See You Later Alligator

Blackford Oakes #6

by William F. Buckley Jr.

The year is 1961, the setting Havana. CIA super-secret agent Blackford Oakes is sent there on a mission only to find himself in the eye of an international political hurricane. President Kennedy, who has selected Oakes to meet with the Che Guevara inside Castro's Cuba, has contrived a daring plan—dubbed Operation Alligator—that will hopefully bring about an era of detente in East-West relations. The communists, however, have another a double-cross that has terrifying consequences. Soon Oakes is trapped in Cuba, and the heat is on. Warming the climate greatly is the sultry beauty Catalina. The weather betrayal, power politics, and sudden death.

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Politics, Novels, Thriller

Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American author and conservative commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing style was famed for its erudition, wit, and use of uncommon words.

Buckley was "arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States in the past half century," according to George H. Nash, a historian of the modern American conservative movement. "For an entire generation he was the preeminent voice of American conservatism and its first great ecumenical figure." Buckley's primary intellectual achievement was to fuse traditional American political conservatism with economic libertarianism and anti-communism, laying the groundwork for the modern American conservatism of US Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and US President Ronald Reagan.

Buckley came on the public scene with his critical book God and Man at Yale (1951); among over fifty further books on writing, speaking, history, politics and sailing, were a series of novels featuring CIA agent Blackford Oakes. Buckley referred to himself "on and off" as either libertarian or conservative. He resided in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, and often signed his name as "WFB." He was a practicing Catholic, regularly attending the traditional Latin Mass in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

i used to recite these sayings all the time as a kid.
don't meander, salamander.
see you at the mine, porcupine!

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

By this point in the Blackford Oakes series, W F Buckley has allowed his imagination to run wild. Oakes is the American spy who discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba! And he becomes lovers with Che Guevara's translator! And he escapes the island in a daring nighttime maneuver, only to be captured and sentenced to death! Sounds like a 007 spoof, doesn't it?

Interestingly, Guevara is a sympathetic character in this novel. In fact, Buckley liked writing the book so much that he returns to Cuba later in the series. Make no mistake, the man was not secretly soft of communism (wouldn't that be the out-ing of the century). But it's still an odd little book, one that is yet enjoyable.

[Gene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but not very challenging in terms of grappling with political or ethical issues. Interesting to read in light of Castro's recent death. Most funny line by main character in response to Che Guevara's question as to how much money the CIA spent on the failed Bay of Pigs invasion was, "Not enough." Guevara was treated almost sympathetically in view of his idealism, while Castro made to look like a power-hungry dictator with no concern outside of the pragmatic job of making the revolution "work" and maintaining superiority. Probably pretty accurate portrayals.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read this book back in college when it came out in paperback. I had read most of the James Bond books by then and this was being promoted as the American equivalent. I enjoyed it then and I probably enjoyed it more this time as I am reading the series in order and between library ebooks and Amazon, tracking down books in a series is a much easier proposition now than it was back then.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Buckley's Blackford Oates books, mostly because they give me insight into important events in my lifetime. This is no different although I suspect the events in Cuba in this book were not as personally known to Buckley as events in other books. The writing here is not as smooth, possible because Buckley attempts to give voice to several different characters.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the time I read these novels (the late 1980's and early 1990's), I found them to be pretty good... sort of a cross between Matt Helm and James Bond. Not quite up to Ian Fleming's standards, but not quite as dated by then either.

[Keith Landry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't care for it nor finish it.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1987. CIA super agent Blackford Oaks is back to save the world.

[Ya-Ya Guevara · Rating 1 out of 5]

this mfer william f buckley was really out here writing che guevara fan fiction lmaooo

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars. Interesting blend of drama, spying, intrigue, interpersonal relations, history, and politics.

[Dale S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and Historical

[Tom Woodbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, fast-paced featuring Cuban revolutionary figures and Kennedy administration players.

[Jorn Barger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style is crappy, but the topic is so useful it deserves re-doing.

[Poppy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckley's Blackford Oakes novels just keep getting better.

Fresh from witnessing the partitioning of Berlin, Oakes is sent by President Kennedy to Havana to negotiate a possible agreement with Comandante Che Guevara, which would result in lifting the then-young Cuban embargo. However, while Oakes and Che spar, Castro is quietly accepting missiles from the Soviet Union, missiles that will soon be tipped with nuclear warheads.

Naturally, Oakes learns of the missiles before any other American does, thanks to a ravishing America-Cuban beauty. Can he and his brave compadre Cecilio Velasco alert Kennedy in time? What do you think?

Again, Buckley has written a tidy little political thriller, replete with espionage and betrayal, all based on actual events and historical analysis of the major players, including Che and the brutal Communist dictator, Fidel Castro.

[Steven Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American cross between Fleming's Bond and Le Carre's Smiley, Blackford Oaks is an operative instead of a controller, but he is high placed. He has the requisite Bond-style good looks et. al.

In this book, Oaks travels to Cuba where he is shown around by Che and accidentally stumbles into a missile base.

The book was written by William F.Buckley, you better bet it's politically charged. But it's surprisingly well written and offering a fascinating and sometimes sympathetic looks into the leaders of the Cuban revolution.

This is a book that stays with you.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is an older book, I liked it a lot. I've read most of Buckley's books and think they are all terrific. He tells a great story and he adds just the right amount of glib humor. This book deals with the Cuban missile crisis and the story is full of intrigue plus has a romantic angle.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

William F Buckley's favorite spy, Blackford Oakes, meets up with Che Guevara. Put away your Che teeshirt for this one - WFB is unsentimental about Guevara. As always, Buckley weaves history (here, the Cuban Missile Crisis) into his spy novels.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The Millionaires I figured I really want to get something worthwhile into my brain so I picked up William F. Buckley's CIA agent novel. Although I can't call this great literature at least the language it is written in is intellectual and there is a ton of substance in the story.

[Dave Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Save for a brief period early on in which I wondered if the story was going anywhere, this was an excellent book. The second half is terrific. Miss you William. Please come back and teach people, especially sports announcers and writers the difference between its and their.

[Meredith]

William F. Buckley Jr.- intrigued after reading his son's memoir. I am enjoying this - its fast paced and clever. Slightly anachronistic, but it works.

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's time for Oakes to retire.

[Amloid Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lil slow to start but good in the end.

[Royal Dun · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading Buckley is like following the reasoning of James Joyce. I found it so verbose, obtuse, and wandering that I could not get beyond the first few pages.

[James Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best so far in the series. Great stuff. And of course, our Blackford remains alive and back home safe with Sally.

[Lori McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was a bit confusing, I guess the author thought JFK was attention deficit... Once I got into it, though, the historical background to the story was very interesting.

[Randy Atkin]

fun book with lots of intrigue and history.