Liberators (Coming Collapse, 5)

Very interesting and informative.

Excellent read in a fabulous series Liberators is an outstanding fifth installment in James Wesley, Rawles series. Very well researched the novel parallels the other four in his prophetically optimistic storytelling of the rise from a politically induced continent wide crash. I very much enjoy that Rawles doesn't bend to the silly fad of political correctness and creates characters whose values are admirable at the deepest levels. Who could read the accounts and not wish that they knew such people of character, and that they count on these caliber of folk to "have their six" in reality? The clarity of conviction and honesty in faith of many of the characters also conveyed a great sense of worthwhile pace and faith driven lifestyles that many aspire to. Godspeed is the word that comes to mind of this reader. Woven into the storytelling are gems of practical knowledge, descriptive resistance options, and dozens of "ah hah moment" creating examples of thought through complete preparedness. It would be a surprise if any reader didn't pause to reflect on at least few of the examples as they might apply to their own lives. Additionally inspiring is how a reader could create their own parallel storylines - in fact some of the criticism of some reviews are complaining creative readers who perhaps are missing the point that Liberators has inspired a higher level of thought in their minds that they are mistaking for a need to criticize where it is really the writer-in-the-reader wanting to come out. An excellent read and highly recommended.

I wasn't going to buy more of JWR's books, but my wife prevailed and I dutifully made the purchase on the day JWR asked everyone to buy. I've read every one of his books to my wife, including "Patriots" three times. ("Patriots" is still by far the best!) One of the things my wife likes best about his books is that they always include a romance or two. And we appreciate that there's no sleaze! As a Christian, it's nice to see a book's characters praying and expressing faith in God. "Liberators" follows JWR's format of extreme detail punctuated with spots of action. This book has more detail and less action than previous books. At times, my wife's eyes just glazed over. It's still an informative, interesting and worthwhile read. The book improves dramatically from Chapter 45 to the end. It still has detail, but as my wife said, "It's detail I can relate to. Much of the previous detail I just couldn't understand." In true JWR teaching style, some of the details are how-to tips and facts. The book contains an amazing number of these. Some things are pretty hard to believe. For instance, flying at night across Canada from Idaho, with hostiles on the ground before GPS was restored. Perfect recipe for a pilot to lose orientation without visual references and pull a JFK Jr into the ground. I admire JWR and respect his accomplishments, so I hate to see him keep making the same silly editorial mistakes a good editor should catch. He continues to have misplaced-modifiers, placing "only" too early in most sentences. Like many writers, he doesn't know the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation. An acronym can be an abbreviation, but not all abbreviations are acronyms. An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a "word," such as SCUBA, FLIR and MADD. IRS, FBI, BATFE, LP/OP, and LPI aren't acronyms. I also found more abbreviations not explained in the text, which wasn't a problem in previous books. Although he provides a glossary, it's not easy to use in Kindle. He uses "flyer" to refer to handbills. A handbill is a "flier." "Flyers" are model trains and people who fly in airplanes. Another pet peeve is the use of "a" before an abbreviation. In most cases, "an" should be used, such as, "an M-16," or "an SMLE .303," and "an FN-MAG." The way to realize this is correct when reading it is to just say the letters of the abbreviation, not the words the abbreviation stands for. There are too many French expressions that aren't explained. What's the point? On Page 87, Mrs. Townsend says her husband, Pastor Dale, "...had been golf partners with Pastor Townsend since the two of them graduated seminary together." I guess Dale was playing golf with himself. Protesters and troopers are misspelled. On Page 327 it states, "Beware the Craw!" I think the author meant "Claw." I know mistakes inadvertently are inserted in the transition-to-Kindle process, but I suspect most of the 26 errors I noted were because of poor editing. (Many I didn't note.) My point being that the editors JWR so graciously thanks aren't doing nearly as good a job as he thinks. He deserves to be the best he can be. His consolation can be that popular authors, such as Brad Thor, make even more mistakes than JWR. And Thor also has professional editors.

This book is a great addition to the series. I liked the bug out scenario that was given, showing that it can last a lot longer than people plan for. Most bug out plans I have heard or read from people they go off of current/non-emergency situation conditions. Rawles shows how missing the right moment (which is impossible to tell when it occurs) can throw those plans out the window. That a few hour drive can last days or weeks during an emergency. I liked that the 1 character kept an electronic database with her, filled with manuals, books, etc.. that could or would be useful if things go bad. It is an idea I have recommended to people who question having lots of paper copies and how will you bring them with you if you bug out. I also liked the guerrilla war in Canada storyline. Explaining how to do some of the small stuff like the incendiaries used in the helo base attack, the treble hook lines to cover the trail, and the harassment of superior threats is better than other authors I have read. Authors who use only what they see from Hollywierd or just say that the rebels won the battle against all odds. This isn't the best book in the series but it is up there. I do recommend it for those interested in preping or insurgency/guerrilla warfare.

Overall the book is an entertaining read and has a fair amount of salient information in it. The flow of the book is a bit choppy and sometimes a little hard to follow. There is too much emphasis on intelligence items that detract from the overall theme of the book. The book is a work of fiction so I expected it to be over optimistic on the characters survivability through various scenarios but it was over the top in that regard. In particular the group moving from WV to Idaho. Realistically there is very little chance they would make it intact, particularly with children in tow. Mr. Rawles first book, "Patriots, Surviving the coming collapse" is stellar, this one, not so much.

Have all the others in the series. Good read.

This volume of James Wesley Rawles series was very indepth. I liked the detail. I can even overlook the over-generalization that all Canadian are socialists, LOL. The characters continue to be the strength in this series. Strong characters make for a believeable story. Worth reading.

Well written.. highly recommend this author and series

Not his best book (I prefered Patriots by a long shot!), but worth the read! Easy to read as opposed to some novels where you get stuck in the details. A nice addition to a home library!

My favorite book in the series. May be because my city is in this one.