A lot of things wrong in America, but plenty more things wrong everyplace else.
Die Trying is the second entry in the Jack Reacher series.
Reacher is an innocent bystander who gets entangled in a high-profile kidnapping.
The book came out in 1998, and some of the themes in the book seem to be modeled around the events of that time - an unpopular war (Desert Storm and Desert Shield), separatist militia-like elements (Waco, TX), the overthrow of the federal government, secession, and widespread conspiracy theories (X-Files).
This book would have aged poorly, but those events from 20 years ago seem just as relevant today.
As always, this is a very fast-paced book in which Jack Reacher uses his wits to stay one step ahead of the kidnappers.
Overall, it was a fun and entertaining read.
Here are three items that stood out to me in this book
- 5-minute rule - People think in 5-minute intervals. Jack Reacher uses this knowledge to decide how long to wait before taking action.
- Level of detail in explaining how various military items work.
- One example was the detailed explanation of the elements that play a vital role in the operation of a sniper rifle and the bullet's trajectory. The gunpowder, the barrel, the curvature of the earth, the wind, the breathing, the heart.
- Another example details how a stinger missile operates—a two-stage rocket system. with eight wings. The rockets hang vertically before the second stage kicks in.
- Good misdirection at the end of the book in exposing the mole.