<DIV><DIV><P>Is Kim Jong-il <I>really</I> a fanatical fan of Dick Marcinko, the Rogue Warrior? Has the terrifying tyrant actually read every one of Marcinko's many <I>New York Times</I> bestsellers?</P><P>One thing is certain: the Rogue Warrior wants nothing to do with the brutal despot. When, in <I>Dictator's Ransom,</I> "the loathsome dwarf"--as George W. Bush derided him--invites Marcinko to the Hermit Kingdom, the Rogue Warrior instantly declines...prompting the CIA to RSVP on his behalf. Of course, the Agency is sending Marcinko on this life-threatening mission, not to sign books but as part of a clandestine special op: Marcinko is to track down four covert nuclear warheads secreted in the Supreme Leader's palace.</P><P>More than just another thriller, however, <I>Dictator's Ransom</I> is a novel of electrifying energy and wicked wit. Marcinko rightfully takes his place alongside Huck Finn as the raunchy, rambunctious American hero he truly is. Kim Jong-il quickly becomes the most outrageous, most frightening, most demented nuclear psychopath in all of history and literature. <I>Dictator's Ransom</I> will have you shuddering with fear and trembling...even as it has you cracking up with laughter.</P></DIV></DIV>