cover image Something to Die for

Something to Die for

James Webb. William Morrow & Co Inc, $19.95 (333pp) ISBN 978-0-688-10121-3

After a Japanese corporation sells vital U.S. defense technology to the Soviets, congressman Doc Rowland demands an apology and reparations from the Japanese government. Secretary of State Ron Holcomb, attempting to shift public attention from a gesture he regards as quixotic in the face of Japan's economic leverage, conspires with the glory-hungry admiral ``Mad Dog'' Mulchahy to land Marines in Africa, intervening in an obscure regional conflict that nevertheless offers Americans ``something to die for.'' As combat veteran and former assistant secretary of defense, Webb ( Fields of Fire ) uses firsthand experience to make both his battlefield and political scenes immediate and realistic. His characters are well drawn, with sexual rivalry between Rowland and Holcomb adding a personal dimension to their conflict. The surprise ending supplies a grim reminder that even with Russia's apparent collapse there remain many ways of waging war, and many possible enemies--not all of them obvious. BOMC alternate; author tour. (Feb.)