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Old 07-25-2011, 10:10 AM
Texas Star Texas Star is offline
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Beretta AR70/90 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just for kicks, here's the M-9 entry, for the pistols used in the book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M9_pistol


If you read Wilbur Smith's new book, Those in Peril, the rifle most used by the good guys is the Beretta M-70/90. I wasn't quite sure what it looked like, so I Searched it. Scroll way down in this article to see an Italian soldier (she's cute) with one.

The primary pistol is the Beretta 9mm, presumably the M-92FS.

The book has gotten some really bad reviews on Amazon. com for its scenes of savagery by Somali pirates, but that should have been anticipated given the nature of the book. And Smith does sometimes go for a "gross-out" factor.

I like the book, and it reminds me a little of the style of his, Dark of the Sun, also marketed as, The Train From Katanga. The movie was called, Africa Ablaze as well as Dark of the Sun.

The main flaws are that some of the dialogue rings false for the particular speaker. The heroine's daughter doesn't speak like a teen raised in the USA. And the American captain of the huge tanker ship toward the last has a very British sounding name, although he's from the American South. And some of the daughter's dialogue just seems too cute for a modern US teen who's spoiled to the degree that she was. She sounds too Victorian in some places...but only in her speech.

Smith also refers to Denver City in one place, although he gets it back down to just Denver otherwise. I like that the heroine lives in Houston, from which she manages her multibillion dollar corporation, Bannock Oil. The hero seems okay, too.

Are you reading this? What do you think of it? I like it and will keep my copy, but in some ways, it isn't his best writing. It is much better than, The Quest. I couldn't even finish that. Just didn't sustain interest, and I never cared for the protagonist.

I'm going to have to look up a Burgundy wine they drank. It's supposed to be super and very expensive, so I'd have thought he'd have chosen the Domaine de la Romanee Conti's stuff or maybe Chambertin. I'd have gone for a Bordeaux like Chateau Latour or maybe a nice red from the heroine's grandmother's estate near Cape Town. Her uncle was the winemaker there, too. Alas, the pirates did something really bad at that estate. You're gonna hate Somali/Arab pirates after you read this. (If you don't already.)

Last edited by Texas Star; 07-25-2011 at 10:50 AM.
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Old 07-25-2011, 11:24 AM
mtgianni mtgianni is offline
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I read it and enjoyed it. Remembering that Smith is from African lets me pass over the language inaccuracies. Plenty of US authors have overseas charachters speaking with US slang.
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Old 07-25-2011, 07:40 PM
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Nice rifle, cute kid - prefer .308 over the .223 tho.

I've read pretty much everything Smith has written - one of my top ten authors. Still think "The Sunbird" is his best with the "Courtney" series up there also.

Bruce
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Old 07-25-2011, 10:09 PM
GatorFarmer GatorFarmer is offline
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I haven't read it. Why did they have Beretta rifles? The Italian Army the heroes?

Some parts kits have come in over the last few years.
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Old 07-26-2011, 10:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GatorFarmer View Post
I haven't read it. Why did they have Beretta rifles? The Italian Army the heroes?

Some parts kits have come in over the last few years.

Gator-

Most of it wasn't set in the USA. It was in the Middle East, where Jordan and other nations issue that rifle. The troops were from a private security firm, Cross Bow Security, headed by the former Maj. Hector Cross. (Born in Kenya; dad was a rancher.) He married the owner of Bannock Oil, a talented South African tennis player who had married an American oilman who had eventually left her a widow. It was her teenaged daughter who was kidnapped and abused by the pirates. Hazel Bannock was Cross Bow's main client. She probably paid for the guns, if only through her fees to Cross.

Some reviewers thought the Beretta products and other items were paid "product placement." Smith referred to Nikon optics, whereas other British writers almost always mention Zeiss, if a brand is given. Other than AK-47's, only Beretta guns were used, I think. But the author is not widely knowledgeable about firearms, and sometimes makes mistakes. He may know that the South African police use Beretta 9mm's and picked up on that, as he and his wife have homes in both Cape Town (or nearby) and London. He also reportedly gave his now estranged former stepson (from a prior marriage) a Beretta double shotgun, so certainly knows the brand.

No Italians were involved.

Check out his very impressive site. www.wilbursmithbooks.com

Seeing all those flags from countries where his books are published is worth clicking on the site.

Last edited by Texas Star; 07-26-2011 at 10:11 AM.
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