Jeff Edwards' new book "Torpedo!" with game!

[Troy]

You guys should check out "The Deck Plate", naval warfare author Jeff Edwards' official website. He has a book out called "Torpedo!" with a sample chapter, about a hypothetical submarine attack set in modern times. I haven't read the book yet, but the chapter on their site is pretty good. I'm d/ling the PC game that accompanies the book right now. The game is free.

Website: http://www.thedeckplate.com/index.htm

You can get the book through Amazon, Mysterious Galaxies, and Barnes and Noble.

Passing the info along as FYI.

[Bill Nichols]

I've read the book (but haven't tried the game). I liked the book, although I did have problems getting past the premise (modern-day Germany begins a naval war with America and Britain, in order to sell diesel subs to a Middle East country in violation of UN arms sanctions. And, the U.S. President only lets the Navy use a handful of surface ships against the German subs -- no P-3s or SSNs -- just to keep the fight 'fair' :-? )

[Troy]

I have a hard time with that premise as well. At least Tom Clancy's "Hunt for Red October" was somewhat plausible, if not improbable. Still, I liked his sample chapter and its gotten good ratings on Amazon, so I figure I'll give it a whirl.

[FAdmiral]

When it comes to a war conflict footing, NONE of the contestants want a fair fight, they ALL want the upper hand so the concept
of a fair fight is only for the gaming crybabies....


JIM

[Jack C.]

I've read the book (but haven't tried the game). I liked the book, although I did have problems getting past the premise (modern-day Germany begins a naval war with America and Britain, in order to sell diesel subs to a Middle East country in violation of UN arms sanctions. And, the U.S. President only lets the Navy use a handful of surface ships against the German subs -- no P-3s or SSNs -- just to keep the fight 'fair' :-? )
I thought the premise was one of the most realistic I’ve seen. Unlike most military novels, there are very few black and white issues in the plot of this book. The evidence is never perfectly compelling, the issues are never perfectly clear, and the results are less than perfect. That sounds like real life to me.
It seems to me that the conflict in the book is largely an accident, triggered by a nervous fighter pilot when the Germans are trying to bluff their way past a naval blockade. The way I read it, no one wants a war, which is why both sides go to such great lengths to avoid escalating the conflict. Many of the president’s actions are made over the objections of his military advisors. On the advice of people who are more interested in covering his political backside than in doing the right thing, he chooses a politically safe option rather than a smart military option. A politician covering his butt at the expense of letting his military personnel flap in the breeze? That also sounds a lot like real life to me. In the end, even the president admits to his advisors that he listened to the wrong advice. He’ll probably never admit it in public, but he knows he screwed up.
Both sides in the conflict make bad decisions based on incomplete information and incorrect assumptions. That might make the book different from other military thrillers, where the issues are cut and dried, but it doesn’t make it less realistic. In my opinion, it makes it more realistic, not less. The author was a career Sailor. I’m guessing that the actions of the fictional government in his book are the expressions of a man who has sometimes been frustrated by less-than coherent military strategies handed down by political leaders who have no tactical knowledge or experience. I think he’s bypassed the traditional military plot formula to give us a quiet glimpse at real life.

[TLAM Strike]

I just played the game, its fun for a few mins. Its a simple side stroller where you use ASROCs and Torpedoes to kill Type 212 subs. Its not something to write home about, but it lets you read a few pages of the book.

[Capn Tucker]

Having Germany start another war is a rather implausible story idea, but I do wonder how the U212 class boat would stack up against US/UK or Russian subs.
The U212 is touted as the most advanced non-nuclear sub in the world; virtually undetectable, and able to cruise submerged for weeks with it's hydrogen cell propulsion system. Maybe one day we'll see a PC game that simulates all that (once some accurate information on the U212's comes out)...