Synopses & Reviews
A remarkable military thriller from one of the most acclaimed new suspense writers in yearsa triumph of the fiction of contemporary warfare” (Alan Cheuse, The Dallas Morning News).
Khatar. It's a Somali word for 'dangerous,' and it's one that Colonel Michael Parson has heard too often on his present mission. His friend Sophia Gold has talked him into using his leave from the Air Force to fly relief supplies into Somalia in an antique DC-3 cargo plane.
Somalia is infested with armed clans, pirates, poverty, and, increasingly, terrorism. Parson and Gold are about to face all of them firsthand. An al-Shabaab leader called The Sheikh has declared all aid a sin against God, and he launches attacks against planes and convoys to stop it. If that weren't bad enough, a Hollywood actress and activist has flown into Somalia to make a documentary, and, as far as Parson is concerned, she might as well paint targets on their backs. The mission becomes even more complicated when they encounter a wounded teenage al-Shabaab fighter, who might be seeking asylum--or a chance to kill.
Not even Parson knows just how khatar his mission of mercy will become.
Review
"One of the most exciting new thriller talents in years!"
-Vince Flynn
"Gripping and impressively authentic."
-Frederick Forsyth
"Explosive! A gutsy, gritty thriller told only as one who's been there and done that could write it. You will long remember this terrifying, timely tale-and its terrific new writer."
-W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
"Courage and honor in the face of the enemy have not been so brilliantly portrayed since the great novels of the Second World War. I would recommend Thomas Young's magnificent novel to anybody."
-Jack Higgins
"The Mullah's Storm tears along with the terror and immediacy of a nightmare. Thomas Young takes us on the trip every soldier dreads: alone, injured, and being chased through enemy territory. I couldn't put it down."
-Nathaniel Fick, CEO, Center for a New American Security, and author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
"The Mullah's Storm is a riveting, gale-force tale, impossible to put down. Thomas Young air-drops the reader into the Hindu Kush, surrounded by razor-sharp ridges and miles of unbroken silence, always blurring the line between hunter or hunted. Combining a sniper's precision with a poet's economy of language, Young's debut makes you grateful to be reading safely indoors, but just a little nervous about who might be watching you."
-Craig Mullaney, Department of Defense, Principal Director for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia, and author of The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education
"The Mullah's Storm digs in its hooks from the first chapter and never lets go. There are writers, and there are fighters - readers are lucky that Thomas Young is both."
-Alex Berenson, Author of The Faithful Spy and The Midnight House
"Thomas W. Young is an airman, and a natural-born novelist. If you want to know and to feel what it's like to serve in Afghanistan, this novel is for you. If you are a fan of Patrick O'Brian or C. S. Forester, this novel is for you."
-John Casey, National Book Award-winning author of Spartina
"Thomas Young has written an exciting, creative, and heart-pounding story set in the complex war zone of Afghanistan that he knows well. The polished style and surprising plot turns rivet you to each page. This is a great read for anyone who loves a great survival story superbly told."
-General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.) Former Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command
"I found The Mullah's Storm captivating. Like Tom Clancy, Young has an eye for detail about military equipment, operations, and thinking that will ring true with any veteran-something that is not often achieved by other authors-and his portrayal of Afghanistan is not only accurate but most relevant to current events and worth the read alone. Most of all, the story's suspense holds the reader in its grip. The extreme chase from hope to despair and back makes it impossible to put down."
-General Chuck Horner, USAF (Ret.)Former Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces
"At last, an Air Force action hero! A C-130 navigator struggles to survive in winter in the Hindu Kush. The plot and the action move with the speed and power of a B-1 bomber."
-Bing West, Author of No True Glory and The Strongest Tribe
"Thomas W. Young writes with the authority of a man who has lived to tell the tale, and he tells it at breakneck pace. He has written a page-turner that might've been torn from today's headlines. The prose crackles with grit and gunfire. The Mullah's Storm is an engrossing, enlightening, and extremely entertaining debut."
-Doug Stanton, Author of Horse Soldiers and In Harm's Way
"The Mullah's Storm is the most realistic and compelling novel that I have ever read. It is suspenseful and electrifying from beginning to end, and as close to reality as it could possibly be. The knowledge, experience, and insights of the author and his ability in writing this book is amazing. It is a 'must read' - and once you start, you will not want to put it down. The Mullah's Storm will surely be a best seller."
-General Carl Stiner, U.S. Army (Ret.) Former Commander in Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command
Review
Praise for The Renegades “Well-drawn characters, natural dialogue, and a story that’s both timely and frighteningly plausible. Young is still an up-and-comer, but it shouldn’t be long before he’s one of the guys other up-and-comers are compared to.” —Booklist
Review
Praise for The Warriors
“[Young] is an assured stylist with a gift for subtle characterizations and tightly controlled action scenes. The novel has moral depth as well . . . An expertly rendered tale of lingering hostilities rooted in the former Yugoslavia.”—Kirkus
Praise for The Renegades
“Well-drawn characters, natural dialogue, and a story thats both timely and frighteningly plausible. Young is still an up-and-comer, but it shouldnt be long before hes one of the guys other up-and-comers are compared to.” —Booklist
Review
“One of the most exciting new thriller talents in years!”
Review
“There are writers, and there are fighters—readers are lucky that Tom Young is both.”
Review
“Fans of Clancy, Coonts, and Dale Brown need to add Young to their must reads lists.”
Review
“Young is an excellent storyteller, creating memorable characters with Hemingway-like understatement and precision.”
Review
“An expertly rendered tale of lingering hostilities rooted in the former Yugoslavia.” —
Kirkus Reviews
“There are writers, and there are fighters—readers are lucky that…Young is both.” —Alex Berenson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Night Ranger
“A terrific addition to what has become an exemplary series...Young handles all the military thriller logistics like a seasoned pro...but its his superior writing that elevates this book above most of the others in this crowded subgenre.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
Praise for Sand and Fire
“Easily the authors best novel to date. Military thriller fans should make Youngs work an essential addition to their reading lists.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Gripping . . . This page-turner offers thrilling action sequences and harrowing plot twists in abundance.”—Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A transport plane carrying an important Taliban detainee for interrogation is shot down in a blizzard over Afghanistan. For two people-navigator Michael Parson and a woman Army interpreter, Sergeant Gold-a battle for survival begins across some of the most forbidding terrain on earth against not only the hazards of nature but the treacheries of man: the Taliban stalking them; the villagers, whose loyalty is unknown; and a prisoner who would very much like the three of them to be caught. All Parson and Gold have is each other, to stay alive.
It is a novel of relentless pace and constant surprise-and the beginning of a brilliant career.
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Synopsis
A catastrophic earthquake ravages Afghanistan, and American troops rush to deliver aid, among them Afghan Air Force adviser Lieutenant Colonel Michael Parson, and his interpreter, Sergeant Major Sophia Gold. The devastation facing them is like nothing theyandrsquo;ve ever seen, howeverandmdash;and itandrsquo;s about to get worse.
A Taliban splinter group, Black Crescent, is conducting its own campaignandmdash;shooting medical workers, downing helicopters, slaughtering anyone who dares to accept aid. With the U.S. drawing down and coalition forces spread thin, it is up to Parson, Gold, and Parsonandrsquo;s Afghan aircrews to try to figure out how to strike back. But theyandrsquo;re short of supplies, men, experience, and informationandmdash;and meanwhile the terrorists seem to be nowhere . . . and everywhere.
Synopsis
The remarkable new suspense novel from the man “who has been there and done that” (W. E. B. Griffin)—“Fans of Clancy and Coonts need to add Young to their must-read lists” (Booklist). Lieutenant Colonel Michael Parson has seen plenty of action lately, so he’s happy with his new assignment as safety officer at a Kyrgyzstan air base. It’s a pretty laidback way to spend the next year.
Or so he thought. On his second day, a C-27 crashes on the runway with a load of electronic gear—and opium. Recruiting his battle companion Sergeant Major Sophia Gold as interpreter, he investigates not only the crash but the source of the cargo, and the answers they find will lead them into a conflict as lethal as any they have known.
A new Balkan war is brewing, driven by a man of ruthless ambition. Parson himself flew during the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, so he’s known their horror firsthand. But neither he nor Gold has seen anything like what’s about to happen now.
Synopsis
From the author of The Hunters and Sand and Fire..."Fans of Clancy, Coonts, and Dale Brown need to add Young to their must-read lists." (Booklist) A transport plane carrying a high-ranking Taliban prisoner is shot down in a blizzard over Afghanistan's mountainous Hindu Kush. The storm makes rescue impossible, and for two people-navigator Michael Parson and a female Army interpreter, Sergeant Gold-a battle for survival begins against not only the hazards of nature, but the treacheries of man: the Taliban stalking them, the villagers whose loyalties are unknown, and a prisoner who would very much like the three of them to be caught.
"One of the most exciting new thriller talents in years."--Vince Flynn
Synopsis
A novel of courage and terror from the author of Sand and Fire and The Warriors...
Estimated time of arrival: Never...
When a terrorist bombing strikes a police training center in Kabul, Afghanistan, many are killed. The wounded, including Sergeant Major Sophia Gold, are loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy bound for Germany. But after takeoff, aircraft commander Michael Parson receives a message: the jihadists have placed bombs on planes leaving Afghanistanand his is one of them. They are trapped in the air. And if they descend, they will die.As the aircraft deteriorates and the patients grow worse, Parson, Gold, and the crew are pushed to the breaking pointand their biggest challenge has yet to show itself.
For the enemy is already closer than any of them can dare to imagine
"Fans of Clancy, Coonts, and Dale Brown need to add Young to their must-read lists." (Booklist)
Synopsis
A novel of modern warfare from the author of Sand and Fire and The Hunters..."one of the most exciting new thriller talents in years" (Vince Flynn). Lieutenant Colonel Michael Parsons newest assignment is a welcome change of pace. Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan is a major stopover for planes in and out of Afghanistan, but his new job as safety officer is a pretty laid-back way to spend the next year. Or so he thought.
A C-27 crashes on the runway, its fuselage packed with electronic gearand raw opium. Recruiting Sergeant Major Sophia Gold as interpreter, Parson must investigate not only what caused the crash, but who supplied its cargo. And the answers they find lead to a nightmarish revelation.
A new Balkan war is brewing, driven by a man of ruthless ambition. Parson himself flew during the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, so he knows their horrors firsthand. But neither he nor Gold has seen anything like whats about to happen now.
About the Author
Tom Young has logged more than 4,500 hours as a flight engineer for the Air National Guard in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and elsewhere, including Latin America, the Horn of Africa, and the Far East. His military honors include three Air Medals, three Aerial Achievement Medals, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal. Young served with the Air National Guard for more than twenty years and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant. He is also the author of The Renegades.