- Hardcover: 360 pages
- Publisher: Century; First Edition edition (18 Aug 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0712661387
- ISBN-13: 978-0712661386
- Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 14.8 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,515,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Intruders
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Product Description
Review
Picking up where they left off in Flight of the Intruder (1986), Coonts and his inimitable Navy flyboy, Lt. Jake Grafton, coast on autopilot in this turgid novel of stick-and-rudder derring-do. Long on jargon, acronyms, and technical descriptions but short on actual storytelling, the saga begins in the days following the 1973 US pullback from Vietnam. On leave, Jake pays a visit to best gal Callie McKenzie's home. Callie's pop, a station wagon liberal embittered by the crippling injuries sustained in battle by his son, Theron, has a heated debate with the usually dovish Jake, precipitating an angry flight to a local watering hole. A few glasses later, Jake overhears a drunk taunting a crippled vet and launches the loudmouth through a window. To escape legal reprisal, our hero gladly accepts his first peacetime assignment: instructing Marine pilots in the manly art of carrier-based flying aboard the USS Columbia. Here's where the eponymous A-6 Intruder attack aircraft comes in, and any semblance of plot departs. Sure, there are many new characters: Hugh Skidmore, aka The Real McCoy, a sassy Navy instructor who plays the stock market; Jake's navigator, "Flap" LeBeau, a wisdom-spouting Afro-American Marine; and other types running the gamut from fun-loving to psychotic. But action mainly consists of A-6 crews endlessly executing noncombat maneuvers at sea. A difficult task to be sure, but not interesting enough to hold together a novel. In fact, with the exception of a running subplot featuring a "line-in-the-sand" conflict with the nearby Soviet fleet and Jake and Flap's bold escape from gunrunners near the story's end, Coonts's narrative style very closely resembles a commander's log - sans command. Those hale enough to finish this muddled flight manual cum novel in one sitting will likely possess enough knowledge about the A-6 to fly one in their sleep. A good thing, since the book certainly won't keep them awake. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
After the Vietnam war, Jake Grafton is assigned to what should be a safe tour in the Pacific, in this sequel to "Flight of the Intruder". But in the peaceful Pacific he faces the deadly challenge of rogue pirates, and this time his colleagues are not battle-hardened veterans.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having only read one Stephen Coonts book previously (Under Seige) I approached this with a fairly open mind as to what to expect. This book is certainly quite different to Under Seige, although featuring the same character, Jake Grafton, Intruders is more of a 'Fly on the Wall' insight into life on a US aircraft carrier rather than the usual action packed thriller.
It is this interesting insight that makes the book thoroughly compelling. The author has taken actual incidents on carriers and woven them together to give the plot plenty of exciting moments to balance the impression of mundane repetition on board the ship. I get the feeling Coonts has written a book here as much for himself as for his many fans, and its obvious he uses much from his own experiences in the military to give the plot plenty of authentic detail.
Although I think this may disappoint some looking for the standard techno thriller, I found it both enjoyable and very interesting.
4 stars.
It is this interesting insight that makes the book thoroughly compelling. The author has taken actual incidents on carriers and woven them together to give the plot plenty of exciting moments to balance the impression of mundane repetition on board the ship. I get the feeling Coonts has written a book here as much for himself as for his many fans, and its obvious he uses much from his own experiences in the military to give the plot plenty of authentic detail.
Although I think this may disappoint some looking for the standard techno thriller, I found it both enjoyable and very interesting.
4 stars.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Whoa you say! 5 stars for a comparatively unheard of author. I kid you not; along with 'Flight of the Intruder', which precedes 'The Intruders', these are two of the finest war books i have read. Stephen Coonts really knows how to deliver the goods when on home territory (i get the impression that a very large proportion of the events in both books are based on reality. Coonts is less impressive when handling pure fiction. See 'The Minotaur; 'Fortunes of War' etc)
The basic premise of 'The Intruders' is this; Jake Grafton, the main character of the book has been assigned to teach the marines all that he knows about aircraft carrier flying. To do this he is placed on board an aircraft carrier that the marines use. This is his reward for getting into a fight with a civilian during shore leave. To say he is not overly enamoured of the idea is to put it mildly...
Mr Grafton is also experiencing major problems with his girlfriend, more specifically parental disapproval of his occupation. In short, Jake Grafton's life is a mess at this point.
So, in the book we see Jake learning to handle the stresses of working with the marines, in particulary his new flying partner Flap le Beau. Grafton is also considering leaving the military, with his role in bombing civilians durign the Vietnam war preying on his mind to a degree.
Why is this book so good? Difficult to say exactly, but Coonts has a concise, non-verbiose way of communicating, and for that reason the plot rattles along at a fair rate. The characters, plot settings and set pieces are believable, as is the dialogue. Most of all the way the book 'reads' is its main plus point; it is very difficult to put down.The main problem with this book is that it is just too short (although it can be read and re-read many times).
Buy and read this book. It is an essential purchase.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have been a Coonts reader for many years and must have missed this one. I had enjoyed all the other early books up to and including the Minotaur but sadly the stories begain to pail, the further into pure fiction that the author roamed. When I found The Intruders, I was hoping that it would be on a par with Flight of the Intruder and I was not disappointed. If anything, I think that this is his best book and I think the reason is because it is firmly supported by the author's own memories and experiences. It also strikes me that there is room in Grafton's career for another book that fill in the gap before Final Flight. Mr. Coonts, are you you up for one last good one?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not just for aviation fans
Those familiar with the previous (or indeed latter) Jake Grafton escapades will know what to expect. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. G. Battle
Read as a Trillogy
I cannot comment or this book, without considering the the books before and after it, they are awesome. A must read for all Stephen Coonts fans, Jake grafton, his early years. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2008 by Mark Kaye
Coonts' Magnum Opus
I think the point made about Coonts' ability to write fiction is quite shrewd. In this book you have a capable narrative of naval aviation that is grounded in personal experience. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2008 by aplivings
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