Would you be willing to pay as high a price as they will?

The Price of Power, by James W. Huston, forcefully reminds us that there's a price to be paid each time we exercise our power to make a decision. We're morally required to accept responsibility for our actions. For every decision we make, there's a consequence. The Price of Power is about the consequences of prior, and future, events.

Does Congress have the right to override a President's decision concerning a military matter? That was the premise of James W. Huston's first book, Balance of Power, a military / political action adventure. (Please see my review, thank you.) http://www.epinions.com/book-review-3B74-AC14C40-3A180D0E-prod4

As a TOPGUN and F-14 fighter pilot, James W. Huston knows the patriotism and love for their country most military folks have. He's been there, done that, and probably still has a T-shirt to prove it! And it shows in his writing. His characters come to life. You'll catch yourself talking to the characters, egging them on, warning them off, hoping they don't get hurt. And, of course, there are a few you'll want to smack upside their heads!

Once more, fanatics with fire power (a.k.a. terrorists) cold-bloodedly kill innocent Americans. Once more, Congress fights a President who's unwilling to do anything about it. And, once more, James W. Huston's come up with an unexpected approach to the terrorism problem in The Price of Power. Another answer is staring us in the face in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

James W. Huston has done it again his second time up to bat with The Price of Power. According to his publisher, William Morrow and Company, Inc., "In this rousing sequel to James W. Huston's sensational debut novel, Balance of Power, the action sweeps from the Oval Office to a Navy SEAL assault on a remote Indonesian island..."

What is the "Price of Power" that James W. Huston's characters will have to pay for the good, bad, and really bad decisions they made in Balance of Power? And what "price" will be paid for the action that unfolds in The Price of Power, his second, fast-paced military / political action adventure?

James W. Huston's contention is that the framers of the Constitution gave us the tools we need--we've just been too blind to see them. The really amazing thought is not that Huston came up with this plot concept, but that the many lawyers who go into politics seem to be ignorant of what our constitution says and what it means.

Ordinary citizens can not afford subscriptions to the legal books and databases that lawyers routinely use. Oh, sure, we can read the Constitution easily enough. After all, it's available in encyclopedias, books in the library, and even in most dictionaries. Unfortunately, we don't know what provisions have been superseded by later laws, etc., but politicians and lawyers ought to know. Why don't they?

Why has it taken someone like James W. Huston to tell the American people that they don't have to simply mourn their dead after a terrorist attack--to tell us that our country could fight back?

According to Contemporary Authors, volume 172, James W. Huston was admitted to the California Bar in 1984, joined a law firm in San Diego, and became one of the partners in 1990. Can you believe he'd jeopardize his legal career and make a fool of himself by using "bad law" as the basis of Balance of Power and The Price of Power? I can't.

And now, he's carving out an additional career for himself as a novelist. His tight, descriptive writing is perfect for action adventures. He paints vivid scenes and characters with sure, swift strokes--no extraneous "fluff." James W. Huston writes action adventures the way they're supposed to be written---fast-paced. After all, action adventures are about what happens because characters have certain traits--not about why they acquired those traits. Balance of Power, and its sequel, The Price of Power prove James W. Huston knows what he's doing. He keeps the "action" going while he gets on with the "adventure."

And there's plenty of action to go around for the SEALS, politicians, and even the lawyers, in The Price of Power. According to the publisher, "...Jim Dillon...finds himself defending the admiral in the court-martial..." Jim Dillon? A man with no military law experience and little trial experience?! Yeah, that's the guy. How could that happen?

Jim Dillon is a man who believes that you must be passionate, you must believe in the issue you are arguing, and the Admiral knows it. "...I want the attorney representing me to have a fire in his belly for me. I've seen Mr. Dillon work on the carrier (in Balance of Power), I've spoken with him many times. I know how bright and capable he is...."

Wouldn't you feel the same way if it was the rest of your life at stake?

Later, Jim Dillon was, "...named number-two prosecutor for the upcoming impeachment trial...." How lucky can you get? Two high-profile trials back to back. Only he didn't know it was payback time for Jim Dillon!

There is always a "price" of some sort to be paid for all our choices in life. If you want to play, you have to pay. You must be willing to accept the consequences of your actions and decisions. That's what The Price of Power, by James W. Huston, is all about.

Final notes

James W. Huston's The Price of Power is available as:

* a paperback of about 500+ pages, published by Avon/William Morrow and Company in March 2000, ISBN: 0380731606, list price $6.99 US
(Paperbacks are great to grab at the last minute, or to order in advance, to take along on a trip. If you're lucky enough to live in the sunny South, they're great at the beach, too! And, with the gift-giving season fast approaching, they're inexpensive alternatives to boring bottles of after-shave or perfume. Don't forget that gals enjoy action adventure novels, too!)

* a hardback of 431 pages, published by William Morrow & Company in May, 1999, ISBN: 0688159184, list price $25.00 US
(Did you know that most libraries accept used books in good condition to:
* add a new book title to their shelves
* replace their worn-out copy of that title, or
* sell to raise money, and
* the IRS accepts your book gifts to libraries as charitable donations? How about that? I know donated books make a big difference at my small library.)

* an abridged (# tapes?) audio cassette read by Timothy Enos and produced by Soundelux Audio Pub in June, 1999, ISBN: 1559353147, list price $17.95 US

* an unabridged (# tapes?) audio cassette read by Adams Morgan and produced by Blackstone Audiobooks in November 1999, ISBN: 0786116560, list price $76.95 US
(Not only are tapes great to listen to while you're driving, but they make almost any chore easier. Just think of the thrill of scrubbing the bathroom, or the kitchen floor! Borrrring! Trust me, listening to a tape makes the job go faster--or so it seems. Try it and you'll see what I mean.)

* the Library of Congress is still processing an unabridged audio cassette version of The Price of Power. These tapes are created for folks who receive the free Talking Books from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. (Please let your family and friends who belong to this program know about James W. Huston's Balance of Power (RC48453), and the forthcoming tapes for The Price of Power. That way, they can share your enjoyment. Thank you.)

James W. Huston's The Price of Power does not contain profanity or obscenities as generally defined. There is some coarse "barnyard" language as it's sometimes called; therefore, playing the audio cassettes probably won't offend teenage, or older, listeners. It was a pleasure to read a book, especially a military / political action adventure without encountering a certain type of language which has become all too common. William Morrow & Company should be commended for not only taking a chance on a new author, but also for being willing to forego the apparent "necessity" of filthy language in order to sell the book.

Thank you, William Morrow & Company.

By the way, James W Huston has a third novel, Flash Point. No, it's not a continuation, but if you liked his first two...
(Please see my review of Flash Point. Thank you.)
[http://www.epinions.com/book-review-58CB-3156E398-3A5778F3-prod2]

"Huston's third military thriller is also his best as it examines the cost of another hypothetical American reprisal against terrorism, this time with a supersonic fighter-jet pursuit of a bin Laden stand-in to his secret desert fortress." - Kirkus




Recommended: Yes