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The Beirut Trilogy #1
Dynamite Fishermen
“The possibility of bloodshed at any moment keeps the story at an elevated level of suspense. Even the more languid moments move with a searing undertone. Uncertainty among the characters, coupled with relentless gunfire and explosions, make for an extraordinary novel, each page as eruptive as the city providing the setting.” KIRKUS REVIEWS “Dynamite Fishermen is an absolute stunner of a novel. It’s clear Fleming has done his research and it shows in the seamless dialogue and the ease at which he tackles the task of conveying the wartime ambiance. This is a must-read for history buffs - although I feel strongly everyone will enjoy the rapid pace and captivating suspense. Fleming is a writer deserving of many accolades.” SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW “In Dynamite Fishermen, Preston Fleming depicts heedless violence as a way of life from the perspective of an American intelligence officer. The story falls during a lull in the long running Lebanese civil war, a period plagued by daily car bombings, civilian shootings, artillery attacks and other mayhem. As many details of this conflict continue to reverberate today, this intelligently written novel provides a compelling page-turner and a memorable story.” PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW “More than memorable…Captures Beirut's harsh terrain in a vibrant, fast-paced story.” BOOKPLEASURES.COM PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Beirut, 1982. Conrad Prosser is a skilled Arabist, expert agent handler, prolific intelligence reporter, and a connoisseur of Beirut's underground nightlife. But, as his two-year tour at the U.S. Embassy nears its end, Prosser's intelligence career is in jeopardy because he has not recruited an agent while in Lebanon, a sine qua non requirement for promotion. Surveying his many contacts, Prosser selects an attractive Lebanese doctoral student and her idealistic brother as candidates for development. At the same time, he holds clandestine meetings by day and night with his string of Lebanese and Palestinian agents, pressing them to discover who is behind the latest wave of car bombings that has terrorized Muslim West Beirut. But when one of his agents supplies information used to capture a Syrian-backed bombing team, Prosser sets off a cycle of retaliation that threatens more than his career and cherished way of life. At first denying, then later concealing, apparent attempts on his life, Prosser sets out to save both his job and his skin, exploiting his agents, his best friend, a former lover, his new girlfriend and her enigmatic brother. In doing so, he puts their lives at risk and discovers too late the effect of his heedless actions. DYNAMITE FISHERMEN offers complex characters, fast-paced action, a vivid portrayal of human intelligence operations and the flavor of Beirut during its dark days of ci
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2011
231 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
About the author
Preston Fleming
10 books65 followersPreston Fleming writes realist thrillers set in exceptional times and places, from Siberia during the Russian Civil War (MAID OF BAIKAL), to explosive 1980s Beirut (DYNAMITE FISHERMEN), to a near-future gulag-style labor camp in Utah (FORTY DAYS AT KAMAS). His experience as a diplomat, lawyer and corporate executive, combined with his ultra-lean writing style, lend rare authenticity to his stories. All of Preston’s six novels have received praise from KIRKUS REVIEWS and other publications. Preston is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, but left home at fourteen for boarding school and has been on the move ever since. Today he and his wife live in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains with a Belgian Sheepdog they rescued after it bit too many humans in Delaware. Connect with Preston at his website (prestonfleming.com) or on Amazon.com, GoodReads.com, LibraryThing.com, Twitter or Facebook. To learn about new releases and free book giveaways, follow Preston on Bookbub.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 19, 2016
Described as "in the classic tradition of Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John Le Carré" to which I would agree and would add author Anthony Price ("The Labyrinth Makers") as well, Preston Fleming writes with the assurance of one who has "been there, done that."
This is no "James Bond" or "Jason Bourne" over-the-top thriller, but instead is a down-to-earth, the way-it-is story of a dedicated CIA case officer caught between the need to further his career or become a HQ's basement analyst, and his moral commitment to those who trust him. It is an Interesting depiction of espionage and day-to-day living in war-torn Beirut of the early '80s that could as easily describe what's happening today in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East.
Rich in detail of time and place, as well as development and motivation of protagonist and antagonist alike, DYNAMITE FISHERMEN is right up there with THE RUSSIA HOUSE, THE THIRD MAN and A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS. I've already bought the second book, BRIDE OF A BYGONE WAR.
This is no "James Bond" or "Jason Bourne" over-the-top thriller, but instead is a down-to-earth, the way-it-is story of a dedicated CIA case officer caught between the need to further his career or become a HQ's basement analyst, and his moral commitment to those who trust him. It is an Interesting depiction of espionage and day-to-day living in war-torn Beirut of the early '80s that could as easily describe what's happening today in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East.
Rich in detail of time and place, as well as development and motivation of protagonist and antagonist alike, DYNAMITE FISHERMEN is right up there with THE RUSSIA HOUSE, THE THIRD MAN and A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS. I've already bought the second book, BRIDE OF A BYGONE WAR.
August 7, 2012
An authoritative account of a US intelligence officer's life in civil war-torn Beirut, Lebanon, in the early 1980's. But this might well be a current account of life today in many Arab countries where Syrians, Iranians and others operate in and out of the shadows promoting their own interests on the soil of alleged friends. Early chapters build a foundation which then is followed by chapter after chapter of detail-rich experiences of the young officer as he seeks through others to find out what is happening or will happen in Lebanon. We improve our understanding of daily life in the region within the complex weavings of groups wanting to express their hatreds in violent terms. Woven into this are personal stories of caring individuals in professional and personal relationships who are coping with a storm around them.
September 16, 2012
800+ pages and way too much detail. Took me forever to get into it and had to force myself to continue reading it at one point. Definitely wouldn't have read the 2nd in the series if I hadn't already bought it. Could have been a better read if the length and amount of detail was cut in half.
November 28, 2020
A book set in Beirut in 1980 and 1981 about a US spy working his contacts in the different factions in the city. The level of detail in the narrative makes the story convincing in its accuracy and credibility, but also detracts a sense of pace so I found it slow going.
September 26, 2012
This weekend I strayed from my plans to read the sequel to Preston Fleming’s Forty Days at Kamas and sat down with Dynamite Fishermen, one of his two espionage thrillers set in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. And what a remarkable experience it turned out to be! Though the writing style and certain aspects of the storytelling were identifiable as those of the Kamas author, this debut spy thriller was quite unlike Kamas or, for that matter, any other spy novel I have come across.
Call me old-fashioned, but when I read spy novels, I prefer those in the classic tradition of Graham Greene, John Le Carre and Alan Furst rather than the sensational shoot-em-ups that tend to dominate the genre today. I like the gritty realism and the sense of time and place that those writers brought to their fiction. And I value the moral dimension to their characters’ choices and the blunt impact of the authors’ minimalist prose. Perhaps because of his low-key prose style, or perhaps because Fleming writes about the Beirut of thirty years ago, Dynamite Fishermen was able to create for me a richly imagined setting that teemed with romance, sensuality, and terror and resembled no place I had ever been.
For me, the novel’s many brilliant snapshots of a city that is alive with vigor yet fraught with danger put this novel into a class of its own. But Dynamite Fishermen offers more than violence, titillation and exoticism. The story also lays out with effortless mastery the subtleties of the espionage trade and the treacherous politics of the Middle East. Fleming’s protagonist, a journeyman CIA case officer named Conrad Prosser, at first seems to move through this real-life shooting gallery with heedless abandon, exhilarated just as much by Beirut’s dangers as by its sensual delights. But as the story unfolds, we see Prosser react and learn in ways that we sense must lead before long to deep personal change, and perhaps to crisis. Prosser’s change, as I see it, is summed up aptly in the book’s title. And though the title refers primarily to the life of a spy, it may also apply to many of us non-spies who hold responsible positions and must difficult moral choices as a result.
On another level, I found this novel to deliver more insights about the Middle East than a shelf of textbooks. Perhaps this is because Lebanon was and remains a microcosm of the Middle East. Nearly all the region’s assorted conflicts have been played out in this tiny country to one degree or another, and sometimes when these imported conflicts heat up, domestic tensions boil over. The main action in Dynamite Fishermen centers on a wave of car bombings that has set the city’s nerves on edge. While Lebanon’s Syrian occupiers are everyone’s prime suspects, the lineup also includes Christian Phalangist militiamen, Lebanese leftists, the Palestinian fedayeen, Iranian-backed Shiites, and even Armenian exiles. At the book’s end, the car bombings are brought to a well-crafted climax and the story’s loose ends are tied up as neatly as can be done in a place like Lebanon.
But while the bombings, shootings, shellings and kidnappings rage, the reader discovers early on that, when Prosser not writing reports or running off to agent meetings, he is a red-blooded young American with a life to lead. He drinks, chases women, hangs out in nightclubs, even plays baseball (yes, all this in Beirut), and acquires a modicum of self-knowledge along the way. In fact, one might even say he grows up.
For me, what makes Dynamite Fishermen extraordinary is how richly colorful, dense and textured it is. It is more than a spy thriller; one might say it rises to the level of spy literature. To appreciate what is going on at various levels, the reader must pay close attention and not just hang on for the ride. In this sense, how Prosser copes with uncertainty is also a part of the story: in real life, an intelligence officer faces an abundance of information and opinion but a dearth of pattern and meaning. He must not only look for answers but also figure out what are the questions. He realizes that nothing in Beirut is as it seems and facts often turn out the opposite from what people claim. In reading this novel, one experiences the intelligence officer’s dilemma at first hand. Even when the story’s loose ends are finally brought together, doubts linger and issues are left with ambiguous conclusions.
If you enjoy quality spy fiction or harbor an interest in the Middle East, or if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in a country in the grip of civil war, I recommend this novel without reservation. I believe it is as true a book about spying as you’ll find and that its portrait of the Middle East in microcosm is relevant today as it would have been thirty years ago when the events were fresh. For these reasons I give Dynamite Fishermen five stars.
Call me old-fashioned, but when I read spy novels, I prefer those in the classic tradition of Graham Greene, John Le Carre and Alan Furst rather than the sensational shoot-em-ups that tend to dominate the genre today. I like the gritty realism and the sense of time and place that those writers brought to their fiction. And I value the moral dimension to their characters’ choices and the blunt impact of the authors’ minimalist prose. Perhaps because of his low-key prose style, or perhaps because Fleming writes about the Beirut of thirty years ago, Dynamite Fishermen was able to create for me a richly imagined setting that teemed with romance, sensuality, and terror and resembled no place I had ever been.
For me, the novel’s many brilliant snapshots of a city that is alive with vigor yet fraught with danger put this novel into a class of its own. But Dynamite Fishermen offers more than violence, titillation and exoticism. The story also lays out with effortless mastery the subtleties of the espionage trade and the treacherous politics of the Middle East. Fleming’s protagonist, a journeyman CIA case officer named Conrad Prosser, at first seems to move through this real-life shooting gallery with heedless abandon, exhilarated just as much by Beirut’s dangers as by its sensual delights. But as the story unfolds, we see Prosser react and learn in ways that we sense must lead before long to deep personal change, and perhaps to crisis. Prosser’s change, as I see it, is summed up aptly in the book’s title. And though the title refers primarily to the life of a spy, it may also apply to many of us non-spies who hold responsible positions and must difficult moral choices as a result.
On another level, I found this novel to deliver more insights about the Middle East than a shelf of textbooks. Perhaps this is because Lebanon was and remains a microcosm of the Middle East. Nearly all the region’s assorted conflicts have been played out in this tiny country to one degree or another, and sometimes when these imported conflicts heat up, domestic tensions boil over. The main action in Dynamite Fishermen centers on a wave of car bombings that has set the city’s nerves on edge. While Lebanon’s Syrian occupiers are everyone’s prime suspects, the lineup also includes Christian Phalangist militiamen, Lebanese leftists, the Palestinian fedayeen, Iranian-backed Shiites, and even Armenian exiles. At the book’s end, the car bombings are brought to a well-crafted climax and the story’s loose ends are tied up as neatly as can be done in a place like Lebanon.
But while the bombings, shootings, shellings and kidnappings rage, the reader discovers early on that, when Prosser not writing reports or running off to agent meetings, he is a red-blooded young American with a life to lead. He drinks, chases women, hangs out in nightclubs, even plays baseball (yes, all this in Beirut), and acquires a modicum of self-knowledge along the way. In fact, one might even say he grows up.
For me, what makes Dynamite Fishermen extraordinary is how richly colorful, dense and textured it is. It is more than a spy thriller; one might say it rises to the level of spy literature. To appreciate what is going on at various levels, the reader must pay close attention and not just hang on for the ride. In this sense, how Prosser copes with uncertainty is also a part of the story: in real life, an intelligence officer faces an abundance of information and opinion but a dearth of pattern and meaning. He must not only look for answers but also figure out what are the questions. He realizes that nothing in Beirut is as it seems and facts often turn out the opposite from what people claim. In reading this novel, one experiences the intelligence officer’s dilemma at first hand. Even when the story’s loose ends are finally brought together, doubts linger and issues are left with ambiguous conclusions.
If you enjoy quality spy fiction or harbor an interest in the Middle East, or if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in a country in the grip of civil war, I recommend this novel without reservation. I believe it is as true a book about spying as you’ll find and that its portrait of the Middle East in microcosm is relevant today as it would have been thirty years ago when the events were fresh. For these reasons I give Dynamite Fishermen five stars.
August 3, 2012
As a long-time reader of classical spy fiction from the likes of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Eric Ambler and Alan Furst, I will admit to judging Preston Fleming’s new spy novel, “Dynamite Fishermen,” by a rigorous standard. So I am pleased to report that it passed with high marks. Like those other notable spy novelists, Preston Fleming has a gift for creating an extraordinary sense of time and place. And in choosing for his setting the Beirut of the early 1980’s, nearly halfway through Lebanon’s fifteen-year civil war, he has created a uniquely vivid backdrop for his tale of spying, terrorism, civil unrest, hedonism, and international intrigue.
While the novel’s central plot revolves around the efforts of a journeyman CIA case officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Conrad Prosser, to discover who is behind a series of vicious car bombings in West Beirut, Fleming weaves in several intersecting subplots involving Prosser’s colleagues, agents and lovers. The genius of the book is that it shows, in a highly concrete and realistic way, how an intelligence case officer exploits everyone and everything around him to gather the information that his superiors expect from him if he is to keep his job. On the other hand, a possible drawback is that finding the connections between seemingly random events requires thought from the reader, as it does from real-life spies.
The protagonist, Prosser, is also not easy to like at first. Though he learns and grows as the story goes on, his chilly detachment kept me at a distance early on and led me to ponder whether such detachment is a prerequisite for success as a case officer or just commonplace among them since old spies tend to create new spies in their own image. But as the plot line unfolds, Prosser’s apparent insensitivity to others and his heedlessness toward the suffering around him made complete sense and pointed to a conflict within Prosser between his professional and personal values. In the end, one is left with a residual sense that Prosser’s way of life is twisted, inhumane and unsustainable. But then, that appears to be a central theme of the novel, as Fleming draws a clear analogy between Prosser’s exploitation of others and the wastefulness of the dynamite fishermen plying their trade in the waters offshore from his seaside apartment, killing a dozen fish for every one they deliver to the seaside restaurants of West Beirut.
What appealed to me most about “Dynamite Fishermen” was how Fleming’s understated prose style captured the richness of life in Beirut and the exhilaration shared by Prosser and many of his friends and acquaintances, both despite and because of its daily ration of violence. Though danger colors nearly every aspect of the characters’ daily routine in Beirut, nearly all of them soon become desensitized to the danger, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Fortunately, one does not have to risk one’s life in a place like wartime Beirut to gain an experience of it, because Fleming delivers it up so well on the page. If I could only persuade my wife to come with me, I would make Beirut our next vacation spot just to get a glimmer of what it must have been like when the Paris of the Middle East was a modern-day Dodge City.
An added plus to this novel is the insights offered into today’s Middle East conflict. As Fleming points out, Beirut was and remains a microcosm of the Middle East, with many of its regional conflicts shadowed on a smaller scale in Beirut between Sunni and Shiite, Palestinian and Israeli, Maronite and Druze, Iranian and Iraqi, Armenian and Turk, and so on. I believe that the insights Fleming offers into what drove sectarian fighting and terrorism in 1980s Beirut remain relevant for the rest of the Middle East today.
From the very first pages of this novel, it was clear to me that Preston Fleming must have lived many of the experiences he describes. The richness of the detail goes beyond what even the most painstaking research can offer. For that reason alone, this novel is an extraordinary reading experience.
“Dynamite Fishermen” earns my highest rating. I recommend it strongly to readers who enjoy realistic spy fiction, to those with even a passing interest in the Middle East, and to anyone curious about what it was like to live in one of the world’s most intriguing cities when one risked violent death merely going about one’s daily business.
While the novel’s central plot revolves around the efforts of a journeyman CIA case officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Conrad Prosser, to discover who is behind a series of vicious car bombings in West Beirut, Fleming weaves in several intersecting subplots involving Prosser’s colleagues, agents and lovers. The genius of the book is that it shows, in a highly concrete and realistic way, how an intelligence case officer exploits everyone and everything around him to gather the information that his superiors expect from him if he is to keep his job. On the other hand, a possible drawback is that finding the connections between seemingly random events requires thought from the reader, as it does from real-life spies.
The protagonist, Prosser, is also not easy to like at first. Though he learns and grows as the story goes on, his chilly detachment kept me at a distance early on and led me to ponder whether such detachment is a prerequisite for success as a case officer or just commonplace among them since old spies tend to create new spies in their own image. But as the plot line unfolds, Prosser’s apparent insensitivity to others and his heedlessness toward the suffering around him made complete sense and pointed to a conflict within Prosser between his professional and personal values. In the end, one is left with a residual sense that Prosser’s way of life is twisted, inhumane and unsustainable. But then, that appears to be a central theme of the novel, as Fleming draws a clear analogy between Prosser’s exploitation of others and the wastefulness of the dynamite fishermen plying their trade in the waters offshore from his seaside apartment, killing a dozen fish for every one they deliver to the seaside restaurants of West Beirut.
What appealed to me most about “Dynamite Fishermen” was how Fleming’s understated prose style captured the richness of life in Beirut and the exhilaration shared by Prosser and many of his friends and acquaintances, both despite and because of its daily ration of violence. Though danger colors nearly every aspect of the characters’ daily routine in Beirut, nearly all of them soon become desensitized to the danger, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Fortunately, one does not have to risk one’s life in a place like wartime Beirut to gain an experience of it, because Fleming delivers it up so well on the page. If I could only persuade my wife to come with me, I would make Beirut our next vacation spot just to get a glimmer of what it must have been like when the Paris of the Middle East was a modern-day Dodge City.
An added plus to this novel is the insights offered into today’s Middle East conflict. As Fleming points out, Beirut was and remains a microcosm of the Middle East, with many of its regional conflicts shadowed on a smaller scale in Beirut between Sunni and Shiite, Palestinian and Israeli, Maronite and Druze, Iranian and Iraqi, Armenian and Turk, and so on. I believe that the insights Fleming offers into what drove sectarian fighting and terrorism in 1980s Beirut remain relevant for the rest of the Middle East today.
From the very first pages of this novel, it was clear to me that Preston Fleming must have lived many of the experiences he describes. The richness of the detail goes beyond what even the most painstaking research can offer. For that reason alone, this novel is an extraordinary reading experience.
“Dynamite Fishermen” earns my highest rating. I recommend it strongly to readers who enjoy realistic spy fiction, to those with even a passing interest in the Middle East, and to anyone curious about what it was like to live in one of the world’s most intriguing cities when one risked violent death merely going about one’s daily business.
January 20, 2021
utstandingly fresh
An Àmerican spy working in Beiŕut, at the time of severe conflict, is at the time trying to arrange for a local worker as a spy within the local community to work for the Americans. Several good contacts are already available but he needs to be able to get contact with a certain ex military officer who is actively working to instil violence in the capital.
An Àmerican spy working in Beiŕut, at the time of severe conflict, is at the time trying to arrange for a local worker as a spy within the local community to work for the Americans. Several good contacts are already available but he needs to be able to get contact with a certain ex military officer who is actively working to instil violence in the capital.
February 20, 2018
Very good book,hard to put down!
I found it very interesting , learned a bit about a different culture. I have some friends who are lebonese so had a special curiosity of their problems.
I found it very interesting , learned a bit about a different culture. I have some friends who are lebonese so had a special curiosity of their problems.
May 29, 2015
The thing that really struck me about this book was how Fleming brought to life the sheer insanity of living in the middle of a city at war.
January 16, 2021
Quite exciting read. Beirut in the 1970! A callous but somewhat kind American “political” member of the embassy, tries to get natives of the Middle East to become spies, or at least giver of gossip that can or cannot be substantiated . He is driving through the streets of Beirut at high speed dodging bullets, all very plausible. The author gives a very good idea of what life was like then, what luxuries were still available, what and who one could trust. Apparently it is a trilogy. I’ll wait a bit before reading the second one, too high tragedy to continue at the moment.
August 18, 2019
Entertaining Read
I enjoy intrigue and spy stories, especially if the writer has the ability to keep you guessing as to what is next around the corner. While I liked this book, it did get heavy on the details at times.
I enjoy intrigue and spy stories, especially if the writer has the ability to keep you guessing as to what is next around the corner. While I liked this book, it did get heavy on the details at times.
November 2, 2018
Kept my interest throughout
March 15, 2019
Trite, boring, absurd characters - couldn't wait to finish it. Story had potential but bad writing, bad characters. Low rent Graham Greene (which is not saying much)
March 28, 2019
Good book
You people should just read this novel yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourselves and I really enjoyed reading this novel very much so. Shelley Ma
You people should just read this novel yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourselves and I really enjoyed reading this novel very much so. Shelley Ma
August 31, 2019
Excellent
A proper good tale, so much better than the majority of superhero buckshot out there purporting to be espionage. Thanks
A proper good tale, so much better than the majority of superhero buckshot out there purporting to be espionage. Thanks
March 16, 2020
I had to struggle to finish reading. The author needs an editor who can focus his attention on the story and guide toward better character development.
January 14, 2021
Fast paced spy thriller
Well written book and really have a sense of life in Lebanon during the 80s
Found it difficult to put it down and read it in a day
Well written book and really have a sense of life in Lebanon during the 80s
Found it difficult to put it down and read it in a day
April 16, 2023
Great intrigue!
A book to make you think about how it night be to live in a country torn in so many pieces.
A book to make you think about how it night be to live in a country torn in so many pieces.
May 27, 2016
Review of Dynamite Fishermen
by Preston Fleming
I forget which book website I was perusing and when exactly I first learned of Preston Fleming and this particular novel, which is the first in his Beirut Trilogy. It was at least a couple of months ago, and I was immediately gripped with an intense desire to begin reading the series that did not lessen until my schedule finally allowed me to take up and enjoy this treat over the past week. In fact, I immediately moved on to the second novel in the trilogy, Bride of a Bygone War -- a review for which will be posted on this site soon. See Bride of a Bygone War
As my reading behavior suggests, Fleming didn’t let me down a jot after all my eager anticipation to read his work. Dynamite Fishermen definitely satisfied my uniquely high expectations for an enjoyable read.
My unusual enthusiasm for and ultimate engagement with this particular narrative stems from personal interests I have in Lebanese history and culture as an American who not only traces half her ancestry to that country but grew up seeing various elements of what I now recognize as its culture and tradition manifest in the personality and lifestyle of a dearly beloved parent. Having never visited and knowing very little about Lebanon until recent years, I was ravenous for a narrative that would immerse my imagination in Beirut during a critical period in the nation’s history. This personal factor also served to make me feel quite uncomfortable on a number of occasions during the course of the story.
All that said, the book appealed to me in several respects that I think would be fully -- and in some cases even more -- appreciable by readers without any extreme imaginative susceptibility to fiction set in Lebanon (i.e. most of you reading this, no doubt). .
First of all, the sense of place the reader gets through Fleming’s storytelling is really exceptional. There is a very high level of realistic texture that allows a reader to immerse oneself in the narrative in a way that isn’t as easy or even necessarily possible in most texts. The reader gets an opportunity for more enjoyment than is common even in really great novels because of the exquisite quality of this aspect of Fleming’s literary craftsmanship.
Of course, this realistic texture does not stem entirely from creative ability; this book’s setting as well as its plot and its valuable nonfictional contextual information clearly owe much to Preston Fleming’s earlier career in the US Foreign Service. He spent nearly a decade working in that capacity in Middle Eastern Embassies. The proof was in the pudding; I totally believed that Fleming knew all the ins and outs of the life and work of his protagonist, who he describes in his book blurb as “a skilled Arabist, expert agent handler, prolific intelligence reporter, and a connoisseur of Beirut’s underground nightlife.” I have more to say along these lines about this character of Conrad Prosser, but first I want to state plainly that this novel distinguishes itself from the pack with its thrilling and intricate plot, which is wholly devoid of anything that seems contrived (based on my textual reading and no on-the-ground life experience in the Middle East, that is). It can also be a very educational read as I allude above, but as a reader I never felt like I was reading nonfiction. Historical, cultural, and political information is communicated between the lines, as it were. Nothing inhibits the pace and rhythm of the plot; indeed, the prose is very simple. I like my fiction as literary as possible, but the comparative lack of sophistication in this area probably makes the plot much more accessible and enjoyable for more readers. Yeah, the more I think about it for an American audience, intricate literary technique layered over a detailed plot in an entirely foreign political and cultural setting might be a hot mess rather than a brilliant work of art!
Anyway, I was going to share my ideas about the American protagonist and the 3rd person narrator’s impact on the reader’s perspective on the Lebanese setting, but I don’t think it will be valuable enough to enough of you reading this to merit a further long paragraph here. Am I right? ;). Inasmuch as you’re interested to know more, I will take up this point in my comments on the second book in the trilogy here: It actually fits well with the main ideas I have to share on that one.
Thanks so much for reading! Please be advised I was able to read this book because the author (I am under the impression he is also the publisher in this case -- I apologize if I am mistaken) graciously provided free access to an electronic galley on NetGalley.
by Preston Fleming
I forget which book website I was perusing and when exactly I first learned of Preston Fleming and this particular novel, which is the first in his Beirut Trilogy. It was at least a couple of months ago, and I was immediately gripped with an intense desire to begin reading the series that did not lessen until my schedule finally allowed me to take up and enjoy this treat over the past week. In fact, I immediately moved on to the second novel in the trilogy, Bride of a Bygone War -- a review for which will be posted on this site soon. See Bride of a Bygone War
As my reading behavior suggests, Fleming didn’t let me down a jot after all my eager anticipation to read his work. Dynamite Fishermen definitely satisfied my uniquely high expectations for an enjoyable read.
My unusual enthusiasm for and ultimate engagement with this particular narrative stems from personal interests I have in Lebanese history and culture as an American who not only traces half her ancestry to that country but grew up seeing various elements of what I now recognize as its culture and tradition manifest in the personality and lifestyle of a dearly beloved parent. Having never visited and knowing very little about Lebanon until recent years, I was ravenous for a narrative that would immerse my imagination in Beirut during a critical period in the nation’s history. This personal factor also served to make me feel quite uncomfortable on a number of occasions during the course of the story.
All that said, the book appealed to me in several respects that I think would be fully -- and in some cases even more -- appreciable by readers without any extreme imaginative susceptibility to fiction set in Lebanon (i.e. most of you reading this, no doubt). .
First of all, the sense of place the reader gets through Fleming’s storytelling is really exceptional. There is a very high level of realistic texture that allows a reader to immerse oneself in the narrative in a way that isn’t as easy or even necessarily possible in most texts. The reader gets an opportunity for more enjoyment than is common even in really great novels because of the exquisite quality of this aspect of Fleming’s literary craftsmanship.
Of course, this realistic texture does not stem entirely from creative ability; this book’s setting as well as its plot and its valuable nonfictional contextual information clearly owe much to Preston Fleming’s earlier career in the US Foreign Service. He spent nearly a decade working in that capacity in Middle Eastern Embassies. The proof was in the pudding; I totally believed that Fleming knew all the ins and outs of the life and work of his protagonist, who he describes in his book blurb as “a skilled Arabist, expert agent handler, prolific intelligence reporter, and a connoisseur of Beirut’s underground nightlife.” I have more to say along these lines about this character of Conrad Prosser, but first I want to state plainly that this novel distinguishes itself from the pack with its thrilling and intricate plot, which is wholly devoid of anything that seems contrived (based on my textual reading and no on-the-ground life experience in the Middle East, that is). It can also be a very educational read as I allude above, but as a reader I never felt like I was reading nonfiction. Historical, cultural, and political information is communicated between the lines, as it were. Nothing inhibits the pace and rhythm of the plot; indeed, the prose is very simple. I like my fiction as literary as possible, but the comparative lack of sophistication in this area probably makes the plot much more accessible and enjoyable for more readers. Yeah, the more I think about it for an American audience, intricate literary technique layered over a detailed plot in an entirely foreign political and cultural setting might be a hot mess rather than a brilliant work of art!
Anyway, I was going to share my ideas about the American protagonist and the 3rd person narrator’s impact on the reader’s perspective on the Lebanese setting, but I don’t think it will be valuable enough to enough of you reading this to merit a further long paragraph here. Am I right? ;). Inasmuch as you’re interested to know more, I will take up this point in my comments on the second book in the trilogy here: It actually fits well with the main ideas I have to share on that one.
Thanks so much for reading! Please be advised I was able to read this book because the author (I am under the impression he is also the publisher in this case -- I apologize if I am mistaken) graciously provided free access to an electronic galley on NetGalley.
February 16, 2021
Disappointed in this story I found it rather mundane and slow. I think it lacked any real tension and little action.
January 8, 2015
The story has action and suspense, but the atmosphere is what makes it stand out.
The hero, Conrad Prosser, is a rather jaded spy. He made a misstep in his once-promising career and landed in Beirut during the turbulent eighties. He's handling several local sources handed down to him, but unless he can come up with a new one of his own, he'll never make the next pay grade. Recruiting the brother of his latest girl friend might be his last chance.
It's hard to like Prosser. He's too consumed by his career.
He won't marry because the good postings go to single men. This makes him calculating in his personal relationships as evidenced by his use of his girl friend to get to her brother. In fact, he's callous in his romantic life; he broke off with one woman without explanation by simply refusing to take her calls and avoiding her altogether.
He's hardened to the truth of his job, too. He knows his superiors leak information to the Israelis and other countries for political purposes. He also knows the leaks endanger sources he's gotten close to.
Still, there are glimpses of a softer side. His conscience leads him to object when his superior speculates on whether or not to pass info to Washington that might be shared with other countries, info that will surely pinpoint his source and get the man killed. And after haggling with a young starving boy selling fruit to support himself, Prosser gets the fruit for half the asking price; then as the crestfallen youngster is walking away, Prosser calls him back and hands him more money. "Baksheesh," he says.
Prosser's life is exciting, but the atmosphere of Beirut during this period is what absorbs us. We go with Prosser when he meets his sources in out of the way places. We stay with him when he's stopped at checkpoints, when soldiers threaten him, when he's fired upon, when car bombs go off. We are thrust into the turmoil of a country trying to survive being invaded by Palestinian refugees forming armies and also by "protectors" from Syria who are supposedly helping Lebanon get back to normal.
And normal is shopkeepers who close at the first shots, then bravely reopen as if nothing has happened. Night clubs flourish. During artillery fire, parties continue with guests flocking to the balconies to watch or go inside when the incoming comes too close.
Nothing is normal in Prosser's world no matter how the people of Beirut bear up. Even the fishermen no longer fish with nets. They simply throw dynamite in the water, killing thousands of fish to harvest hundreds.
The author obviously knows his subject. This story makes me feel that cynicism about our foreign intelligence and diplomatic departments is more than justified, and I wonder if our world will ever be safe for anyone ever.
Good read for those who enjoy a leisurely dip into spy tradecraft and a different culture.
The hero, Conrad Prosser, is a rather jaded spy. He made a misstep in his once-promising career and landed in Beirut during the turbulent eighties. He's handling several local sources handed down to him, but unless he can come up with a new one of his own, he'll never make the next pay grade. Recruiting the brother of his latest girl friend might be his last chance.
It's hard to like Prosser. He's too consumed by his career.
He won't marry because the good postings go to single men. This makes him calculating in his personal relationships as evidenced by his use of his girl friend to get to her brother. In fact, he's callous in his romantic life; he broke off with one woman without explanation by simply refusing to take her calls and avoiding her altogether.
He's hardened to the truth of his job, too. He knows his superiors leak information to the Israelis and other countries for political purposes. He also knows the leaks endanger sources he's gotten close to.
Still, there are glimpses of a softer side. His conscience leads him to object when his superior speculates on whether or not to pass info to Washington that might be shared with other countries, info that will surely pinpoint his source and get the man killed. And after haggling with a young starving boy selling fruit to support himself, Prosser gets the fruit for half the asking price; then as the crestfallen youngster is walking away, Prosser calls him back and hands him more money. "Baksheesh," he says.
Prosser's life is exciting, but the atmosphere of Beirut during this period is what absorbs us. We go with Prosser when he meets his sources in out of the way places. We stay with him when he's stopped at checkpoints, when soldiers threaten him, when he's fired upon, when car bombs go off. We are thrust into the turmoil of a country trying to survive being invaded by Palestinian refugees forming armies and also by "protectors" from Syria who are supposedly helping Lebanon get back to normal.
And normal is shopkeepers who close at the first shots, then bravely reopen as if nothing has happened. Night clubs flourish. During artillery fire, parties continue with guests flocking to the balconies to watch or go inside when the incoming comes too close.
Nothing is normal in Prosser's world no matter how the people of Beirut bear up. Even the fishermen no longer fish with nets. They simply throw dynamite in the water, killing thousands of fish to harvest hundreds.
The author obviously knows his subject. This story makes me feel that cynicism about our foreign intelligence and diplomatic departments is more than justified, and I wonder if our world will ever be safe for anyone ever.
Good read for those who enjoy a leisurely dip into spy tradecraft and a different culture.
December 30, 2017
The book had some historical interest for the time period and ways of life in Beirut during the 70s. But it was difficult to read and had little suspense. I speed read the last 20%
June 25, 2013
I received this book from Library Thing to read and review. Set in the tradition of the great spy novel writers, the author has produced an equally well written novel of suspense and intrigue following the life of a young CIA operative as he weaves his way in and around Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, trying to recruit an operative (necessary for his career progression). However, unlike many other spy novels, this one portrays an average young man, spending his non-work time like any other red-blooded young man might. A rash of car-bombings sets him off in search of answers. While trying to recruit an attractive Lebanese doctoral student and her idealistic brother, the main character and CIA operative, Conrad Prosser, sets off a series of retaliations that threatens both him and his way of life. He exploits his contacts and his new girlfriend and her brother to find answers, while denying attempts on his own life. He finds out that these may result in unforeseen, unfortunate consequences for his own and other’s lives and his spy tradecraft. The author has described the settings, political and international intrigue as well as characters quite well, giving the reader a good sense of the time and situation. It is very obvious the author is in touch with the setting, the times and the life of an operative, for this book provides a good lexicon on how the craft works and how events play out in that time of upheaval/civil war. This book belongs in the ranks of those by other greats (Green and LeCarre). It is the first of a trilogy, and I look forward to the next and subsequent volume of the series. I received this book from Library Thing to read and review.
January 3, 2014
I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book from Library Thing. You ask, why? Well, it is written about the time period of the first few years of my marriage that included moving to and living in the same Beirut Preston Fleming wrote about in this novel. I wanted to see if he would write about the place I remembered and get it right? The answer is a resounding YES! I was able to “see” through the eyes of the main character, walk the paths he took and more. It brought so very many memories – good and bad. Preston Fleming managed to capture the people, food, place, dialogue, politics, nuances, and more of Beirut in the early 1980’s. Car bombs, mistrust, political parties vying for supremacy, gang mentality, and more.
So, what about the storyline of the book? Conrad Prosser works for the US government in a position with the CIA gathering information and recruiting spies. He is young, full of life, socially active, has women friends and does his job well. He thrives on adventure and the close calls he experiences at various times during the story. The title makes perfect sense and has a depth of meaning in context with Conrad’s eventual decisions and the political situation here in Lebanon both then…and now.
So, what about the storyline of the book? Conrad Prosser works for the US government in a position with the CIA gathering information and recruiting spies. He is young, full of life, socially active, has women friends and does his job well. He thrives on adventure and the close calls he experiences at various times during the story. The title makes perfect sense and has a depth of meaning in context with Conrad’s eventual decisions and the political situation here in Lebanon both then…and now.
November 26, 2016
My informal title for this is - hard way to get a GS-12 but that's because I'm a federal position classification specialist and was actually interested in the grade/promotion discussions in this book. Conrad, the protagonist, works as a federal information gatherer (spy) in Beirut in the 1980s. Advancement is dependent upon cultivating these contacts and bringing in solid information. This has an authentic flavor as Conrad moved through the city with violence always on the edges and sometimes spilling closer as he meets with his informants under various aliases. He obviously loves his job and attracts the ladies. It's exotic and blends the daily 'rounds' (both informants and shellings/shootings) to show the life of an agent at that time. He certainly takes more risks than I would but I'm sure that kind of job attracts a certain adventurer type. I rated this at 3 stars because there were times this seemed to be a bit disjointed between chapters. I suspect that there were simply periods of time where not much happened but the transitions were abrupt for me. I do think this book is valuable because it provides a look at that part of the Middle East in that particular time period. The region has been under trouble for a long time and the challenges are huge.
April 25, 2013
Preston Fleming gives his readers a view of what life was like during the Lebanese Civil War. I question whether it can be called a civil war with the Syrians, Palestinians, Israelis, and maybe others firing shots as a large portion of Beirut’s population simply hunker down and try to go on with life the best they can. I found the book to be interesting in the way the story it told as a CIA agent travels throughout the city contacting agents and trying to track down what faction is causing the violence and who and what may be the next target of the violence. Of course in writing his reports to the higher ups he must be careful and not accuse one group or the other without hard evidence and sometimes that may only come after the act. Did any one group have a specific goal in mind or were they like the dynamite fisherman and taking any fish that come to the surface.
A well written book and it should grab any reader’s attention. A good look at what goes on in an agents life as he works the assets in the field trying to figure out where the next strike will come from and from what group.
A well written book and it should grab any reader’s attention. A good look at what goes on in an agents life as he works the assets in the field trying to figure out where the next strike will come from and from what group.
February 13, 2017
Great read
I could barely put the book down. Everything described could be going on today in many countries. What if it could happen here. It certain seems possible.
I could barely put the book down. Everything described could be going on today in many countries. What if it could happen here. It certain seems possible.
January 16, 2014
My traditional style of reviewing isn't going to work for this book. Here's why Mr. Fleming has create another unique covert operations book that surpasses my dislike of political intrigue since my days in college. Mr. Fleming gives a fast paced and intriguing account of spying game thru the eyes of operative. The Dynamite Fishermen showcase an unique level of political intrigue that has pushed aside my dislike of political type books. The story showcases how easily, quickly, and dangerous it is to be a spy in Beirut. Mr. Fleming's vast background makes this book credible and heart pounding exciting too. I could identify with the lead male character on many levels personally~the fear of being caught and adrenaline rush of danger at any moment. I look forward to next book in series.
December 25, 2013
I received this book free from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. Conrad Prosser is a political spy/diplomat working out of the U. S. Embassy in Beirut during the early 1980s. The author gives us a good look at the violence of war and everyday life in Beirut during the conflict in Lebanon during the 1980s. It was interesting to learn the definition of “dynamite fishermen” and how it relates to events in this book. After reading this book I feel that I have a little better understanding of the political climate and unrest in the Middle East and Lebanon. Dynamite Fishermen is a well-written book and the author gives us a good look into the life of a spy as he tries to determine where, when, how, and from whom the next strike will come.
April 13, 2014
Since I received my first book by [Preston Fleming] through Library Thing I have been impressed. [Dynamite Fishermen] did not disappoint me. I really enjoy the way he tells a story and believe Conrad Prosser could compete with Jack Ryan. Except maybe not a pure as Ryan which makes him more credible as a government employee.
The setting of Beirut in the 1980's really was in intriguing setting especially growing up in the 1980's and remembering the weekly new reports. This is an often forgotten time of American history when we supported Iraq and Saddam. I hope this book is widely read by a younger generation and gives them a new perspective of America in the Middle East. Also it was an awesome book.
The setting of Beirut in the 1980's really was in intriguing setting especially growing up in the 1980's and remembering the weekly new reports. This is an often forgotten time of American history when we supported Iraq and Saddam. I hope this book is widely read by a younger generation and gives them a new perspective of America in the Middle East. Also it was an awesome book.
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