The Fragile Star

The Fragile Star is a work of fiction. However, the weapons and tactics used are based on actual military and covert operations. These weapons and tactics are the latest and most lethal in our arsenal and a few of the weapons that appear are prototypes being developed by Heckler and Koch and Uzi corporations.

Three of the scenarios presented in this work are real and factual. The author personally shares the range record at Camp Pendleton firing range and the depictions of that event are exact. The sniper incursion north of Tikrit is an exact representation of what actually happened in Vietnam. Also the depictions of the sniper range at Langley, Virginia are totally accurate.

The means of the nuclear explosions written about in this book are quite accurate. The newest Thermite grenades are being tested at the weapons facilities in McAlester, Oklahoma and Johnson Atoll.

So, all in all, there is probably more fact than fiction within these pages. I do hope the fictional assassinations of Ariel Sharon and others are taken as embellishments and not wishes of the author.

The referred locations in The Fragile Star are actual and have been visited and researched by the author.

This book was written for the reader that appreciates accuracy associated with the action. Also, I find it quite difficult to be as wordy as the “great writers”.

The Fragile Star refers to the fragile stability of the Star of David.

Mr. Layton attended Central State University on a baseball scholarship and received a Bachelors degree in Engineering. Upon graduation from college, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and, after boot camp, was sent to officer’s candidate school. He was then assigned to the Russian linguistics school in Monterey, California The author also was assigned to the Langley, Virginia sniper and tactical weapons school.

Captain Layton spent one tour of duty in Vietnam as a Forced Recon sniper with 12 confirmed kills and was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals.  He then spent a tour at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in charge of security.

After military duty, R.L. worked as a mechanical engineer on the H.A.R.M missile project and taught missile maintenance and readiness in South Korea.

R.L. and his wife own a horse ranch in northeastern Oklahoma.