Review by vchandler6880 -- Conflict on the Yangtze

[vchandler6880]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Conflict on the Yangtze" by Greg Kater.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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WWII? What's WWII? A Review of Conflict on the Yangtze by Greg Kater

Conflict on the Yangtze is a truly interesting book simply because it touches on a topic that has not been addressed that often. Interestingly enough, in many parts of the world, even after the conclusion of World War II, there were still conflicts occurring in some way, shape or form. Such is the case with Conflict on the Yangtze, which touches on the mayhem brought on by the drug trade of various cartels in the deepest parts of China. The book is part of a series, and it has the characters Jamie Munro and Jack O'Brian working for the Commonwealth Investigative Office out of Darwin, Australia. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars, and here are some of my main reasons:

Strong character development

Even though most of the main characters are involved in some highly dangerous work, they manage to keep their compassion and their sense of humor, albeit at times a grim one. The story opens up in June 1946 with Daniel Stafford and Lee Drake approaching the Yangtze River in an effort to begin confronting the illegal opium trade in China. They are attempting to stop the drugs from being smuggled from China into the Philippines and then into the United States. Drake and Stafford reached a clearing, and suddenly they were ambushed. Drake and Stafford separated and retreated, but Drake briefly looked back. "Don't wait for me!" Stafford yelled. "Get away, for God's sake!" Stafford would end up perishing and Lee Drake would be the only witness. However, both of them showed great courage in the midst of fighting against this cartel, and it set the tone for the rest of the book.

There are also several lighthearted examples where the men simply enjoy the camaraderie of each other and share a beer. These mercenaries are brave, but not depressed. This makes Kater's work much more realistic than an amateur war novel.

They give the Yangtze River conflict it's own challenges and merits.

By this, I mean that they don't spend an inordinate amount of time discussing other conflicts. For example, they only briefly allude to the fact that World War II has just ended. As the reader envelopes themselves in the text, they quickly realize that the Yangtze River conflict may have not been a full-scale war, but it has many extreme challenges in its own right. Additionally, this book not only presents a solid story, but it is exceptionally well-edited, has only minor swear words (the first one was "bloody h*ll" and it occurred on page 2), and no erotic scenes whatsoever. It is a very enjoyable read and I am even considering perusing the rest of the series!

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Conflict on the Yangtze
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[Dragonsend]

Interesting format for your review! This book sounds outstanding. The author seems to have written solid dialogue for these friendships..