Which of Dale Brown's thriller novels is your personal favorite?

Back in December, one of my down-the-road neighbors broadened my horizons by introducing me to the works of his favorite author, Dale Brown. We happened to be in the book aisle of our local Wal-Mart at the same time, and he recommended that I read Brown’s 2010 novel, “Executive Intent.” He went on to tell me that he’d been hooked on Brown’s books ever since he read “Flight of the Old Dog,” which was published in 1987.

Some time later, I stumbled across a used paperback copy of “Flight of the Old Dog” at Treasures On The Corner in Evergreen and added it to my “books to read” pile. I finished reading it just the other day, and it was awesome. In fact, I went ahead and added “Read all of Dale Brown’s books” to my bucket list.

For those of you unfamiliar with “Flight of the Old Dog,” this thriller novel was published in June 1987 and was Brown’s debut novel. The story begins when the Soviet Union uses a powerful laser to destroy U.S. aircraft and defensive satellites. The U.S. Air Force responds by recruiting a top-notch crew to man a suped-up B-52 bomber called the “Old Dog.” The crew of this old but reliable bomber is eventually called on to face almost certain destruction by threading their way through complex Russian air defenses as they try to swoop in and bomb the laser.

I really enjoyed “Flight of the Old Dog.” It reminded me a lot of Tom Clancy’s “The Hunt for Red October” in that it contained realistic technical information that lent the work a heavy air of authenticity. I also really appreciate my neighbor telling me about his books, and I’m actually surprised that I haven’t heard more about him. If the rest of his books are of the same quality as “Flight of the Old Dog,” then I’ve got to look forward to.

When it comes to reading all of Brown’s books, I’ve got my work cut out for me. By my count, Brown, age 55, has written or co-written 37 novels. What follows is a complete list of his books in order of publication.

- Flight of the Old Dog (1987)

- Silver Tower (1988)

- Day of the Cheetah (1989)

- Hammerheads (1990)

- Sky Masters (1991)

- Night of the Hawk (1992)

- Chains of Command (1993)

- Storming Heaven (1994)

- Shadow of Steel (1996)

- Fatal Terrain (1997)

- The Tin Man (1998)

- Battle Born (1999)

- Warrior Class (2001)

- Wings of Fire (2002)

- Air Battle Force (2003)

- Plan of Attack (2004)

- Edge of Battle (2006)

- Act of War (2005)

- Strike Force (2007)

- Shadow Command (2008)

- Rogue Forces (2009)

- Executive Intent (2010)

- A Time for Patriots (2011)

- Tigers Claw (2012)

Brown is also well known for his “Dreamland” series of novels, which he co-wrote with author Jim DeFelice. The novels in that series include:

- Dreamland (2001)

- Nerve Center (2002)

- Razor's Edge (2002)

- Piranha (2003)

- Strike Zone (2004)

- Armageddon (2004)

- Satan's Tail (2005)

- End Game (2006)

- Retribution (2007)

- Revolution (2008)

- Whiplash (2009)

- Black Wolf (2010)

- Raven Strike (2011)

In the end, how many of you out there are Dale Brown fans? How many of his books have you read? Which did you like or dislike and why? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more information about Dale Brown, visit his official Web site at http://dalebrown.info/index02.htm.