The New War

Yikes, what a mess. This book was, for the most part, a real slog to get through. The action and plot were dull as can be, and it doesn't begin to get interesting until 140 pages in. The author also loves to bathe in an amateurish and upsetting amount of exclamation points. It seems he can't go more than a couple of sentences without using them. The rain-soaked setting was good, but under-utilized. All in all, a real dull read.

Great book! After reading a bunch of these in my youth, I decided to start re-reading them in my late 40's. I started with the mafia wars which I hadn't read at all when I was younger. Some were good, some were not so good, but by number 30 in the series, I had to skip into the gold eagles my nostalgia longed for. Some of the Mafia wars were good (Colorado and Jersey being my favorites so far), however, Pendleton seemed to struggle a bit with the pacing in many titles. Often it seemed like it was all set up for a great showdown but the magic page 180 was coming up so he almost brushed over the main fights. This titles pacing seemed great in comparison. I tore through it on a few hours and was left reminded of why I liked the series so much in my youth. Great action. Shame this author only did one.

This was a really good book. Very good transition over to the terrorist wars. I think the author did a very good job with it. Although he didnt hit Mack's character exactly right, It was still good enough to make this a 8 star book for me.

Just began my re-reading of Mack, in honor of his cancellation. As luck would have it, the cancellation has been canceled, according to the latest news! No reason to stop my celebratory re-read though! So, after my visit through the first and second mile, we arrive at The New War. This was a perfect Bolan book in my opinion. We begin thrust into action, with Mack being deployed before his new base is even finished. One really feels the tension and importance of his duty, flying from old life to new with hardly a moment to rest. In fact, even with a team, Mack is still solo. The mission itself is great jungle action. Solid firefights against nasty enemies. Towards the end we see Jack in action as well, and throughout the book we visit Hal, April and the others gnashing their teeth and rearing to go. A reader truly learns the love and concern the team has for Striker. I was sad to see this author did NOT write another entry in Bolan's war. Given the tasks of a) following Don Pendleton and b) building the story in a new but recognizable pattern, the author truly succeeded. Why didn't he return to Mack? Does anyone know why? Unlike other reviews, I thought Mr. Wernick fit perfectly within the Bolan-verse.

I'm not a big fan of this book. It was alright and average at best. With this being the first book after Pendleton stopped writing, I understand the difficulty in this being the transitional book. However, I don't think this was even written well. The story was ok. Mack sent in to South America to rescue a kidnapped agent, and the terrorists hell-bent on destroying the Panama Canal and taking over a U.S. satellite...all for the purpose of controlling American oil interests. It was nice to have the gang together -- Mack, Jack, Hal, Pol, etc -- however, there was little in terms of character development. In fact, I thought some of Mack's and Jack's comments were out of character. Similarly, much of the dialogue in the first 100 pages, especially between Mack and Soraya, was just lame.

Well you have to hand it to the author of this title given to him is a job to take one of the best selling series of titles in history and write a title of transition where the main character moves from his previous series of titles and takes up his next line of titles. Add onto that he also has to worry about the number of characters who have been brought over from the previous series of titles and are going to be featured in the new series of titles and somehow make a readable title out of all of this mess. So how did he go ? Oh yeah the orders are to rescue or terminate without prejudice an undercover agent who has vital information regarding terrorist plans to attack a US satellite and also an oil Super Tanker in the Panama Canal currently being held hostage by the bad guys and the Big guy is on the job. Terrific effort here where the author has not only produced a high quality title to read but also manages to maintain a high level of excitement throughout. Really enjoyed this one and highly recommended reading here.

A new start, a new area, yet the same war tactic though the enamy has a different name and purpose in life Bolan´s mastery of penetrate and abstract is put up to a serious test here when he has to make a very tough call of either killing or give live to an near dead agent by getting him out of the impossible situation. The way to rock....opserve, valuate and penetrate with maximum result like Bolan does in the book. The more personal touch of the book was the introduction of Bolan´s team and how each one was added to it. Their personal feelings and friendship towards the reign of terror was admerible. As soon as Bolan hits the jungle the rest of the book is very predictable, slow and been there, done that reading. I understand the author didn´t write more Bolan books. I would not have written more of them with this poor initial writing in mind. The author didn´t belong in the Bolan world. Plain and simple. (Iceland – 2011)

This was the first Executioner book I had read back when I was a kid. I loved it back then and still do with a few minor nits to pick. I like the tone, pace, and the overall plot. However, the specifics of the terrorist's plan seem a bit too wacky, and the whole corporate interest thing feels off. Setting that aside the action is solid, the tone is set for the new war, and Mack kicks butt. I may be a bit forgiving since this one does hold serious sentimental value, but it read just as fast and fun now like it did back when it first came out.

My first non-Pendleton. Yup, I've got a long way to go playing catch up. Although I'm going to start bouncing around with the series and not read them in order, I wanted to start with this first since, well, it's the first. This was not a bad book. There was some nice setting up of Stony Man farm offset against Bolan on a lone wolf mission. The mission, too, was interesting although after putting Bolan in the position with too much to handle, the author backs off and has the cavalry come over the hill. Up until then I was curious to see how Bolan was going to deal with a downed injured chopper crew, a dying spy, a hurricane, bad guys all around, a pending attack on a satellite and the Panama canal. Having help appear out of nowhere right when it was needed killed this tension. So although this was not a classic Bolan by any stretch of the imagination, it was fairly good and not a bad way to kick off the second Bolan era. Now, let the bouncing begin!

This book was the first mack bolan I have read I have to say its one of my faves my freind was in the special forces in vietnam and told my I might enjoy it now there isnt a day that gos by that im not reading one i always like mack bolans that have a jungle plot because it is where he was dubbed the executioner iwill give it 8 stars

This is the prototype get in find the target kick butt and get out operation that this series is known for, and it's a solid exciting read. The thing missing from this book was including some kind of intro to stony man farm and all that, it just kind of jumped straight into a mission from the start. A good start to the gold eagle lineup.

OK, I just rediscovered Bolan and his Stony Men and I had never read any Executioner book before the late #50s until now (and have not read any of the War Against the Mafia books...yet). Knowing that Bolan had just finished his vendetta against the Mob one book earlier, I found it a bit jarring to find him next battling Palestinians in S. America. I had hoped for a little more of a transition as Stony Man Farm was set up and the "New War" began, but should I really expect Bolan to wait befor getting down to business? Once Mack was in the jungle I found things a little predictable, but felt that same oddly rightious surge of adrenaline once he started dropping the terror merchants. I never knew that Grimaldi (who I primarily know from S.M.Doctrine)was such a surly S.O.B., but it was great seeing him fly the slick. Only complaint would be the sometimes awkward, almost dumbfounded exclamations Bolan would make, "Yeah! That's it.", seems soft for such a hardman. At least he didn't say "by golly". Overall good read and nice to see Bolan probe and pick off his prey with the skill of a first class warrior.

Decent story,but kind of started out disjointed as you had no sense of bridging the gap between the Mafia Wars and this new phase in the battle everlasting.Overall though,a solid effort.

After Mack Bolan's personal war against the mafia has ended he begins a new phase of his career as Col. John Phoenix in The New War. He has gone into the Colombian jungle to rescue a missing American agent with urgent information. What he finds is more than expected and involves him in a lot of action on his first mission as Stony Man One. This story has a lot of action. If you like Bolan in firefights and soft probes this book will be right up your alley. Lots of good narrative of Bolan doing the recon and taking the measure of the bad guys' site. Then when he goes into action there is barely time to catch your breath. Most of the regulars are at Stony Man Farm for this one and aren't involved except for Grimaldi who hightails it down to help out the big guy. Jack gets in on the final assault on the enemy camp and gets to burn a lot of powder. Even though there is only one location for the action I thought this was a very enjoyable tale. Bolan was doing a lot of stuff here, as opposed to some of the previous stories where he just impersonated a mafia black ace for 100 pages. This one flowed right along. Eight stars worth of action.

This one was a yawner for the first 100 pages, but things quickly got going thereafter. Good action scenes, but there wasn't much change in the scenery. Bolan pretty much hung around the enemy camp for the whole book. The combined Bolan-Grimaldi assault saved this from being less than it's overall farily good effort. I would have put Double Crossfire as the beginning of the New War, though. It had a mafia battle to kind of usher out that phase of Bolan's career, then onto the New War with the Armenian plot.

BOLAN AT HIS EXPLOSIVE BEST WITH HIS NEW WAR ON TERRORISM. TWO THUMBS UP. I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE PART WHERE HE FOUND THAT HE COULDN'T FIND IT IN HIMSELF TO KILL THE MAN HE WAS SENT TO SAVE.

This was the one that hooked me into the series, I had some of the original series but after reading this as well as getting all the new ones I started collecting all the old ones. It was another 5 years before I obtained all the earlier ones but what a series, at one stage I was reading 1-38 and 39 up along with Able Team/ Phoenix Force and Super Bolans until they dried up on the Kiwi market in the late 80s.A ripper start to a new series and one day I might be able to in some holes in the later numbers I have not got.