Many Manly Men Doing Manly Things
(Updated September 2006)
If you like books that take you on a thrill ride of fast paced action and adventure, you are going to love this list compiled by Reader Advisor Susan Higgins!
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
24 Hours by Greg Iles.
RC 52361, BR 13425.
For five years in a row, a trio of child abductors has been successful at "the perfect kidnapping." They strike where the child lives, the parents do not tell the police, and the ransom is paid. Now, for the sixth time, they steal a doctor's child. This time, however, they have encountered a family to be reckoned with. Violence and strong language.
America by Stephen Coonts.
RC 53012.
A nuclear powered submarine is hijacked by terrorists not long after an antiballistic missile defense system satellite disappears. An attack is launched on Washington, D.C., and New York City. Rear Admiral Jake Grafton heads the rescue team. Jake Grafton, Book 9. Series Code GRF. Violence and strong language.
Angel of Death by Jack Higgins.
RC 40062.
Brigadier Charles Ferguson and former IRA terrorist Sean Dillon are up against an international terrorist group called January 30, now working in Ireland. They do not realize that the group is fictitious, made up by Russian Intelligence officers to explain away some deaths. And the Russians have unlikely assassins: a Northern Ireland Under-Secretary of State and a noted actress. Sean Dillon series, book 4. Series Code FED. Strong Language and violence.
Battle Flag by Bernard Cornwell.
RC 42564.
Nate Starbuck, Bostonian turned Confederate officer, serves under Stonewall Jackson during the hectic summer of 1862. Overcoming both personal and military challenges, Nate distinguishes himself in a series of actions leading up to the climactic and bloody Second Battle of Manassas. Starbuck Chronicles, Book 3. Series Code SBC.
The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy.
RC 50854.
Newly elected United States president Jack Ryan is quickly embroiled in complex political situations with cataclysmic implications. Among them, the discovery of vast gold and oil resources in Siberia, which attracts the covetous attention of China, could lead to dire consequences. Jack Ryan, Book 10. Series Code RYN. Some strong language.
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden.
RC 48028.
Recreates the United States military operation in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3 and 4, 1993, when 99 American soldiers were surrounded and trapped. Describes how the planned one-hour mission turned into an overnight fight for survival. Based on journalists’ interviews with the soldiers, helicopter pilots, and Somali clan leaders. Strong language.
Black Sunday by Thomas Harris.
RC 53082, BR 2780.
To protest American policies in the Middle East, a fanatical terrorist group plots the annihilation of 80,000 Super Bowl spectators. Their prime weapon is Michael Lander, a deranged ex-navy pilot seeking revenge, and his handler, beautiful assassin Dahlia Iyad. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language.
Blue Gold by Clive Cussler.
RC 50937.
When National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) investigators Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala hit a pod of dead whales during a boat race, it sets off an inquiry that leads to an eco-extortionist's plot to control the world's fresh water supply. NUMA files series, book 2. Series Code NUM. Some strong language.
Bringing Out the Dead by Joe Connelly.
RC 46599.
Chronicles two hectic days in the life of paramedic Frank Pierce, as he steers his ambulance through New York's streets to the aid of people who experience heart attacks, drug overdoses, and other crises. In saving their lives, Pierce seeks relief from the pain in his own.
Brules by Henry Combs.
RC 39642, BR 9399.
Brules relates that back in 1867, when he was 18, he found himself an honest woman named Michelle. Only trouble was, he had to kill his boss to claim her. From then on, they are on the run until a group of Comanches capture and burn her to death. Then Brules, with time out for buffalo hunting and mule driving, sets out for revenge. Cat Brules series, book 1. Series code BRL.
Bump and Run by Mike Lupica.
RC 51970.
Las Vegas wheeler-dealer Jack "Jammer" Molloy inherits the important half of the New York Hawks football franchise when his estranged father dies. But his conniving twin siblings, the National Football League, and potential buyers oppose his ownership. Jack is soon immersed in the politics and economics of professional sports. Jack Molloy series, book 1. Series code JKM. Strong language.
The Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy.
RC 52349.
Las Vegas policeman Wayne Tedrow, Jr., son of a mob-connected union leader, goes to Dallas on November 22, 1963 to kill a black gambler. Things go awry, and for the next five years Tedrow is caught up in a web of conspiracies. Explicit sex, violence, and strong language.
Deal with the Dead by Les Standiford.
RC 52517.
Miami builder John Deal wins a large contract but later learns of organized crime connections. He also discovers that his late father had custody of a missing fortune. Now the mob, the owner's son, and a corrupt government official are demanding payment. John Deal series, book 6. Series code DEJ. Violence and strong language.
Death Benefits by Thomas Perry.
RC 52527.
Security advisor Max Stillman takes young insurance analyst John Walker with him to investigate the misconduct of Walker's ex-lover, agent Ellen Snyder. Snyder approved a twelve-million-dollar payout to a bogus claimant and then disappeared. Stillman and Walker crisscross the country unraveling the lucrative scheme. Strong language and some violence.
Eater by Gregory Benford.
RC 52485.
Long before there was time, a black hole became a wandering entity, feeding on asteroids and planets and destroying everything in its path. When it reaches the edge of our solar system, three scientists must prevent it from annihilating Earth and its inhabitants.
The Fan Club by Irving Wallace.
RC 52712.
Four ordinary men meet in a bar and conspire to physically possess the world's most coveted and worshipped love goddess, actress Sharon Fields. The four proceed with their plan. But they do not know the real Sharon! Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and some violence.
Force 12 by James Stewart Thayer.
RC 53208.
Computer billionaire Rex Wyman designs a yacht to sail strictly by computer. His programmer girlfriend Gwen Weld joins him to cross the Pacific, but once in the Bering Sea they realize that a virus is sabotaging the system. Gwen e-mails Jess MacKay, an Alaska National Guard captain, for help.
Headwind by John J. Nance.
RC 52810.
When an international warrant threatens former American President John Harris, commercial jet pilot Craig Dayton defiantly takes off with Harris on board. While airborne, Harris arranges assistance from disbarred judge Jay Reinhart and a group of World War 2 veterans.
The Hunted by Alan Jacobson.
RC 53079.
When psychologist Lauren Chambers' husband, Michael, fails to return from a ski trip, she enlists the help of private investigator Nick Bradley. It appears that Michael was injured, has amnesia, and has been told by the FBI that he is an undercover agent. Violence and strong language.
Inca Gold by Clive Cussler.
RC 38872, BR 9621.
A group of archaeologists is exploring a Peruvian sinkhole and gets in trouble. Dirk Pitt happens to be in the neighborhood and comes to their aid. But the rescue simply sets in motion a series of events that find Pitt looking for lost treasure, being captured by a band of art smugglers, and swimming through an underground river. A Dirk Pitt Novel, Book 12. Series Code PDN. Violence and strong language.
The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva.
RC 52432.
Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is retired when he is called in on one last case. His Palestinian nemesis, Tariq, is on a mission to derail the Middle East peace talks. Gabriel enlists his former lover, French supermodel Jacqueline Delacroix, to assist him. The Gabriel Allon series. Series Code ALLG. Some violence and some strong language.
Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour.
RC 23910, BR 6688.
As a test pilot for experimental aircraft, United States Air Force Major Joseph "Joe Mack" Makatozi, part Sioux, part Cheyenne, is forced down over the Bering Sea by Russians. He must seek safety in the uncharted wilds of Siberia, pursued by Russian Intelligence officer Colonel Zamatev and by a Yakut tracker.
The Lieutenants by W.E.B. Griffin.
RC 23292.
This is a novel about the intertwined lives of professional army men and their families from the last years of World War 2 through 1950. The action revolves mostly around Lieutenant Robert Bellmon, a prisoner of the Germans, who later escapes. Brotherhood of War, Book 1. Series Code BRO. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex.
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger.
RC 32463.
The Return of Little Big Man by Thomas Berger.
RC 48544.
The memoirs of Jack Crab, 111-year-old ex-cowboy who claims he is the only survivor of Custer's Last Stand. Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and many other characters of the Old West appear in this humorous, sometimes absurd re-creation of the West “as it was.” The second book takes Crab from Deadwood, Dakota to Europe and back as it continues his memoirs. Little Big Man series, books 1 and 2. Series code LBM.
The Long Lavender Look by John D. MacDonald.
RC 46650.
Travis McGee is framed for murder in a small Florida town and must find the real killer to clear his name. A Travis McGee Mystery, Book 12. Series Code MGT.
The Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva.
RC 46012.
An Arab terrorist shoots down a commercial plane near Long Island, conveniently advancing a business scheme to manufacture antimissile systems. But CIA agent Michael Osbourne takes serious personal risks to try to learn who was really responsible for the attack.
Money, Money, Money by Ed McBain.
RC 52928, BR 13635.
A lion almost kills Detective Steve Carella when he tries to remove a woman's body from the zoo den. Carella and Fat Ollie Weeks uncover drug smugglers, counterfeit money, hit women, and Arab terrorists while pursuing the case. They also face off with the treasury department. 87th Precinct Mystery. Series Code 87P. Violence and strong language.
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.
RC 56680, BR 12761.
Adventure story about five men and a dog who are carried out to sea in a balloon and land on a mysterious island. The resourcefulness of the castaways is the theme of this ingenious work.
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer.
RC 53839..
This is the compelling story of an American platoon on a Japanese-held island during World War 2.
One Police Plaza by William J. Caunitz.
RC 51265.
New York City police detective Dan Malone becomes suspicious of the murder of a low-level clerk who inexplicably had access to an elite club. When Malone discovers other odd contradictions in the victim's background, he is removed from the case but decides to solve the crime alone. Strong language.
The Paperboy by Pete Dexter.
RC 40019.
Jack James narrates this tale of his newspaper family's involvement in an effort to prove Hillary Van Wetter innocent of the murder of Sheriff Thurmond Call. Ward James, now a reporter in Miami, returns to Moat County, Florida, with his writing partner Yardley Acheman, at the request of Charlotte Bless, who has fallen in love with the accused man. As they investigate, they discover much about their own family.
Patriot Games by Tom Clancy.
RC 26015, BR 7162.
Jack Ryan, having left the CIA, is now just another rich ex-stockbroker and teacher of history at the United States Naval Academy. His London family vacation gets blown to pieces when Ryan intervenes in a daring daylight attempt to kidnap the Prince and Princess of Wales and little Will. Having saved the royal family, he becomes the target of the surviving terrorists. Jack Ryan, Book 2. Series Code RYN. Also available as a descriptive video, DV 80.
The Program by Stephen White.
RC 52590.
Single mom Peyton Francis is lucky to meet former hit man Carl Luppo in a witness protection program, because she is in desperate need of his expertise. Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory and his pregnant wife, Assistant District Attorney Lauren Gregory, risk danger by offering additional help. Allan Gregory, Book 9. Series Code CAG. Violence and strong language.
Rolling Thunder by Mark Berent.
RC 30721.
This is the story of three men and the war in Vietnam. Air Force Captain Court Bannister is trying to prove to himself that he is as good as his famous father. Lieutenant Toby Parker is a starry-eyed kid until he joins an intelligence unit and loses his innocence. And Colonel Wolf Lochert, tough and all business, volunteers to rescue a downed pilot and discovers a trap. Vietnam War series, book 1. Series Code VNW. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex.
Separation of Power by Vince Flynn.
RC 53501.
Israel has discovered that Saddam Hussein is close to entering the nuclear arms race, and they have vowed to stop the Iraqi madman before he can get his hands on the ultimate weapon. With the Middle East teetering on the precipice of chaos and devastation, the President of the United States is forced to act. The CIA's top counter terrorism operative, Mitch Rapp, is given the mission. But the window for action on this crucial mission is incredibly tight. Israel has given the United States only two weeks to take the nuclear weapons out. After that, they will do whatever it takes to destroy the weapons themselves. With World War 3 looming, Rapp races against time and impossible odds. Mitch Rapp series, book 4. Series Code RPP. Violence and strong language.
Special Ops by W.E.B. Griffin.
RC 51990.
The United States military and the CIA plot to foil Che Guevara's attempt to spread Communism in the mid-1960’s Congo. The Green Berets push him out of Africa but he turns up in Bolivia, where he dies under mysterious circumstances. Brotherhood of War, Book 9. Series Code BRO. Strong language and some violence.
Thin Air by Robert B. Parker.
RC 40561.
Spenser's longtime friend, police detective Frank Belson, has sought out Spenser because he needs someone who will understand his problem. His young bride, Lisa St. Claire, has disappeared without a trace. At first, Belson wants no help, but after Belson is shot, Spenser begins searching for Lisa. He uncovers a rather unsavory past and learns that Lisa is being held by her sociopathic ex-lover. Spenser series, book 22. Series Code SPN. Strong language.
The Third Option by Vince Flynn.
RC 53036.
CIA agent Mitch Rapp is sent on a mission to Germany to assassinate a businessman selling arms to Saddam Hussein. When the people who are assisting Rapp try to kill him, he goes undercover to investigate political intrigue. Mitch Rapp series, book 3. Series Code RPP. Some violence and some strong language.
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.
RC 12693.
First published in 1922, this classic English mystery focuses on Richard Hannay who attempts to foil an international conspiracy and comes under suspicion of murder.
Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn.
RC 50675.
The CIA learns that foreign terrorists imminently intend to assault the White House. The Secret Service has only seconds to usher the president into his bunker, leaving others to be taken hostage. As officials dither, a CIA counter terrorism operative mounts a rescue. Mitch Rapp series, book 2. Series Code RPP. Some violence and some strong language.
Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler.
RC 52893.
Dirk Pitt, on board an oceanographic survey vessel, helps rescue passengers from a luxury cruise ship that mysteriously catches fire on its maiden voyage. One of the survivors is Kelly Egan who has managed to save her father's papers, only to have her life threatened. A Dirk Pitt Novel, Book 16. Series Code PDN. Some violence and some strong language.
Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber.
RC 42062.
After jogging to work, executive vice president Dave Elliot is dressing in his office on the fourty fifth floor when the company president comes in to shoot him. Elliot escapes, only to find the building is swarming with men who all have orders to kill him. His Vietnam training keeps him alive and hidden, but unless Elliot can figure out why he has been targeted, he may not survive. Strong language and violence.
The Virginian by Owen Wister.
RC 36421, BR 1625.
The story of the Virginian is told by an easterner who, while visiting a Wyoming ranch, is impressed by the slow-talking, quick-witted, southern cowboy. Things heat up when another easterner arrives on the scene, the new schoolteacher, young Molly Wood. The Virginian falls for Molly and tries to convince her to reciprocate, but his irksome feud with a surly ranch hand threatens their relationship.
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M.Coetzee.
RC 17738.
This is an allegorical novel of the war between the oppressor and the oppressed. An aging magistrate of the Empire becomes the lover of a young woman, a Barbarian. He returns her to her own people before a war against the Barbarians. When he further defies the blood-thirsty leaders of the Empire, he is imprisoned and endures great physical and psychological torture.
Warrior Class by Dale Brown.
RC 53032.
General Patrick MacLanahan is ready to battle shady businessman Pavel Kazakov during a mission to rescue a spy from Russia. Kazakov wants to build an oil pipeline through the Balkans. But MacLanahan's hands are tied by a new American president, an avowed isolationist. Patrick McLanahan series, Book 8. Series Code MLP. Violence and strong language.
You Only Live Twice by Ian Fleming.
RC 18860.
James Bond, in Japan, is indoctrinated into some native customs before undertaking the penetration of an island fortress ruled by a villain. He succeeds against impossible odds, but only after exposure to some horrors that are not for the faint-hearted. James Bond series. Series Code BOND.