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Dan Lenson #10
Korea Strait
United States Navy officer and Medal of Honor winner Dan Lenson’s mission is to observe an international military exercise involving the navies of South Korea, Japan, Australia, and America. It should be routine duty for Dan, but old alliances are unraveling, as North Korea threatens the U.S. and China expands its influence. Acting as both adviser and adversary to a ruthless South Korean task force commander, Dan must stop a wolfpack of unidentified submarines, armed with nuclear weapons, which is trying to elude Allied surveillance and penetrate the Sea of Japan. Is it the start of an invasion . . . or an elaborate feint, to divert attention from a devastating attack? Battling faulty weapons, a complacent Washington establishment, and a fierce typhoon season at sea, Dan must act on his own---even if doing so means the end of his career, the lives of his observers, and the risk of nuclear war. Featuring fierce action at sea and political intrigue at the highest levels, Korea Strait is both a first-class thriller and a prescient look at how the next major war might begin.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published December 10, 2007
49 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
David Poyer
82 books240 followersAka D.C. Poyer.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 15, 2014
By far the best of the series. Plot works; author isn't trying to force-feed anti-military attitudes, lots of interesting new information, and more suspense than any Lenson novel since The Command (but, unlike that one, the suspense here is evenly baked, not crammed into the end).
October 21, 2017
Like an aged diesel-powered submarine, David Poyer's "Korea Strait" gets off to a slow start. In fact, the first 200 pages or so are packed with the mundane. Excessive detail about tactical submarine exercises and maneuvers in waters off the South Korean coast. Superfluous visceral details about ship stench when at sea for weeks at a time, and the rot of unappetizing food like kimchi hanging in the air.
Somewhere amid it all, however, a story develops. A hero emerges and deeper themes involving mission, success, failure and duty take hold. The final 60 pages or so captivate into a riveting, gut-checking conclusion that rewards the reader who sustains interest and remains character-loyal.
Former Naval officer Dan Lenson is at the center of this book's sideways paradigm, which drones on for far too many chapters about the twists, turns, and the unforeseen circumstances of exercises involving ships from the U.S., South Korea and other Asian-Pacific nations, both above and below the waters in the world's most hostile region. Lenson has been assigned to a neutral task group, essentially charged with observing and recording the exercises, ultimately to assess South Korea's naval readiness in the event of an underwater infiltration from the North.
Amid this process, not one but two typhoons nearly scuttle the whole operation, and a group of North Korean subs actually does infiltrate South Korean waters. As the novel progresses to a more right-side up plot line, Lenson anguishes against extreme fatigue, nausea and hopeless odds to come up with a solution before the world is drawn into irreversible destruction.
The closing chapters pack less unsettling description and a far more powerful narrative in bringing the book to satisfying culmination, rescuing what could have been an utter waste of time. The book rounds out nicely to a 3-star rating, which may have even touched 4 if not for the angony of the first 200 pages.
This read would definitely be enticing to fans of the very niche genre of submarine thrillers.
When inspired, Poyer's writing packs an almost literary, flowing style of description and character exploration.
Somewhere amid it all, however, a story develops. A hero emerges and deeper themes involving mission, success, failure and duty take hold. The final 60 pages or so captivate into a riveting, gut-checking conclusion that rewards the reader who sustains interest and remains character-loyal.
Former Naval officer Dan Lenson is at the center of this book's sideways paradigm, which drones on for far too many chapters about the twists, turns, and the unforeseen circumstances of exercises involving ships from the U.S., South Korea and other Asian-Pacific nations, both above and below the waters in the world's most hostile region. Lenson has been assigned to a neutral task group, essentially charged with observing and recording the exercises, ultimately to assess South Korea's naval readiness in the event of an underwater infiltration from the North.
Amid this process, not one but two typhoons nearly scuttle the whole operation, and a group of North Korean subs actually does infiltrate South Korean waters. As the novel progresses to a more right-side up plot line, Lenson anguishes against extreme fatigue, nausea and hopeless odds to come up with a solution before the world is drawn into irreversible destruction.
The closing chapters pack less unsettling description and a far more powerful narrative in bringing the book to satisfying culmination, rescuing what could have been an utter waste of time. The book rounds out nicely to a 3-star rating, which may have even touched 4 if not for the angony of the first 200 pages.
This read would definitely be enticing to fans of the very niche genre of submarine thrillers.
When inspired, Poyer's writing packs an almost literary, flowing style of description and character exploration.
May 24, 2020
"Korea Strait," the tenth book in the Dan Lenson series, finds Commander Lenson back on sea duty, this time as a member of a Tactical Analysis Group (TAG) team participating in a multi-nation military exercise off the east coast of South Korea. Dan and part of the TAG analysts are aboard "Chung Nam," a South Korean navy frigate serving as the flagship for the exercise. Dan encounters some culture shock with his South Korean counterparts, as well as Korean cuisine. Things heat up, though, when North Korea begins what could be another conflict along the DMZ. In addition, several unidentified submarines appear in the exercise area, refusing to identify themselves. Dan fears the worst when it's determined that this submarine wolfpack has a nuclear capability... David Poyer once again provides an engrossing story, mixing political intrigue and intense action. If you're a fan of military thrillers, "Korea Strait" is well worth reading.
December 18, 2021
If you look at my latest "read" books you will notice that I have been on a David Poyer kick. Specifically his Dan Lenson series. This is because I read ONE book in the series (admittedly out of order) and it hooked me! Have since been trying to get my hand on every book in the series Preferring to read actual "hard copies" has slowed me down and made certain early works harder to come by. But eventually I will get them all read! And then probably start on his other works. Highly recommend this author.
May 21, 2018
First time reading one of Poyer's books. Not up there with a more complicated/multiple storyline type of book like Clancy but a easy and enjoyable read. Grabbed this one and a couple others to try out. It is a timely story given the stuff happening over there now and seems a plausible story line with some good action after a bit of a slow start. Some focus on technology but not overly heavy on it.
September 7, 2017
Another good Poyer book
An interesting story and relevant with recent developments with north Korea. Always good with details, this one does not disappoint.
An interesting story and relevant with recent developments with north Korea. Always good with details, this one does not disappoint.
May 31, 2019
Duty with Honor
Believing that foe and friend were human beings with respect and honor a basic part of their humanity dictated that peace was the ultimate reward.
Believing that foe and friend were human beings with respect and honor a basic part of their humanity dictated that peace was the ultimate reward.
February 16, 2021
Over all, not too bad. After a long meandering build up there was a very good action section of the book. Followed by a "my publisher wants this done tomorrow" ending.
June 29, 2021
Absolutely excellent. It's a thriller with poetic images. Hard-boiled, exciting, human. I'll read more Dan Lenson novels (Lenson is the hero; Poyer is the author).
September 27, 2022
first from this author. very slow, didn't pick up until page 200. pretty dour tone throughout.
November 5, 2023
Don’t let my 3 star rating push you off reading this. I don’t know anything about the operating of Navy vessels and weather under the sea. If you do - you’ll like this read more than me.
February 4, 2025
a great thriller
Dan Lenson is at his best in this story. David Poyer seems to get better each time. The action didn’t stop until the very end. Recommended.
Dan Lenson is at his best in this story. David Poyer seems to get better each time. The action didn’t stop until the very end. Recommended.
April 20, 2014
Dan Lenson is back again, this time riding on a South Korean Frigate as part of a Naval TAG team observing a multinational exercise in Korean waters. Events take a turn when a group of unidentified submarines head for South Korean waters.
The plot is fairly predictable, in fact most of it is contained in the blurb and the outcome is never really in question. On the other hand the mechanics of how that outcome is achieved are interesting, imaginative and as far as I can tell, plausible. Mr Poyer's time on the frigate that is the novel's principle setting allows him to create a very detailed environment for the story. This is also helped by his vivid descriptions that at times quite artfully paint a picture instead of just constructing the scene. He obviously cares a lot about his subject matter. His knowledge of the tactics and weapon systems is used to good effect, illustrating an ASW operation which keeps the novel interesting.
It's not often hard to guess where the character arcs are going though this isn't all bad as Lenson is easy to cheer for and you can emphasize with his righteous indignation as once again everyone seems to have a vendetta against him. Poyer's characterizations are sometimes a bit heavy handed but he certainly knows how to make you care about his character's fates. Power relations between people and the ways these relations effect responsibility seems to be a thematic element that runs through all of Poyer's Lenson novels. His musings on that theme form an interesting conclusion to this novel and help it end on a strong note.
The plot is fairly predictable, in fact most of it is contained in the blurb and the outcome is never really in question. On the other hand the mechanics of how that outcome is achieved are interesting, imaginative and as far as I can tell, plausible. Mr Poyer's time on the frigate that is the novel's principle setting allows him to create a very detailed environment for the story. This is also helped by his vivid descriptions that at times quite artfully paint a picture instead of just constructing the scene. He obviously cares a lot about his subject matter. His knowledge of the tactics and weapon systems is used to good effect, illustrating an ASW operation which keeps the novel interesting.
It's not often hard to guess where the character arcs are going though this isn't all bad as Lenson is easy to cheer for and you can emphasize with his righteous indignation as once again everyone seems to have a vendetta against him. Poyer's characterizations are sometimes a bit heavy handed but he certainly knows how to make you care about his character's fates. Power relations between people and the ways these relations effect responsibility seems to be a thematic element that runs through all of Poyer's Lenson novels. His musings on that theme form an interesting conclusion to this novel and help it end on a strong note.
March 22, 2015
#10 in the Dan Lenson series. Commander Dan Lenson is an American naval officer who manages to get assigned to unusual ships and situations.
#10 - Commander Dan Lenson is assigned to a TAG unit that will travel with South Korean units, to gather data for later analysis, as they engage in ASW exercises with Japanese, Australian and American units. A typhoon disrupts the war-games and the non-Korean units depart, leaving the small Korean task force to engage a sub pack, with an atomic signature, heading for Korea.
#10 - Commander Dan Lenson is assigned to a TAG unit that will travel with South Korean units, to gather data for later analysis, as they engage in ASW exercises with Japanese, Australian and American units. A typhoon disrupts the war-games and the non-Korean units depart, leaving the small Korean task force to engage a sub pack, with an atomic signature, heading for Korea.
May 15, 2012
Military at sea. I'd not read any of the Dan Lenson tales, so any references to his other exploits were lost to me. But I do love a sea story. Braving typhoons and a sudden attack by North Korea, the action is tense, and the idea that the real attack might come from sea on Pusan and its strategic depth and location for military supply purposes was interesting and something to note. The romanized Korean was odd.
September 16, 2016
I just could not get into this book. I was halfway done with it, I really had no idea what the story line was and I was dangerously close to putting it down. I trudge through and the last 100 pages were better but overall it was a struggle to finish this off. May be a great read for someone who served in the Navy but as a layman I was pretty bored.
October 1, 2009
Compared to the other Poyer books I've read, it was marginally better. The plot wasn't as totally unbelievable as the others and the action was even suspenseful at times. Still, I wouldn't rush to recommend it.
August 1, 2010
Great Naval fiction. This time Lensen is riding a South Korean warship during an exercise. Great job capturing the different cultural philosophical differences between Korean and American Navies. Timely and current with todays frictions between North and South Korea.
September 26, 2009
A Bit slow,
Full of Acronyms............I wish they could lit them at the back of the Book
Full of Acronyms............I wish they could lit them at the back of the Book
February 17, 2010
Cmdr. Dan Lensen's 10th outing.
October 27, 2010
David Poyer's books start out slow but when the action starts it is non stop. I am still neutral on this series but I will reserve final judgement until I have read more
March 30, 2011
Poyer does not disappoint again with another Dan Lensen thriller. Lots of technical stuff that I don't understand, but I really like his writing anyway. He just keeps getting better.
March 1, 2024
Decent Dan Lenson novel..They are getting better
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews