Dragon Fire

It's frightening to think that such things occur in the shadows of society but they do. This work of "fiction" might just as well have come from the diary of someone's life or from memories and fears chosen to be put to paper before fading into the darkness of old age. From the Situation Room of the world's most powerful nation to the spys and operatives in the field, the reader will be kept on the edge wondering what will happen next; how will this one turn out? Plan to be entertained, thrilled, puzzled and frightened at the thought of such things actually happening. Could they, have they, or will they? Perhaps this story is a compilation of facts instead of a mere creation of the author's fantasy. Fantasy or disguised facts, I still wonder which is true but you must decide for yourself. Certainly a worthwhile read.

As a Frederick Forsyth fan, I give high compliment to William Cohen. I loved this book. I tried to read it slowly so it would last longer, but alas, I couldn't put it down. Please write another, Mr. Cohen!!

Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen takes a shot at novel authoring and comes up with Dragon Fire. And it's a sure winner. He uses his experience to create gripping but plausible situations along multiple threads of national security. Naturally for an ex-Secretary of Defense, the story is cast in the intrigue of International politics - Russia, Israel, Iraq and Iran and, naturally, the stakes are big-time. It will not take you long to read Dragon Fire - the book is a self-activated page turner.

This book probably presages a whole array of spy and espionage novels, that can be expected to feature China as a feature antagonist over the coming years. On the one hand, I would be delighted if Western audiences began to take a more serious interest in Far East subjects. So much of our global economy is today tied up with that part of the world. On the other hand, I would also hate to see this subject become over-simplified. In no way could China be mistaken for the kind of global empire that the Soviet Union once aspired to be. The writing style is somewhat clunky in parts. I would also have liked to have seen slightly more character development. The description of the bureaucratic in-fighting and behind-the-scenes political battles of Washington, however, are all too real, as anyone who has read at any length on the subject will recognize. This is no doubt a reflection of William Cohen's personal experiences as Secretary of Defense, although I could point to at least have a dozen autobiographies by Washington insiders that describe similar experiences. Once you get into the novel, however, the story line flows well. Everything about the plot, the characters, the principal events, has a "torn from the headlines" feel to them, making for a very believable read. Hopefully, this book will inspire at least some of its audience to learn more about the realities of China's defense policy making, and the potential implications of China's very real military build-up. For those readers who might be interested in learning more about the reality of China's defense policy making, I would recommend "China's Use of Military Force," by Andrew Scobell (2003) as well as "Chinese Warfighting" by Mark A. Ryan, et. al. (2003). Both of these books provide a more balanced insight into China's past use of its armed forces, providing a less alarmist view of Chinese capabilities and intentions than what some, less sophistication sources might try to convey. For those interested in a more brief review of China's ongoing defense modernization, there was an excellent article in the September 2006 (Vol 7, No 8) issue of the bimonthly magazine, "Combat Aircraft". Although the latter focuses on China's air force, the same trends can be found in China's army and navy as well.

I originally bought this book more interested in it as a window to the inside politics and intrigues at the Defense Department and Intelligence Agencies than as a spy/terrorist thriller. It turned out to be immensely satisfying on both scores. William S.Cohen's inside perspective on the workings of government are fascinating but he has also, at the same time, managed to create a very captivating and scary tale that gains incredible momentum as you read on. On top of all that, the international politics and machinations frightingly mirror what is now going on in the real world. An excellent read.