Asian Front: WW III

This is Slater's ( World War III: Warshot ) sixth installment in a series about a hypothetical third world war some time in the near future. A tense cease-fire is in effect between the United States and a shaky alliance of Communist China and a new United Siberian Republic. But the Chinese are in fact regathering their forces for another push into Manchuria, a territory over which they have long battled with the Siberians. The only person who seems to have clear insight into the political and military realities is General Douglas Freeman, who is considered ``the greatest American general since Patton and Schwarzkopf'' and sneeringly refers to the folks at the Pentagon as ``the fairies.'' Freeman has many opponents in his battle to keep the world safe for freedom and democracy, including the traitorous industrial magnate Jay La Roche, who provided weapons to the Chinese while they were slaughtering American troops. There is plenty of intrigue and adventure here but the two-dimensional, comic-book feel of it all and the military hardware mumbo jumbo don't do much to advance the narrative, which would be hard to keep up with under the best of circumstances. (Aug.)