Automag Mike

Chuck Rogers started his tenure as one of the new breed of Bolan scribes with this book and it really shows why he is considered one of the best right out of the gate. This book fired on all cylinders and comes off as a near perfect example of what an Executioner novel could and should be. Great villains, a likable and capable supporting cast, just the right amount Stony Man support, and great action from cover to cover. Even the by-now ubiquitous nuke threat was well played and thought out. After the lackluster showing of some of the series entries in the early 200's this volume is truly a breath of fresh air. N' I have to mention...boy, it really doesn't pay to be an old friend of Hal Brognola does it? They don't seem to have the best of luck in the old age category!

Mike Newton has probably written more words about The Executioner than any other author, including Don Pendleton who he actually collaborated back in the days of the original Mafia Wars...and you know what? It shows! Mike Newton knows Bolan, he writes Bolan AS Bolan. Not Bolan as Bond, or Bolan as Bourne, or Bolan as Batman. With Newton you get the real deal. Mack "The Bastard" Bolan, the one-man army who inspired a legion of wannabes in novels, films, and even comic books. This is classic Bolan and classic Newton. Mack is definitely The Executioner here, master strategist, expert sniper, and unstoppable soldier supreme. The end battle, versus a fast attack submarine no less, is thrilling to the core. My only problem with this book is it was too damn short! Good stuff all around!

For a long time Bolan watcher like myself the premise of this book, Mack going into action at the request of none other than Valentina Querente, was enough to bring this one to top the read pile! I'm glad it did because with this one Mike Newton did not disappoint and this fast moving, action packed book shows why when he is at the top of his game Mike is the Dean of senior Bolan authors! Totally devoid of what many readers of Mike's work see as cliche, this book is one exciting train ride of a read from start to finish. Indeed, Mister Newton does a terrific job of channeling the same energy and suspense that he did in those long gone days of his collaborations with the man himself, Don Pendleton. From guest appearances from Johnny and Val, to the target of the rescue mission, the whole conceived and written young Patrick Quinn, this book succeeds on all levels. I've always been a fan of Mack's African missions and this one takes it's place right up there at the top! A must read for veteran fans like myself and a real keeper overall. Top notch stuff...hell yeah!

This is the mid-series high point for Stony Man and Michael Kasner at his very best. The premise is striking and the storyline involving the deaths of Pol and Gadgets and the kidnapping of Hal are real is gripping and hard to put down. A real insight into the inner workings and thoughts of the Stony Man crew in particular the often under used Barbara Price. Great villains and plenty of action with a slam bang finish are just the icing on the cake for this superlative entry in the series. This volume really goes a long way to showing why Kasner was a personal favorite writer back in the day! I just re-experienced this fantastic foray into frenzied fiction via the recent Graphic Audio adaptation...terrific stuff and incredibly well done! Top notch!

The South African setting for this entry was interesting, but overall, it seemed a bit of a letdown...solid, not extraordinary. The good points included the various factions battling for supremacy making for an interesting amount of conflict, with the vile white supremacists, the Zulu radicals and the street thugs giving Bolan enough enemies to shake things up. Sonda in her role as conlicted enemy/ally for Bolan was also an interesting twist. The actions scenes were good, and Bolan certainly lived up to the name The Executioner in this one, with a no-prisoners attitude sometimes lacking in some novels from this period. The bad...well again, I have to question Bolan bringing allies along on blitzes when they are not really necessary and thus put into harm's way unnecessarily. Mack is a living one-man army corp, a soldier par excellance...to bring Preston along, despite his "4 months experience" in Desert Storm doesn't make sense to me... All in all, a good entry in the series...not outstanding, but well done enough to make me look forward to this author's other installments.

Believe what you have heard! With this book Chuck Rogers has placed himself at the very top of the new generation of cutting edge Bolan writers, and with company like DPW, Tim Tressler, and Jon Guenther, THAT is really saying something! Blackstone pretty much said it all in this review, so there is no need to repeat what he has said, and he has indeed really said it all...from the chilling first chapters to the slam-bang finish, I couldn't put this book down...quite simply this book kicks ass! ...and then kicks some MORE! The only problem I can see is how can Mister Rogers top this one? I don't know, but I can't wait to find out! One more thing...MORE RED BURDICK, PLEASE!

When Mike Newton is at the top of his game, he shows why he is THE post-Pendleton writer of the 80's and 90's...and this book is a perfect example! This lightning fast adventure finds Bolan battling one of the most realistic and diabolically feasible plots I've ever encountered in my long history of Bolan-watching...that of culling white slaves from the impovershed masses slated for the evil of ethnic cleansing of war torn Bosnia...a situation that cries out for swift intervention...Executioner style! And does he deliver...? Hell yeah...in spades! From Bosnia, to Germany, to Holland... Newton creates a maelstrom of intrigue and action, while terrific supporting characters and a possible love interest placed in danger add to the edge of your seat styled suspense! And we get one of those rare glimpses at the human side of Mack Bolan as well...contributing to a satisying package. You can probably tell I really enjoyed this book...dig it up and try it for yourself...you'll be glad you did...!

After reading MM's review of this entry, I was really looking forward to reading this book. I'm one of those Bolan watchers who doesn't mind a change of pace and a dash of science fiction added to the series once in a while...as long as it exsists somewhere in the realm of possibility... a biohazard agent that turns people into mindless berserkers...OK, I can buy that... I had high hopes for this book and it delivered...almost... The problem is David Robbins just doesn't seem to "get" Mack Bolan at times... First the good...this book is really original in terms of an Executioner adventure, it is edge of your seat suspenseful...Bolan and McCarter thrust into a situation unlike they have ever encountered before...and with limited firepower! McCarter really shines in this one! The bad...well, the premise itself, while a first for an Executioner, is in the final analysis just tooooooooo much a pastiche of Resident Evil...I almost expected Nemesis to show up at some point. Would it have been that hard to modify the plot to make this homage less obvious? And finally, the ugly...quite frankly this book contains the worst overall chapter I have ever read in a Bolan adventure...and it isn't even relevant to the story...the throwaway events in Chapter Two bothered me for days after reading it...I'll try not to give too much away, but who the @#%& was this guy calling himself Bolan in this chapter...a man who literally hides when two thugs enter a store he is in...thugs armed only with knives...a Bolan who figures it is better to wait out the attack while innocents stand hopelessly by...a man who allows said innocents to meet a horrible fate by failing to act soon enough...WTF?!?!? You really have to read it for yourself to understand... This ain't The Executioner I know...The real Executioner would have had that situation finished in seconds, without the loss of innocent life... Two street thugs...with knives...against MACK BOLAN... C'MON! It is too bad this unnecessary chapter wasn't just edited out...this book could have been great with a little polish, but in the end what might work for Robbin's other heroes, like Blade,...just don't work for Bolan...too bad.

Maybe I watched a little too much "McHale's Navy" when I was a kid, but I have always thought PT boats were pretty damn interesting, so when I saw the premise of this entry into the Deathlands series, I was intrigued...and reading this book really delivered! This book goes to show what potential the series really has... Despite a rather slow beginning...another battle with a giant mutant...yawnnnnnn...the story rapidly picked up...an interesting twist to the ville the companions encounter...aged tall ships active in the post holocaust world...pirates in PT boats...Krysty really getting a chance to shine AND kick royal ass...an edge of your seat finale featuring an incredible sea battle between old wind powered battle wagons and the PT boats...the mystery of the bizarre Firebird missiles...yes, this book had what it takes...in spades! Nice job, Nick Pollotta! ...and to boot (no pun intended) none of the low class porno scenes that have marked so many other entries in this series... If you are skeptical about the quality of DL...give this one a try, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Chuck Rogers had a tough act to follow. IMO GH Frost set the standard and tone of Able Team and gave it a continuity and flow that was lacking in the first few volumes. Frost defined Carl Lyons and wrote the pinnacle of the series to me... "Ironman". When I first read a Chuck Rogers all those years ago in the midst of the Unomundo tale it was jarringly obvious this was not Frost... But picking up this book now, literally decades later, make a world of difference. This is real butt kicking 80's Able at their best. The added twist of the boys having to work against their usual MO was a great idea. There is tons of characterization on the part of Lyons and really gives insight to the Ironman and plenty of humor amongst the chaos... A real quick read and very enjoyable...and a great cover to boot...I'm looking forward to catching up on more of these!

William Fieldhouse gave himself a tough act to follow with Hostaged Vatican...a book I consider to be the top of the Phoenix series...and pulled it off! This book was incredible...post modern pulp heroes at their finest... a raid on a secret Soviet CBW lab...the fate of John Trent revealed...the lurking doubts about Cal and Rafe after the horific events in the Vatican...Mongol Bandits...Phoenix actually teaming with their long time foes in the KGB...the backstreets of Hong Kong...the return of TRIO...a double agent...Trent kickin' ass left and right...British submarines...a climatic island based battle...traditional criminal masterminds that could have sprung from the pages of circa 1940's adventure of The Shadow... Great title...great Gil Cohen cover... INCREDIBLE! This was a golden age for the Phoenix hardcases...find this book!!!

It is easy to fall into the trap of reviewing this book for it is NOT rather than what it IS. As a twenty five year plus admitted Mack Bolan fanboy would I have preferred this story were a massive controlled rampage of revenge of near apocalyptic proportions with everybody from Leo Turrin and Tommy Anders to Lao Ti and John Trent screaming for righteous justice and reigning unabashed hellfire on those responsible for the death of one of their own...with the last few chapters featuring the entire Stony Man crew sitting around the war room and trading fond memories of the never to be forgotten Yakov Katzenelenbogen? Of course! But we didn't get that... What we did get what a action packed tale with some vile villians who, while not entirely original, still were very interesting. A whirlwind of different locations kept the story flowing smoothly and quickly and made the book hard to put down, keeping you wondering what would happen next. Unlike some who read the book I found that the introspection on Katz, his fate, and their mission experienced not only by Mack, but by McCarter and Rebecca Mindel was quite insightful and utimately, satisfying. ...and speaking of Rebecca Mindel, I found her to be a well developed character who deserves further exposure in the future...possibly as a replacement member in Phoenix when Rafe finally gets too long in the tooth and replaces Katz at the the control center...(gee...is it too much to think that having a female member on the team would be helpful to PF in some situations...) Mike Newton has penned some of the most crucial episodes of the Bolan saga...The Trial, Eternal Triangle, etc., and as such was the perfect choice for this book..and while not the top of the heap, it stands above many in the canon... It was undoubtably an editorial decision to have Katz's demise take place in a Bolan arc rather than a Stony Man for reason's unknown...and as I said, I was disappointed by the lack on the inclusion of the other Stony warriors, but it was reasonably explained, as could be expected, that they were on other missions... The ending and the final fate of chief villian Napier was vague enough that I wouldn't be surprised to see him turn up again...an actual REOCCURING enemy for the Stony Men in their war everlasting...maybe even in a Stony Man novel...that would be something! And hell...maybe even Leo or John Trent could get some licks in!

Dan Schmidt really did a nice job with this one! Two villians for the price of one...great supporting characters, especially the cancer stricken Colonel Marlin...tons of action...real suspense with the threat of the launch of the missiles, not one of the absolute best, but a real keeper, a fast read, and a solid tale!

Reading a Rogue Warrior is definitely one of those cases where you either love 'em or hate 'em...and if you are of the former persuasion you'll find this one delivers the goods...action, techno-speak, humor and a lot of heart. In this day and age where ubiquitous Arab fundamentalists tend to be the villian du jour, it is refreshing to read this book, in which the baddies are Irish nationalists looking to strike a blow against the US and Britain. As always Marcinko (well...we all know it's really largely Weisman) delivers the book in his extremely readable style, making this book a quick read. And one with a somewhat realistic feel...it "almost" feels like you are reading non-fiction. And as a character Marcinko comes across as ultimately human...an aging warrior with an abundance of aches, pains, and bruises and a tendency to make all-too-human mistakes on occasion. But he is also the compensate professional, confident and ready to bring it to the enemy. The scene involving the hostage rescue at the school also shows there is a human being under all that Rogue...and a highlight of this enjoyable book. If you have never entered the world of Demo Dick...give this one a try...you might be shocked, but you also might be pleasantly surprised!

WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS for key elements of this book! I was both looking forward to, and dreading reading this book. Unfortunately, when Gold Eagle let slip the identity of the long rumored member of the Stony Man team who would be meeting his demise in the "coming attractions" blurbs many months before the books hit the public, the final fate of Yakov Katzenelenbogen was all ready known to me. Katz had long been my favorite member of Phoenix Force and I enjoyed his continued participation in the series as an advisor at the farm, which was a logical move considering his advanced age. When you have been reading, and, in a sense, living with, a character for over twenty years, it can be hard to see them go. It would be easy to instead of actually reviewing the book as a work per se, to instead review the idea of eliminating such a strong character as Katz. Katz was indeed an original character, far different from the often cookie-cutter type characters found in action-adventure literature. An older, more mature warrior...from another country...with a "handicap" so to speak, a "handicap" which served to make him a stronger character, making him both more real, and yet more fantastic at the same time. In other words...a true original. But I'll skip that and instead focus on the book as a whole. To have Mike Newton, the true "elder statesman" of the cadre of Bolan authors handle this tale is apropo. Mr. Newton has been there since the early days...working with Don Pendleton himself. Mr. Newton has written many of the essential episodes in the series such as 'The Trail' and 'Eternal Triangle', so he is a natural for this, the 300th (!!!) edition of The Executioner. He does an increduble job on this one, crafting a book that even if you realize the inevitable fate of the battle-hardened Israeli hero, is impossible to put down! Not there are not a few points I have to quibble with. At times the settings seem a little generic, places the avid Bolan reader has been to hundreds of times before. Also, a little more introspection on the part of Katz, in this, his final appearance would have been appreciated. McCarter, who is a very welcome and most appropriate addition to this book, while well handled, seems almost a little too cold and detached in relating to his longtime friend and comrade-in-arms from Phoenix. A little more insight into his thoughts and even memories of Katz would have been a real treat for the long time fans of the Stony Man mythos. Also some reaction from the Stony Man warriors not involved would have been a good idea. It seems out of character for the men of Phoenix, not to mention Able Team or Jack Grimaldi, not to be chomping at the bit to head east and aid in the search for Katz. And the payback that is sure to follow...orders or no orders...going rogue is nothing new to these men when the situation is warranted. But these are all minor nits. The book is strong, even outstanding, in many other aspects...especially the introduction of Rebecca MIndel, an incredible character in her own right. I sincerely hope to see more of her in the future. She has the potential to carry on in a manner befitting Katz's legacy and would be a welcome, and overdue female, addition to the Stony Man strike teams. So in conclusion, I'll say read this book! It is a testament to the strength of these characters, as well as the skill of the author, when you care about a character enough to feel genuine emotion when one is gone. RIP Yakov Katzenelenbogen! He will not be forgotten...

I had high hopes for this after reading the first chapter- talk about starting off with a bang- but those hopes weren't fully realized and ultimately I found this one to be a little disappointing...surprisingly enough from Michael Kasner! The good points- plenty of Able Team, hell, the first part of the book seemed almost like a classic Able solo adventure...that is until Mack shows up out of the blue where he wasn't necessary. Bolan's appearance almost seems forced. The villian, Betancourt and his "straw bosses" Givens and Miller were well done and Betancourt's master plan actually made sense and seemed fairly plausible. And last but not least, having the crew go out unsanctioned was good to see, but it did seem like they were holding back. The bad points- you want action? Nope, not here, the action comes fast and ends faster, a couple of shots and the bad guys are down...end of story. All-in-all it seemed like the threats were handled way to easy, figured out way too quickly with some lackluster detective work, and put to a halt with a couple of well placed slugs to some inept Rainbow Dawn goon. If you are a fan of TJ, you might enjoy his extended scenes, but all in all I found him to be slightly annoying (as usual)... In the future, instead of trying to make Stony Man into a Tom Clancy's Op-Center wanna-be, just let them be what they are...the "determined warriors" the cover blurb speaks of! Hopefully, the sequel will show to be an improvement...

HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!! This book, a prequel, if you will, to Bravo Two Zero leads from McNab's earliest days as a troublesome youth right up to his deployment to Kuwait. If you read Bravo Two Zero, you know what happens next to McNab and this book fills in Andy's backstory quite thoroughly. And even if you didn't, this book is an absolute must read for fans of military non-fiction and true to life heroes. Oman, Ireland, Columbia...McNab has been there and seen it all...the final chapters relating the harrowing surveillance and assault on a drug manufacturing plant deep in the jungles are absolutely riveting! This book gives the reader a rare inside look at the secretive lives of the SAS and is even more timely today considering how the SAS was key in the recent actions in Iraq. If you want real life action so incredible it seems like fiction, BUT is is NOT, this is the book to start with. I hold this book up with BZ0 and Chris Whitcomb's Cold Zero as two of the best non-fiction action tales to date. I'm not kidding...GET THIS BOOK!

Thanks to eBay, I've been able to plug up a huge hole in my Executioner collection with the now defunct DH audio's Bolan books on tape...and at a reasonable price...and this is the latest I have experienced in that format, but I digress... I have always been a sucker for rescue mission stories, especially those set in Africa(...maybe they bring back memories of one of my all time fav motion pics, The Wild Geese...) and this one didn't disappoint, lots of action, plenty of characterization, and some neat twists, like having Bolan use weaponry we don't see him with that often, like the .44 Magnum Smith he carries. The aging Hollywood gunslinger Dusty Morrison and the equally aged merc "Tater" Walters made for a great supporting cast and I wouldn't mind seeing either of these characters pop up again...a nice job! Two minor points bothered me tho'...several references to the Bolan family having been "murdered" doesn't fit in with what long time fans know really happened to Mack's parents and sister, too much of a generalization which smacked of carelessness on the author's part. Similiarly the criticism of "Tater's" choice of the Weatherby Mark V .416 as a choice of weapon was out of place...HELLO...long time fans know Bolan constantly used and favored the Mark V in .460 throughout the Mafia Wars and beyond. But all in all a solid effort and well worth the trip! Incidentally the reader of these books does and nice job and does some great voice characterizations, especially Mack.

"To the families of missing children. There's hope." Thus reads Steve Mertz's dedication to this truly unique installment in The Executioner series. Unlike most Bolan tales, there are no quotes...simply this dedication. And none are necessary. Just by a strange coincidence, this book came up in my reading rotation a scant 24 hours before the news networks were filled with the glad and astounding news of the recovery of young Elizabeth Smart. Safe and hopefully sound, rescued from the clutches of Animal Man, thanks to the astute observations of citizens who cared enough to take notice. This was THE major news happening in our country just days ago prior to our armed forces engaging in yet another battle against another face, another aspect of the Animal...and it was with this perspective I read this novel. This was truly classic Bolan, at his best, outgunned and outnumbered, battling corruption and evil from both within (the corrupt and perverted US Senator) and without (the evil Parelli clan) the system. Like classic Pendleton, this tale moved from soft probe, to recon and discovery, to a spellbinding hellfire blitz in the classic manner of Mack The Bastard. This novel really brought home the true meaning of Bolan's everlasting war, the protection of INNOCENCE from those who would deny this basic freedom...and in this one it's more then personal...it is to "save the children", our most precious resource. Hell, yeah... If you can remember prior to the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the news was filled with tales of our nation's missing children, it was enough to make the strongest feel despair. And yet... ...wtih the recovery of the young child and the arrest of the evil bastard behind the knife point seige of her very bedroom, it was possible to breath a sigh of relief. As Mr. Mertz said, all those years ago, there is hope...! This book was indeed very cathartic, tho' one can find yourself thinking, however wistfully, that Bolan was out there to deal Justice to the real-life perpetrator, we'll have to hold our faith in the far more realistic hope for swift and hard retribution from our legal system. This book also served as a reminder that you don't need megalomaniacs and weapons of mass destruction to have true evil...in Bolan's world or in ours... Now pardon me as I try to climb off this soapbox...:) Kudos, Mr. Mertz! Well done!

Mack Bolan is asked by the President to take down a terrorist whose activities are threatening NAFTA and...wait a minute...what the f@#k?!?! NAFTA?!?! C'mon wouldn't the fact the terror group is killing Americans be enough, without all the NAFTA business...? I had a few problems with this book, which is unusual for a Fieldhouse...first off while the fact that Mack had to improvise weaponry was interesting, the shotgun shell-wooden stick grenade seemed a little far fetched. Also Bolan "dragging" the amateur brothers with poor weaponry into the mission climax seemed out of character...I don't think they were really needed and their death and injury seemed to be a waste... Not one of the ususally great WF's best adventures, but full of action and very fast paced...

One of the most gripping and important tales in the whole Bolan Saga! Not your typical action fest, but we see Mack placed in a situation entirely new to him, and how he reacts and faces his desperate situation. A triumph for Mike Newton, which shows how close he can come to the emotion created by Don. The cameos and mentions of characters from past adventures are a real treat to long-timers. A must read and a true 10!!!

I just finished listening to this as an audiobook. A straightforward, but fairly bland effort. Worthwhile as a diversion in the car, but not recommendeded for actual reading.

I just finished listening to this novel as an audiobook. Demo Dick Marcinko is excellent reading his own adventures! I recommend this highly to fans of Stony Man, but even The Rogue is somewhat tame when compared to Mack Bolan action wise. All in all...very enjoyable, especially in this form.

Nick Pollota takes a break from The Deathlands and pens his first Stony Man and what a ride it is!!! Any tech errors were not glaring enough to me to diminish this story in any way, shape or form. This was action and SUSPENSE from the get go and was very hard to put down! Here is hoping we see more from Mr. Polotta and watch as the Stony Man crew takes on UNITY again! With a book like this one, who needs Mack! GET THIS BOOK!

One of the early greats! Sows the seeds for Able Team in the future, and if you were a fan of Death Squad, this one is quite enjoyable in that Pol and Gadgets return for the first time! A must read and a great cover!

Short on action, a solid but not extraordinary entry in the series...I guess after Retribution, I expect more from this author...Great cover tho'!

Highly recommended!!! This book makes you feel as close as possible like you were there...McNab and his boys went through hell on this mission and it is a true testament to the strength of the human spirit...If you were interested in Black Hawk Down, try this...and it would make an outstanding movie, if done right!!!

Death Squad was my very first Bolan adventure and it has stuck with me in the back of my mind ever since...if you could only read one Bolan story, this would be the one...I can still remember how much it hurt when Chopper Fonatelli was killed, this is a book that makes you FEEL for the characters, MAN...if any book moved me as much as this one it would almost be too much to bear,,,this book is probably the reason I love Pol, Gadgets and Ironman so much...they resonate so much more then the Phoenix guys, tho' I love 'em too...if you are a Bolan fan, you owe it to yourself to read this book....believe me...you'll NEVER forget Zitter, Chopper, Gunsmoke, Deadeye, Bloodbrother, Flower Child, Boom Boom, Pol, or Gadgets (GOD, did I forget anyone????)!!! The DEATH SQUAD LIVES!!!!

Unbelivable! This was an amazing adventure...so fast paced your head spins...and John Trent was a great addition to this mission! One of my all time favorites! A keeper can't wait to read #27...

This was a great read and kept me on the edge of my seat...although Katz seemed a little out of character, that is understandable considering the circumstances. The only other problem would be that if Stony Man was in any why aware of what was going on, Pheonix and Able would both have been chomping at the bit to lend Katz and Mack a hand!

Action packed from start to finish...what a fast moving rampage this book was! It moved so fast it was dizzying at times...Mack showed absolutely no mercy in this one!

A real slam bang finish to this exciting trilogy! The ending was great and kept me on the edge of my seat...my only criticism is that Pol and Gadgets sat the end of it out wile Ironman was recovering...c'mon...do really think the Able boys would not join Mack and Phoenix for some payback after Lyons was tortured? That was out of character! But overall a great ending to a solid trilogy...I really enjoyed reading this, my return to the sagas after a several year absence...

This was a very exciting book and a good continuation of the trilogy, but the absence of Able Team was disturbing in light of how it was left open in the previous book, a bit of a let down from the action packed first part, but overall an excellent read!

Just got around to reading this and I must say it was great! A real page turner, moved so fast I couldn't beleive it was over. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy!