The Devil's Alternative

This was one of the most exciting books I've ever read! It's a Cold War story about the US versus the Soviet Union, mixed in with some Ukrainian nationalists bent on raising hell in Russia and upsetting world events as a result. We've got the CIA. We have the Politburo. We have the world's wheat production, which -- when I first started reading this -- I thought was going to be boring, but actually turns out to be essential to the plot. We have weapons reductions. We have war plans. We have super tankers and terrorists. We have romance. I could go on and on. And Forsyth doesn't go into his usual excruciating 100 page detail on the planning of an assassination or hostage taking like he normally does. In this book, the head of the KGB is show more killed -- in one page! Amazing. No details at all. I loved it. Talk about a real departure for the author. Of course, there is planning, yes, but none of the mind numbing lengthy stuff that bores the average reader to death with so many of his novels. This is a real page turner. I couldn't recommend it more. show less

Ridiculous in details but and interesting overarching plot. It's sad how little has changed since the cold war. Ukraine wants to break free from Soviet hegemony and the West couldn't care less and will in fact help Russians put them down just to make a deal. Am I describing the plot of the book or the current state of affairs? This story has repeated itself over the last 70 years so many times it's depressingly familiar.

OK, so how do you explain this one. It's 1982 and the Soviet Union faces a famine due to a collapse of the grain harvest. The Politburo is deadlocked with the President wishing to negotiate with the USA to access their grain surplus and his challengers advocating going to war and seizing the whole of Western Europe to end the problem. Throw in a British spy who gets hold of the Soviet plans, a US President trying to make decisions that will prevent war but still stick it to the USSR, the CIA, the KGB, Britains first woman prime minister and a terrorist cell composed of Ukrainian partisans and you've got a complicated thriller on your hands.
Well I read it fast enough, so I guess I must have enjoyed it. This was a page-turner, but I show more probably wouldn't rate it as a 'great' book. The perspective constantly changes between up to 10 different protagonists which is disconcerting, but the action moves along so fast it seems to work. Good fun- it was action, action, action and if you can keep track of the extensive cast of characters a good yarn. Slightly silly ending. show less

The pace was rather slow initially and it was difficult to see how the different threads will come together. Thankfully, the pace picked up noticeably in the last quarter of the book, and it got rather exciting at the denouement. There was also an unexpected twist at the end when it was revealed that the Nightingale was actually a set up by Maxim Rudin.

Fairly standard Forsyth, not his very best, but still better than many. It's dated now of course, but perfectly readable for those who remember life without mobile phones everywhere! The setting is another USSR grain harvest failure (Cf Red Storm Rising)

The russian Politburo realise they're in for a famine in spring if they can't get enough grain from the US. However the US have had advance warning and all the president's advisers insist on playing hardball and securing substantial military reductions. Other Politburo factions think a preemptive military strike into Europe would allow them to seize sufficient grain, and a UK spy informs the Cabinet that they have to tread carefully. Against this there are Ukrainian terrorists seeking show more independence, and somewhat anomalously the worlds biggest oil tanker setting sail on it's maiden voyage.

The narrative jumps about between the various strands, building tension back and forth. As might be expected from a techno-thriller style there are quite a few digressions into technical details of gun specifics, vessel capabilities and party politics. There are also a few notable gaps, whereas everything previously had been minutely planned and detailed, suddenly the terrorists are onboard a plane with two handguns. Even in the 70s this was not an easy feat, and has just been brushed aside. The entire oil tanker subplot is unnecessary and over-extended. Hardly any qualms at all are raised when it's "necessary" to use the USs Top Secret super plane - the Blackbird of the cover - to just jaunt around the world showing it off to all and sundry.

It's fun in a dated sort of way and if you enjoy his other works, or Tom Clancy et al, then it's worth a read. show less

This was fairly standard fare for a Forysth novel. The elements were all there, but I did not feel the intensity that I felt with The Day of the Jackal and I felt this to be one of his lesser works. It was still interesting, no doubt, but I don't feel it's among his better ones.

2.5 stars.

I don't think this book got as good a reception from critics or the book-buying public as Forsyth's first three novels. But I liked it better. It's as finely crafted as any suspense thriller I have read. The politicians' dilemma postulated by the subject matter is only part of the story. There's suspense all through it and things happened not as I expected. It's a big book and it kept me awake nights - much longer than usual.