Dark Wing

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Taking on a less-than-thrilling assignment to get out of the office, legendary pilot Colonel Matt Pontowski leads a lame-duck squadron over the war-torn skies of China, where an unchecked civil war is spreading throughout the Pacific Rim. Reprint.From Publishers WeeklyThe A-10 tank-killer aircraft, so effective during Desert Storm, is nicknamed the "Warthog" in affectionate recognition of its stubby but powerful lines. Herman's latest tribute to Air Force machismo (after Force of Eagles ) takes an A-10 squadron into Southeast Asia in the near future, as civil war erupts in China. Colonel Matt Pontkowski, grandson of a former U.S. President and a featured player in earlier Herman novels, takes command of the motley but earnest group common to this genre, including beautiful and skilled female pilot Skeeter Ashton and a band of resourceful scavengers known as "The Junk Yard Dogs." At the same time, the Chinese rebel leader has rescued a Rambo-like Hawaiian MIA from a Vietnamese prison; joined by a young Chinese woman with ESP, they launch their own plan to save China from succumbing to a brutal military dictatorship. The large but stereotyped cast of characters only just manages to stay in control of the situation and one another; particularly unfortunate is the author's assumption that unattached men and women thrown together in crisis will necessarily fall in love. Herman's speculations about possible future conflicts are interesting but unsurprising, while his prose is serviceable but forgettable, weakened by reminders of his previous books and hints of more to come. Overall, this is a weak entry that matches the Warthog's inelegance but not its power; meanwhile, the workhorse of Desert Storm awaits a more imaginative champion. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalThe last of a long line of military men, Pentagon desk jockey Col. Matt Pentowski wangles his way to command of the 303rd Air Force Squadron, flying A-10 Warthogs. Upon his arrival, Pentowski must choose between deactivating the 303rd or volunteering for a clandestine operation, code-named Dark Wing. His mission is to provide air support for Chinese rebels battling the Communist government in Beijing. Along with his friends Tango, Ripper, Maggot, and the Junkyard Dogs, he's in his element in a Warthog cockpit. At the same time, he must fight political battles with the rebels, his superiors, and Washington, D.C. The Warthogs finally turn the tide of battle, forcing Beijing to negotiate a peace with the rebels. Herman captures Air Force life and combat tactics well, as he takes the reader through the crisis from several characters' viewpoints. He commands the reader's attention until the last page. A high flier that is highly recommended for all fiction collections.Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., MetamoraCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.