Walter Lukash is caught in two worlds but doesn't see a way out of his situation either. Walter's girlfriend who happens to be married is chasing after him because she's a clingy bitch. Walter secretly married against policy now has to face the consequences of that choice as well. Walter is suppose to prevent The US from getting involved in another war. Walter's contacts have other ideas about his mandate. Can Walter get out of the crossfire? Will the girlfriend or wife find Walter? Your answers await you in Bride of a Bygone War.

Preston Fleming has created a wonderful world that centers around historical facts. He brings them to life by showing how the intelligence world really works not just the Hollywood version of the events, places, and people. Fleming never seems to fail at making historical facts into a captivation story. I look forward to more of this author in the future. ( )

Fleming offers us a in-depth look in to the conflict within Lebanon with Christian and other faiths and details the cold-war playing out there with Lebanon and Syria and how the US backed regime fares. ( )

Fleming offers us a in-depth look in to the conflict within Lebanon with Christian and other faiths and details the cold-war playing out there with Lebanon and Syria and how the US backed regime fares. ( )

Bride of a Bygone War is an excellent book for anyone who likes futuristic, military style characters; continuing on the authors story after the "Events" have happened. The author has an eloquent tongue and he really fleshes out the characters. ( )

Bride of a Bygone War is the second book in Preston Fleming’s Beirut trilogy. The first book, Dynamite Fisherman, precedes this one and builds on the character of Conrad Prosser as well as the political state of Lebanon during this period. This book is about Walter Lukash, a spy who did a tour of duty here several years ago and is now asked to infiltrate the Lebanese Christian Phalange to assist them and report their activities back to Washington in order to facilitate the peace process between them and Syrian opposition forces. Although Bride of a Bygone War is a stand-alone novel, readers interested in the events of Beirut’s civil war of the 1980s should consider reading the books in sequence.

This is not an “airport novel.” Though the story is fiction, there is a lot of history and fact and it really isn’t light reading. I’d compare Fleming’s style to Martin Cruz Smith, Eliot Pattison or Graham Greene. The story is complex, intelligently written and takes the reader’s imagination to the ruins of what was once the Paris of the Middle East. It isn’t light reading, but it is good reading.

It’s clear that much of what Fleming writes about comes from his own experiences. The writing is impeccable – no flowery, clumsy sentences or unnecessary “filler.” Mystery, romance, espionage, suspense and action are all present, taking the reader on an intense ride through the violent streets of Beirut and the hills beyond. My only complaint is that it starts out a bit slowly, but it gradually builds momentum and by the time you’re a third of the way through it, you won’t want to put it down.

Fleming is a talented author who writes a good yarn and he makes you think. It won’t be long before he is discovered by a major publisher. I’m looking forward to reading the final book in the Beirut trilogy. ( )