I picked up this copy up from The Book Thing of Baltimore, Inc. located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The Book Thing is a warehouse of free books that has become a local fixture in the community. The premise is simple. You take as many books as you like, and you can donate as many books as you like. It has become a place for us bookcrossers to congregate often.

Here is an editorial review from Amazon.com:

Rear Admiral Jake Grafton, who has appeared in eight previous Coonts novels (most recently Cuba and Hong Kong), returns for another techno-thriller from one of the genre's top practitioners. The first couple of pages recount the disappearance of SuperAegis, a satellite that's the cornerstone of a new American-European-Russian antimissile defense system, on its first, much heralded trial. But Jake Grafton is only on that case for a few paragraphs before the stealth submarine U.S.S. America is hijacked on her maiden voyage. The sub quickly lives up to her reputation as the sneakiest undersea vessel in the world by seeming to vanish into the Atlantic. It takes a little while for Grafton to connect the dots between the two military blunders, by which time missiles fired from the America have devastated Washington, frying every electronic circuit in the city, and even burning the White House to the ground. Between looking for the rogue sub, searching for the satellite, and trying to get some answers about the team the CIA trained to steal a Russian sub (and then beached when the mission was canceled), Grafton's got his hands full.

Stephen Coonts describes the submarine at the center of the action so lavishly and lovingly that the U.S.S. America is much more real--and even more human--than any of his flesh-and-blood characters, including Grafton himself. The mysterious German financier who's at the bottom of it all doesn't get more than a walk-on; he's a cardboard villain, just like the brilliant female computer expert who sets up his crimes. But none of that matters if you like this kind of tale, which combines excitement and action with loads of information about computers, sonar, weapons systems, and stealth technology. America will surface quickly and take a commanding position on the summer bestseller lists. --Jane Adams

Here are my opinions on the book:

America by Stephen Coonts continues the story of Jake Grafton. In this book, USS America is hijacked by terrorist. There must be traitors within the government in order to pull off a heist like this. USS America is the United States' latest and most advanced nuclear submarine. It has enough firepower to level a big city. To cap it off, the SuperAegis satellite which is the cornerstone of an antimissile defense system is missing. Admiral Grafton has to use all of his resources to save the day.

This book is being released somewhere on the National Mall in celebration of the annual National Book Festival held by the Library of Congress. This book was left there on purpose for you to find. Read and enjoy!

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