Empire Rising
A Novel
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4.4 • 176 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
After a long, secret military buildup, China launches a swift and deadly attack on Taiwan. But that's only their first move in a much deadlier game.
In Rick Campbell's thrilling Empire Rising, Xiang Chenglei, Chinese president and party secretary, has both a problem and a plan. The problem is that China's limited supply of oil is threatening to derail its economic growth and prosperity. Having failed to win access to a greater supply diplomatically, he sets his backup plan in motion. And what is war, but diplomacy by other means?
The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the major military force in the area, and when Taiwan is invaded, the fleet is sent in to repel the invading Chinese forces. The U.S. military expects it to be an easy operation, but after a decades-long, top-secret buildup, China has military capabilities far greater than the United States is aware of. With hidden batteries of long range missiles, advanced cyber warfare capabilities, and a submarine fleet wielding a secret weapon, China is able to overwhelm the American fleet. In fact, China all but wipes out the U.S. Pacific Fleet—leaving them free to turn to their real objective—invasion and expansion across Asia, starting with the four main islands of Japan.
While the Atlantic Fleet surges westward to defend its allies and respond to the destruction of their counterparts, it falls to an unlikely alliance of three people to stop this incursion and prevent an all-but-inevitable global war. National Security Advisor Christine O'Connor has critical information, but she's trapped in Beijing; Captain Murray Wilson, commanding officer of the submarine USS Michigan must somehow infiltrate the Chinese submarine blockade; and Navy SEAL Jake Harrison must lead a strike team into the most hostile of territories with only hours to implement the most daring plan ever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Campbell follows his promising debut, 2014's The Trident Deception, with another riveting military action thriller. Christine O'Conner, the president's national security adviser, fears the consequences of signing the Mutual Access to Environmental Resources Accord, which assures the U.S. and Pacific Rim nations access to dwindling oil reserves and cuts off China from present and future production. A well-prepared China responds to the signing by declaring war and seizing Taiwan, the first in a series of attacks that will lead to serious losses for the American Pacific fleet. Meanwhile, the Chinese take O'Conner prisoner while she's visiting Beijing. After escaping, she plays a leading role in a dramatic SEAL raid, but the book's primary focus is on the course of the naval war between China and the U.S. Campbell ably juggles a large cast as he switches among the personnel of the missile submarine USS Michigan, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, and other American vessels. This is a must-read for fans of this subgenre.
Customer Reviews
Great novel, far from realistic
The story as a fiction novel is very good. Hard to put down and easy to read quickly. I took one star away because it seemed a little too absurd a little too much.
The author admittedly discusses just how much fiction is in the book and at times it’s really hard to bring the story into reality in terms of how everything happens just so conveniently. I had to remind myself it was a fiction novel a lot: mostly because so much is far fetched but also because at times the descriptions give very real feeling.
Overall, a great novel if you expect and remember its just that.
Rick Campbell Stories
These were an excellent series of books and I highly recommend them if you like military techno-thriller genre.
Fun read
A quick paced military adventure even if some of the situations are stretching the bounds of believability. Published in 2015, it’s almost prescient in the current relationship with China.