When I first heard about "The Gibraltar Conspiracy" and it being about a maverick governor from Minnesota I thought, "Jesse gets enough press as if is..." and I was pleasantly surprised to find the book had nothing to do with Jesse.
"The Gibraltar Conspiracy" is a fast paced thriller that I truly couldn't put down until the wee hours. The characters are well developed and, being a native Minnesotan I was partial to the setting, but it was the twists and turns in the plot and the insightful crafting of realistic political ideals in a fictional setting that really got me hooked.
Being dismayed with our current two party system I was delighted to read about campaign finance reform in such a frank way...if only the big boys (Gore and Bush) would attack the idea with such vigor...perhaps then something could get done about it.
"The Gibraltar Conspiracy" left me wishing Robert Colfax were alive and running in 2000.
This is one book I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to! And I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an informative yet quick and exhilarating read that will keep them thinking about the real issues that Americans face with our current, semi-corrupt, two party system in place.
Jack Uldrich, former naval intelligence officer and former Intern for the Department of Defense presently serves with Jesse Ventura as Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning. He is eminently suited to craft a conspiracy novel that flows from a wellspring of experience and insight into the political process.
The Gibraltar Conspiracy is a what if tale of political intrigue about a courageous man who runs for president as an independent and who speaks his mind in the process. Robert T. Colfax is the governor of Minnesota (strange coincidence) who isn't afraid to take on lobbyists, lawyers, corporations, and political action committees to try to redirect American politics. He uses an ever-growing cadre of student activists who believe in what he has to say and aren't afraid to use their skills on the Internet to spread the word in the face of corporate attempts to put a stranglehold on his candidacy by whatever means necessary: suppressing the press; lying; conspiracy; murder; and attempted assassination:
"The answer is complete disclosure. The only way to reform this crappy system is to require everyone and every organization that contributes to a campaign, a political action committee, or an independent campaign organization to reveal who they are and how much they have given. If that information is available, the public could figure out the hidden agendas of all these independent expenditure groups like the Coalition for a Prosperous New Millennium."
The Gibraltar Conspiracy is an excellent read; the kind that keeps the reader glued to the book well after bedtime. Jack Uldrich's characters fairly jump out of the book at the reader, who is mesmerized by character development. Uldrich's impressive repertoire of information about election techniques, special interest groups, campaign strategy, military habits, and Secret Service procedure is fascinating. But, more importantly, this book is a wake up call that perhaps we should listen to the little guys. This book would make a great movie!
Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer
The author, Jack Uldrich currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning Department in the Ventura administration. His past assignment as a Naval Intelligence Officer and connection with Department of Defense lend a credibility to this story equitable to a Tom Clancy techno-tale. Uldrich has constructed an intricate tale of greed, power and betrayal at the highest levels of government.
The Gibraltar Conspiracy is both a satisfying sensory thriller and a disconcerting appraisal of who is really in charge of American government. Yes, it is fiction, and the wide array of characters only exist on paper. But anyone who believes that a presidential election is strictly the will of the people may have to reassess their opinion after reading this tale of shifting alliances and special interests.
In his first book, Jack Uldrich spins a suspenseful masterpiece that will keep you past your bedtime, and may enlighten you about the dark underbelly of democracy. How far will the good old boys go to stop this threat to their power structure? You can only get the answer to that by reading The Gibraltar Conspiracy by Jack Uldrich