Robert Ludlum's The Arctic Event

Covert-One Series

By: James H. Cobb

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, researchers discover the wreckage of a mysterious World War II-era aircraft, a discovery that forces the Russian Federation into a shocking admission. The unmarked plane is a Soviet strategic bomber that disappeared with its crew more than 50 years ago while carrying two metric tons of weaponized anthrax.

Desperate to prevent a political and diplomatic firestorm, the U.S. president dispatches a Covert-One team led by Lieutenant Colonel Jon Smith to the crash site. But others have reached the frigid, windswept island first, including an international arms dealer and his crew of vicious mercenaries. As for the Russians, they are lying: a second, even deadlier secret rests within the hulk of the lost bomber, a secret the Russians are willing to kill to protect.

Trapped in a polar wilderness, Smith and his team find themselves fighting a savage war on two fronts - against an enemy they can see and another hiding within their own ranks.

©2007 Myn Pyn, LLC (P)2007 Hachette Audio

We have a Winner!

This is the author we have been looking for the continuation of this series. This is the best story i have listened to in this series since Ludlum passed away. I too, definately hoped that this author continues to write for the series as this story was excellent and a fantastic read.

awesome!

My favorite covert one action, suspense novel by Ludlum/Cobb. Read book and listened to the audio book, even better!

Enjoyable Action

An enjoyable adventure with an interesting reader adding to the action. Have read all "real" Ludlum novels and this writer does the series justice. Sit back, put on your hat and gloves and go ARTIC!

Good Story With Historic B-29 (Soviet TU-4) Info

Great story for aviation history fans. Being a commercial pilot I personally enjoyed the focus on the Soviet copy of the U.S. WWII B-29 Super Fortress. NATO code named the "bull" the Russian TU-4 was a perfect copy of the B-29. The Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO reporting name: Bull) was a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s. It was a reverse-engineered copy of the U.S.-made Boeing B-29 Super Fortress. Eight hundred and forty-seven Tu-4s had been built when production ended in the Soviet Union in 1952, some going to China during the later 1950s. Many experimental variants were built and the valuable experience launched the Soviet strategic bomber program. Tu-4s were withdrawn in the 1960s, being replaced by more advanced aircraft: the Tupolev Tu-16 (starting in 1954) and the Tupolev Tu-95 (starting in 1956). By the beginning of the 1960s, the only Tu-4s still operated by the Soviets were used for transport or airborne laboratory purposes.

Towards the end of World War II, the Soviet Union saw the need for a strategic bombing capability similar to that of the USAAF. The U.S. regularly conducted bombing raids on Japan, virtually in the Soviet Union's backyard, from distant Pacific forward bases using B-29 Superfortresses. Stalin ordered the development of a comparable bomber.
The U.S. declined to supply the Soviet Union with B-29 heavy bombers under Lend Lease.[1] However, on three occasions during 1944, individual B-29s made emergency landings in Soviet territory after bombing raids on Manchukuo and Japan. In accordance with the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviets were neutral in the Pacific War and the bombers were therefore interned and kept by the Soviets, despite American demands for their return.[2] Stalin tasked Tupolev with cloning the Superfortress and Soviet industry was to produce 20 copies of the aircraft in just two years. The three B-29s were flown to Moscow and delivered into Tupolev OKB.

I liked Alistair MacLean

This is a variation ,a well written variation, of that novel, where a transport version, separated by years, of a great store where a variant of the B-29, a C-97, has engine troubles, and Land on a laake, the ice breaks, and freezes over. The aircrew was lost as was it's cargo of virulent airborne virsrus. I am sorry for the aside, but the B-29 had many variants. The Tu-4 of this story, including exact copies of patches of damage taken in conbaat, the B-50, the C-97, the KC-97 which served SAC for years. When the B-47 came along, Being designed the KC-135 a jet powered sswept wing aircraft, which became the 707 civilian airliner. One of very few aircraft, and the first jet aircraft to to develop into a civilian airline. The piston engine Locked Constellation was another aircraft to go from military to civilian use.
This plot introduces many twists and turns inherent to aa mystery set in a climate where man is almost an alien intruder. Weaponized anthrax was never used in any US aircraft. But we see weaponized defoliant used in many films from the Vietnam War. With these components inserted into a thriller of the first rate, it makes the plot just that more engaging.

Need a better narrator

The story is good, but the narrator is not. I could also do without the additional sound effects. Paul Michael or Scott Brick should be narrating this book.

Randies fallback

The attitude of Randie to John at the beginning was like a fullback to when she 1st found out who he was.

I want more Covert One

I'm glad that Covert One is still in action (since Robert Ludlum's passing). Keep Jon Smith coming!

Storyline is up to snuff, but not the narration

While the book its self is very good, I'm afraid the narrator makes it a bit of a let down. I am thrilled that the Covert One novels are continuing, however the narration is not as interesting. The book comes over as more of a bland monitone than the previously vibrant characters of the other books. It's fine if you have not heard the previous novels but a bit dishearting if you have.

I wish I could give it a 6!

What made the experience of listening to Robert Ludlum's The Arctic Event the most enjoyable?

This was gripping from the beginning. Good character development, plausible plot (given the characters), and satisfying ending.