The Profession

Welcome to the world of 2032--in which global warfare, dirty politics, and tyranny prevail. In this scary but all-too-believable military thriller, mercenary armies are competing with national forces. Toby Moore creates outstanding character differentiation with little voicing. The complex melange of players makes this differentiation all the more important since there are innumerable rabbit holes of intense complex action into which the narrative dives periodically. Moore's pacing matches the minute-to-minute excitement. While some pronunciation problems with Arabic terms occur, they're minor errors in an otherwise flawless rendering. Clancy lovers will revel in this great military techno-thriller. M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

April 25, 2011
Set in 2032, Pressfield's entertaining, thought-provoking thriller looks at an America past its apogee of moral power as it continues to face opponents whose barbarism threatens to make civilized conduct impossible. Old soldier James Salter, a Marine general fired because he dared to stand up for the people of a failed African state against the wishes of U.S. diplomats, refuses to fade away. Instead, Salter becomes the field commander of Force Insertion, a mercenary outfit that makes Blackwater look like mall rent-a-cops. Based in the Middle East, Salter wields the world's ninth largest (and perhaps best trained) army and the fifth largest economy. The old power structure maneuvers to neutralize Salter, but the American peopleâand his own troopsâ"think it's about time we had an American commander who wasn't afraid to kick the world in the ass." Evoking Roman history, in particular the friction between republic and empire, Pressfield (Gates of Fire) draws uncomfortable conclusions about the United States' current plight.