Fire of the Raging Dragon

Description

In the very near future, China, now the world's largest industrial producer and consumer of Mideast Oil, passes a law that all new cars manufactured in that nation will be operated on natural gas. Beneath the floor of the South China Sea, around the contested Spratly Islands, billions of gallons of natural gas wait to be mined. But at the center of the Spratlys, the remote but strategic island of Itu Aba is occupied by China's historic enemy, Taiwan. When the new, power-hungry Chinese President, Tang Qhichen, orders Chinese Naval forces to attack Taiwanese forces on Itu Aba, U.S. President Douglas Surber responds, ordering the U.S. Seventh Fleet to try and quell a burgeoning naval showdown between the two Chinas. Aboard the submarine tender U.S.S. Emory S. Land, one of the first ships in the naval war zone, is Ensign Stephanie Surber, a recent Naval Academy graduate who is also the First Daughter of the United States. As the Emory S. Land steams into harm's way, Ensign Surber's life is gravely threatened. The President must make a decision. Will he take a stand against evil Or will he save the life of his daughter

Don Brown is the author of Thunder in the Morning Calm, The Malacca Conspiracy, The Navy Justice Series and Black Sea Affair, a submarine thriller that predicted the 2008 shooting war between Russia and Georgia. Don served five years in the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, which gave him an exceptional vantage point into both the Navy and the inner workings of "inside-the-beltway" as an action officer assigned to the pentagon. He left active duty in 1992 to pursue private practice, but remained on inactive status through 1999, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He and his family live in North Carol

In the not-too-distant future, the new Chinese president decides that all cars manufactured there will run on natural gas, not oil. To make that a reality, he orders a naval attack on Itu Aba, an island occupied by U.S. ally Taiwan, under which lies untouched natural gas. The U.S. president orders the Seventh Fleet to do whatever it can to stop the fight. One of the first ships to respond is the U.S.S. Emory S. Land. On board is Stephanie Surber, a recent graduate of the Naval Academy and the first daughter. When her ship is put in harm's way, the president must decide which is more important, defending Itu Aba or saving his daughter's life. VERDICT: With strong character development and steadily building tension, Brown's second fast-paced series entry (after Thunder in the Morning Calm) should appeal to readers who enjoy Joel C. Rosenberg's thrillers. * Library Journal *