At the end of 2011, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble had online sales, and I bought 16 books for some $60. I like thriller novels, and one that caught my attention is Danger Close, by William G. Boykin (and Tom Morrisey), which means that Morrisey wrote it and capitalized on Boykin's name.

I wouldn't have known who Boykin is, except that he made the news this week when his invitation to speak at West Point was hastily withdrawn after coming into controversy. Or, should I say that Boykin is controversial? Here's the story from the NY Times:

General Boykin, a longtime commander of Special Operations forces, first caused controversy after the Sept. 11 attacks when, as a senior Pentagon official, he described the fight against terrorism as a Christian battle against Satan. His remarks, made in numerous speeches to church groups, were publicly repudiated by President George W. Bush, who argued that America’s war was not with Islam but with violent fanatics.

Since his retirement in 2007 and a new career as a popular conservative Christian speaker, General Boykin has described Islam as “a totalitarian way of life” and said that Islam should not be protected under the First Amendment.

Last week, after learning that General Boykin would be speaking at the prayer breakfast, a liberal veterans’ group, VoteVets.org, demanded that the invitation be revoked. In a letter to West Point’s superintendent, the group said General Boykin’s “incendiary rhetoric regarding Islam” was “incompatible with Army values” and would “put our troops in danger.”

Lt. Col. Sherri Reed, West Point’s director of public affairs, defended the invitation on Friday, saying that “cadets are purposefully exposed to different perspectives” and that the breakfast “will be pluralistic with Christians, Jewish and Muslim cadets participating.”

But by Monday, several other groups had condemned the invitation and concern was also reportedly being voiced by some faculty members and cadets. The Forum on the Military Chaplaincy (a liberal group of retired military chaplains), the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Council on American-Islamic Relations made public appeals to the Pentagon to cancel General Boykin’s appearance."

So, knowing that Boykin is a flaming asshole, should I read the book? Should I burn it? I only paid $3 for it, so it's unlikely that he profited from my purchase.

It has good reviews at Amazon, but then, they could all be from his friends:

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:

(16)

4 star:

(1)

3 star:

(1)

Here is the book description:

Barely into his twenties and already a highly decorated military hero, Army Special Forces veteran Blake Kershaw is now going to college, studying while recuperating from wounds received in Afghanistan, and planning to re-enter the Army as an officer after graduation. But life tosses Blake a curve when his country approaches him about using his special skills to avert a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device in a major eastern U.S. city. To do that, he would need to become an operative deep within Al-Qaeda’s innermost circles—changing his entire identity, even his face. A true patriot, Blake makes the journey into a shadow world that leaves friends, family and, seemingly, even God far behind. But when things go terribly wrong, and his country looks set to destroy him, it is God and God’s people who intervene.

I would. I think all books teach us something although it might not be what you want to learn. Although it's still interesting to see how different people perceive the world and why they write what they write.

You should only read books that expound Sound Moral Principles that will make you a Better Person. Anything else will lead you to engage in Depravity and endanger your Immortal Soul.

"Flaming assholes" often have much to say even though they cause much discomfort for the many in there reception. Why, just the other day......

I don't think you necessarily have to buy this book to appreciate the author's point of view, and to benefit from it. Sometimes, life is redundantly clear in the most unexpected and reflective ways imaginable...

I'd be careful buying DRM-locked books from B&N. If they go the way of Borders they may be even more worthless than other already-read DRM-locked books...

I don't know what a DRM locked book is! This is a standard hardcover.

DRM = Digital Rights Management, which means that if the issuer goes out of business, you might lose access to the digital copy of the book. They put in DRM code to keep you from copying the digital copy or posting it on a copy site.

But if it's a hard copy that is a completely different story.

You should only read books that expound Sound Moral Principles that will make you a Better Person. Anything else will lead you to engage in Depravity and endanger your Immortal Soul.

LOL.

I just watched a video with General Boykin as the narrator. It "suggested" that the US is not only susceptible to socialism but also Marxism. To some extent I have to agree but not to the "flaming" point.

Best regards,

RA1

I tossed the book in the trash after I posted this. After all, that's where I think General Boykin's ideas belong.

Are you pushing your first amendment rights to the fore at the expense of his?

Best regards,

RA1

Are you pushing your first amendment rights to the fore at the expense of his?

Your right to speak does not create a corresponding obligation on my part to listen.

Unless, of course, you have a completely independant, uncoordinated and extremely well funded SuperPac.

Or, a taxpayer paid for 747 at your disposal.

Best regards,

RA1