• Balance of Power: A Novel

  • By: James W. Huston
  • Narrated by: Adams Morgan
  • Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (131 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Balance of Power: A Novel  By  cover art

Balance of Power: A Novel

By: James W. Huston
Narrated by: Adams Morgan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.46

Buy for $19.46

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

When an American cargo ship off the coast of Indonesia is seized by terrorists and its crew slaughtered, the sitting Congress demands revenge. The president's refusal to react aggressively leads to mounting resentment. Then an ambitious young congressional assistant, Jim Dillon, discovers a long-forgotten clause in America's Constitution that could be used to wrest power from the chief executive - inciting a devastating constitutional crisis and plunging the country into chaos.

Now, a battle group steams toward a fateful confrontation in the Java Sea, commissioned by Congress and opposed by the president. Dillon finds himself in the center of a firestorm that rages from the highest court in the land to the killing fields half a world away, as the great nation prepares for war - with itself.

©1998 James W. Huston (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Adams Morgan jumps enthusiastically into the fray, racing through the fast-moving text with exactly the right nuances of pacing and characterization. His various politicians and commandos are easily distinguishable but never overperformed." (AudioFile)
"If you like Tom Clancy, you'll love Balance of Power. Indeed, if you like Tom Clancy, Huston is a good step up." (Washington Post Book World)

What listeners say about Balance of Power: A Novel

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    57
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantasitc story!

This is a great legal, political and action novel. Comes at you from many different directions and never fails to keep you guessing "what's next?". Huston's characters are strong and the story weaves an unexpected path. You'll also learn a thing or two about the history of our politics.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

interesting premise that portends the future

very intersting and makes you think, especially with barry in office this seems a plausible scenario where the president will not act when action is required, the legal and political intrigue is very well done, are people acting in their best interest or the country's? and so forth

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting Plot

This is one of the more unusual plots that I have listened to. Huston gets you involved early with the characters and they remain interesting throughout. The plot is quite unusual and almost borders on the ridiculous side. It gives you an uneasy feeling wondering if this could possibly happen in our government system. The narrator was not very good. He did not alter his voice for any character using the same monotone through out. This made conversations between male and female almost impossible to follow. I would avoid this narrator in any future book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Balance of Credibility

This is an OK yarn if you accept that the scenario presented would never occur. No officer in command would ever make the decision one of the characters does. There are several character inter-reactions that make little, if any, contribution to the plot.

I would have graded the effort average if not for the reader, Adams Morgan. He is an abomination who speaks with the nose in the air articulation of an Elizabethan aristocrat. The result is that the character's voices have different pitches but the same phrasing and style. Avoid this Reader like the plague.

Jim


Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Narration makes it a difficult listen

I loved this book. Down side: I don't mean this personally, but I have listened to hundreds of books,and this narrator is the most annoying I have heard. He reads every line as though it were an article from the Rich Person's Social Register. The last two syllables of each line end with the exact same tones. He needs to listen to Patrick Tull or George Guidall and learn how to narrate a book, as opposed to merely reading it aloud.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Could have been better

Fun, although implausible, read. This book would have been much better with a different reader. Somewhat marginal dialog was made much worse by the stilted reading. I was about 10 hours into the book before I could ignore the reader's flaws and pay attention to the plot. I would like to read the sequel, but probably will buy the book rather than listen to it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb!

I have discovered a new author in Huston, and he takes you into the story so clearly that you feel like you are part of the action. This one takes top billing from me. I look forward to more. Great narration!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A true thriller.

What made the experience of listening to Balance of Power: A Novel the most enjoyable?

The action all around, from the political battlefield and the military.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Balance of Power: A Novel?

The speaker's press conference on the letters of mark.

What does Adams Morgan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent narration, especially with accents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Afraid I can't pick just one.

Any additional comments?

A must-have for any military or political thriller fans.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

......

This book is an excellent mix of politcal intrigue, legal conundrums and tactical action--it's an excellent thriller. The author uses the constitution to drive action--I'm glad it wasn't me on the pointy end of that stick. It's partisan politics on steroids. The tactical battle scenes, usually boring, were interesting to me. The book poses some constitutional questions that get your attention. I don't pass out five stars often, this one deserves it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book Bad Narration

This is a great book. Love this author but honestly cannot stand the narrator. He was not a good choice for this series. He enunciated way to much for regular speech especially for military characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!