CIA superspy Blackford Oakes, fresh from his daring exploits at Windsor Castle, has been entrusted with a matter of some delicacy: finding the perfect blue to restore the war-damaged windows of a thirteenth-century German chapel. The owner of the chapel, Axel Wintergrin, is not only an old friend but a charismatic hero who is rising to power in Germany. He is rallying his countrymen toward reunification, an idea that creates panic on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
As the Cold War turns hot, Oakes is thrown into the arms of a beautiful KGB agent—and onto the horns of a dilemma. He must either betray her or pull the switch on his friend.
Download and start listening now!
"One of the great books in a series about Blackford Oakes, CIA agent, inspired by William F. Buckley's service in Mexico as a CIA agent in the 1950's."
— John (5 out of 5 stars)
“Ingenious!”
— Wall Street Journal“Cuts closer to the bone than le Carré has ever cut."
— New Republic"Delightful reading for the spy thriller fan...absolutely must reading."
— UPI“[A] light, terribly bright piece of tongue-in-chic 1950s intrigue…His clean, unpadded plotting and his literate relaxation should prove a relief from the tortured efforts of the Le Carré imitators, and anyone who can make conferences between Allen Dulles and Dean Acheson sound like vaudeville routines deserves the audience he’s bound to get.”
— Kirkus Reviews" My favorite of the Blackford Oakes books. "
— Graf, 8/22/2012" Not as good as Saving the Queen but still a nice window into the Cold War zeitgeist. "
— Beverly, 5/9/2011" My favorite Buckley novel, though it reminds the reader that we live in a fallen world. "
— Bill, 2/12/2011William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008)—a syndicated columnist, author, editor, television host, and adventurer—was the founder of National Review and the host of the Emmy Award–winning Firing Line, the longest-running public affairs program in television history with a single host. Buckley was the award-winning author of many bestsellers, starting with God and Man at Yale.
Geoffrey Blaisdell is a professional actor who has appeared on and off Broadway, in Broadway national tours, and in regional theater.