Cauldron (Mass Market Paperback)

Larry Bond has captured the essance of modern war very well. The scenes of combat, in the air, at sea, and on the land are very well written.
Even if an old clieche of the cavalry arriving just in time is used, this is a well written book.

Now that I have heapped praise on the novel, I must critise a few aspect of it. I understand that Bond, and his co-author Pat Larkin, being Americans would concentate on the U.S millitary, and that the UK would hardly get a look in, but where the British do get a mention a clear lack of research comes out.

Why would the French bomb docklands in London? Do they hate yuppies? The Dome wasn't that bad sureley? The only docks in the London area are way downstream at Tilbury. There are no oil tanks anywhere near Westminster. In this part of the book Bond's aim seems to have been to recreate the Blitz in miniature. Its as if he thought 'how can I recreate the Blitz? I know have the French bomb the docks.'
On another related mater RAF Tornado fighters are painted a two tone grey, not hemp, which is a tan colour. I know this from personal observation, as I live only a few miles away from RAF Leuchars, where two squadrons of Tornados are based. Similarly there is no such rank as lieutenant in the RAF, it is Flight Lieutenant.
Similarly there is no such thing as Air Defence Command. Britain's air defence assets come under 1 Group, which is controlled by Strike Command.
While we are on pedantic maters RAF Gazelles were (they have all be retired) were flown by a single crewman to allow them to carry three passengers.

On more weightier matters Bond's idea of British politics seem stuck in the '70s. References to somebody coming up the hard way in the Conservative Party sounds a bit far fetched, and references to Labour Party radicals is equally so.
I would imagine that this book was begun in the early '90s, but even so political trends in British politics were quite easy to see if one looked. By 1990 Neil Kinnock had completely changed the party, and today the idea that the party could contain more than one or two radicals seems faintly rediculous.

It is only Bond's lack of research on British matters that preclude me from giving it five stars.
I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written book.

Good fun it is, too, although if you're looking for any kind of depth you'll be disappointed - Bond is less concerned with political machinations than Tom Clancy, and although better at the technical business of writing than Dale Brown, he's more concerned with the grand sweep of a new war than people.

It's odd that a novel dealing with a major crisis in Europe has almost no mention of Britain, too...