 2009-01-04 - Extreme Measures (Torture)--When It is Justified and When It Is Not...
Vince Flynn's exciting new novel--and aren't all of his books exciting!!--doesn't seek to answer that question philosophically, just on a case-by-case example, and he does so very effectively, from the family level to to the level of national security. The issues are the same, only the consequences differ.
This book is a very real scenario of what could happen if the "do-gooders" ever get control of Washington and make us try to live like lambs in the very real, sometimes scary and terrifiing world.
It would be a mistake to label the characters in this book as Republican or Democratic/liberal or conservative. Flynn, appropriately, does a good job of emphasizing that there are people of both pursuasions on both sides of the aisle.
This book is about the all-too-real scenario of torture/not to torture when the nation is in immediate danger. Not much philosophy here, just what could be the real scenario.
In a surprising twist, Mitch Rapp doesn't win this one, but the stage is set for a dramatic sequal. The addition of Mike Nash gives even more depth, substance and personality to an already terrifying CIA encounter with terrorism.
Vince Flynn is A-One , and this is just another in a long line of outstanding reads.
And a word to Mitch Rapp: "Get that sonavabitch!!!"
 2009-01-04 - Should we use torture in the fight against terrorism?
In "Extreme Measures," author Vince Flynn uses fiction to answer some very tough questions: "Is torture ever justified? And if so, who gets to make that decision?"
Our main character, once again, is CIA operative Mitch Rapp. We join Rapp and his buddy Mike Nash at Bagram Air Force Base in eastern Afghanistan, where they are conducting an unauthorized interrogation of some captured bad guys. Meanwhile, a secret terrorist cell is training in the jungles of Paraguay to attack Washington, D.C. The clock is ticking.
This novel is essentially a "set piece" -- a predictable plot following a pre-existing formula. Flynn's characters are basically cardboard cutouts whose main purpose is to promote his view on torture.
Tough guy Mitch Rapp is the Oliver North of his world, boldly defying authority at almost every level to protect his homeland. Nash is the somewhat more hesitant family man with conflicted feelings. They're opposed by a liberal U.S. senator modeled on Barbara Boxer, as well as several lesser lights in the military and CIA chain of command.
Following the scandal at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq, the political types are trying to reign in the use of torture. In contrast, Rapp's heroic actions "prove" that such "legalistic" thinking is foolish, hypocritical or suicidal. OK, so when should torture be used? Only operatives in the field, Rapp says, are qualified to make that judgment.
The story unfolds in the usual way -- tension builds steadily until Mitch Rapp comes to the rescue. Hurrah! Now we can see the Truth. By the end of the novel, even our liberal senator is convinced that torturing captured jihadists is just fine and dandy. Don't worry about those secret CIA prisons (black sites), water boarding, stress positions, psyops torture and extraordinary rendition (kidnapping). Vince Flynn says we don't really need that musty old Constitution -- it just gets in the way!
A more convincing novel would examine the issue of torture without this kind a comic book mentality where everything is either "us vs. them" or "wise conservative vs. stupid liberal." That's the difference between a master spy novelist like John le Carre and a pulp writer like Vince Flynn. Read le Carre's "Most Wanted Man" for a more sophisticated - and insightful - look at the role of torture in modern society. You won't be sorry...
2009-01-02 - I agree with others-once of Flynn's weakest attempts
I'm a fan of the Mitch Rapp series, but there was nothing likeable or admirable about Rapp in this book. Maybe because I've recently discovered Daniel Silva's books but I am becoming less enamoured with Vince Flynn's works. This one was preachy (a road John Grisham went down and lost me as a reader long ago) rather than telling any kind of story. I hope we have better things to look forward to in the future.
2008-12-31 - Not his greatest, but still great
There are a lot of negative reviews of Extreme Measures - and I understand people's frustrations. The main negatives are:
* Too much time spent on Nash's family life. I actually just skipped these chapters completely and had no trouble staying on with the rest of the story.
* Too little time spent on Rapp. As others have eluded, we buy a Mitch Rapp book wanting Nash. Same as, you go see a Bond movie, you want to see James Bond. Take note Mr Flynn.
* There was no depth to the "bad guys" - just your stereotypical Muslim fanatics ranting on about Islam and death to America.
A few people warned me not to even read this book - it was so terrible. That's not the case. I still found this to be an extremely entertaining and well-written novel. Just nowhere near as good as some of Flynn's earlier stuff.
2008-12-31 - Best yet from VF
Mr. Flynn has an uncanny ability to see into the future. Without giving away the plot line, read this and then review the terrorist calendar in India in November 2008. Mitch Rapp is logical and it's hard to argue with the reasoning he presents in the book. The realistic exchanges between Rapp within the Congressional hearings are realistic and most likely have happened or will happen. The writing is tight, the pace is quick, the dialog is strategic - and saucy at the same time. The plot, as always, is well developed. And, the end of the book guarantees a sequel. Why haven't they made movies of Vince Flynn's novels? Go figure . . .
|
