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WORK TITLE: Spirit Mission
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://spiritmission.net/
CITY: Atlanta
STATE: GA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://us.macmillan.com/spiritmission/tedruss/9781627799669/ * https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedruss/ *
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.:
n 2016013445
LCCN Permalink:
https://lccn.loc.gov/n2016013445
HEADING:
Russ, Ted
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__ |a Spirit mission, 2016: |b ECIP t.p. (Ted Russ)
PERSONAL
Married; wife’s name Anna.
EDUCATION:United States Military Academy at West Point, graduated; Emory University, M.B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Army helicopter pilot.
MIILITARY:Officer and a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, left in 2000.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Ted Russ published the novel, Spirit Mission, in 2016 which looks at life at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Russ graduated from West Point himself, and entered the military, serving as an officer and a helicopter pilot and eventually with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He left the military in 2000, then attended Emory University where he earned an M.B.A. He now lives in Georgia with his wife.
With humor, Russ reveals the stress of cadet life as well as the duty, honor, and character of its men. Spirit Mission, named one of Military Times Best Books of 2016, follows Sam Avery and Henry Stillmont, fellow cadets at West Point in 1987 who bond over ideals of duty and country, and also the prank of stealing the Naval Academy’s mascot goat before a football game. Twenty years later, helicopter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Avery leads a spirit mission, an unauthorized mission carried out for moral reasons, to rescue Stillmont, now a humanitarian aid worker who was captured by ISIS operatives in Tal Afar, Iraq. Avery’s mission is on a timer as ISIS has threatened to behead Stillmont in twenty-four hours.
The book alternates between the men’s days at West Point and Avery’s mission to rescue Stillmont. At the academy, Avery admired squad leader Stillmont, known as the Guru, who taught his cadets the value of brotherhood and loyalty. Now with Stillmont in trouble, the military prefers to avoid the risk of a rescue mission. Along with the help of fellow West Point alumni Cisco Guerrero and Zack Dempsey, Avery secretly takes his MH-47G Chinook helicopter into dangerous ISIS territory. Russ offers a realistic view of life and hazing at West Point, how the academy is run, its reputation, and the need sometimes to break the rules. A writer in Publishers Weekly called the book an “exciting, cleverly constructed first novel.”
A Kirkus Reviews Online contributor praised Russ’ fast-moving story and three-dimensional characters, adding, “The West Point chapters prove the most compelling, turning this from a straight adventure story to a deeper psychological study of military school and its rites of passage.” Writing in Library Journal, Seth Herchenbach said that the narrative takes time to develop but eventually is compelling, moreover, “The suspense crescendos into a satisfying surprise ending.” Herchenbach added that character development is accomplished through emotions, thoughts, and struggles of the characters’ loyalty and honor.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Library Journal, August 1, 2016, Seth Herchenbach, review of Spirit Mission.
Publishers Weekly, August 1, 2016, review of Spirit Mission.
ONLINE
Kirkus Reviews Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (August 23, 2016), review of Spirit Mission.
Spirit Mission Home Page, http://spiritmission.net (May 1, 2017), author profile.*
“Ted Russ has written a wonderful book on West Point. Spirit Mission does a marvelous job of illuminating the humor, stress, and dilemmas of cadet life. It is a story of war and character, duty and honor, and stealing the Navy goat.”
—GENERAL (RET.) WESLEY K. CLARK
To honor bonds forged twenty-five years ago at West Point, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Avery leads an illegal mission deep into ISIS-held territory.
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An MH-47G Chinook helicopter departs formation in the Iraqi night. The mission is unauthorized. The objective is reckless. But to save a friend, Sam Avery and his crew of Night Stalkers have prepared for one last flight.
As they near their target, Sam reflects on his time in the crucible of the United States Military Academy. West Point made Sam the leader he is. But his fellow cadets made him the man that he is. The ideals of duty, honor, and country have echoed throughout his life and drive him and his comrades as they undertake their final and most audacious spirit mission.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ted Russ, author of Spirit Mission
Ted Russ is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as an officer and a helicopter pilot and eventually with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. After leaving the army in 2000, he received an MBA from Emory University and now lives in Georgia with his wife, Anna, and their dog, Henry. Spirit Mission is his first novel.
Book Excerpt
Reviews
About the Author
Community
EXCERPT
ONE
0034 HOURS, 2 AUGUST 2015
I banked the helicopter slightly to the right to adjust for the crosswind. It was stiffer than forecast, and our ground track was skewing south. As...
READ THE FULL EXCERPT →
REVIEWS
Praise for Spirit Mission
“Exciting, cleverly constructed…a spirit mission against seriously deadly odds.”
—Publishers Weekly
"The suspense crescendos into a satisfying surprise ending."
—Library Journal
"Russ, a West Point graduate and helicopter pilot, brings great authenticity to his account of military life...the flashbacks are outstanding....[a] promising writer."
—Booklist
“The West Point chapters prove the most compelling, turning this from a straight adventure story to a deeper psychological study of military school and its rites of passage…a fast-moving yarn with believable, three-dimensional characters."
—Kirkus Reviews
“Ted Russ has crafted a masterful thriller torn from today's headlines, yet what's more is he has written a book with an enormous soul, a novel about brotherhood, conflicted loyalties, and some of the finest writing I can remember on the topic of flying.”
—Elliot Ackerman, author of Green on Blue
“The account of cadet life at West Point is absolutely fascinating in every respect. One really learns properly how the place is run and why it has the reputation it does. The story of action taking place against all the rules is riveting also, and for a first novel he has managed superbly the technique of moving backwards and forwards over the years in this story of how cadets put themselves into action.”
—Jack Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of The Eagle Has Landed
“Ted Russ has written a wonderful book on West Point. Spirit Mission does a marvelous job of illuminating the humor, ... More
Reviews from Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ted Russ
Ted Russ is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as an officer and a helicopter pilot and eventually with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. After leaving the army in 2000, he received an MBA from Emory University and now lives in Georgia with his wife, Anna, and their dog, Henry. Spirit Mission is his first novel.
One of Military Times Best Books of 2016
To honor bonds forged twenty-five years ago at West Point, Lieutenant Colonel Sam Avery leads an illegal mission deep into ISIS-held territory.
An MH-47G Chinook helicopter departs formation in the Iraqi night. The mission is unauthorized. Success is unlikely. But to save a friend, Sam Avery and his crew of Night Stalkers have prepared for one last flight.
ISIS operatives in Tal Afar, Iraq, have captured American aid worker Henry Stillmont. Avery knows Stillmont as “the Guru,” the West Point squad leader who taught him about brotherhood, loyalty, and when to break the rules as a young cadet twenty-five years ago. Sam will risk his career and his life to save him.
As they near their target, Sam reflects on his time in the crucible of the United States Military Academy. West Point made Sam the leader he is. But his fellow cadets made him the man that he is. The ideals of duty, honor, and country have echoed throughout his life and drive him and his comrades as they undertake their final and most audacious spirit mission.
CONNECT WITH
THE AUTHOR
Ted Russ
OFFICIAL SITES
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SpiritMission.net
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Book Excerpt
Reviews
About the Author
Community
EXCERPT
ONE
0034 HOURS, 2 AUGUST 2015
I banked the helicopter slightly to the right to adjust for the crosswind. It was stiffer than forecast, and our ground track was skewing south. As...
READ THE FULL EXCERPT →
REVIEWS
Praise for Spirit Mission
“Exciting, cleverly constructed…a spirit mission against seriously deadly odds.”
—Publishers Weekly
"The suspense crescendos into a satisfying surprise ending."
—Library Journal
"Russ, a West Point graduate and helicopter pilot, brings great authenticity to his account of military life...the flashbacks are outstanding....[a] promising writer."
—Booklist
“The West Point chapters prove the most compelling, turning this from a straight adventure story to a deeper psychological study of military school and its rites of passage…a fast-moving yarn with believable, three-dimensional characters."
—Kirkus Reviews
“Ted Russ has crafted a masterful thriller torn from today's headlines, yet what's more is he has written a book with an enormous soul, a novel about brotherhood, conflicted loyalties, and some of the finest writing I can remember on the topic of flying.”
—Elliot Ackerman, author of Green on Blue
“The account of cadet life at West Point is absolutely fascinating in every respect. One really learns properly how the place is run and why it has the reputation it does. The story of action taking place against all the rules is riveting also, and for a first novel he has managed superbly the technique of moving backwards and forwards over the years in this story of how cadets put themselves into action.”
—Jack Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of The Eagle Has Landed
“Ted Russ has written a wonderful book on West Point. Spirit Mission does a marvelous job of illuminating the humor, stress, and dilemmas of cadet life. It is a story of war and character, duty and honor, and stealing the Navy goat.”
—General (ret.) Wesley K. Clark
“There’s a common denominator in Ted Russ’s experience as a West Point cadet and a pilot with the US Army’s elite Special Operations Aviation Regiment—the bonds that develop among soldiers who share hardships. Here, in crackling prose that brings readers scenes that are full of both intense action and heartfelt emotion, Russ explores themes that have been with us since Homer’s epics.”
—Ed Ruggero, author of Combat Jump and The First Men In
4/12/17, 3)41 PM
Print Marked Items
Russ, Ted: Spirit Mission
Seth Herchenbach
Library Journal.
141.13 (Aug. 1, 2016): p86. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Russ, Ted. Spirit Mission. Holt. Nov. 2016. 336p. ISBN 9781627799669. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781627799652. F
Relationship building between cadets at West Point in the early 1990s tests honor and integrity as two "spirit missions" develop nearly 25 years apart. The dual story lines balance a plan by cadets to steal the Navy's goat mascot and an unauthorized rogue mission by Lt. Col. Sam Avery to rescue a friend in Iraq held captive by ISIS. While the narrative takes time to gather momentum, by mid-story readers will feel compelled to discover how the two spirit missions will conclude. The suspense crescendoes into a satisfying surprise ending. Character development is sufficiently accomplished via the emotions, thoughts, and struggles of the main characters as their loyalty and honor are challenged both at West Point and in Iraq. VERDICT This first novel is a good choice for military fiction buffs, especially for readers interested in learning more about life in a military academy. The author's experience as a West Point graduate makes this half of the book an accurate portrayal of cadet life from day one to graduation.--Seth Herchenbach, McHenry Cty. Coll. Crystal Lake, IL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Herchenbach, Seth. "Russ, Ted: Spirit Mission." Library Journal, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 86. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA459804993&it=r&asid=8b563b922e7c4ed6250a3b8d9cb56999. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A459804993
about:blank Page 1 of 2
4/12/17, 3)41 PM
Spirit Mission
Publishers Weekly.
263.31 (Aug. 1, 2016): p47. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Spirit Mission
Ted Russ. Holt, $28 (336p) ISBN 978-1-62779-966-9
In 2015, U.S. Army aviator Sam Avery, the narrator of Russ's exciting, cleverly constructed first novel, is the pilot of a Chinook helicopter on an unauthorized mission into Iraq. Flashback to 1987. Sam arrives at West Point and is immediately submitted to the harassment inflicted on all cadets every minute of their day for their entire first year. Sam rooms with Cisco Guerrero, who earns the nickname Turtle because of his slowness. Of particular interest is the upperclassman known as Guru, who takes the new cadets under his wing and is soon sending them on "spirit missions," fiendishly elaborate unsanctioned pranks that are undertaken for the sheer glory of pulling them off. Years later, it's Turtle and Zack Dempsey, another West Point roommate of Sam's, who show up in Iraq and tell Sam that Guru, now a charity worker, has been taken prisoner by ISIS and will be beheaded in 24 hours unless they rescue him. Once again the old friends are on a spirit mission, this time against seriously deadly odds. Agent: Ed Victor, Ed Victor Ltd. (U.K.). (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Spirit Mission." Publishers Weekly, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 47. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460285665&it=r&asid=bb4ed1e46ae40da397f422edcd5e587d. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A460285665
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SPIRIT MISSION
by Ted Russ
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KIRKUS REVIEW
In West Point cadet lore, a spirit mission is an illegal or unauthorized one that needs to be carried out for moral reasons.
The first novel by Russ, a West Point graduate and Army helicopter pilot, follows cadet Sam Avery on two such missions, 15 years apart. The first is a senior-year prank to steal the Naval Academy’s goat mascot before a football game. The second, deadlier mission is to rescue a fellow graduate who’s been captured by the Islamic State group in Iraq; they have 24 hours to reach him before he’s going to be beheaded. The two connected stories are told in alternate chapters. A key figure in both stories is an upperclassman known as the Guru. At West Point he’s a mentor to Sam and his company, a soldier who flouts authority, listens to the Grateful Dead, and instigates the goatnapping. In Iraq he’s in charge of a humanitarian operation before his capture. The flashbacks follow Sam’s West Point experience, from his “plebe” year as a hazed freshman, through the death of a classmate and his growing commitment to his company. They also explain why he needs to attempt the Guru’s rescue, while the Army prefers to avoid the risk. The West Point chapters prove the most compelling, turning this from a straight adventure story to a deeper psychological study of military school and its rites of passage. The narrative only bogs down in parts of the rescue mission, which reveal more about the mechanics of a Chinook helicopter than most civilians would ever want to know.
Russ proves adept at spinning a fast-moving yarn with believable, three-dimensional characters.