The Saboteurs by W.E.B. Griffin
[2007-12-15]
This was a quick read from another one of my favorite war authors. He has a way of entwining fact and fiction such that it’s completely interesting while also giving a taste of history.
This novel was set in the World War II era, and it follows the super-secret Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the CIA as it tries to address the imminent issues of worldwide warfare.
Obviously there is a fair amount of action and scheming. Unfortunately the book is not as engaging or thought-provoking as other W.E.B. Griffin novels. It’s good, it’s just not up to the same levels of greatness as others that he’s written. I think that the real problem with the stories of Dick Canidy retrieving nuclear scientists from Europe and preparing the entrance by American soldiers as well as the story of OSS agents finding/defeating German agents who are causing havoc on American soil is that they are not complete. The entire end of the former story is contained within a few pages with no real explanation of what happens. It seems rather abrupt and unsatisfying. Additionally, the latter’s end is a complete bunch of fortuitous (for the United States) events that seem to be some sort of deus ex machina for the OSS. Rather ridiculous if you ask me.
It’s too bad, because I really enjoy W.E.B. Griffin novels.