INN Side Books

There are so many books I read when I was young and have long since forgotten that I decided this year that I would go back and read for fun some of those "required reading" novels from school days. Here is a selection of those I recently reread and enjoyed:

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John LeCarre

This was one of the classics from the cold war era. Now that it was not "required" to read and had a test, I found it a very interesting study of that mysterious KGB/CIA/MI6 period of time that I never really understood. That's probably because the media wasn't as pervasive as it is today and also my parents probably sheltered me from most of the really scary stuff. I could not put this book down and finished it in two sittings over a weekend.

John le Carré is the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell. The son of Richard Thomas Archibald Cornwell and Olive Cornwell, John le Carré was born on October 19, 1931. The actress Charlotte Cornwell is his sister. Le Carré started working for the British Foreign Service in 1959. He initially served as the Second Secretary in the British Embassy in Bonn, but eventually was transferred to Hamburg for service as a political consul; ultimately, le Carré was recruited into MI6. Le Carré's career as a secret agent was destroyed by Kim Philby, a British double agent, who blew the cover of dozens of British agents to the KGB, David Cornwell being among them. He wrote his first novel in 1961, while still a member of the service.

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold tells the story of Alec Que Leamas, a British spy who is part of an elaborate plot to kill the East German spymaster Mundt. With all the twists and turns you could ever expect and more, le Carré makes you think, sweat, worry, love, hate, and fear with his characters but especially so with Leamas. For a better background that will help your understanding of this fabulous novel, I recommend that you read le Carré's two predessor novels that best develop the George Smiley and Mundt characters; Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality. Both of these novels are very short and much less intense than "Spy…" but after reading them both, I felt like I better understood some of the underlying assumptions the reader must take for granted in The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.

Le Carré's book won a 1964 Gold Dagger award from the British Crime Writers Association for Best Crime Novel. One year later the US edition was awarded the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Mystery Novel. It was the first work to win the award for Best Novel from both mystery writing organizations. In 2005, the fiftieth anniversary of the Dagger Awards, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was awarded the "Dagger of Daggers," a one-time only award given to the Golden Dagger winner regarded as the stand-out among all fifty winners over the history of CWA.

I've been on a weird and eclectic "fiction" binge recently so please forgive the preponderance in that category. That said, here are some of my favorite 2007 reads so far:

Simple Genius by David Baldacci

Baldacci is a master story teller. He has only written one book I really haven't liked and that may have been just me. So, if you are looking for a new author to read, start with Absolute Power (his first) and have fun working your way through all 13 of his books.

Simple Genius is a continuation of the development of two of Baldacci's favorite characters; Sean King & Michelle Maxwell (both former Secret Service agents turned private investigators). They are a team but not quite a couple…yet! Michelle is at her whit's end and is coming to the bottom of a downward emotional spiral. Sean is trying to help her get her life straight while at the same time keep their partnership financially solvent by taking on a case by himself (initially).

For me the most interesting aspect of this story is its setting: Babbage Town, the think-tank, which is modeled after World War II's Bletchley Park, where some of the geniuses of that era worked together to break the top-secret German Enigma communications code. My sister and I spent a day wandering all over Bletchley Park about two years ago. It was fascinating and prompted me to buy the book Enigma by Robert Harris while I was there (another outstanding read by the way!) Baldacci's twenty-first-century version of Bletchley brings together a community of scientists working on a new kind of technology, but anyone who knows the Bletchley Park history will pick up on the careful parallels pointed out by the author.

It's a fun read full of the twists and turns that Baldacci is so good at creating. While it is not a "deep" plot, it IS a page turner which I enjoyed immensely.

The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor

Another one of the more modern day books with a Secret Service, ex-Navy SEAL protagonist who keeps you turning page after page to see what's going to happen next. The research done by Thor is exceptional and gives you interesting insights into the operation of the Secret Service and the SEAL program. This is the first of the Scot Harvath series by Thor.

The opening setting got me from the start…snow skiing with the President and his daughter in the heavenly snows of Utah. Then there's an avalanche, a missing President, accusations of conspiracy and treason against Scot Harvath, terrorists, political intrigue, and off you go on a wild romp through Utah, Washington DC, and Switzerland.

I had seen Brad Thor interviewed by Larry King who was bragging on the in depth research Thor puts into his novels. It intrigued me enough to get me to go out and buy this first book in the Harvath series. Needless to say, it was such a terrific read that as soon as I finished it, I went out and bought the next one in the series; Path of the Assassin. I haven't read it yet but it's about four down in my stack….I'll let you know!

Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis

Footfalls In Memory by Terry Waite

If you do not remember Terry Waite, he was the Archbishop of Canterbury's personal representative who was attempting to negotiate the release of the Beirut host ages in, 1987 when, during one of his many trips there, was himself captured and held hostage for five years. He wrote an earlier book, "Taken On Trust, " about that ordeal which was a fascinating look into the hidden wide of being a his captivity, Terry kept himself sane and focused in a number hostage.

During his captivity, Terry kept himself sane and focused in a number of ways but the one thing he missed most was not having anything to read. After repeated and persistent request, his captors finally relented and slowly started to bring him books. During a recent visit to The Waverly Inn, he shared with me that is was difficult for the kidnappers to get their hands on books written in English because, had they gone to a store to buy them, it would have been a signal that they were the people who held him captive. For this reason, neither he nor they could be particularly choosy with which books they could get for him.

'"Footfalls In Memory" is a wonderful read and I encourage everyone who values books to buy it.

It is a reflective look back at his captivity and the impact those books that he received had on his ability to cope with his solitude. besides being inspirational, Terry's words and feelings are something everyone who truly loves and understands the power of the written word need to hear.

Long Night by Andrew Lytle

One of the unknown great authors of this century, Andrew Lytle is a classic southern writer. If you have never read any of his books you will really enjoy his style. Charming, insightful and beautifully written, The Long Night is one of his best.

Set in the middle 1800's, this story tells of the moral dilemma faced by a man who must choose between avenging his fathers persecution and his duty to fight in the Civil War. Rich, detailed descriptions of the settings of the story, coupled with deep insights into some of the complicated feelings that all of us are confronted with throughout our lives, make this a tale to remember.

If you like this one, be sure to follow up with a great read of another of Lytle's classics, "Bedford Forest and His Critter Company."