Book bits

Three books about spies, a review of 'Flower Children' by Maxine Swann, and reader recommendations.

from the July 31, 2007 edition

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Three books about spies

The man who explained Vietnam to the Americans turns out to have been a spy. In Perfect Spy Larry Berman tells the true story of Pham Xuan An, the charming South Vietnamese journalist who befriended numerous US journalists stationed in Saigon during the war. Only later did it become clear that An was a communist and double agent working for the North Vietnamese government, proving that true stories are often the oddest of all.

Gabriel Allon rides again. The creation of author Daniel Silva, Allon is an Israeli spy who poses as an art restorer. In his latest outing in The Secret Servant, Allon uncovers a plot by terrorists to kidnap the daughter of an American ambassador. They hope to trade her for an Egyptian cleric being. Allon darts all over Europe in his efforts to save the girl, creating a gripping read that offers some genuine insight into the West's war on terrorism.

Some say he was the greatest spy of all time. Elizabeth's Spymaster by Robert Hutchinson is the compelling, detailed story of Sir Francis Walsingham, the man Elizabeth I counted on to run a vast spy network including double agents in Rome and Spain, tracking her enemies and perhaps saving her crown.

– Marjorie Kehe

Readers' picks

I've just finished The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr. Written for a Western audience, this eye-opening book illuminates the long-standing rivalry between the two major Muslim sects – Shiite and Sunni – and explains how the Iraq war has altered the uneasy balance that existed between them. Jennifer Thomas-Larmer, Orlando, Fla.

I was given a copy of The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. It is the best well-written book that I have read in quite some time. Marian Edson, San Antonio

The Movies, Mr. Griffith, and Me by Lillian Gish and Ann Pinchot. Gish, who began acting at 5 years old, and Pinchot perfectly capture the early era of film productions. This book is a sweet telling of early cinema and its greatest actress. Jim Patterson, San Francisco

I am currently reading Emerson's essays. I tried to read these as a teenager, but found them tiresome. I recently readWhere Shall Wisdom Be Found? by Harold Bloom and decided to try again. They are much more interesting from an adult perspective than from a juvenile perspective. Bob Crompton, Woodstock, Ga.

I'm currently reading Vorkosigan's Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, one of the earlier books in her award-winning novels of Miles Vorkosigan. It is science fiction at its very best. The characters in her books come alive and Miles Vorkosigan is a marvelous creation. Humor, irony, compassion, action - Bujold is a master of it allRobin Hastings, Las Cruces, N. M.

The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh is historical fiction for young adults based on the real General Slocum steamship disaster. It was one of the best books I've read all year. Sylvana Joseph, New Orleans

What are you reading? Write and tell us at Marjorie Kehe.

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