline infused novel, ...more
Brad Thor is the quintessential All American anti-terrorist novelist writing today. His protagonist Scot Horvath is an ex-SEAL, ex-Secret Service, go gettum at any cost kind of guy who has a real anger management problem. Mix all that in the pot and throw in a healthy portion of sensitivity and respect for women, children, and honesty and you can see that Thor has created a VERY complex character who constantly is evolving as both he and the author mature.
This particular story is ext...more
This particular story is ext...more
I had to read this right after I finished Takedown. I am horrible at waiting for sequels. A government intrigue/thriller will always be my first choice to read. Just like Vince Flynn and David Baldacci, Brad Thor does an excellent job of leaving small clues along the way while building to the big picture. Enough of a clue that you can plant in somewhere in your mind, but subtle enough that you don't always pick up on it right away.
The book was fairly decent and had a lot of good action. Again the plot follows Secret Service agent Scot Harvath in his attempts to stop fundamentalist Islam. Only this time, the assassin is targeting members of Harvath's family and friends. He's then labeled a traitor to his country after we find out the President of the U.S. at the time broke the first commandment (hence the name) of dealing with terrorits. A bit far-fetched, more so than his other books, but still an excellent read.
So similar to Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series that I am shocked neither author is screaming of plagiarism. Both series launched their first books in 2001, so not sure who was first to print. I enjoy the Flynn books more, perhaps because I came to know that character first. However, now that I've exhausted the Rapp series, this gives me more options till the next one is released. An entertaining read.
Now I just found this paperback for 99 cents at a Goodwill in CT and when I read the back cover, I knew that this book was going to be a thrill - and it didn't disappoint! I was intrigued by the main character, Harvath's role in the U.S. government. The story just took you in; made you feel like you were part of the action. The best part of this book though is that it could definitely happen today. In the words of James Rollins in the New York Times, "Brad Thor writes thrillers plausibl...more
of Adlib 6/29/2010 used. Started late pm 8/24/2010, couple notes I took, while reading: Vahalla, tacticle resort (fictional?) Dark Side of the Moon, Elk Resort, Site 6. Angra dos Reis, getaway in Brazil, consisting of 365 islands. More about the Ovcharkas (dogs) over 200# and 41" at the Shoulder. Ref. to Cristo Redentor (statue) on Mt. Cercovado, Brazil (near Rio)
Discussion of Muslim "Extremists" vs non action of Muslim moderates adding to evil. I wonder if the same co...more
Discussion of Muslim "Extremists" vs non action of Muslim moderates adding to evil. I wonder if the same co...more
Typical Brad Thor / Scot Harvath book - slightly better than the last couple I read but not great. How is it that 3 times in 6 books Harvath is condemned or abandoned by the President, but still saves the day, and comes back to the President's side in the end? If My boss had treated me the way the Prez treats Scot in this book, I would have told him to F-Off.
4/5 - I really enjoying this military action book. This was my first Brad Thor book and I will definitely be looking into more books from him! The only thing I found was that sometimes there was so much information given too far between when it was pertinent that I found myself a bit confused trying to put the pieces together. However, overall I enjoye Scot Harvath's action story!!
This was my first book by Brad Thor and the one that addicted me to the series (and made me start at the first one) in a way that I never found in any spy/thriller novel.
This is without a dough, the most fast paced and action packed book of the series. It had me on the first chapter. As always its very well written, full of suspense, military and political conspiracy.
I don't want to spoil anything so let me leave it this way: Read it!!
This is without a dough, the most fast paced and action packed book of the series. It had me on the first chapter. As always its very well written, full of suspense, military and political conspiracy.
I don't want to spoil anything so let me leave it this way: Read it!!
So glad I had this book on hand to jump to after reading Takedown which comes first. I can't really believe what Scot and the people he cared about went through in this book and then to find out who was behind it all was crazy! But a fun adventure and let's just say I hope he is "gone fishing" for quite sometime!
I like these books alright. They are an interesting story, and light easy read. Mostly I enjoy the insights into the goings on inside Washington politics and the inside of terrorism. I know the author is very well educated in both. That part of the book has actually given me something to think about.
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Brad Thor, a graduate of the University of Southern California and former member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Program, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Lucerne, Path of the Assassin, State of the Union, Blowback, and Takedown. He and his wife -- a physician to the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox -- divide their time with their two child...more
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