Spy Novel Triggers Reminiscence of Soviet Union’s Response to Information Age

Anyone who has read Mark Hanson’s explosive spy thriller “The Silicon War” (Xlibris, 2016) is impressed over the book’s interesting technical take on the Cold War. Hanson did a great job in informing readers about the role technology played in the political and military tensions between the United States and the former Soviet Union (succeeded by Russia). History buffs among the readers can’t help but notice the electronic intelligence war was all about information.
 
The word does ring a bell into the minds of people who can remember how the Soviet Union leaders confronted the information age in the 1970s and 1980s, when video cassette recorders (VCRs), satellite TV and computers began to impact people’s lives in the Eastern Bloc. The response of the leaders was apprehension and ambivalence. They resisted the notion that the information age required a free flow of information and idea, and while they underutilized the technological innovations of the time, their citizens put them to better use, even acquiring computers and VCRs during trips abroad or buying them from foreigners, local stores and black markets. 
 
Drawing from the book’s events and from actual history, it is safe to say that the Soviet Union lagged behind the United States in the information war, despite having an earlier head start in the space race.
 
Readers, especially fans of historical fiction and spy thrillers, should not miss “The Silicon War.” The book appeared at the recently-concluded 2017 London Book Fair New Title Showcase. For more information on the book, don’t forget to visit Hanson’s website at http://www.thesiliconwar.com/
 
“The Silicon War”
Written by Mark Hanson
Published by Xlibris
Published date: August 18, 2016
Paperback price: $19.99
 
About the Author
 
Mark Hanson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his bachelor’s degree in Physics and MBA from the University of Utah. Having been recruited by Watkins-Johnson Company, he and his family moved to Silicon Valley, California, in 1974. There he worked in several management positions, including, for example, managing the development and manufacturing of the Space Shuttle antennas. It was during this time that the extent of Soviet efforts to obtain highly sensitive electronic equipment and components was made public. In 1993 Mark and his family returned to Utah to work in management for a software development company. He helped the company develop its flagship products and also helped guide it through economic turmoil to success. Mark is now retired and lives with his wife in South Jordan, Utah. This is his first novel.
 

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