Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
BOOK REVIEW by Ric Prado
As an avid reader and now a New York Times Bestselling author of Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior, I have learned to truly enjoy historical fiction. These are most often stories based on real life experiences, composed to both instruct and entertain. In many cases, these stories are altered just enough to meet the requirement many of us face of clearing our literary works through our professional overlords for the “protecting sources and methods.” In my case, CIA. In Tom Marshall’s case, DoD … and many of his other experiences with USG “3-letter agencies.”
As much as I enjoy historical documents, they often delve into academic minutiae meant more to obtain three college credits than for educating while entertaining. This is why I find Close and Destroy such an enjoyable education of complex topics few ever analyze, much less understand. Most importantly, what is the source of the author’s story? What gives him or her the insight to compose a novel? When they add feeling, atmospherics and facts that blend to transport the reader into the story, their goal is accomplished.
Photo courtesy, Ric Prado.
Great writing can be identified in several categories. For example, we have novelists who craft romance or Western novels. Then there are novels written by great researchers such as Tom Clancy. But novels written by authors who witnessed firsthand the historical facts, the story within the story, are the ones that I’m most inspired by.
It is in the latter category that Tom Marshall excels. Tom is a warrior. He’s a combat veteran and one of the most respected gun gurus in the country. His service in the Merchant Marine, U.S. Army, and as a contractor in the intelligence community all provide depth and grit to his storytelling skills. And while this work is fiction, I know this story is derived from his and his teammates’ experience serving overseas.
Through his prolific work at RECOIL Magazine, Tom has also rubbed elbows with the likes of Special Forces legend Sergeant Major Billy Waugh, Air Force Pararescue icon Chief Master Sergeant Wayne Fisk, and many others. These are all reality-based sources of special missions from diverse services in historical battle zones. Tom’s sources are not found in libraries, they are acquired by direct contact with heroic figures whose trust Tom has earned, both by his own service and by documenting the stories of our heroes, lest we forget.
Another strong suit of Tom is his intellect and grasp of history. In Close and Destroy, Tom delivers a thrilling read that sensitizes the reader to geopolitical complications that permeate war. From radical religious zealots, many sponsored by state governments, to international powers such as the Chinese, Iranians and the Russians who utilize “militias” to carry out their wars with “plausible deniability,” there are people and factions that demand our understanding. My hope is that Tom’s inaugural novel helps shine a light on such complicated interactions.
Close and Destroy is available for pre-order, here.
Ric Prado is a bestselling author, and a member of the Soldier of Fortune Advisory Committee. Learn more about Ric Prado on his website, and by reading Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior.
