Once again, Rick Campbell presents a captivating tale involving a dangerous world filled with political intrigue and military con- flict. It also possesses sufficient real-world relevance to make
you feel the story could happen – but you hope it doesn’t! Blackmail begins after a brief but destructive war between the United States and China, during which each country lost a significant number of ships and other military assets. Both countries have taken a strategic pause to re- group and lick their wounds, and are working hard to sustain a tenuous truce. In this muted tension, a Russian Oscar II submarine launches a 24-missile salvo at a US aircraft carrier in an attempt to further cripple the United States and allow Russia to activate an audacious plan to re- build their “wall of security” they lost when the Soviet Union disinte- grated. The Russian efforts to recruit China and India into their scheme adds a dynamic political twist to the story. This story presents a compel- ling depiction of the devastating cost of war with a peer competitor – and the significant challenges those losses can create for follow on conflicts. This scenario will keep many in the Pentagon awake at night
Blackmail is a fast moving and enjoyable book. Previous Campbell readers will be happy to know that Christine O’Connor, the President’s indomitable National Security Advisor stays the course and rises to the challenges presented in a very pointed way. She is joined by many fa- miliar characters from Campbell’s previous books as the team attempts to thwart the Russian maneuvers. Exceptionally well written are the details of the sub-on-sub battles and the portrayal of SSGN operations with Navy SEALs.
Many authors of “submarine” books often fail to write accurately which can grate on knowledgeable readers with military experience. This is not a problem with Rick Campbell’s books. His detailed re- search, coupled with his many years at sea as a Submariner, ensures credible dialog between characters, accurate weapon capabilities, and authentic location descriptions.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is that, though the US sometimes takes a beating, our American spirit consistently shines through. Several times I wanted to cheer when the US President casts aside options for “politically correct” responses and drives home his points using American military might with devastating accuracy and au- dacity. Blackmail was a pleasure to read and is highly recommended.
RDML (Ret) Tom Kearney spent 25 years operating submarines, and served as the First CO of PCU VIRGINIA (SSN 774) as well as CO of USS ALEXANDRIA (SSN 757) where he spent a considerable amount of time under the Arctic Ice. He then spent 10 years in Navy Acquisition as the Undersea Weapons Program Manager, NAVSEA Vice Command- er, and as NAVSEA 06 (Director of Commonality, Special Warfare and Expeditionary Warfare). He is retired from the Navy but remains active as an independent consultant providing solutions for defense acquisition challenges.
