New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown pits men and technology against impossible odds, in vividly realized stories. Now, in his eleventh novel, he brings aerial combat hero Patrick McLanahan out of retirement and plunges him into the most personal war he's ever fought.
His old enemy Gregory Townsend has come to America to ignite a reign of terror that will sweep across the nation. The police and the government seem powerless to stop him. And one of the first casualties in this war is a rookie cop--McLanahan's brother.
McLanahan has plenty of experience in war. And so does arms expert Jon Masters. Using Masters's deadliest weapon yet, McLanahan becomes a one-man army, known on the streets as the Tin Man. But this time, technology is a double-edged sword--and his war of revenge may destroy McLanahan himself... and everything he stands for.
New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown pits men and technology against impossible odds, in vividly realized stories. Now, in his eleventh novel, he brings aerial combat hero Patrick McLanahan out of retirement and plunges him into the most personal war he's ever fought.
His old enemy Gregory Townsend has come to America to ignite a reign of terror that will sweep across the nation. The police and the government seem powerless to stop him. And one of the first casualties in this war is a rookie cop--McLanahan's brother.
McLanahan has plenty of experience in war. And so does arms expert Jon Masters. Using Masters's deadliest weapon yet, McLanahan becomes a one-man army, known on the streets as the Tin Man. But this time, technology is a double-edged sword--and his war of revenge may destroy McLanahan himself... and everything he stands for.
Paperback(Mass Market Paperback - Reprint)
-
SHIP THIS ITEMTemporarily Out of Stock Online
-
PICK UP IN STORE
Your local store may have stock of this item.
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown pits men and technology against impossible odds, in vividly realized stories. Now, in his eleventh novel, he brings aerial combat hero Patrick McLanahan out of retirement and plunges him into the most personal war he's ever fought.
His old enemy Gregory Townsend has come to America to ignite a reign of terror that will sweep across the nation. The police and the government seem powerless to stop him. And one of the first casualties in this war is a rookie cop--McLanahan's brother.
McLanahan has plenty of experience in war. And so does arms expert Jon Masters. Using Masters's deadliest weapon yet, McLanahan becomes a one-man army, known on the streets as the Tin Man. But this time, technology is a double-edged sword--and his war of revenge may destroy McLanahan himself... and everything he stands for.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780553580006 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 04/06/1999 |
| Series: | Patrick McLanahan Series , #7 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 464 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.88(w) x 10.92(h) x 1.02(d) |
About the Author
Dale Brown is a former captain in the U.S. Air Force. He lives in Nevada, where he can often be found high in the sky, piloting his own plane. He is the author of ten previous novels, all of them New York Times bestsellers.
Read an Excerpt
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY, 23 DECEMBER 1997, 1100 PT
Over two thousand cops from hundreds of departments and agencies throughout the United States snapped to attention and saluted as the three caskets carrying the two dead Sacramento Police Department officers and one Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy were carried into Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in downtown Sacramento for the memorial service. An estimated one thousand spectators came out in the blustery cold to join the officers and watch the solemn procession. Led by two uniformed officers playing bagpipes, another thousand mourners, including the governor of the state of California, two U.S. senators, all the local congressional, state assembly, and state senate members, and the mayor and the chief of police of Sacramento, followed behind the caskets and took seats inside the cathedral as they were placed before the altar. Each casket was draped with an American flag, with the officer's service cap, badge, and nightstick placed on top. The Christmas decorations in the cathedral and on the route through town offered a strange yet inspiring contrast to the mournful occasion.
The service had just begun when there was a rustle of surprised voices in the back of the church. Heads turned to watch as a heavily bandaged young man in a wheelchair rolled down the long aisle. The man pushing the chair positioned it beside the casket on the left, and the young man laid his right hand on the flag. Then he sat quietly, his eyes on the altar.
Amid the rising murmur in the cathedral, the chief of police of the city of Sacramento rose from his seat in a front pew and walked over to the wheelchair. As usual, Arthur Barona was wearing a dark suit rather than his chief's uniform, and like most of the higher-ranking politicians attending the funeral, he had a bulletproof vest underneath his jacket.
"Hold it," Barona said in a low voice. "What's going on here?"
The young man in the wheelchair looked up at the chief through swollen eyes. His head, neck, torso, left arm and shoulder, and right leg were wrapped in bandages, but his uniform tunic was draped over his shoulders, with all insignia and devices removed except for the shoulder patches and his silver badge, which had a black band affixed diagonally over it. He saluted the chief, then looked up at the man who had pushed the wheelchair, silently asking him to speak for him.
"Sir, Officer Paul McLanahan requests permission to stay by his partner," Patrick McLanahan said, his voice almost a whisper.
"His partner? Who is that? Who are you?"
"My name is Patrick McLanahan, Paul's brother, sir," Patrick responded. "Corporal LaFortier was Paul's partner, his training officer."
"He's McLanahan?" the chief sputtered. His face went white as the name registered. "Wasn't he shot?" He was confused and embarrassed. There were so many wounded, so many press conferences, so much to do trying to track down the suspects, that Barona had not yet visited the hospital to see his injured officers. "Officer McLanahan, you should be in the hospital," Barona said.
The murmur of voices in the cathedral grew louder. When Barona looked up he saw a sea of faces looking at him. The sympathy for the officer in the wheelchair was visible on the faces of the VIP's seated in the front of the cathedral--as was the open hostility on the faces of the Sacramento cops toward the back.
"Sir, please--" Patrick started.
Barona put a fatherly hand on Paul McLanahan's right shoulder and bent down to talk to him. "It's all right, Officer," Barona said, his voice sympathetic. "Your partner is in God's hands now. You're relieved of duty for now."
Patrick was surprised by Barona's response. Why was he denying Paul this simple request? It didn't make sense. "Sir," Patrick said, raising his voice so more people could hear him, "Officer Paul McLanahan respectfully requests permission to stay by his partner."
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow . . ."
"Chief Barona, please let Paul stay." It was Craig LaFortier's widow, seated in the front pew directly behind her husband's casket. She stood, bent down to hug Paul gently, gave him a kiss on the cheek, returned to her seat, then reached over to hold his bandaged arm as if prepared to keep him in place should the chief try to pull him away. All eyes were back on him again, Barona realized, as if waiting to see what he was going to do.
What had started out as if it might be some sort of grandstanding demonstration had turned into a scene deeply touching to those in the church, and it appeared as though Chief Barona was trying to prevent it. Patrick--who had objected from the start to his wounded brother's leaving the hospital and, after losing that argument, had insisted that he accompany him to the service--watched Barona as in sequence anger, then confusion, then embarrassment and worry passed across his face. The chief felt very exposed; he had to extricate himself from this scene gracefully--and fast. He put on his best fatherly expression, gave permission with a nod, and laid his hand on Paul's right shoulder again before returning to his seat.
Being the chief of police for the capital of California, a city of almost half a million people, was certainly no popularity contest, Patrick acknowledged, but shouldn't the guy at the least recognize one of his own officers, especially one who had been wounded in the line of duty, and not object to his display of loyalty?
The ceremony was designed to move and uplift the listeners. The amplified voice of the bishop of the archdiocese of Sacramento sounded the reassuringly familiar prayers. The music of the organ resonated through the great space. The speakers told of how LaFortier had killed one attacker before he was murdered, and they spoke about the heroic but futile actions of the police and sheriff's units as they tried to stop the heavily armed robbers. Inevitably, politics entered into some of the eulogies. There were appeals for a total confiscation and ban on all assault rifles in the state of California, and calls for more prisons, more executions, and more funding for everything from the police to education to welfare programs--even a call to close the downtown entertainment complex for fear it might attract further violence. Patrick ignored it all. What moved him were not the voices or the prayers or the ceremony or even the organ, but the bagpipes.
When the two uniformed officers, one from the Sacramento Police Department and the other from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, played their bagpipes, the keening soared above the utter silence throughout the huge cathedral. There was something about the sound of a bagpipe, Patrick thought, that reached very deep into the soul. The eerie wails were sad yet stirring. Haunting. That was the word. The sound of the bagpipes mesmerized him. Patrick knew that for centuries armies of Scotland, England, and even America had marched into battle with bagpipes blaring, the sound inspiring and terrifying at the same time.
As he looked at the coffins, then at his injured brother in the wheelchair, he felt the anger surge in his chest. The wail of the pipes touched a rage within him, something evil, something angry. He had been away from Sacramento for many years, but it was still his home--and his home was under attack. For U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Patrick McLanahan, the pipes were not a tribute to the fallen police officers--they were a rallying call. The homeland was under siege. It was time to take up arms and defend it.
The ferocity of the assault on the police had startled Patrick. He knew of nothing else on so drastic a scale within the United States. He had fought with ex-military drug smugglers when he flew for the Hammerheads of the U.S. Border Security Force, but Salazar and his former Cuban-military "Cuchillo" pilots had not dared to venture into America's cities. Henri Cazaux was the only exception, but he had confined his attacks to simple kamikaze-like aerial bombardments of major airports, quickly stopped by federal and military forces. The recent robbery-shootings in Hollywood, in which heavily armed gunmen kept a hundred police at bay for nearly thirty minutes, were little more than a "suicide by cop" incident--the robbers wanted to shoot up the city, and they wanted the police to kill them.
From press accounts of the shootout, the guys who robbed Sacramento Live! were clearly military. They certainly hadn't used pure military tactics--marching out into the open in columns of two abreast with guns blazing had not been used in combat since the redcoats were kicked out of the Colonies. But their weapons, their armor, and their brazenness meant they knew right from the start that they had the upper hand.
How would the police stop nutcases like these guys? Would cops on the beat now carry automatic rifles? Would armored vehicles replace squad cars to protect against antitank rockets? What if the robbers decided to use even heavier weapons? Would the streets of Sacramento eventually turn into a battlefield? Would the National Guard or the regular Army replace the police?
Patrick McLanahan knew military combat strategies. He knew what would be needed to analyze the enemy and plan an offensive. But he had to have information, intelligence, and reconnaissance. He had to find out more. He would get all the information he could from the police and the federal authorities investigating the attack, and then map out a counteroffensive strategy of his own.
What People are Saying About This
Brown puts readers right in the middle of the action.
The best military adventure writer in the country today.
Interviews
On Thursday, May 21st, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Dale Brown to discuss THE TIN MAN.
Moderator: Thank you for joining us tonight, Dale Brown. We are thrilled to see you online! Before we begin, do you have anything you would like to say to your online audience?
Dale Brown: I'm happy to be here tonight! This is very cool!
Norm Richman from Norfolk, VA: Hey, Dale! Glad to see you online tonight! I've always been a huge fan of your books, so it's a big thrill. Could you tell us a bit about your latest, THE TIN MAN?
Dale Brown: THE TIN MAN is very different from the other novels. It's about personal revenge, power, vengeance, vigilantism, and breaking the law in the name of justice. I describe it as a cross between "Robocop" and "Death Wish"!
Monk from Bastrop, LA: I haven't read THE TIN MAN yet, but I am excited to read it. Why Sacramento? Did you ever spend significant time in Sacramento? Just curious.... FYI -- I am a huge fan!
Dale Brown: Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento was my first military assignment, and altogether I lived in Sacramento for about 15 years. My wife was born and raised there, and my son was born there. My wife was a cop in Sacramento for 22 years.
Brad from Phoenix, AZ: You seem to work your history as a U.S. Air Force captain very well into your books. Did you always want to write, or did you just begin to realize after your experiences in the Air Force that you had something to write about?
Dale Brown: I always wanted to write. I worked on my high school newspaper, the Penn State Daily Collegian, freelanced, and wrote for the base newspapers. I always wanted to fly and always wanted to write, and I'm lucky to have made a career out of both!
Paul from Morris Plains, NJ: Your new book looks very interesting, a bit different than your past books.... Were you are a fan of "Robocop?"
Dale Brown: I remember watching "Robocop," but it was a bit too "science-fictiony" for me. THE TIN MAN is based on emerging technologies.
V. V. from VT: I love your Patrick McLanahan novels! Where did he come from? How did you invent his character? What draws you to keep returning to him?
Dale Brown: They say that first novels are "fantasy autobiographies," and Patrick is probably my fantasy personality.
Chris from Trenton, NJ: Could you tell us more about the character of the Tin Man? He sounds like a modern-day superhero with his suit of armor.... I'm a big fan. Thanks!
Dale Brown: The Tin Man uses military-derived technology to wage a vigilante war against a terrorist group in Sacramento. The technology is real. But I wanted to explore what it's like to have incredible power. What a responsibility!
Kenny from Palo Alto, CA: I've just begun reading THE TIN MAN, and the opening scene is fascinating! Where did you learn about the procedure for mixing methamphetamine? How did you first learn about it?
Dale Brown: Unfortunately, the data is everywhere. I got my info from Det. Sgt. David Cropp of the Sacramento Police Department, a narcotics expert -- but anyone can get it off the Internet.
Morgan from Chicago, IL: I have heard that you are an avid pilot. What sort of plane do you have, and where do you like best to fly?
Dale Brown: I fly a Cessna 414, a twin-piston-engined plane. I just got back from a 50-hour cross-country flight from Nevada to Arkansas to Vermont to Massachusetts to Florida to Louisiana and back!
Melissa from Washington, DC: Did you do a lot of research to write about the Aryan Brigade? Are they based on a particular aryan gang? What drew you to write about them?
Dale Brown: I invented the Aryan Brigade. Unfortunately, telling you more would give away parts of the novel!!!
Ken from Mountain Home, AR: How is your son, Hunter, doing, and what type of book are you planning next?
Dale Brown: Hey, bro! (My brother Ken's online!) Hunter is doing very well. He did well on our long cross-country. I'm waiting to see how my readers like THE TIN MAN I have several sequels planned, but only if y'all like it! I have lots of "new" Old Dog stories ready to fly too!
Chad from Lexington, KY: Whom do you like to read?
Dale Brown: Most of my reading is technical stuff (research), but I like Richard Bach, Stephen Coonts, Richard Herman, Steven Martini, Louis L'Amour, Georgette Heyer, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Frost Reiss from Williamsburg, VA: Where do you learn so much about new technologies? Do you write about what you learn? Do you ever find your imagination is in sync with real development?
Dale Brown: I like reading about hot new gadgets, so I look around the Internet, the libraries, and visit military bases and defense contractors. Lots of information out there these days!
Henry from Boston, MA: I read in your foreword your warning about the chemicals used in mixing methamphetamine. Were you or your editor concerned about including this information because readers might try to mix it themselves? Is this a genuine description of the procedure and ingredients?
Dale Brown: Anyone who wants to mix meth can find the info readily. As I stated in my author's notes, the procedures I describe are real...and as I stated, THEY ARE DEADLY! Any one of those ingredients can kill, and the resultant compound is DEFINITELY deadly!
Andrew from Cherry Point, NC: I am a USMC officer, and I am a huge fan of your books. I have been reading your novels for the past five years, and I think nobody does it better than Dale Brown. Are you planning on coming down to North Carolina? Do you ever speak at bases? Because I know a lot of fellow Marines who are big fans of your books.
Dale Brown: I was just passing through Kinston. I really enjoy visiting military bases. If you have a Combat Dining In planned, be sure to send me an invite!
Samuel P. Tinkerton from Hoboken, NJ: McLanahan sounds like a real justice seeker, almost a dangerous fanatic. Are his motivations based on anyone real? Any case scenarios?
Dale Brown: The fanaticism that builds in Patrick was something I hadn't planned on when developing the story -- I thought his motivations would be more black-and-white. He's supposed to be the good guy!
Can Man from Canton: Hey, Dale! Where can I get a body suit like the Tin Man's????
Dale Brown: Contact the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency -- that's where I got the info on electroreactive collimation!
Frank Romaguera from Greensboro, NC: I haven't read any of your books before, but I am interested in new technologies.... Do you think the Internet is a good setting for your fiction? Any plans?
Dale Brown: I think the Internet is a very good starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about new technologies. Just remember the Internet is an open forum, not regulated by anyone (hopefully never will be!!!). Keep on checking info. As far as a "setting" for a novel -- sure! Look at "The Net" or any other stories like that.
Jim from Weston, CT: Hey, it sounds like McLanahan is up to an entirely different adventure here. Is this the beginning of a different kind of book for you? What accounts for the change?
Dale Brown: I want to see how the readers like THE TIN MAN before venturing out in a new direction. I have lots more adventures for Patrick and Paul, in and out of the suit!
Kendra from @mindspring.com: Do you have any advice for a young writer? Also, how do you come up with plots for your books? Newspapers? Television?
Dale Brown: My advice: Keep writing! Write the stuff you love, believe in yourself and your work, and NEVER QUIT until you see you book in the Barnes & Noble storefront windows!!!
Joe from Hampton, VA: Did you find it easier developing your plots when the Soviets were our "rival superpower" or in today's unpredictable world of terrorism and Third World dictators on a power trip?
Dale Brown: It was definitely easier during the Cold War, because we military writers never had to explain who the "bad guy" was--everyone knew it was the Russkies! Now, the bad guy has to be explained, almost analyzed in a historical sense. More work for us but necessary to build a good story. But there are lots of bad guys out there still!
Jammer from Jericho, NY: Are you already working on the sequels to THE TIN MAN?
Dale Brown: I have several story lines for the Tin Man ready to go, but I do want to see if the readers like him (Hollywood seems to be taking an interest so far! ;-) ). I like doing him, and I think he'll be back.
Justin from aol.com: I love all your books. Do you ever think of writing books that are "straight fiction"?
Dale Brown: Straight fiction? Not sure what that means. I enjoy action-adventure stuff, a little "science fantasy," and historical fiction. That's what I'll write about.
Bradley from Plano, TX: Do you ever miss being in the service? Did you start writing while in the service or after you left the Air Force?
Dale Brown: I wrote FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG while still in the Air Force, but I was writing articles, commentary, and computer hardware and software reviews for many years before publishing any fiction. I definitely miss flying in the Air Force. But I really enjoy what I do now!
Matt Keaton from Illinois: THE TIN MAN seems to struggle with some pretty big issues -- a man with the capacity to take on a society for ultimate justice, even above the laws of that society. What were you thinking when you began writing this book? Is there an ethical question at the root of THE TIN MAN?
Dale Brown: The Tin Man was supposed to be a clear-cut hero, not a vigilante -- he was supposed to help or replace his injured brother. I never meant for him to be a vigilante. But I guess what happens to Patrick is what would happen to anyone who undertakes such a mission.
J. C. from Iowa: Do you write full time, all year round? Do you treat it like a day job with strict hours, or are you flexible with yourself? Is it more difficult to find time to write now that you have a son?
Dale Brown: Yes, I write full time. I try to treat it like an eight-to-six job, but it is a creative venture, and it doesn't always flow real well. Yes, Hunter is a definite factor! But it's great being with him throughout the day. Diane and her sister Jenny are here too to take over when deadline time rolls around!
J. Hubbard from Rochester, NY: Are the "Real-World News Excerpts" at the beginning of your book from the real world? Why did you choose to include them?
Dale Brown: Yes, the "Real-World News Excerpts" are true newspaper articles. When I do research and an article is particularly related to the story, I include it in the beginning to help set the stage for the story to come.
John from JWC901@aol.com: What type of research did you do for this book? Was it difficult straying away from your kick-ass military adventures?
Dale Brown: Most of the research I did was from my ride-alongs and talking with my wife, Diane, who retired as a narcotics lieutenant after 22 years on the Sacramento Police Department. Through her, I also got lots of information from other officers and experts. The rest of the research mostly came via the Internet.
Morris from Greenwich, CT: Your books are riveting from start to finish! How do you keep up the level of excitement throughout them? Any insider tips?
Dale Brown: Visualize the action, like watching a movie. Read and reread what you've written, even read it aloud. Then trust your editors (mine was Ann Harris at Bantam) to iron out the kinks!
Manuel from Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Do you map your books out before you write them? Do you use outlines? Revisions? Where did you begin with THE TIN MAN?
Dale Brown: The publisher and editors at Bantam like to see outlines, mostly to show to the sales force to generate excitement about the new book. I like to get their opinions about my ideas too. After the outline is done, I put it away and just get to work. The plot has a nasty habit of changing constantly! Revisions -- every day, right to the end and beyond! I started THE TIN MAN with my version of the 1997 North Hollywood shootout.
Henry from Seattle, WA: I, for one, want a sequel! Right on, Dale Brown! This book is a winner! Any hints on where you will take the Tin Man next? Also, what are your plans for Old Dog? Thanks, I'm a huge fan!!!
Dale Brown: Thank you! Much appreciated! I am learning of many other law enforcement hot spots where someone with the Tin Man's abilities would really help. The Old Dog will be back, but probably not a B-52. ;-)
Mike from MMuntz@yahoo.com: Do you like the cover of THE TIN MAN?
Dale Brown: It's beautiful!
James from Brooklyn, NY: Last weekend, bn chatted with Gary Hart, whose book THE MINUTEMAN was about cutting back on the military and having a large number of reserves.... As a bit of a military expert, what do you think of this? Do you think this is wise?
Dale Brown: The reserves are this country's "secret weapon," but we should not do any more drastic military cutbacks just to try to save money. The threats out there are real!
Moderator: Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Dale Brown, and answering all of our questions. We hope you will write the sequel, and we hope to have you online for it when it comes out! Before you go, do you have any closing comments for your online audience?
Dale Brown: Thanks for having me online! Please visit my web site at http://www.megafortress.com, leave your comments and suggestions, and I hope to see you in a bookstore or airport soon!