Robert

Narrations was very good. Disappointed with author.

Listening to Michael Connelly now. The Fifth Witness.

NA

Burn the book. Delete the file.

I saw glimpses of what was to come in Daemon, but forged ahead anyway. I may yet go back and try to finish Freedom, but only because I don't like being a quitter. However, I also don't like being preached to about what a wreck the world is and being blamed for allowing it along the way. All in a thinly veiled story about a computer program gone mad. Its like the modernized antithesis of "Atlas Shrugged". In the interest of full disclosure, I really enjoyed Atlas Shrugged and am very much a conservative. I don't mind saying that because I recognize that not everyone agrees with my views on things. In summary, while a lot of science fiction is preachy, this one went over the top. If you think that the US government and big business are collectively the source of everything that's wrong in your life you will probably enjoy Daniel Suarez' story.

I can't believe that Recorded Books hires Armand Schultz to do a mediocre narration when they've heard George Guidall's readings of other Thor books. This story is OK, but Schultz detracts from it where Guidall adds to the stories he reads.

I'll admit from the start that this is more a review of the choice of narrators than anything else. I'll say that I found this story to be predictable and simplisitc, but that doesn't surprise me since the unabridged version isn't available at Audible. I've listened to all of Brad Thor's books up to "The Last Patriot" at this point. I'm not sure who the decision maker is, but the best thing that individual did was get rid of Armand Schultz and replace him with George Guidall after "Path of the Assassin". The worst thing they ever did was drop George Guidall and go back to Armand Schultz after "The Last Patriot". Schultz's reading is just horrible. I could go into much greater description as to why I feel that way, but just trust me. George Guidall is every bit the voice of Scott Harvath (in my head) as he is the voice of Mitch Rapp, and whoever is making the decisions ought to know that. Don't they listen to their finished product?

Getting another Tom Clancy book after such a long time was like meeting an old friend that I hadn't seen in years. I'm not really going to review the book itself, although it was a typical well written Tom Clancy thriller. I've never reviewed a book before, but after listening to Lou Diamond Phillips I had to log on and write this. Phillips' reading of this book was absolutely fantastic. I've always been a fan of Scott Brick, George Guidall and a few others, but frankly I thought this narration was the best I've ever heard. This was a book I would have enjoyed if it had been read by a reasonbly competent monkey, but the combination of Tom Clancy and this spot-on narration made this a few weeks of truly enjoyable driving.

I can't rate this abridged version since I almost never listen to them. Doug (reviewer on July 7) said he needed to watch the movie to see what the book was about because the abridgement was so bad. Doug, that would be a big mistake. The movie turned Ludlum's noble character into the freak result of the terribly twisted US government - great story in this day and age where its good sport in Hollywood to paint the American govt. as the evil empire. In the book, a CIA agent took a false identity - Jason Bourne - who subsequently took credit for Carlos' murders in an attempt to flush Carlos out and end his career. Note that he wasn't brainwashed or part of a larger group of mummified hit men. When he got shot and left for dead at the start of the book and lost his memory the pieces of that false persona that came back were the result of his being immersed in the role for so long trying to complete his mission. As the book, and ultimately the trilogy unfold there are two story lines; (1)finding and stopping Carlos and (2)David Webb, aka Jason Bourne, finding his way back to his real identity. I personally am on pins and needles waiting to see how Hollywood further bastardizes Ludlum's most popular writing in The Bourne Supremacy. Bottom line - if you want to know what Ludlum wrote there's only one way to do it -- read the book. Audible - where are the unabridged versions of Ludlum's early writings? The Holocraft Covenant, The Matarese Circle, The Bourne trilogy - wonderful writing when Ludlum was at his creative best.