State of the Union by Brad Thor
Background
As the Cold War ended, so did the days of viewing Russia as a pending threat to the United States. This was a mistake! As it turns out, a plan was set into motion decades ago that will threaten the very existence of America.
As the clock ticks down to America’s demise, Navy SEAL turned Secret Service agent Scot Harvath races to uncover and stop this evil plan.
My Thoughts
State of the Union is very quick to suck you into the story! I suspect that this is especially true for those of us who remember what it was like to be in a constant state of fear that the United States and Russia would eventually engage in a nuclear showdown. The conspiracy that Brad Thor created for this book is terrifying.
The concept behind State of the Union really is clever. In fact, prior to THIS PARAGRAPH, I had originally written a lengthy description of the story (which I ultimately deleted). But after proofreading it, I realized I had given away too much of the storyline. Why? Because I wanted to talk about it! I wanted to discuss how frightening it was, and how possible it is. If you have ever read a book, and wanted someone else to read it so you could discuss it with them, you know what I am talking about.
For those of you who are keeping track, State of the Union is #3 in the Scot Harvath series. With each passing book, you learn a little more about Harvath. No doubt about it, he is a great character!
For the Gun Owners
You don’t have to be a gun owner to enjoy Brad Thor’s writing. But if you are, you are in for a treat! Because I use a tablet for reading, I can easily click on any firearm that is mentioned in the story to get more information via the internet. I’ve learned a lot about various firearms while reading Brad Thor books!
Guns Referenced:
- 14.5mm Machine Guns
- 30mm Cannon
- AK-105 Carbine (Izhmash)
- Beretta 93R
- Beretta 96
- Beretta 96 Vertec
- Beretta CX4 Storm
- Beretta Neos
- Gyurza
- Heckler & Koch G36C
- Heckler & Koch MP5
- Heckler & Koch MP5K
- Heckler & Koch MP7
- Heckler & Koch P11 (Underwater Pistol)
- Heckler & Koch USP
- Jatimatic PDW (Tampereen Asepaja Oy)
- M16 Rifle
- M4 Carbine
- PP-90M Submachine Guns
- Sig Sauer
- Sig Sauer P229
- Street Sweepers
- Tactical Shotguns
- Thompson ZG-51 Pit Bull (Auto-Ordnance)
- Tokarev TT-30
- Walther P4
Other Gear Referenced:
- Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS)
- Bell 412 Helicopter
- Benchmade Auto AXIS Knife
- BlackHawk Tactical Holster
- Cessna Citation X
- Detonating Cord
- Farallon MkX DPV – Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- First Choice Body Armor
- Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) Camera
- HellStorm Tactical Assault Gloves
- Holland and Holland Hunting Jacket
- IR Camouflage Suit
- Kobold Phantom Chronograph
- LAR VII Closed Circuit Rebreathers
- LaserLyte Sighting System
- Leupold Scope
- Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy
- MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird
- Mil Mi-17-1V Assault Helicopter
- Noise Flash Diversionary Devices (NFDD) – Flashbang Grenades
- Nomex Fatigues
- Picatinny Rail
- Remote Activation Munition System (RAMS)
- Sokzhoi-Class Patrol Boat
- SpecterIR Thermal Infrared Imaging Weapon Sight
- SureFire M3 Millennium Flashlight
- TASER X26
Summary
As I previously mentioned, I was very tempted to give away more information about State of the Union than I should have. Hopefully I didn’t spoil anything for you. But, speaking of spoilers, when you are finished reading State of the Union, be sure to visit Brad Thor’s website. For each of his books he has a “Behind the Book” page. This gives some great information about each of his books. You will particularly want to read the background information for State of the Union!