Grayback Class

Silent Service #1

by H. Jay Riker

Throughout the annals of history, the best of intentions -- and sometimes the worst -- have set in motion events with a vastly different outcome than originally intended. In this entertaining, fact-filled chronicle, William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett explore the watersheds of history that began as the best of ideas and ended as the worst of fiascoes. A HOLY WAR -- The Medieval Crusades for religious liberation become centuries of slaughter and destruction. SIBLING RIVALRY -- Leif Erikson spares his sister's life and delays the discovery of the New World for five hundred years. BIG GUNS -- Emperor Constantine XI refuses to buy a new supercannon that would let him dominate his enemies, so its creator sells the cannon to the Turks, who then crush Constantinople. With casual wit and subtle insight, It Seemed Like a Good Idea...tucks tongue in cheek and rides out the fiascoes of history. The year is 1985, and two great superpowers -- the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.-- are locked in a lethal, escalating race of arms and technology. When reports are received of a devastating new Soviet weapon -- a prototype attack submarine more advanced than anything in the U.S. undersea arsenal -- a nearly obsolete Grayback Class submarine carrying a platoon of SEALs is suddenly America's greatest hope. Their to penetrate the Soviet sub's home port, the heavily defended Severodvinsk shipyard on the White Sea, and bring back secret data on the new sub. The task is almost impossible but failure would give a powerful enemy dominion over the Earth's waters -- and a first-strike advantage that could prove nothing less than catastrophic to the Free World.The year is 1985, and two great superpowers--the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.--are locked in a lethal, escalating race of arms and technology. When reports are received of a devastating new Soviet weapon--a prototype attack submarine more advanced than anything in the U.S. undersea arsenal--a nearly obsolete Grayback Class submarine carrying a platoon of SEALs is suddenly America's greatest hope. Their to penetrate the Soviet sub's home port, the heavily defended Severodvinsk shipyard on the White Sea, and bring back secret data on the new sub. The task is almost impossible but failure would give a powerful enemy dominion over the Earth's waters--and a first-strike advantage that could prove nothing less than catastrophic to the Free World.

Genres: Military Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

A pseudonym used by William H. Keith Jr..

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Riker has some submarine facts a bit screwed up, but after all this is fiction. Entertaining and a quick read. Onto book two in the series of five, The Silent Service: Los Angeles Class.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found and read the third book in Riker's Silent Service series (Seawolf Class) first. Having enjoyed it, I thought I'd go back to the beginning and read the first in the series (Grayback class). Written in 2000, it reflects a pre-9/11 world when the Soviet Union continued to be the world largest menace as it was just then developing the Akula class sub. The adventure of this book focuses on a high risk, deep covert penetration into the Barents Sea, the White Sea, Archangel and Severodvinsk. The mission involved Navy SEALS, the newest American class submarine, the Loss Angeles class, as well as the final voyage of the ancient USS Bluefin, the last of the Grayback Class.

Action packed, the book kept me engaged. Lead characters were well developed. Tensions -both personal and mission - were palpable.

While in our post 9/11 world the threat of the Soviet Navy might be off the radar of most people, the book is a good reminder about the power and capability of the Akula, and the fact that the Soviets have sold some of these boats to other rogue nations for income, along with other boats from their fleet. Therefore the threat continues.

Having enjoyed these two books, I am sure reading the 2nd book in the series will happen in the near future.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting story and great start to a new series.