W.E.B. Griffin (1929–2019)

Set laregly in the Phillippine Islands in 1943, this is one of the best military thrillers I've read. Griffin's grasp of WWII history seems to me, admittedly not a professional historian, particularly sharp--he seems to be able to stitch a story to every real event that happened anywhere in the world during his story's extent.

As is usual with Griffin's books, several storylines that don't seem related are made into a tight braid by the end of the book, and characters whose purpose was show more obscure are suddenly revealed to be central to the *actual* story that these perspectives unite to tell. What in tarnation could a loser in Cairo recruited by the CIA's precursor and a crack agent in Budapest, whose job is to prevent Nazi interrogators from torturing information out of prisoners he knows even if it means killing them himself, have to do with a -- well, unconventional, let's say -- guerrilla commander in the Phillippines?

Telling would be spoilering. Read it and find out. Griffin, a talented writer of some eighty summers (b. 1929), is still writing! Give his stuff a try. Even the military-fiction-phobic could find a thriller or two to enjoy. show less

Hilarious!
It is well established that Mr. Griffin does not think especially highly about bureaucrats and bureaucracy. One has only to read one or two of his books to discern this fact. And, underlying all of his works is sardonic humor in the way he addresses rank.
That said, in this work, Griffin and Butterworth pull out all of the stops. Nevertheless, the quality of the writing remains high. But it is the plot that keeps evolving almost as if he asks himself each day what craziness can we show more put into the book today. show less

Unlike other W.E.B. Griffin books, this book got off to a very slow start...in fact, it might be a slow start to a seven book series. It chronicles the beginning of the OSS with Wild Bill Donovan, with a salute to the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) and some preparation for the Manhattan Project and the Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. As usual, there is a considerable amount of "soap opera." Our heroes are impressed into the OSS and begin their work. The dialogue is show more quintessential Griffin...he reads to you every written document so that it becomes conversation. I'm amazed that the POTUS and MacArthur are personally involved with some wet behind the ears Lieutenants...but Griffin can write anything he wants. On to book #2. show less

I love older Young Adult writing particularly because, while they are short and simple enough for a quick read, the writers don't assume their readers are *stupid*, like too many modern authors do. All right - perhaps 'stupid' is too harsh. They don't assume their readers are reluctant learners: they're writing for people who are curious and engaged with the world and won't turn away from something because it's too complicated, to technical, not disney-colored and fast-paced enough.

This book show more has that in *spades*. I picked it up thinking it would be a fun, tom-swift-style story where a pair of boys acquire an awesome car, fix it, and then fight crime and have hijinx. Instead, it starts with a story about the occupation of Germany, and then spends the next fifty pages teaching me the principles of commodities trading and the modern farming business.

It's *amazing*.

It does eventually get to the car, too, but instead of glossing over the tinkering and getting right to the hijinx, the restoration of the car is the main thrust of the book, and I learned more about steam engines and steam cars then I imagined I could: it's a Dobel Model E steam automobile, and it's brilliant: it's the best car in all the world, it honestly is, and I fell in love with it along with the characters.

I want one now.

There is a story, too, it's not *just* an excuse to talk about the car; it's a story about family relationships, sibling and intergenerational, and about growing into and out of yourself. (But mostly about the car.)

If you know someone who's not a great reader but loves mechanical things, find them this book. show less