Blackford Oakes, Book 1
Earlier this year, I came across Who’s on First?, the fourth book in a spy series by William F. Buckley, Jr. This author was famous before my time and is thus no longer a must-read, but I enjoyed the book enough to seek out this first book in the series, Saving the Queen. I’ll probably not read any others.
There were many things to like about this book. For one thing, I love that it goes back in time to Blackford Oaks’ childhood in order to trace the steps that ultimately led him to the CIA. I especially liked his scenes in the boarding school, the American student in a British institution, and all the trouble he endured. It almost seems like Buckley got all of his research on the violence of the place from reading Roald Dahl’s Boy: Tales of Childhood, though the publication dates don’t line up. No matter what, I’m glad I didn’t grow up attending a boy’s school in England in the 1930s or ’40s! What a miserably violent place!
I also really enjoyed the scenes that included some of Oak’s training in the CIA and finding answers to the many questions about the organization that confused him. It was a slight peak behind the curtain for us, the uninitiated, and it just makes me want to read more stories set in the Cold War spy era, like those by Le Carre or Fleming.
Finally, I liked the twists that Buckley included in the book. This includes the humor of having one of his characters reading another Buckley title (and getting mocked for it). It also includes the plot surprises and the way he ends this account. He doesn’t really keep us guessing like we might in a mystery novel, but he keeps us engaged as any spy-thriller should.
I’ll probably not continue reading Buckley’s Blackford-Oaks books, though, simply because of the language and sex. It’s not a clean read in either regard—the whole “symbiosis” scene has left an indelible mark—and I know there’s better, more modern, and cleaner spy novels available. Titles by Joel C. Rosenberg come to mind.
I love mysteries and thrillers about spies and traitors, and the Cold War’s a great era to explore in this regard. I just know that if some authors can provide the realism of such fiction without the rough language and sex, then all could. Most just choose not to, preferring instead to hook their readers with gratuitous immorality. There are healthier ways for me to spend my free time.
©2023 E.T.