Do not wish ill for your enemy, plan it. De inimico non loquaris male, sed cogites 1. What, if any, exception should there be to the first commandment in the war on terror: Thou shalt never negotiate with terrorists? 2. What are some of your own “rules to live by?” 3. In THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, Brad suggests that “all that...
People often ask me where I get my ideas and I tell them, “In the shower.” And when I say that, I’m not kidding. My ideas come to me when I am completely relaxed. More often than not, it is in the evening when the children have been put to bed, my wife and I have eaten dinner, and we...
1. President Rutledge suggests early in the book that “Civilized rules of engagement and jurisprudence mean nothing to a vicious enemy willing to do anything to succeed…In this case we have to suspend the rule of law in part, in order to save it.” The theme of success at any cost recurs throughout the story. When in your life have...
Dear Fans, I am so glad to have the opportunity to speak to you directly. Thank you for all your support and for all the great word of mouth you have given my books over the years. In 2008, I had the honor of meeting United States Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and listening to him speak in support of his novel, Lone Survivor. The topic...
1. Brad offers 3 definitions of BLOWBACK before the story begins. Can you identify examples of all 3 definitions in the book? 2. President Rutledge could have been the first President to authorize a thermonuclear attack on his own people. When/How would that be justifiable? 3. Jillian is a scientist, a “world of constants… rules and processes.” Why would she...