An Affair of State

by Pat Frank

From Pat Frank—author of the classic apocalyptic sci-fi novel Alas, Babylon—comes a political thriller set, and written, at the dawn of the Cold War, now back in print.

In Pat Frank’s riveting, insightful, and thought-provoking novel, young, outspoken Jeff Baker comes out of World War II determined to work for the State Department. When he lands his assignment in 1949, he becomes the third secretary of the US embassy in Budapest, an observation post behind the Iron Curtain.

Jeff’s experiences as a soldier fighting on a hill in Italy left him scarred and instilled in him a hatred for war in all forms—including the emerging Cold War. But when he is assigned to the "Atlantis Project," a top-secret mission for organizing an underground resistance in Hungary, he grapples with his beliefs and his loyalty to his superiors. And when he meets Rikki, a dancer in Budapest, he also finds himself torn between this new love and Susan Pickett—the love he left back home in Washington.

As he becomes more immersed in the Atlantis Project, Jeff must decide what he is willing to risk for a chance to strike a blow for peace.

Part cloak-and-dagger adventure, part high-voltage romance, and part biting satire, Pat Frank's writing and sense of detail takes readers back to a time of intrigue and uncertainty.

 

 

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

"Pat Frank" was the lifelong nickname adopted by the American writer, newspaperman, and government consultant, who was born Harry Hart Frank and who is remembered today almost exclusively for his post-apocalyptic novel Alas, Babylon. Before the publication of his first novel Mr. Adam launched his second career as novelist and independent writer, Frank spent many years as a journalist and information handler for several newspapers, agencies, and government bureaus. His fiction and nonfiction books, stories, and articles made good use of his years of experience observing government and military bureaucracy and its malfunctions, and the threat of nuclear proliferation and annihilation. After the success of Alas, Babylon, Frank concentrated on writing for magazines and journals, putting his beliefs and concerns to political use, and advising various government bodies. In 1960 he served as a member of the Democratic National Committee. In 1961, the year in which he received an American Heritage Foundation Award, he was consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council. From 1963 through 1964 the Department of Defense made use of Frank's expertise and advice, and this consultancy turned out to be his last response to his country's call. His other books include Mr. Adam and Forbidden Area.

Biography courtesy of HarperCollins.com

Reviews

[Rayrumtum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this novel published in 1948 fascinating. It is about a veteran from the Italian campaign who joins the State Department after the war as a foreign service officer. He is dispatched to Budapest to participate in a secret program involving covert action. Setting aside that this would probably not be a State function, there are several interesting features. First, this is the first novel to mention the CIA by name although it plays no role in the story at all. Second, writing in 1948 the author shows us much about his perception of the world then. This is different than an author in the present who writes about 1948 with the advantage of hindsight. This is when the Cold War is sort of beginning but the US still has its nuclear monopoly so the Soviet threat is not yet fully appreciated. Also, as the action takes place in DC and Budapest, you get a keen sense of what life was like in those cities then. Also, you get a sense of how the State bureaucracy operated then and not terribly from today. For test reasons, I recommend this book to anyone interested in Cold War fiction.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fourth Pat Frank book and I continue to enjoy his writing. This one starts off slow again but in the end it builds steam and you root for the main character. Frank is easily becoming one of my favorite authors because of how he weaves historical fact and fiction together. Sometimes I have to stop and think about what really occurred during the Cold War before I continue readind so that I don't confuse them. Recommend this if you like historical fiction or a good suspense novel.

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a most surprising and interesting novel. I truly enjoy and was surprised by the fact that it got better as it progressed. I found the historical setting post-WW2 Hungary quite interesting. The early seeds of the cold war provide an intriguing and detailed backdrop for the story and plot.

[Susan Card · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always liked Pat Frank. Of course Alas Babylon is my favorite

[Rob Paczkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1948, scary that some of the politics and fear from then has not changed. We certainly have not learned from our past.

[Aminul Haque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fiction for the diplomatically inclined.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

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This is a Cold War thriller written before the genre had taken full form…Matt Damon could star in the movie…
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The novel provides the reader with the flavors of an era when the Russians had yet to detonate an A-Bomb, the Chi-Coms had yet to push the Chi-Nats off the mainland, there was no Defense Department and our current national security empire was still in its infancy. Within Pat Frank's tale, full voice is given to the author's disdain regarding bureaucracies and to his conviction that the common man is overwhelmingly the wiser man.
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In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock's cameo appearances, the author managed to weave Hyannis Nebraska into the story…this has been done in almost all of the Pat Frank books I've read.
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All in all—a pretty good recreational yarn…
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