About the Author

W. E. B. Griffin was the author of seven bestselling series: The Corps, Brotherhood of War, Badge of Honor, Men at War, Honor Bound, Presidential Agent, and Clandestine Operations. He passed away in February 2019.

Reviews

This third entry in the military/espionage Honor Bound series, focusing on the Argentine-German connection during WWII, will intrigue newcomers and have Griffin's long-time fans queuing up for the next installment. In 1943, the Nazi-ordered assassination of Jorge Frade, the anti-Axis president of Argentina, has left the country in a tense mood, which is exacerbated by the murder of two Nazi officers during a night beach landing, part of the top-secret Nazi Operation Phoenix. The aborted mission was crucial to a plan to free the Argentine-interned crew of the Nazi ship Graf Spee, but it turns out that the slain officers had also extorted ransom money from Jews in concentration camps and arranged for their passage to Argentina--without the Reich's knowledge. Cletus Frade, the 24-year-old American-reared son of the slain president, has returned to Argentina as heir to his father's vast estates and financial holdings. But Cletus is also an OSS (CIA precursor) agent, and a chance meeting with Major Hans-Peter von Wachstein, a Nazi pilot attached to the German embassy, results in their friendship. Peter feeds secrets to Cletus in exchange for help in moving Peter's family's funds to Argentina, where they hope to live after the war that he and his father (a close aide to the Fuhrer) believe is wrong and already lost. When Himmler launches an investigation to find the embassy spy who scuttled Operation Phoenix, Cletus struggles to protect Peter's identity and deal with the rising power of pro-Axis Juan Peron. Griffin adroitly shifts among German, American and Argentinian cultural milieux and fills the plot with believable romance, intrigue and diplomatic fencing, while capturing the horrors of war and the crucial role of intelligence agents. He nicely explains the Reich's need for Argentina as safe harbor to replenish its U-boats and to stash funds for postwar Nazi emigration. What will happen to the SS, Cletus and the surviving cast promises an equally exciting sequel. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Continuing the saga he began in Honor Bound, Griffin follows the cloak-and-dagger environment of World War II espionage. To be specific, we look at the lives of Marine aviator and Argentine citizen Cletus Frade and German air ace and military attach‚ to Buenos Aires Major Hans-Peter Freiherr von Wachtstein, both OSS agents. The action, which takes place mostly in Argentina, also involves many historical characters including Heinrich Himmler, "Wild Bill" Donovan, Claus von Stauffenberg, and Col. Juan Peron. Griffin is a master at weaving fact and fiction, and this work will not disappoint. Veteran actor Stephen Lang does an admirable job reading the text; more adroit with the narrative than some portions of dialog, he will nonetheless keep listeners on the edge of their seats. For public libraries.ÄMichael T. Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll., Lynchburg Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.