Stephen Hunter
I feel awkward pushing myself on Freerepublic, but I have a military sci-fi book out. My pen name is Wilson Harp and the name of the book is “Bright Horizons”. It’s available on amazon and you can download a sample.
I had difficulty putting down “Foreign Enemies and Traitors” by Matthew Bracken. What an exciting read!
Helen MacInnes’s mysteries & spy thrillers. Alistair MacLean (you’ve seen a few of the movies—Guns of Navarrone, Ice Station Zebra, but so many of the books are better. John D. MacDonald. Dashiel Hammet. For a similar Vince Flynn-level, Harlan Corben (a liberal friend of Chris Christie). Martin Cruz Smith (Gorky’s a better book than a movie). Colin Dexter, Elizabeth George. And with very few exceptions, Allen Drury wrote a string of political thrillers—starting with Advise & Consent and improving book by book until Throne of Saturn. Missing many, but these should be a good start..
The Color Of Lightning, excellent, about Indian raids in Texas civil-war era, also Stormy Weather, same area, Depression times, oil booms.
Frederick Forsyth:
The Avenger
The Afghan
The Cobra
The Veteran (collection so short stories plus the title novella)
I saw a couple of mentions of Nelson DeMille, but I think you should be forewarned that DeMille has become a vitriolic leftist bigot in his old age, so his newer novels are filled full of hate spewing towards anything to the right of Fidel Castro.
But I enjoyed The Gold Coast, Plum Island and The Lion’s Game. Just stay away from the newer stuff.
Try one of our Freeper’s books. Freeper Travis McGee has written a couple of spy/thriller books full of patriotism and conservative viewpoints.
One I forgot was Oliver North. He wrote 3 novels, they are a little old, but very good.
Try some of the classics: Dashiell Hammett especially”The Glass Key”. Ross McDonald, Raymond Chandler, Rex Stout to name a few.
Any of those authors will give you a good read.
Lots of good suggestions here. I really enjoyed Newt’s Pearl Harbor series - think it was only 2 books. He also wrote books on the Revolutionary War but I have not read them yet.
If you have any taste for the historical, Bruce Alexander wrote a highly enjoyable series of mysteries revolving around Sir John Fielding, 18th century founder of the British constabulary. I can also recommend Lindsey Davis’s Falco mysteries, set in ancient Rome.
If you want to stick to thrillers, you can’t do better than Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match, a trilogy of spy novels by the great Len Deighton.
If you’re willing to give a try to military SF, try David Weber, John Ringo or Jerry Pournelle. Particularly Pournelle’s Lucifer’s Hammer, Footfall or The Mote in God’s Eye.
The Doc Ford novels by Randy Wayne White. I’ve read just a few and am still not sure whether the author is liberal or conservative.
Bookmark for later...am in the middle of Mitch Rapp dealing with all the intricate backstabbing in Vince Flynn’s “Kill Shot”...
If you are into large military techno-thrillers, like 6-8 year World War III varieties...then may I shamelessly recommend my:
Dragon’s Fury: World War against America and the West
http://www.jeffhead.com/dragonsfury/online-ad.htm
George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman novels - satisfaction guaranteed.
If you’re looking for popular paperback authors for entertainment reading, I’d second Dean Koontz. His books are hard to quantify, sort of psychological thriller, murder mystery, horror and sci-fi all rolled into one with an undeniable spiritual angle and an innate hostility to bureacrats and socialist schemes. Some titles are tamer than others, some are pretty wild. A few will haunt your dreams if you read yourself to sleep with them. He’s a huge dog lover, too, a big plus in my book.
Umberto Eco, “The Name of the Rose.”
Arturo Perez-Reverte, “The Seville Communion.”
Kurban Said, “Ali and Nino.”
And on the funny side, anything by Carl Hiaasen (sp?) You’ll laugh your head off. He wrote “Striptease.”
I can’t believe no one has mentioned P.T. Deutermann. His books are all great. Try, “Hunting Season,” “The Firefly,” “Cat Dancing,” “Spider Mountain” and “Pacific Glory.” I have read all those at least twice. He has many other great books out there too.
bfl