Tom Clancy’s Op-Center04: Acts of War

As with the other Op-Center books, Acts of War has an intriguing plot idea and plenty of highly descriptive text. From military hardware and software to character depictions, absolutely everything in this techno-thriller is explained in fine detail. The book jumps between those high-tech descriptions, military muscle scenes, the intrigue of espionage, and diplomatic interactions.

Setting the Stage with Kurdish Military Exploits

Acts of War focuses on the ideological and political volatility of the Middle East—something very real in these times. One of the major themes of the book is that the Kurds from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq want their independence and an individual territory declared as theirs. The story is based on the premise that Kurdish militants are uniting to achieve their objectives by creating a new nation after several decades of oppression. The downside to it is that it could cause a war stretching all the way from the Arabian Sea to Eastern Europe.

Op-Center on the Way to Save the Day

Paul Hood and the Op-Center not only have to stop this disaster from happening, but they also have to save Op-Center agents taken hostage by Kurdish terrorists. To add to the complications, the operatives were captured along with a Regional Op-Center (ROC), which is a mobile version of the crisis management facility, armed with the latest technology. The ROC is super powerful and can’t possibly be allowed to remain in the hands of the enemy, lest they use it for military action or to get their hands on classified information. If it can’t be retrieved, it will have to be destroyed, even if it means killing everyone in and around it.

An Avalanche of Action Ensues

The next set of events that unfold show an increasingly volatile political landscape. Turkey begins to mobilize forces south to the Syrian border as Syria gets ready to move its forces north and Iraq gets ready to invade Kuwait. Other nations, like Greece, ramp up their military force and start negotiations to establish alliances. There’s also an Israeli spy who is helping Paul Hood’s team with analysis and war tactics. Meanwhile, Hood is on his way to the president of Syria to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution. War is narrowly averted, but at a cost. Of course, this means more action with some plot twists thrown in.

The Verdict

While the series is great, this particular book was probably the least enjoyable to read. At times, it could be a bit tedious. Nevertheless, it was still a page-turner like every other Clancy book. And even if it’s not the best-written work, the way the series runs parallel to what’s happening in the world is remarkable. There’s also all the usual technobabble fun. If you’re into gadgets and tech and find political intrigue fascinating, you really can’t go wrong with a Clancy book. All of this and page-turning action makes Acts of War worth reading.