Uncle Target: Difference between revisions

Uncle Target
	First edition
Author	Gavin Lyall
Language	English
Series	Harry Maxim
Genre	Military Thriller Novel
Publisher	Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date	1988
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	288
ISBN	0-340-41701-3
OCLC	18520939
Preceded by	The Crocus List
Followed by	Spy's Honour

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Uncle Target is a third person narrative novel by English author Gavin Lyall, first published in 1988, and the fourth and last in his series of novels with the character “Harry Maxim” as the protagonist. The title is explained as a piece of army slang - Uncle Target meaning the person everyone is shooting at. This comes from WW2 Royal Artillery procedures, where "Uncle target" was a concentration of all a division's artillery.^[1]

Plot introduction

The Palestinian-dominated Royal Jordanian Army's 17th Armoured Brigade has revolted with Syrian assistance, and has seized the southern part of Jordan, including the port city of Aqaba. However, the major concern for the British Army is that a prototype main battle tank on trials in the Jordanian desert has gone missing. After a terrorist attack in London fails, British military intelligence discovers that the tank is hidden in the ruins of an ancient Crusader fort near Wadi Rum. SAS-trained Major Harry Maxim, who formerly trained the Jordanian Army, is the ideal candidate to send in a commando raid to destroy the tank before it can fall into rebel (and thus Soviet) hands. However, the mission is botched when Maxim's helicopter crashes, and Maxim, an infantryman with no Armoured experience, decides that the best chance for the survival of his small team is to attempt to drive the tank across a hundred miles of rebel held desert to the presumed safety of Saudi Arabia.

The continuing romance

Agnes Algar finds the emotional pressures of being Maxim's "significant other" more draining than the pressures of her work at MI5.

Review

The tank itself, and the culture of the soldiers who operate it, are the focus of this book, which has been compared to Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October in terms of the amount of detailed information conveyed to the reader.

References

^ British Artillery Methods https://nigelef.tripod.com/maindoc.htm#Application%20of%20Fire

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[1] British Artillery Methods https://nigelef.tripod.com/maindoc.htm#Application%20of%20Fire

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-'''''Uncle Target''''' is a [[third person narrative]] [[novel]] by [[English people|English]] author [[Gavin Lyall]], first published in [[1988 in literature|1988]], and the fourth and last in his series of novels with the character “Harry Maxim” as the [[protagonist]].
+'''''Uncle Target''''' is a [[third person narrative]] [[novel]] by [[English people|English]] author [[Gavin Lyall]], first published in [[1988 in literature|1988]], and the fourth and last in his series of novels with the character “Harry Maxim” as the [[protagonist]]. The title is explained as a piece of army slang - Uncle Target meaning the person everyone is shooting at. This comes from WW2 Royal Artillery procedures, where "Uncle target" was a concentration of all a division's artillery.<ref>British Artillery Methods https://nigelef.tripod.com/maindoc.htm#Application%20of%20Fire</ref>
 ==Plot introduction==
-The [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]]-dominated [[Royal Jordanian Land Force|Royal Jordanian Army]]'s 17th Armored Brigade has revolted with [[Syria]]n assistance, and has seized the southern part of [[Jordan]], including the port city of [[Aqaba]]. However, the major concern for the [[British Army]] is that a prototype [[main battle tank]] on trials in the Jordanian desert has gone missing. After a [[terrorist attack]] in [[London]] fails, British [[military intelligence]] discovers that the tank is hidden in the ruins of an ancient [[Crusades|Crusader]] fort near [[Wadi Rum]]. [[Special Air Service|SAS]]-trained Major Harry Maxim, who formerly trained the Jordanian Army, is the ideal candidate to send in a [[commando]] raid to destroy the tank before it can fall into rebel (and thus [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]) hands. However, the mission is botched when Maxim's [[helicopter]] crashes, and Maxim, an infantryman with no Armoured experience, decides that the best chance for the survival of his small team is to attempt to drive the tank across a hundred miles of rebel held desert to the presumed safety of [[Saudi Arabia]].
+The [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]]-dominated [[Royal Jordanian Land Force|Royal Jordanian Army]]'s 17th Armoured Brigade has revolted with [[Syria]]n assistance, and has seized the southern part of [[Jordan]], including the port city of [[Aqaba]]. However, the major concern for the [[British Army]] is that a prototype [[main battle tank]] on trials in the Jordanian desert has gone missing. After a [[terrorist attack]] in [[London]] fails, British [[military intelligence]] discovers that the tank is hidden in the ruins of an ancient [[Crusades|Crusader]] fort near [[Wadi Rum]]. [[Special Air Service|SAS]]-trained Major Harry Maxim, who formerly trained the Jordanian Army, is the ideal candidate to send in a [[commando]] raid to destroy the tank before it can fall into rebel (and thus [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]) hands. However, the mission is botched when Maxim's [[helicopter]] crashes, and Maxim, an infantryman with no Armoured experience, decides that the best chance for the survival of his small team is to attempt to drive the tank across a hundred miles of rebel held desert to the presumed safety of [[Saudi Arabia]].
 ==The continuing romance==
-Agnes Algar, now Maxim's significant other, finds the role of nervous Army wife more draining than the pressures of her work at [[MI5]].
+Agnes Algar finds the emotional pressures of being Maxim's "[[significant other]]" more draining than the pressures of her work at [[MI5]].
 ==Review==
 The tank itself, and the culture of the soldiers who operate it, are the focus of this book, which has been compared to [[Tom Clancy]]'s ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' in terms of the amount of detailed information conveyed to the reader.
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 [[Category:1988 British novels]]
-[[Category:Spy novels]]
+[[Category:British spy novels]]
 [[Category:Novels by Gavin Lyall]]
 [[Category:Novels set in Jordan]]