The Ordeal

The Survivalist #17

by Jerry Ahern

As the Soviet army advances on the few areas of civilization left after World War III, John Thomas Rourke, alone with helplessly crippled Natalia deep in hostile territory, attempts to fight off the enemy battalions

Genres: Post Apocalyptic

220 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2013

About the author

Jerry Ahern (born Jerome Morrell Ahern) was a science fiction and action novel author best known for his post apocalyptic survivalist series The Survivalist. The books in this series are heavy with descriptions of the weapons the protagonists use to survive and prosecute a seemingly never-ending war amongst the remnants of the superpowers from pre-apocalypse times.

Ahern was also a firearms writer, who published numerous articles in magazines such as Guns & Ammo, Handguns and Gun World.

Jerry Ahern passed away on July 24, 2012 after a long struggle with cancer.

Ahern also released books under pseudonym Axel Kilgore.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalia get your shit together

[Joseph B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mid-Wake and The Arsenal reinvigorated my interest in this series; but for me the next three novels tested that love. Survivalist is 80s pulp fun, and while I recognize the The Ordeal is a necessary breather from endless action its execution felt unwieldy. We primarily get time for characters to decompress while at the end, the Chinese nuclear threat is addressed. Overall it's a 2/5 for me.

[Jeremy Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading a lot of the cold-war, WWIII fiction that came out in the mid-1980's. This was one of the more popular series though I never ended up reading it until now.

It was entertaining, but it's obvious from the beginning that this is no Tom Clancy techno-thriller. One thing that can be said about this book and the way Jerry Ahern writes is that he is very detailed when it comes to military tactics and weaponry. He spends a fair amount of page space describing things and at times it enhances the story and other times it gets in the way.

Something that surprised me was how unsettling the nuclear exchange was between the USA and the USSR. Ahern's attention to detail here serves the story well and the build up to it is fast and tense and makes for some good storytelling. Be warned up front, though not gory, Ahern does not pull any punches with his characters.

I enjoyed it. It only took me a couple of days to get through. I would say that it's worth the read if you've ever read and enjoyed this genre of fiction.

[Suzanne Manners · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the graphic audio of this book. "Like a movie in your mind." The sound effects were very realistic ... lots of shooting, exploding, "arghh!" There was so much action I had trouble keeping up with the plot.

The story takes place after a nuclear war, and John O'Rourke(ex-CIA agent) is on a mission to fight soviet invasion, while attempting to reunite with his family.

I would recommend this book to those who like stories with military action.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite adventure series. Dr John Thomas Rourke leads his family and friends through a post apocalyptic world fighting ever step if the way. Fantastic characters and plots. Very detailed weapon descriptions. Excellent series. My highest recommendation

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review under "Total War," Survivalist Book 1.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was fun easy reading in my teens. Would actually like to pick one up again and see what I think now. :D