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 enlarge | Author: Frederick Forsyth
Publisher: Corgi
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £7.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 60774
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 540
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7 x 4.3 x 1.4
ISBN: 0552139912
EAN: 9780552139915
ASIN: 0552139912
Publication Date: July 3, 1997
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 an icon is to be respected and could be vulnerable to threats... January 14, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
First 6 chapters way too slow. Story build-up about an important document written by the upcoming President of Russia is missing. Now i think is going to stay that way...brb
Now i understand why the 2nd part become so much intense. Should see this through as a good book at last. Wait up agent Monk...
Hmm...what can i say about the ending - to kill an ICON is to create such threats. This book shows one good note in the combination of a older hero Irvine and the younger hero Monk which work pretty well for a good action pack ending esp when the part of the New Year Eve battle to Kremlin. Like it will try read again sometime.
Fine storytelling, if a little implausible July 28, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read Frederick Forsyth a lot since his books are all well-researched and have an intricate yet accessible plot, usually with a few surprises thrown in. And so it is with Icon. There's not a lot of real action, but the whole point of the story is not that the 'good' characters are literally fighting someone. It is more about a battle for the hearts and minds of the people of the Russian Federation. Igor Komarov, a favourite of the upcoming millennial election, is revealed to be planning massive genocide within Russia once he comes to power, as well as wars of aggression which could go as far as to start World War III. It's up to retired master spy Nigel Irvine (also featured in Forsyth's The Fourth Protocol) and ex American agent Jason Monk to cut through all Komarov's propoganda and convince Russia's voting public of the truth.
The book was published in the mid-nineties, but the story is still good when read in hindsight. The potential risk of the Russian Federation becoming the seat of the world's next great tyrant is also explored in Robert Harris's book Archangel, so the book clearly echoes a real warning that someone has voiced. There are plenty of interesting characters, the best being, in my opinion, retired Russian general Nikolai Nikolaiev. The story grips continuously, but there are implausible facets to it that prevent the book acheiving a fifth star.
 Out-of-date thriller September 30, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
That's the problem with writing political thrillers that take current events and project them forward. A few years later...they become irrelevant and nonsensical. So it is with "Icon".
So does the "thriller" element work to compensate for the outdated storyline? It does in parts. The research as all of his books is detailed and always interesting to see real life characters woven into the plot. But there still isn't anything that original.
Ok...so most readers are not expecting originality...after all it's only supposed to be a disposable airport novel...but the sub Le Carreish Smiley in the form of Sir Nigel Irvine is disappointing and it's padded out with superflous side stories (a hightech laptop story that goes nowhere).
Definitely not his best.
 Iconic thriller August 19, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forsyth never disappoints. Once again, if you start you will not want to stop until the end. The first part set in the Cold War is more realistic and convincing then his foray into what was the future when the book was written. As usual a lot of research has produced a fine thriller.
Truly brilliant - certainly one of the best novels I've read! July 25, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book opens in 1999, where in Russia hyper-inflation, corruption and food shortages are spiralling out of control. What follows is an exceptionally well written tale, intertwining present day with significant events of the past. In classic Forsyth style he superbly complements real-life characters and events with a racy, comprehensive storyline - producing a novel which is impossible to put down.
In all, this book is the ultimate action thriller - a gripping narrative and superb cast of characters, with an ending every bit as good as the journey! Easily 5 stars!
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