Brian Haig is a New York Times Bestselling author. He has written eight books including his latest, The Capitol Game. He previously served in the military as Special Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command in Korea, and then for four years as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. MyShelf interviewed him.

MyShelf: What is the plot of The Capitol Game?

Brian Haig: A small, insignificant company on the edge of bankruptcy has discovered an alchemist's dream; a miraculous polymer, that when coated on any vehicle, is the equivalent of 30 inches of steel. With bloody conflicts surging in Iraq and Afghanistan, the polymer promises to save thousands of lives and change the course of both wars. The Capitol Group, one of the country’s largest and most powerful corporations is enlisted by Jack Wiley, a Wall Street investment banker, to take over the smaller company that developed the polymer and then get a fat government contract. After the Pentagon’s investigative service starts to ask questions the Capitol Group find themselves embroiled in a tremendous scandal.

 

MyShelf: Was there a point you were trying to get across?

Haig: I was hoping to give you a sense of the tragedy that was occurring in Iraq. In Iraq it took six to seven years to field combat vehicles that gave our soldiers a much higher chance of survival against the insurgent's principal battlefield weapon, IED’s, or roadside bombs. It's tragic.

In the book you seem to want to point out that American companies should always put the soldiers first and their profits second. Was that the theme of the book?
Haig: In Iraq private companies ripped off the taxpayer and the soldiers. There was shoddy work. I don’t know how many soldiers were electrocuted in Iraq when taking showers because the wires were bad. There was body armor that did not work. The Capitol Gain Company in the book is about one of those companies.

 

MyShelf: Did you intentionally wind everything up and connect all the pieces in the last three chapters?

Haig: Yes. By the end, everyone's motives become clear and I think it's a really satisfying ending.

 

MyShelf: What is your next project?

Haig: I have a contract to write two books with Vince Flynn. It is centered in New York City around the counter-terrorism unit. It will be a lot of fun because, not only is Vince Flynn one of today’s best thriller writers, he also happens to be a great guy.

 

MyShelf: We'd like to thank Brian Haig for taking the time to reply to Elise's Questions.

Read Elise's review of The Capitol Game