A new Marine Commandant... An insidious threat to his beloved service... Can anything be done to save it...
The new Commandant of the Marine Corps is worried. Not only is he dealing with a shrinking service, a tightening budget and a war-weary nation, he's also just found out that there's an even bigger threat, a mounting menace that could tear the mighty Marine Corps apart from all sides. The Commandant calls on Cal Stokes and his team at The Jefferson Group to root out the threat. But is it too late?
C. G. Cooper is the USA TODAY and AMAZON BESTSELLING author of the CORPS JUSTICE novels, several spinoffs and a growing number of stand-alone novels.
One of his novels, CHAIN OF COMMAND, won the 2020 James Webb Award presented by the Marine Heritage Foundation for its portrayal of the United States Marine Corps in fiction. Cooper doesn't chase awards, but this one was special.
Cooper grew up on a steady diet of Dungeons & Dragons and the travels of a Navy family.
Upon graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Foreign Affairs, Cooper was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps and went on to serve six years as an infantry officer. C. G. Cooper's final Marine duty station was in Nashville, Tennessee, where he fell in love with the laid-back lifestyle of Music City.
His first published novel, BACK TO WAR, came out of a desire to link back to his time in the Marine Corps. That novel, written as a side project, spawned many follow-on novels, several exciting spinoffs, and catapulted Cooper's career.
Cooper lives just south of Nashville with his wife, three children, and their German shorthaired pointer, Liberty, who's become a popular character in the Corps Justice novels.
CG Cooper has done it again! Book 9 has you on the edge of your seat until the final moments. You’re wondering if Cal and the team are going to achieve their goal and if they’re all going to be safe. Absolutely superb writing from our author. Getting straight on to Book 10!
**SPOILER ALERT** This book was good, but the end was stupid. No way these men would play around like that with the stakes as high as they were. Once they knew who it was, they wouldn't walk away and let him go just so they could "duel." To me, that was just plain dumb.
C.G. Cooper has once again proven himself an author who is able to convey the action and tension of a great military thriller, he is also able to touch the soul of the warriors he writes about. His keen insight into the intangibles that make leadership, integrity, duty, and honor the valued forces that drive those who protect us and make those ideals clear to the rest of us is one of the things I enjoy most about his writing. We also gain understanding and insight into the trials of the families who wait at home and also serve their country, without acknowledgment or reward. This story weighs the ethos of those who serve and protect us against the "ethics" of those who scheme, connive, and profit, believing that they are above reproach and beyond our reach. There are no spoilers in my reviews, the outline should be enough to get your interest. I will say that from the opening pages to the very stirring ending, this story will grab your interest, hold it tightly, and reward your reading with something I rarely find... the need to go back and read it again, just to immerse yourself once more with these fine people. I promise you will not be disappointed! For the record, I am a Beta reader and a part of the Novels Live team, but that in no way influenced my review. In fact, I have purchased every one of C.G. Cooper's books, when they came on sale. They all sit proudly on my e-shelf where I can go back to them, lend them out, or just say I am proud to support an excellent author.
An engaging story line portraying an unfortunate, though too realistic Marine Corps diversion
Thanks once again to Mr. Cooper for providing another fast-paced, engrossing read. Of note in Chain of Command is the historical authenticity of an apparent ongoing undercurrent of desire and at times overt efforts to severely diminish and even extinguish our United States Marine Corps. In my over seven decades of life, I have been very close to three Marines-two Viet Nam vets, one an artillery Forward Observer (my brother in law), the other now retired Brigadier General (my brother)-the third an active duty Lieutenant Colonel (my son). The struggles of our Marine Corps hero's, as portrayed from Leon Uris's Battle Cry through Chain of Command, need to be heeded and believed...From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli...Semper Fidelis...Always!
Anyone who has ever served in any branch of the military is familiar with the term; "Chain of Command." Cooper takes you the reader inside the heart of this chain and forces you to gain a new respect for that individual responsibility that rests with every member of the chain; from the Commander in Chief (the president) thru every level to the lowest ranking member of any branch. He then takes you on a journey, the goal being to preserve the U.S. Marine Corps. This novel is one you won't want to put down. Fiction, probably, but not impossible given the desensitized mood of our nation in present day. Thanks for a great read.
I am on book 12, I love the action and the friendship of these characters. Being a woman of color, thank you for the diversity in the characters this is more real to me.
It's been a while since reading any Corps Justice Group stories all of which received 5-Star ratings, but Chain of Command was a disappointment. I struggled through the first quarter of the book as the story lagged terribly and almost stopped reading at that point. The storyline was unique but there was no benefit that I saw for the group trying to disband the Marine Corps. What were the rewards in doing so? The battle at the end was something that should never had happened...unless, of course, it was to show readers the caliber of Cal and his team. There are still a couple books in the series that I haven't read yet, and I won't let my experience with this story stop me from purchasing them. I'm hoping this story was just a fluke and the other Corps Justice books will return to the 5-Star level of their predecessors.
I haven't given a rating for the first eight of the books. They have kept men from sleep several nights! Amazing books,amazing author. I'm a bit old (88) and unable to match other reviewers in eloquence or beautiful words. But I can say that out of the last 50 years of reading more serious books these are undoubtedly the best I have read. Well written, yes, but the depth of the story lines have kept me spellbound. The information about the marines, and other branches of our armed forces, has made the books great reading. Thanks to the author for the ride.
C.G. Cooper's Chain of Command was head and shoulders above Backdrop, which only garnered a 3-star from me. Chain of Command, on the other hand, was classic Cooper. From cover to cover it was continuous action; Political and military intrigue; and realistic action. The real kicker was leaving us hanging with an undisclosed threat securely enmeshed in powers that be. Now I can't wait for the next installment! Come on C.G., when can we expect it? Well, well done and highly recommended!
After struggling through this work, I took some time to reflect upon what I had read. The good: the author used logical coherent sentence structure. The not so good: the plot was poorly conceived. There were many weak to poor major/minor character development. Chapter progression and/or development was both confusing and most difficult to follow, or determine the intent of chapter division.
Although I hate politics being involved with the military, I know it is. Sadly I was in the Army at the start of the Vietnam War and experienced it being fought under the control of politicians. I lost many buddies and friends.
This book is another great read and a further step along the way of this series. Great character development and introduction of new ones....
The James Webb award you received for Chain of Command was so well deserved !! I was squid, tin can, BM3 1965-1971 whose oath of enlistment will never expire. I couldn’t be more proud of the Corps. If I could I’d re enlist as a Marine Reserve but at 76 years young I don’t think it would be possible. I did try after 9/11 but at 52, well same shit different day. Sempre Fi do or die.
Mr Cooper's writing puts you in the presence of the characters as they go through the struggles of helping keep America the land of the free, and the home of the brave. Competition when not properly disciplined can be the most lethal weapon of uniting a government
'Chain of Command' was as thrilling as the other books in the 'Corps Justice Series'. The story line was well written and well thought out. Full of action, thrilling scenarios and characters that you love and some that are not worthy of air, but that's just my opinion. I can't wait to read more. A great add to your tbr list.
This book was a disappointment to me, maybe because I can’t stand politics and all that goes with it. The book didn’t keep me interested and I had to work at getting through it. Then I also thought it was a disservice to our armed forces, albeit realities, we don’t need to paint it into such a tale.
Much time was spent establishing the characters, though tough to do with so many. It was the ending that disappointed me. It seemed to me that having a duel in the end was a little far fetched. The author failed to pull off the shocking demise of his characters as the movie The Departed had done.
Had me until the last little bit. Please, Mr. Cooper, keep it real. But don't worry. You still have a reader that will enjoy going through your list of novels! I've only read three so far but something tells me that you have an absolute block buster still to come in the one's unread!
This book is so good you will not be able to put it down until you have finished it. So well written and look t-shirt of action and marines who are so dedicated to family and country. Highly recommend this book as this is my second time reading it and just as God as the first time. By the way a certain interesting General in the beginning will catch your interest.
Deputy Commandant commits suicide or does he, a congressman calls for the disbanding of the USMC, multiple overseas marine units are attacked and 400+ die. Are these connected and if so how that is the question the Jefferson Group must answer and resolve. Great reading
The new Commandant of the Marine Corps is worried. Not only is he dealing with a shrinking service, a tightening budget and a war-weary nation, he's also just found out that there's an even bigger threat, a mounting menace that could tear the mighty Marine Corps apart from all sides. The Commandant calls on Cal Stokes and his team at The Jefferson Group to root out the threat.
As with all the books in this series, Chain of Command is an exceptional writing skill for this author. I look forward to finishing this series and moving forward to the next literary adventure from a great author.
Disband the Marine Corps? No longer needed? What guides this? Money, power, political bullshit? Old warriors no longer needed? This is an extremely well written action packed read! I highly recommend!!!
Interesting story that kept my interest for hours. Another excellent book by C. G. Cooper. Downloading the next book of this series and I'm interested in finding out what happens next...
Fast read, interesting subject. Writer seem to operae with a page limit. After the story gets to a certain point, he quickly wraps it up as though he cannot do past so many pages. Light reading, good for a plane ride.
It was good but I don't think the ending was great! It was true to life, but when I'm reading something I don't necessarily want truth! Mr Cooper is a good writer though. I enjoy him and I can't wait to read the next one.
Another good action story. Not to much character development, they almost seem like cardboard cutouts. I did like the emp messing up the futuristic rocket launcher. You would think that all things made for the military would be proven against it.
I must admit, this was a tough read for me. Throughout the "Corps Justice" series, most dangers have been personal in nature. One or a handful of people in peril. But not this one. The Marine Corps itself was in danger of extinction. Definitely a nail biter.
This book hit me in the feels and made me understand how close-knit and dedicated our Marines are to each other and to our country. I am so proud to say that these men and women are such fearless heroes.
I reduced my normal rating for this author to 3 stars. It was a big enough stretch to suspend disbelief in the premise of suspending the Marine corp; but, the dual at the end? Give me a break! Anyway, it wasn't bad enough for me to abandon the book - I read it to the end
I really enjoy mr. Coopers storys. Short, less than 300 pages, but packed full of storyline and characters that you can identify with. Getting through the whole series in record time and enjoying every moment.