European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Something to die for by Janies Webb William Morrow 333 pp., $19.95 us Herbert Mitgang new York times a Quot Quot. Nines Webb got everything right from the Start in this a s h i no t u n a my w a r n o be i Llis Story takes place in a fictional la. Lure in he Sands of a third world coup a. Try with a mixture of irony and Flack Erthe military action in his Book is called operation justifiable anger if that reminds readers of operation desert storm Well the w Hole Icyie of his informative and cynical novel suggests that it s supposed to a a of of ,. A something to die for will hot be  gated by the Hasty Hawks and surgical strikers in. Washington and elsewhere to the author such. Experts appear As bigger targets than  c old War enemies who Are encountered on an. Accidental Battlefield m the Horn of Africa and red sea in the imagination its easy . Icse places to Iraq and the persian Gulf Webb s Story properly begins in the corridors of the White Blouse the Pentagon and Congress. 1 Lei a ambitious men and Obriien smile and scheme on i lie Battlefield of Power where no i Asonei s Are taken Only scant consideration is Given to live real casualties that May result on Soine Distant War profit from their political and a military Folly. ,immediately made aware that Quot a Quot a i his in t going to be just another is against them High tech Story that Here is a novelist with a something Tough a minded to say that goes beyond wild Blue yonder weaponry. As his ship Heads toward the War zone. Bill of Garth the Gallant Marine colonel who serves As Janies Webb a former Secretary of the Navy takes a Tough look at War and politics. The Quot conscience of the novel Iii Ells something rot ten about the Mission the author Speaks for his character. C a a a a a. 7 a a a a a Quot a a and times were not Good in Washington Fogarty could sense it  hints on the news that he never would have noticed had he riot spent three years learning the Doublespeak of. Government the More Bellicose members of the administration seemed especially Antsy of late spoiling for a reason to use military  because fact and fiction arc so Well intertwined Quot in Quot something to die for a it s useful to give the Auchoi s credentials and mention what he has a been saying about the Gulf War he is a highly decorated Marine corps Veteran of the Vietnam. War. Webb is a Washington insider he was an assistant Secretary of defense and Secretary of the Navy until february l%8. In recent weeks while expressing Confidence is the professionalism of those serving on foreign shores lie has been  icy dui Ihling the Wisdom of the Bush adm istra a t Ion s decision to go to War in the persian  this "personalbackground,-.Webb s a a novel is a the More compelling As fiction a a. L Lis previous Bonks including a Fields of  about a Marine Eon Bat unit in Vietnam arc a. Small scale computed . What.  about the compromises payrolls a nil hypocrisies. Of some members of the executive and legislative a branches is As Authon Kaliveas anything written about  recent years. Ii Only half of it is True its truly frightening. A a the action in the Story is about equally divided y Between Washington and the War. Front in Washington. Two powerful political rivals Are involved in a scandal about the illegal Transfer by a Japa a Tiese Tompai in of Mil Larye technology to the soviet Union one. Is an Ivy league Secretary of de a a sense w  to Cut throats and Manitiu late the press the other is a Veteran chairman of the i Louise armed services  a worn a Aizer w to is Tun to get the Secretary of defense a Job As Well As his wife a Centrefold with brains. The devious Secretary of defense but then a nearly null  utters Are. Devious and his Good Friend an Admiral aptly Kirk non As a.  Mulcahy Are looking  diversion. I rom the  japanese Compa a. A Nyi what better than a Nice Little War on behalf of so called Freedom fighters that would be directed against the cubans and the russians and include the possibility of toppling Fidel c As rothis Isnit , quid the actual situation in thei Lorn of Africa has changed in the last year but to the hands of Webb the political motives and military act ions come close enough to reality. Quot the Battle seenes in the novel where too Many marines die needlessly because of the ambitions of High ranking officers arc totally believable and so is to fighters resignation to their role in what is basically a political struggle. But where the author shines As a True War Noy list is in showing both enemy and ally in a human Light this is one of the. Major achieve a. Me tits in a something to die for Quot a novel that is breathtaking in its vision. A. A a Quot a the Book will to available at stars and stripes bookstores reviews Carl Rowan breaking harriers by cart. Rowan Little Brown and co., 372 up $22.95 a a growing up ,. African american in the ,Carl Row an was once so poor that he found food by sneaking into farms and a sucking a hot milk from the a teats    nevertheless. Managed to become an official in the Kennedy and Johnson a. A administrations and m this Mcmo Lihe offers portraits of the  decent Amei Caos a who i Lpyd him Rea Efi those  file it traits recall the Golden hued memories of his Neni Esis former president Reagan. Unlike Reagan however,.rowan realizes. That millions of other americans did not enjoy his Luck a we act As though it is Only in Distant places like. Bucharest and the Baltic. Panama and Prague that Ordinary people have a terrible Lime finding Hope and happiness a he writes. A i know.  a. A a a a a a i  a thoroughly eloquent. Work marred Only by Row and a failure to reconcile his. Vigorous defense of. A the social programs he helped Champion now under a Thaek from a other writers with his assertions that african americans want a no special restrictions and no special favors just the right to Rise or fall on menu Alex Raskin los Angeles times cupid by Robert Reid Bantam books&Quot$3.95 paperbackr1 Lere s a up richly tale of sordid a gruesome slayings told with the twist that Only a police Veteran can give a them. A a \ a. A cupid is the  a policeman who is first called upon to investigate a the murder of a Man who almost killed him and then tracks later a a Muddy bloody Corpse of  to a a government operative _ the. Protected operative is the key. To both homicides. Robert Reid a. V new author obviously has Poi Miu. Quot cupid Quot is Good the next Book. A should be better. A a Kathleen Ostrander _ United press International Angel eyes by Eric v. Lustbader Fawcett Columbine 496 pp., $19,95 let s not be too harsh with Eric  for Hilling the ninja craze of recent years of Sii it by invented he genre with a series of Best Sellers beginning appropriately with Quot flip ninja Quot focusing on tins exotic tradition of Oriental martial arts Quot Quot a. His latest a Angel eyes a a is. Some thug of a departure because. The p  t ago n is t is a who a a t Ort. A Nunn a former member of a hush hush i n t Al 11 be Nee Agency who is still. Grieving for her brother lost years Quot. Before in a joint am incan russian. Space project  into service to help fight a worldwide a Quot influx of a new lethal form of a co Cimko fort becomes embroiled in a Complex plot that reaches Ajilo a. Global network of loyalties and tre Cheries. The glamorous Tony is every bit As skilled Ami deadly in the tricks of Quot Quot the ninja As her predecessors and. Sudden violent death lurks around. A cry Corner Here. A Don g. Campbell los Angeles to incs a Bonk Sive or a Vii be  stars and Smipes Backst res