W.E.B.
Griffin's latest book, The Assassination Option, has
a riveting plot. Being a Veteran himself, having served in
Germany right after World War II and during the Korean War,
he is very supportive of all veterans. He writes a number
of series of books with his son, William Butterworth IV. Although
the authors consider themselves storytellers their books are
much more as they weave historical information throughout
their stories, involving both the military and clandestine
services.
Being a part of "the greatest generation" Griffin,
whose given name is William Edward Butterworth III, is able
to incorporate his own experiences into his thrilling plots.
This latest novel is the second adventure in the new "Clandestine
Operations series" about the origins of the CIA and the
Cold War. Griffin's admiration for those in the armed services
and intelligence community can be summed up within the dedication
of The Assassination Option: besides listing those who served,
it ends with "Our nation owes these patriots a debt beyond
repayment."
Enlisting in the army in October 1946 Griffin became what
he refers to as "General Bill White Jr.'s errand boy."
The books reflect his experience of serving with men, such
as General Patton, General White, William E. Colby, and Max
Taylor. Considering himself privileged to be around all those
interesting and brilliant people he was able to be "a
fly on the wall for the commanding general of allied land
forces in Europe. I heard a lot. I was just lucky to be around
the command center as it was getting off the ground. I knew
a lot of people involved in the military and clandestine service
and admired them all. As an Army Sergeant I was given top
secret clearance since part of my duties was to read all memos
before General White, and to determine what was important,
what was not, as well as to decide what he should see first
and last."
Griffin emphasizes the point by describing how he was present
when Bobby Williams, General White's aviation officer, drew
up a plan for the army to get its own air force. Explaining
that he had typed the communications, Griffin saw "that
part of the army take off, with more pilots than the Air Force.
Like most kids I was curious as hell and fascinated with what
I was hearing. It was an exciting and fun time that I try
to convey within the plots in my books."
The plot of his current book, The Assassination Option,
includes some of Griffin's learned lessons. His son noted,
"The book characters are based on compilations of actual
people my dad knew. This series shadows history and shows
how it repeats itself. Look how the Russians are once again
on the march and Putin is attempting to re-create the Russian
empire. He is smart, dangerous, and has the mentality of the
old KGB."
Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the scenes
that show how America's allies are not really allies, and
its enemies have become friends of sorts. During the early
years of the CIA many of those officials were former Nazis
who were considered useful because of the information they
provided against the newfound enemy, Russia. Griffin hopes
readers will understand how "the Nazis were nasty people
and after they lost the war no one ever admitted to being
one. They were all guilty; yet, denied it. However, we needed
these guys who had information and ways of getting it that
we did not have. For example, they knew who the Russians spies
were in the atomic program before we did. The point of the
book is to show how we needed to watch out for both the Germans
and the Russians. Both were as dangerous as hell. It became
clear that the day WWII ended the Cold War began and that
we had to be wary of the Russians. The prologue goes into
the back history because it is my belief that to better understand
the story and the characters there is a need to understand
the political situation."
The most fascinating characters of the book are James Cronley,
Friedrich Hessinger, and Claudette Colbert. Because Cronley's
first mission for the new Central Intelligence Directorate
was so successful he is promoted to captain and given more
responsibility, the Chief, DCI, Europe; and in charge of a
top-secret spy operation.
Readers will probably be able to connect the dots between
the character Freddy Hessinger and Henry Kissinger; although,
Griffin refuses to comment. The similarities: their names,
both were in Munich after the War, both Jewish, both worked
for the counter-intelligence corps, and both wore the officers'
pink and green uniform with the officer's triangle emblem.
The character Claudette Colbert was not based on the actress,
but, according to Griffin, "on the women I knew who worked
in the intelligence organization. I knew a Betty Grable, not
the actress. She was a master sergeant. I gave my character
the same duties as the military Grable, just changed her name
to Colbert. She was more than a secretary, but a spook working
for the intelligence agency."
The authors also gave a heads up about the next book in the
series, The Curtain of Death, the title playing off
the "Iron Curtain" speech by Churchill. It is based
on the dangers of Russia but also on the desire to shut down
Operation Odessa, which moved Nazis to safety in South America.
The Assassination Option is a classic Griffin book
that combines history with fiction, creating a superb, suspenseful,
gripping, and informative novel. Griffin chose to start this
series because of his respect for the OSS/CIA between 1946
and 1950, when the intelligence agency in Europe was very
successful and had very little to work with. The cast of characters
are remarkable, a new breed of warrior that found themselves
on the front lines of a covert war. Anyone who enjoys historical
fiction and a military thriller will not want to pass this.
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