WALT GRAGG

The Long November

In the tradition of Red Storm Rising and Red Metal, an American military force fights a desperate battle against an overwhelming enemy.

The fuse was a military coup in Pakistan. Now the explosion has brought devastation to most of South Asia and threatens to enflame the world’s largest democracy–India.

American and British allies struggle to rescue Western civilians who have been cut off in Islamabad. What starts as a desperate race turns into a grim siege.

But the fate of a few innocents pales in comparison to one inescapable fact: Pakistan is a nuclear power and some of those weapons are unaccounted for. The Allies must find them before this local conflagration explodes into a global holocaust.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Berkley Books (Penguin Random House), May 2024

Coming Soon

The Chosen One

A fundamentalist Islamic army is on the march in the Middle East, and the fight to stop the spread of the madness will take everything the American military can muster, in this novel from the author of The Red Line.

Two months ago, a new leader arose in the Islamic world: the Madhi – or the Chosen One. He had rallied fundamentalist fighters across the Middle East who have driven deep into Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Standing against them are Allied forces made up primarily of the American military.

It’s a desperate fight. From armored battles in the desert to waves of cruise missiles aimed at American carriers, the Mahdi proves to have many tricks up his sleeve.

Maine Lieutenant Sam Erickson is in the thick of the fighting. He and his company have battled their way from a landing on the Mediterranean shore to the outskirts of Cairo. Now he finds himself at a critical juncture, but can he make the sacrifices necessary for the greater good?

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Berkley / Penguin Books, November 2019

“The Chosen One is action packed, enormously detailed, and captivating. It’s characters, particularly the Mahdi, an Algerian cleric named Mohammed Mourad, and Marine 1st Lt. Sam Erickson, are enthralling.”
-Warrior Soul Podcast

“Graphically depicted battles and highly skilled plot lines this novel draws you in from start to finish. Lives are sacrificed and the tables are turned as Iraqis vs Iranian pitted against each other and the Marines come to an outcome. Does anyone really win? With a plot that aligns it with what’s happening in the news this novel makes you take a hard look at the world today.”
–Just Reviews

“I am a fan of military themed books. This book makes a fan like me very happy. It is full of action, engaging characters, and a strong storyline.”
-Cheryl’s Book Nook

“The idea of a fundamentalist Islamic leader at the head of an enormous jihadist army is, frankly, terrifyingly possible. Even with zero military experience, I found the battles—about 90% of the book—to be believable and understandable.”
–Tomorrow is Another Day

“A riveting and deftly crafted military action/adventure saga of a fundamentalist Islamic army that is once again is on the march in the Middle East, “The Chosen One” by Walt Gragg, an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of reader compelling narrative storytelling style is especially recommended for community library collections.”
–Midwest Book Review

“I just finished The Chosen One. I’ll be putting together a review this week for release on InMilitary next week. Great read. All positive.”
–InMilitary

“The book … is military writing at its level best, making Gragg the chosen one in his own right when it comes to this kind of tale. But his follow-up to “The Red Line” presents war from a literary sensibility more like James Jones (“From Here to Eternity”) or Herman Wouk (“The Winds of War”), making this a must-read for all military thriller fans.”
-Providence Journal

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

Penguin Random House

The Red Line

World War III explodes in seconds when a resurgent Russian Empire launches a deadly armored thrust into the heart of Germany. With a powerful blizzard providing cover, Russian tanks thunder down the autobahns while undercover Spetsnaz teams strike at vulnerable command points.

Standing against them are the woefully undermanned American forces. What they lack in numbers they make up for in superior weapons and training. But before the sun rises they are on the run across a smoking battlefield crowded with corpses.

Any slim hope for victory rests with one unlikely hero. Army Staff Sergeant George O’Neill, a communications specialist, may be able to reestablish links that have been severed by hostile forces, but that will take time. While he works, it’s up to hundreds of individual American soldiers to hold back the enemy flood.

There’s one thing that’s certain. The thin line between victory and defeat is also the red line between life and death.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Berkley / Penguin Books, May 2017

Best First Novel Finalist, International Thriller Writers (2018)
Best Thriller Winner, 14th Annual American Book Festival (2017)
Best Books of 2017, The Real Book Spy
Publishers Weekly Starred and Boxed Review

“[An] impeccably researched, riveting first novel…Must read for any military action fan. Nearly every page reeks of the smoke of battle and the stench of death.”
-Publishers Weekly (Starred and Boxed Review)

“The Best World War Three Epic I’ve Read Since RED STORM RISING.”
-Grant Blackwood, New York Times Bestselling Author of TOM CLANCY DUTY AND HONOR

“A superb political as well as military thriller, THE RED LINE stitches an all-too-plausible doomsday scenario that pulls no punches in scoring a literary knockout….Riveting and relentless.”
-Jon Land, USA Today Bestselling Author

“Reads brilliantly”
-John Batchelor, Nationally Syndicated Talk Show Host

“Ripped straight from tomorrow’s headlines…a high octane ride”
-The Real Book Spy

“You’ll leave thumbprints on the page”
-Mark Leggatt, Author of The London Cage

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

Blackstone Audio

Foreign

Japanese: Ta-Ke Shobo Co.

Media Rights: Film, Television, Stage & Podcast

Previously optioned for feature film by producer Aaron Magnani and Don Murphy