In 2010, Iran implemented its long-standing interest to control the Middle East by deploying its fighter pilots to cross the border into Iraq. But Major Bill Eddy and a crew of four F-15C aircraft are patrolling the area. It becomes apparent that the dog fight will determine the start or end of another war in the Middle East. Every now and then, the story shifts into the past where German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel sends his most trusted men to steal from Hitler’s hidden treasures. This is to fund their escape from the war as they had lost faith in the Nazi cause. But as the Allies attacked Normandy in 1944, the treasures were lost. These treasures will figure in the development of the Special Projects Unit, where Eddy is the director.

Chaos Above the Sand: A Special Projects Unit Adventure by Bruce Thomas is very factual as it checks all the boxes for an action-packed historical novel. Nowadays, a novel like this is not just a fast-moving historical read that entertains. In a world that walks a thin wire and threatens to fall into a pit of international crises and tensions, our fears for a global war may become a reality. Bruce Thomas knows what he’s talking about because he has his own share of US Air Force experience. As a writer, his simple plotting gets you from one point to another and effectively links a past historical event to the present. Thomas does a spellbinding job of alleviating the tension and creates powerful realism. Does it end in an obligatory happy ending where war is averted? I strongly recommend that you read Chaos Above the Sand and find out for yourself.

In a potpourri of action spread over sixty-six years, from espionage and aerial combat to lost treasure from the Third Reich, Bruce Thomas takes us on an entertaining ride in his story Chaos Above The Sand. In 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is joining the growing group of Nazi officers trying to escape the imminent defeat of Hitler. As with the others, he gathers treasure to be sent ahead out of Germany, only to be forced to hide it after a series of events triggered by the Allies landing on Normandy. Peering over the shoulders of the lead spy hunter, SPU director William "Wild Bill" Eddy, and his sidekick Assistant Director Mark "Vector" Jones, we wade through the clues scattered about in page after page of villains and traitors seeking the military defeat of America. Clues to locating Rommel’s lost treasure swirl into the tale of the creation of the SPU.

Bruce Thomas writes with meticulous precision, blending history and espionage in Chaos Above the Sand into an entertaining reading experience for readers who seek action, twists, and turns, and characters who play their roles of villains and heroes with energy and humor. In an unusual blend of plots, we enjoy the head-turning action of aerial combat with Iran alongside the detective work of deciphering the clues to a hidden treasure from World War Two. Chaos Above the Sand must be read to learn how these two storylines come together and generate the creation of Bruce Thomas’s Special Projects Unit that is a continuing source of his stories.

I loved this book. Great mix of modern military/espionage thriller and history combined. The WW2 scenes involving Rommel and his staff were incredible. And the modern military scenes were perfect. Well done, Mr. Thomas. I highly recommend.