Forgotten Forbidden America

Rise of Tyranny, Volume 1

By: Thomas A Watson

Narrated by: Joel Eutaw Sharpton

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

As the district manager for a sporting goods store, Nelson knows what it takes to survive off the grid. Michelle is a nurse, a mom, and fully capable. Nelson and Michelle are hardworking Americans with a secret: they are part of a circle of individuals who are prepared for the worst. They know that the worst is coming; it's just a matter of time.

When the stock markets in Asia crash, the family knows that it is time to pull together with their circle of friends and get to their safe zone. But nothing worth doing is ever easy. Not content to just seize the assets of Americans, the United States government paints a target on the backs of survivalists and preppers, demanding that all Americans turn in their guns, ammunition, and food, and placing restrictions on travel.

With the family in the cross-hairs, will they make it safely to their farm? Or will they fall victim to the machinations of a government who no longer believes in the Land of the Free?

©2015 Thomas A Watson (P)2016 Thomas A Watson

Reads like a sock under the bed of a teenage boy.

Length: Way too short, and the ending is so abrupt that I literally said "What?!" out loud.

Story: The story is wholly implausible. The main character, Nelson, is a hunky ex-military guy married to a "smoking hot" wife who served alongside him in combat. They have a perfect family in a nice suburb full of McMansions, where they have a big in-home gym and it is stated to be millions of dollars worth of weapons, ammo, and precious metals. Later, his "smoking hot wife" even wears a Slave Leia costume, attempting to cash in on every demographic possible. He is conveniently the regional manager of a major sporting goods store, which gives him access to hundred of weapons, which he loads into a truck and takes with him in the collapse, all while bugging out in a convoy to a farm that hosts ex-military friends and magically has everything they need to create an impervious compound to repel an invading military force... all with roughly 15 people (including babies). The author didn't write anything probable, he wrote a fantasy jerk-off story with a main character that I am SURE is a stand-in for himself. Nelson is a Mary Sue.

Characters: Wholly unrelatable. Nelson draws first blood by murdering four government agents. The author claims it was to imitate breaking up a band of insurgents in Iraq, but all it did was escalate things to prepare the story for a coming conflict that it feels like all of the characters in the book are drooling for. He talks a lot about how reasonable gun owners think, but I can definitively say that "first to violence" is NOT what we have in mind when we go out carrying. Everyone in this book is a psychopath.

Writing: Novice. The author needs two things- a ghost writer, and a better editor. Describing everything as "big-ass" this and "hot-ass" that gets really old, really fast. It didn't sound personable. It sounded immature.

Performance: I gave it a single star. It felt like this was the first book the narrator ever narrated, and that made it feel like the narrator is probably a shooting buddy of the author. His drawl was distracting, his cadence was worse than Glen Tate's (though in a different way), and the amount of repeated sentences became infuriating to listen to. Not only should a better narrator have been chosen, but these mistakes should have been edited out by the producer, who was obviously out of the office that day.

FINAL VERDICT: Skip this one, and skip all of the other books in this series. I don't ask for refunds, but I can't justify spending money on any more from this author.

Liked it, but had a few ethical struggles with it.

I read a LOT of books in this genre and I liked this one with a couple of exceptions. One is that it was one of those books from this genre where the main characters are uber prepared with what seems like an endless amount of funding and supplies at their disposal. I can get past that and chalk it up to choosing the right career field, however, I think my main issues is with the mindset of the characters. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pepper and have no doubts regarding what our government is capable of, but the author portrays this group as pretty extreme. This would be a liberal's handbook of what they think every conservative is like. Gun toting NRA members who competively shoot and are tea party members who border on sovereign citizens. Again, no issues with either group (except sovereign citizens. They are waaaaay too out there even for me), but when one member of the group is a police officer and the group kills cops throughout the book without hesitation or question it makes the book hard to listen to. Mainly because I am a cop and also because it seems a bit hypocritical. I would imagine the cop in the group would feel the same way too, which is never even touched upon.
Anyway, it was a good story overall when I overlooked the rampant killing of law enforcement and would recommend it.

Rich folk strike again

This is another book well written but of the same theme as so many others...
People with essentially unlimited resources prepare for the event that brings the nation as we know it to an end. They move as a group to the country where the have built a cabin for each family, they just happen to have an
excavator with a large bucket which cost used over $50,000. The primary participant is a manager of what must be a huge sporting goods store, auto parts and home improvement store rolled into one. From this he is able to "secure" over 600 military grade weapons and ammunition to support an infantry company in extended combat engagement. There are also several class III weapons to be secured. Etc. I would like to read of the family that is retired with few weapons, limited ammo and less than 100 pounds of gold. Perhaps 4 oz or less. In other words make it more realistic for the average American, not the economically elite.

Really, really bad

If you've ever had to endure a church or school play written by one of the locals, then you'll understand the writing quality of this author.

It's just really bad. Well over 80% of the book is meaningless filler dialogue as the author struggles to make a very sketchy idea for a book into something he could sell as full length. Awkward, stilted and mind numbing.

Add to the poor writing skills, the protagonist just happens to have a healthy six figure income as the manager/FFL for a large sporting goods store. So of course when this book hits the fan he just liberates a boat load of guns, ammo etc.

The positive reviews can only be from relatives of the author or maybe his confederates from his favorite pepper forum, but they are not to be taken seriously. This is the worst book on audible I've come across in years.

Likewise for the narrator. Very poor performance. I looked up his other titles and was surprised that there were any at all. What other titles had narrated before though you can tell are other low quality / self-published stuff so apparently he's the lowest bidder available.

violence towards others

these characters attitudes towards others in their group and family for that matter and their willingness to kill and torture in some very gruesome ways that no one with any humanity in them would ever do, this is part of the book that I am disappointed in, also their language is terrible where one minute they're cursing in Our Lords name then saying grace before a meal the author really missed it on this point. I for one would never be in a prepper group like this, I'd rather take my chances being alone.

Worst editing I have ever listened to!

The story of the book is really good and I really like the characters. However the editing is probably the worst I have ever listened to. The narrator will read a line then there is a quick pause and he will repeat the same line over but in a different tone or sometime he wis say something wrong and then you will have a pause and the correction. I’m on the second book now and it’s even worse. The only reason I’m continuing on is because I like the story and characters so much. Only thing I don’t like about the story is it feels like it’s the perfect world for the characters in there situation.

I think I will read the remaining books myself

overall a good read and a good audio story.

story line was good, sort of a perfect situation.
this audible copy repeated a sentence then would continue on as if nothing had happened. never have had this problem before. probably a corrupted download.
Narration was excellent I look forward to book two and will purchase both Kindle and Audible releases when they become available.
I support our good independent writers by purchasing their work even if I read it first on Amazon Prime.

Unrealistically Entertaining

While this book is not very realistic, it IS very entertaining. The author gets you really into the story and characters. BUT I'm pretty sure the owner of an outdoor retail chain wouldn't tell his regional manager to personally "secure" thousands of guns, tons of ammunition, plus a trailer and a couple of UTV's at his home. I will be purchasing the next in the series when it is available, however, simply for the entertainment factor.

The narration is pretty good, however, the editor of the production really dropped the ball. There are too many incidences of repeated words or phrases (not purposefully), it doesn't take away from the book just gets a little annoying. So if you're looking for an entertaining, societal collapse genre novel, I'd say give it a shot!

Good listen

This is the first book from this author I have listened to, and I will be looking for more. Liked that it didn't have a lot of religion in it as most of the eotwawki genre books that are out there do. Has Guns, real life language is used, real life actions, and humor. Good book other than the narrator repeating a few lines. Recommend it to anyone into the genre.

Love the story

Love the story wish it just didn't stop like it did. Agree with the Gov idea. Live in DC 10 years. Worked all over in ICU/ER saw stuff I still can not believe.

Hooked!

I was hooked from the first page, and was on the edge of my seat, I loved the plot twists and the characters and can't wait to start book 2.

Just try it.

I enjoyed this book more than any other prepper novel so far.
Although it is basically 'scene setting', the prose style and well crafted characterisation bodes well for the rest of the series.

passable<br />ok story

story was ok but 299 days coverd it in a more real collapse senario the main charecter seems to have amassed an unbelievable amont of gold cash and possesions and that took me back to the real world very early in its telling