• Power Play

  • Mack Bedford, Book 4
  • By: Patrick Robinson
  • Narrated by: Joe Barrett
  • Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (904 ratings)

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Power Play  By  cover art

Power Play

By: Patrick Robinson
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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Publisher's summary

The year is 2018 - a highly volatile nuclear world. Israel has obliterated the deep underground nuclear weapons facility built by Iran. The United States has destroyed the nuclear facility of a defiant North Korea. The Russians have upped the stakes in the latest world power-play - cyber warfare - to reduce the United States to helplessness: a three-strike missile attack on the National Security Agency at Fort Mead, Maryland, while simultaneously jamming the top-secret electronic access key to America’s nuclear launch system - the nuclear football. If successful, Russia would blow the United States off the nuclear map.

Meanwhile the British Royal Navy, formerly the most powerful in the world, is rapidly crumbling, leaving the United States without its main deep-sea ally at a time when they’re needed most. As this geopolitical battle comes to light behind closed doors dealings and dark secrets, it is up to Mossad spymaster, codenamed the 'Golan', to avert the Russian scheme, and there is only one man he in turn can trust to get the job done: US Navy Seal Mack Bedford.

It’s up to Mack Bedford to devise a plan to stop the Russians before they and their cyber weaponry reach the Chinese border - the launch site of their master plan. And with the entire country’s fate in his hands, Mack and his hard-trained, one of a kind SEAL Team 10 must not, cannot fail.

©2012 Patrick Robinson (P)2012 AudioGO

What listeners say about Power Play

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • GH
  • 08-08-13

Interesting plot - slow to develp

Power Play is the latest in the Mack Bedford series. At this point there is no doubt that the old Patrick Robinson style of the Admiral Moran series is not coming back. In that series, Robinson made you feel for the villain almost as much as for the hero.

Power Play is about a resurging Russian nation and a plan to strike back at the United States for making it feel impotent. The plot is interesting and there are plenty of twists -- however, many of these twists are foreseeable and the story lack surprise and depth. Joe Barrnett did not add any punch to the story, his character voices were mainly flat and without emotion.

This is a fence novel in that, if you are a eager fan of Robinson - listen ; if you are considering reading this novel as a first Robinson reader -- I'd pass. I am going to pass on novel 5 if it is ever released.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Subpar for Patrick Robinson

Slow moving, with dull characters made worse by the monotone and uninteresting narrator. Bring back George Guidal!

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2 people found this helpful

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

Everything old is new again

What did you love best about Power Play?

The gutsy responsiveness of our country and the particular island chosen be our partner and ally in the future. United States could use more of the determined spirit of that nation.

What did you like best about this story?

The old fashioned devotion to do what is right.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

Hard not to like a Seal

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Good plot and ideas for future partners to fight what is already global insanity

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Cannot keep changing the narrator in an ongoing

1st and foremost all of these books are a slow burn if you're not into the slow burn don't even bother.
2nd if you're listening to this book as a standalone you shouldn't enjoy it just fine if you've listened to all the other books in this series it's in this series you're going to want to put a bullet in your skull. The main character Mac Bedfords Accent keeps changing because the narrator keeps changing the 1st 2 books the narrator made it narrator made a base for this character and it was good and it was good good accents as he traveled the world to change who he was but whenever he went to his homeland in Maine he had that good he had that good mainland Boston accent. In book 3 that guy did not even attempt to maintain the accent just sounded like a good old boy. flat out American, The guy in this book I have no idea what the hell hes doing at 1 point he sounded Scottish is Scottish. Can't even continue listening to it the character is ruined and therefore the story is crap. my opinion

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1 person found this helpful

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

The best Patrick Robinson book yet!

If you could sum up Power Play in three words, what would they be?

Intense, scary, wiped-out

What other book might you compare Power Play to and why?

Other books by Robinson, Tom Clancy books, Marc Cameron books They are all military/what we could face. I would cal them realfiction.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't tell because it would spoil the book so I will just say the build up to the seals mission.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yeah. Things kept getting in my way of listening to it straight through.

Any additional comments?

If you like Clancy but a little shorter, get this book.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Are the Soviets back in the Game?

Patrick is back with a great book. Only problem is that it went by to quickly. His character of Mack Bedford teamed up with Arnold Morgan made for an interesting plot. I wonder what the Irish would really think about becoming out 51st state. A nuclear strike on Fort Meade Md. is a chilling possibility. Look forward to Patrick's next book

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1 person found this helpful

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

Where did the action go?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Te original narrator for all of the Arnold Morgan books. He makes Morgan sound like a wimp. More action and less useless background.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The basic plot is good but how the story is told is lacking.

How could the performance have been better?

Better Narrator!!!!!

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not many

Any additional comments?

No, I think I have summed it up.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Typical Robinson-GREAT

A tad slower than some Mack Bedford books, but attention to detail kept my intrigued. Great read!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another great series

I was a bit hesitant when I first came upon this author. It was included, free, w my membership so nothing to lose. I'm thoroughly impressed and will read more from this author.

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

Worst of the series!

Because the author dives so deep into the details early in the book it takes several chapters before Mack Bedford is even mentioned. Then as we approach the climax it seems as though the author has something better to do and rushes us through to the end. As usual no after climax details about the family or friends of Mack Bedford, the book just ends abruptly. Personally I did not care for this narrator. When a series starts with one narrator and switches throughout the series, it leaves me disappointed because the voices used by the characters change. Thank god the latest Sons of Valor just came out! And thank god for Ray Porter, he narrated the entire series and the characters sound familiar.

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