Three tales of the daring ParaJumpers or PJs from the
American Airforce are bundled in this book called
PARARESCUE CORPS. While the tales sometimes start over the
mountains of Afghanistan, the locations change.
Denali Storm is the first tale; Denali is the high Alaskan
mountain which poses a challenge for climbers, but storms
can roll in swiftly and without warning. On this occasion
three sets of climbers are swamped by a sudden powerful
snowstorm with fierce winds, and the PJs are helicoptered
to 13,000 feet. Beyond that point, there isn't enough
oxygen for the choppers to fly. Now the men are on foot,
with heavy packs of essential gear and their medical and
survival training.
Nile Chaos ensues when a dam on the Nile breaches due to
severe flooding and civilians are caught between two bands
of rival warlords. The PJs are sent to do what they can to
aid the terrified locals. As combat medics, they aid the
United Nations relief forces. While in the first book, all
the team had to worry about was the terrain and weather, on
this occasion they also get fired at by an RPG and swim
through crocodiles.
Viper Strike is set in South America. The Viper is Miguel
Ramos, a man in oil-rich Venezuela who leads a band against
corruption; this makes him an outlaw. His somewhat confused
plan is to shoot down the American Ambassador's plane and
take any survivors hostage. As the local government is
dealing with riots, the medics need to parachute in and
travel through the jungle to the crash site. We learn about
the Amazon rainforest, and the tepuis or clifftops in the
Guinea Highlands of Venezuela.
Our heroes are Airmen Smith and Bashir, Sergeants Mako,
Garcia and George, Lieutenant Jenkins. This is not a story
in which the characters learn and grow; they come in with
all the skills and courage they need to defeat the odds,
but sometimes get injured, captured, split from friends.
They know they need to keep trying, keep adapting to
circumstances. Sometimes they need to fire on bad guys but
mainly they try not to take sides, just help the injured.
Women barely get a mention and with the simplistic writing
style, I expect the books are intended for young adult
boys. I have to say by page 40 I was already tired of guys
saying "Hooyah!" and I would have liked to know some of
their backgrounds. But I did learn a lot and I enjoyed all
the vividly described survival situations.
Michael P Spradlin, who has written for young people and
adults, created three exciting tales in PARARESCUE CORPS.
The marketing promises augmented reality phone app
enhancements, such as a video interview with the author.
Sounds like an irresistible Christmas present.
Pararescue Corps features the engaging and action-based
stories perfect for high-interest readers who love military
action stories. Each title includes a specialized glossary,
writing prompts, discussion questions, and nonfiction
information on pararescuemen and the United States Air Force.
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