Masters of War

Danny Black Thriller 1

By: Chris Ryan

Narrated by: Jamie Parker

In Paris, an elderly man is assassinated as he takes his morning walk. In the war-torn cities of Syria, government forces wage a bloody war against their own people. The Russians are propping up the government, the French are backing one rebel fraction and the British are backing another. And in north Africa, young SAS trooper Danny Black is coming to the end of a gruelling tour of duty, or so he thinks. Danny has a new mission. An MI6 agent needs to make contact with Syrian rebel forces, and also with the private military contractors who are - unofficially - training this rebel faction as it struggles to bring down their government and establish a new regime that will be favourable to British business interests. As they travel deep into rebel heartland, Danny will learn who the masters of war, the men who call the shots, really are. As Danny finds himself sucked into the murky orbit of the private military, he discovers a world where death is dispensed by the highest bidder and individuals will betray anybody if the price is right. And where a secret lurks that will change the course of Danny's own life, however long that might last...

(P)2013 Hodder & Stoughton©2013 Chris Ryan

Critic reviews

This Newcastle-born former SAS sergeant is firmly established as one of our most popular action authors.

Chris Ryan is as hard as nails.

Relentless pace and gritty brutal realism... accurate descriptions of modern warfare... this is a book that could only have been there by someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

Praise for Chris Ryan

'This Newcastle-born former SAS sergeant is firmly established as one of our most popular action authors. It is not difficult to see why in this bleak story centred on SAS man Joe Mansfield, who happens to be in the compound in Pakistan when the Americans descend from their Black Hawks and kill Osama bin Laden... This is a far darker, more complex tale than Ryan's more familiar tales of derring-do, for Mansfield is plunged into a world of treachery. The pace never flags for a moment, and Ryan's insider knowledge is to the fore, but even the SAS's skills are no longer quite enough. New, less honourable talents are required. Bravery is not the only solution.'

Praise for Chris Ryan:

Nobody takes you to the action better than Ryan, because he's the real deal, and this muscle-and-bone thriller will have fans' blood pumping

'The books are masterpieces of social realism. [Chris Ryan] has lived the virtual life he writes about - and that makes him the right kind of war novelist for this generation. These storylines are dependent on a bustle of verbs that lead in every instance to blood and explosions, desperate screams and increasing levels of difficulty: it is never long before we find things and people being zapped, fried, crunched, toasted and skewered, as the bad deeds of the world are comprehensively avenged'

'Relentless pace and gritty brutal realism... accurate descriptions of modern warfare... this is a book that could only have been there by someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt.'

'Chris Ryan has always been underrated as a novelist of ideas... a welter of treachery and mayhem.'

'A shockingly authentic tale to keep your adrenaline pumping as fast as the blood on the pages.'

'Bone-crunching action races to a denouement that Frederick Forsyth would be proud of. Ryan's Boy's Own bravado is tempered with sharp political insight and a neat line in treachery.'

exelent

werry nitty gritty. definitely not for the faint of heart. subtle but very effective sound effects and definitely worth listening to

Chris Ryan's new hero

What made the experience of listening to Masters of War the most enjoyable?

a good performance by Jamie Parker

Would you be willing to try another book from Chris Ryan? Why or why not?

definitely love Chris Ryan as an author. Hope the next 2 books I just bought are as good as this one.

What about Jamie Parker’s performance did you like?

Great voice characterizations and accents.

Wow! I can't get enough of these books!

These are things WE THE PEOPLE need to hear. Everything about what happens when WARS happen. Thank you for not holding back - whether written as a novel or memoir- the events of war, and what has been told here - do happen, and ARE happening. May we work harder to keep our fellow citizens and countrymen and women away from things like this. And hopefully aide workers, etc, will do their research before going abroad. Whatever country you reside in has just as much need for those same services!

Struggled to get through it

I’m normally a fan of Ryan’s other media and work as a technical advisor. He has proven himself as a member of the SAS so I thought I’d give his book a try as I am a huge fan of authors such as Clancy, Thor, Flynn, and Taylor. This book, however, was gruesome for the sake of being gruesome.

Plot was intriguing but none of the characters were likeable. While I expected some gritty action etc, there are graphic instances of torture, rape, and murder of women and children that I felt were not necessary for the plot. Again I am all for realistic violence and the portrayal of the morale “grey” area, but only if it is good for plot development.

It wasn’t a horrible book, I felt it just tries too hard.