Stephen Hunter's Dead Zero

[Snake45]

(Looked twice and couldn't find any other threads on this. If I missed something, sorry, please redirect me.)

Anyone else read Dead Zero yet? Finished it last night. First-rate, RIPPING good yarn, right up there with Point of Impact and Time to Hunt.  I liked Hunter's new narrative style, too--thought it was faster and easier to read. And I liked the fact he didn't put poor old Bob Lee through any impossible heroics or ordeals, torture, or anything of that kind this time.

Only one teeny-tiny little technical error: Sixth Air Force never flew over Europe in WWII, they guarded the Panama Canal and searched the Carribbean for nazi U-boats.

Great story, well told. First-rate. Very Most Extremely Way Excellent (Snake's highest rating).

[MikeBjerum]

I picked it up a couple weeks ago, and it is on the "too read" pile with several others and a couple other of Hunter's.  As I sort through my Hunter shelf, does anyone know (stupid question with Bane reading this) the order these books were written?  Of those I've read there are times I realized I am out of order, and it gets cleared up a story later.

[tombogan03884]

  This is the order they were published in, not the chronological sequence.

  * 1980: Master Sniper
    * 1982: Second Saladin
    * 1985: Target
    * 1985: The Spanish Gambit
    * 1989: Day Before Midnight
    * 1993: Point of Impact
    * 1994: Dirty White Boys
    * 1996: Black Light
    * 1998: Time To Hunt
    * 2000: Hot Springs
    * 2001: Pale Horse Coming
    * 2003: Havana
    * 2005: American Gunfight
    * 2007: The 47th Samurai
    * 2008: Night Of Thunder
                I Sniper
                Dead Zero

[DonWorsham]

Just finished it a couple of minutes ago. Started on it late this afternoon.

Great story telling. Will make a great movie.

Stephen Hunter hits a home run!

[Snake45]

Let's see if I can put them in chronological order of the Swagger(s) saga. I didn't read them in order so I might have some errors here. Feel free to correct me.

Master Sniper (only peripherally related to the Swagger tales)
47th Samurai (back story only)
Hot Springs
Havana
Pale Horse Coming
Dirty White Boys
Black Light (half the story)
Point of Impact
Time To Hunt
Black Light (other half of the story)
The 47th Samurai (main story)
Night Of Thunder
I Sniper
Dead Zero

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Let's see if I can put them in chronological order of the Swagger(s) saga. I didn't read them in order so I might have some errors here. Feel free to correct me.

Master Sniper (only peripherally related to the Swagger tales)
47th Samurai (back story only)
Hot Springs
Havana
Pale Horse Coming
Black Light (half the story)
Point of Impact
Time To Hunt
Dirty White Boys
Black Light (other half of the story)
The 47th Samurai (main story)
Night Of Thunder
I Sniper
Dead Zero

That is the only change I would make to Snakes list. "Dirty White boys" is not a Swagger novel but that and "Hot Springs" supply the background for "Black light".
The other books not included in Snakes list are not Swagger novels though a couple of characters from "Master Sniper" and "Spanish gambit" appear in later books.

[Snake45]

I think you're right, Tom. I was thinking DWB was an Earl Swagger book (I only read it once, some time ago), but I guess it was just back story to the Earl part of Black Light.

I think that characters from Spanish Gambit and Day Before Midnight appear in very minor roles in some Swagger book or other, but they're not really important in any way to the main Swagger canon, so I didn't put them on the list. 

[tombogan03884]

Spanish Gambit introduced the Russian from "Havana" who dies toward the end of one of the most recent books,  ("I Sniper" IIRC )
Master Sniper introduces the CIA guy who is the station chief in "Havana".

[MikeBjerum]

Just finished it a couple of minutes ago. Started on it late this afternoon.

Great story telling. Will make a great movie.

Stephen Hunter hits a home run!

Damn Sam!!!  Late this afternoon to mid evening - Where did you take your sped reddin course?

[Snake45]

Spanish Gambit introduced the Russian from "Havana" who dies toward the end of one of the most recent books,  ("I Sniper" IIRC )
Master Sniper introduces the CIA guy who is the station chief in "Havana".

I do believe you are correct.

I could have sworn there was one familiar name in Day Before Midnight, but I can't recall right now who it was.