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Offenbunker: Cold War Spies Face Nuclear Menace
A top secret bunker deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A silo housing a ballistic missile.
Cold War super powers the United States and the Soviet Union are engaged in an intense "arms race" build up of nuclear weapons and face off for control as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance.
The CIA, U.S. military intelligence, spies, double agents, the KGB, Stasi secret police, and assassins engage in a dangerous contest of espionage as Russia wants to spread communism and take control of Europe, and the United States wants to stop them.
What is the personal cost to those who devote their lives to preventing nuclear war?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2017
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14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2018
There seems to have been a resurgence in fiction surrounding the Cold War as of late. Despite the Berlin Wall falling nearly twenty years ago, writers have been flocking back to the decades-long standoff between East and West including old masters like John le Carré with A Legacy of Spies. New writers have also come to the genre including A.G. Russo whose novel Offenbunker brings spy fiction, secret government bunkers, and the threat of nuclear war altogether in a neat package.
Russo's tale takes in perhaps the most dangerous days of the Cold War. Opening with the building of the Berlin Wall and reaching its climax with the Cuban Missile Crisis, the novel follows two apparently separate plot strands. One involves a group of agents from various American intelligence agencies hunting for a traitor inside the CIA. The second follows the opening of the eponymous bunker in the Blue Ridge Mountains that acts not just as a hideaway for government officials but also houses perhaps the ultimate deterrent to a nuclear attack. Of course, the threads converge in the novel's finale as the threat of war reaches its zenith.
It's the plotting that is perhaps the biggest highlight of the novel. The two plot strands echo many of the classics of Cold War spy literature and take the reader from a divided Berlin to Washington D.C., into CIA headquarters, and down within the Offenbunker itself. Indeed, the way Russo brings them together echoes such classic thrillers as The Day of the Jackal with the sense of how history might have unfolded but we simply don't know about it.
Elsewhere Offenbunker is rather variable. The novel reads a screenplay in waiting at times with Russo's brisk, punchy prose style. There's almost a filmish style of staging at times which is most apparent especially in the novel's finale. Russo's research of the era shines as most chapters open with a couple of paragraphs giving context to the era in what will be a plus for those unfamiliar with the early 1960s. The result is a novel that is immensely readable but which comes at something of a price.
That price being paid by the characterization and the dialogue. While all of the characters feel plausible, none of them ever feel quite real and range from two dimensional to spouting cliches. The same can be said for the dialogue as well which often is in service of the plot and little else. The romances between a couple of characters seem forced, for the most part, more in service of the plot than a natural extension of the characters lives. Also, while the opening information in most chapters is nice, other pieces of exposition feel less natural and there are some obvious anachronisms in places (such as character searching a computer for files in chapter thirty or frequent references to the traitor as a"mole" more than a decade before the term entered the popular lexicon with le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). There are also some odd omissions of historical characters including CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton who surely should have been at least the figurehead of the hunt for a traitor in the CIA.
On the whole, however, Offenbunker is a solid read. While its characters and dialogue are not its strong suits, its plot is an intriguing one which takes in some of the Cold War's days while also telling an engaging story along the way. For those seeking a new read from an old genre, it's worth giving A.G. Russo's novel a go on your Kindle.
(I received a free copy of the novel from the author in return for an honest review).
Russo's tale takes in perhaps the most dangerous days of the Cold War. Opening with the building of the Berlin Wall and reaching its climax with the Cuban Missile Crisis, the novel follows two apparently separate plot strands. One involves a group of agents from various American intelligence agencies hunting for a traitor inside the CIA. The second follows the opening of the eponymous bunker in the Blue Ridge Mountains that acts not just as a hideaway for government officials but also houses perhaps the ultimate deterrent to a nuclear attack. Of course, the threads converge in the novel's finale as the threat of war reaches its zenith.
It's the plotting that is perhaps the biggest highlight of the novel. The two plot strands echo many of the classics of Cold War spy literature and take the reader from a divided Berlin to Washington D.C., into CIA headquarters, and down within the Offenbunker itself. Indeed, the way Russo brings them together echoes such classic thrillers as The Day of the Jackal with the sense of how history might have unfolded but we simply don't know about it.
Elsewhere Offenbunker is rather variable. The novel reads a screenplay in waiting at times with Russo's brisk, punchy prose style. There's almost a filmish style of staging at times which is most apparent especially in the novel's finale. Russo's research of the era shines as most chapters open with a couple of paragraphs giving context to the era in what will be a plus for those unfamiliar with the early 1960s. The result is a novel that is immensely readable but which comes at something of a price.
That price being paid by the characterization and the dialogue. While all of the characters feel plausible, none of them ever feel quite real and range from two dimensional to spouting cliches. The same can be said for the dialogue as well which often is in service of the plot and little else. The romances between a couple of characters seem forced, for the most part, more in service of the plot than a natural extension of the characters lives. Also, while the opening information in most chapters is nice, other pieces of exposition feel less natural and there are some obvious anachronisms in places (such as character searching a computer for files in chapter thirty or frequent references to the traitor as a"mole" more than a decade before the term entered the popular lexicon with le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). There are also some odd omissions of historical characters including CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton who surely should have been at least the figurehead of the hunt for a traitor in the CIA.
On the whole, however, Offenbunker is a solid read. While its characters and dialogue are not its strong suits, its plot is an intriguing one which takes in some of the Cold War's days while also telling an engaging story along the way. For those seeking a new read from an old genre, it's worth giving A.G. Russo's novel a go on your Kindle.
(I received a free copy of the novel from the author in return for an honest review).
February 6, 2018
Many of us who lived in the Cold War era remember the years of 1960 and 1961 when America and Russia were engaged in a hot-button contest, threatening the detonation of a nuclear bomb. Families took protective measures which one could debate would be totally ineffective should such a devastating attack take place. But few knew about Offenbunker which was a carefully built underground shelter designed to protect the President, Vice-President, Senators, etc. in the event of a nuclear disaster. While this shelter is being finished, there are spies trying to discover where the bunker is and stay one step ahead of those preparing to attack our nation.
The novel begins with revelation that the spies now operating in divided East and West Berlin are alive and well, that is all of them except our CIA spies who keep getting killed. Yes, there’s a mole in the house and part of this plot is to discover who it is. Unfortunately, not all who serve our government have pure motives (no newsflash there). The fight for promotion is often depicted as a dividing factor among men and women who should be cooperating and not waiting to stab the next person in the back.
Now one of these characters is assigned to be in charge of security in the bunker deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Quite a bit of historical information is dumped in between the chapters which some may find annoying but which are actually highly relevant to the plot and intensity of the time. The atmosphere of these times is perfectly conveyed when every second counted and could be the difference between life and death for millions of Americans.
Oh, by the way, the bunker also holds a nuclear missile to be launched the minute American government officials realize a Russian missile is on its way.
The characters herein are very realistic, albeit somewhat stereotypical. You will find yourself heartily disliking one in particular and anxiously awaiting his demise.
Fine international terror novel with plenty of action, trust, betrayal, pulse-racing changes! Nicely done historical fiction!
The novel begins with revelation that the spies now operating in divided East and West Berlin are alive and well, that is all of them except our CIA spies who keep getting killed. Yes, there’s a mole in the house and part of this plot is to discover who it is. Unfortunately, not all who serve our government have pure motives (no newsflash there). The fight for promotion is often depicted as a dividing factor among men and women who should be cooperating and not waiting to stab the next person in the back.
Now one of these characters is assigned to be in charge of security in the bunker deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Quite a bit of historical information is dumped in between the chapters which some may find annoying but which are actually highly relevant to the plot and intensity of the time. The atmosphere of these times is perfectly conveyed when every second counted and could be the difference between life and death for millions of Americans.
Oh, by the way, the bunker also holds a nuclear missile to be launched the minute American government officials realize a Russian missile is on its way.
The characters herein are very realistic, albeit somewhat stereotypical. You will find yourself heartily disliking one in particular and anxiously awaiting his demise.
Fine international terror novel with plenty of action, trust, betrayal, pulse-racing changes! Nicely done historical fiction!
July 29, 2017
The time is the 1960s, and America is still recovering from WWII, the Korean War, and waking up in 1946 to discover that its WWII ally, the Soviet Union, is actually its enemy. The CIA, formed partly out of the wartime OSS, is locked in a deadly struggle with the KGB in now-divided Berlin, and is losing the battle as its agents keep getting burned. A group of intrepid spies, some of them veterans of recent wars, are brought together to find out why the CIA is always on the losing side, and learn that there is a high-level mole within the CIA itself.
Against this backdrop of cold war intelligence skullduggery, a military hero is asked to oversee security of a super-secret facility designed to ensure government continuity in the event of nuclear war, a facility nicknamed Offenbunker. The Soviets, of course, want all the details of this facility, and they order their CIA mole, not just to get the details, but to sabotage it.
Offenbunker by A. G. Russo is a novel of Cold War intrigue and betrayal, as agents of both sides lock horns in battles, personal and professional. The narrative is a bit choppy in places, almost like stage directions, and some of the characters are a bit cliché, a lot like the depictions in movies filmed during the 1960s, given to a bit of hyperbole when they speak. Historical information is also dumped in large quantities, often at the beginning of a chapter, and I found this disrupted the flow of reading. It would’ve been preferable to have this data given out more naturally as the chapter progressed.
While this is not a bad book; it’s certainly an interesting subject; it’s not the author’s best work.
I give it three and a half stars. I received a free copy of this book.
Against this backdrop of cold war intelligence skullduggery, a military hero is asked to oversee security of a super-secret facility designed to ensure government continuity in the event of nuclear war, a facility nicknamed Offenbunker. The Soviets, of course, want all the details of this facility, and they order their CIA mole, not just to get the details, but to sabotage it.
Offenbunker by A. G. Russo is a novel of Cold War intrigue and betrayal, as agents of both sides lock horns in battles, personal and professional. The narrative is a bit choppy in places, almost like stage directions, and some of the characters are a bit cliché, a lot like the depictions in movies filmed during the 1960s, given to a bit of hyperbole when they speak. Historical information is also dumped in large quantities, often at the beginning of a chapter, and I found this disrupted the flow of reading. It would’ve been preferable to have this data given out more naturally as the chapter progressed.
While this is not a bad book; it’s certainly an interesting subject; it’s not the author’s best work.
I give it three and a half stars. I received a free copy of this book.
March 2, 2018
Offenbunker - Written by AG Russo
Governments most secret of secrets and attempts to infiltrate at what cost?
A top-secret bunker deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A silo housing a ballistic missile. Cold War superpowers the United States and the Soviet Union are engaged in an intense "arms race" buildup of nuclear weapons and face off for control as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. The CIA, U.S. military intelligence, spies, double agents, the KGB, Stasi secret police, and assassins engage in a dangerous contest of espionage as Russia wants to spread communism and take control of Europe, and the United States wants to stop them. What is the personal cost to those who devote their lives to preventing nuclear war?
What did I like? I lived during this time and was even a part of the Cuban crisis, so this book really touched me. Of course, I did not know about any secret bunkers or assassins in the US, so this made it even more interesting. 1961 and 1962 were exciting years and the president was on the news almost every day with all the problems with Russia and Cuba.
What will you like? If you’re of this era, then you will enjoy the personal action in the storyline but if you're not then sit up and learn, LOL The author has done a great job with building this story and following along with the time frame. It is filled with action, terrorism, Russian spies, military life, top-secret intelligent spies, oh and don’t forget all the double agents! There were many people during the cold war that were threatened in the same way that Louise was and many of them died. I really enjoyed this book and I am sure that anyone that loves History, thriller suspense and Espionage filled books will love it too. I borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited.
Governments most secret of secrets and attempts to infiltrate at what cost?
A top-secret bunker deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A silo housing a ballistic missile. Cold War superpowers the United States and the Soviet Union are engaged in an intense "arms race" buildup of nuclear weapons and face off for control as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. The CIA, U.S. military intelligence, spies, double agents, the KGB, Stasi secret police, and assassins engage in a dangerous contest of espionage as Russia wants to spread communism and take control of Europe, and the United States wants to stop them. What is the personal cost to those who devote their lives to preventing nuclear war?
What did I like? I lived during this time and was even a part of the Cuban crisis, so this book really touched me. Of course, I did not know about any secret bunkers or assassins in the US, so this made it even more interesting. 1961 and 1962 were exciting years and the president was on the news almost every day with all the problems with Russia and Cuba.
What will you like? If you’re of this era, then you will enjoy the personal action in the storyline but if you're not then sit up and learn, LOL The author has done a great job with building this story and following along with the time frame. It is filled with action, terrorism, Russian spies, military life, top-secret intelligent spies, oh and don’t forget all the double agents! There were many people during the cold war that were threatened in the same way that Louise was and many of them died. I really enjoyed this book and I am sure that anyone that loves History, thriller suspense and Espionage filled books will love it too. I borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited.
July 15, 2017
"A Tense, Enthralling, Realistic Novel"
I love this story -- it grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading it. Somewhere, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a huge bunker and also a missile launch site. The bunker is designed for 1,500 personnel ... including the major leaders of the U.S. It was built in 1961 because of a possible nuclear war threatening attacks on our homeland. Things were getting serious with the Soviets stealing the secret of the atom bomb and Stalin taking control of Eastern European countries. This era was referred to as the Cold War. The U.S. and the Kremlin engaged in espionage as the Kremlin wants to spread communism and take over all of Europe. The U.S.'s goal is to stop them ... before nuclear weapons are fired. This story reveals the many personnel who became spies to keep the U.S. informed, and to hopefully prevent a world-destroying nuclear war. The characters in this novel are very well described and the story line is epic and realistic, even as a fictional novel. It's excellently written, intense, and serious as peace has not yet been gained totally in our modern world where such threats still could become reality. This is a must read for everyone to learn about this history and what America faces today. Highly, highly recommend.
I love this story -- it grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading it. Somewhere, deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a huge bunker and also a missile launch site. The bunker is designed for 1,500 personnel ... including the major leaders of the U.S. It was built in 1961 because of a possible nuclear war threatening attacks on our homeland. Things were getting serious with the Soviets stealing the secret of the atom bomb and Stalin taking control of Eastern European countries. This era was referred to as the Cold War. The U.S. and the Kremlin engaged in espionage as the Kremlin wants to spread communism and take over all of Europe. The U.S.'s goal is to stop them ... before nuclear weapons are fired. This story reveals the many personnel who became spies to keep the U.S. informed, and to hopefully prevent a world-destroying nuclear war. The characters in this novel are very well described and the story line is epic and realistic, even as a fictional novel. It's excellently written, intense, and serious as peace has not yet been gained totally in our modern world where such threats still could become reality. This is a must read for everyone to learn about this history and what America faces today. Highly, highly recommend.
January 29, 2018
Good book, reminded me of the days of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis; I was, at 20, teaching junior high school English and French, and planning--no, make that pushing--for a Christmas,wedding. Just finished A.G. Russia's fantastic novel/memoir called OUR WILD AND PRECIOUS LIVES about teens growing up as Army Brats in Germany, same time frame, 1960-64. When I arrived at the last page of OUR WILD I was experiencing chest pains and such deep physical sorrow that I feared I might be near my own tragic end. I attempted to root out info or a bio about one A.G. RUSSO, but none is available. I need to know who this writer is, was. I suspect Russo has died. I have not yet died and still need to know who this person was. Please tell me, if you know.
July 12, 2018
Offenbunker is a story that takes place during The Cold War, between 1961 and 1962. While it's definitely far from my normal genres, I knew I'd be reading a quality book by an author whose work I thoroughly enjoy (see reviews for
Our Wild and Precious Lives
and
Of Dust and Tides
).
Like the other books I've read from this author, Offenbunker is a well written and enjoyable novel. Even though I wasn't sure if I'd be able to easily fall into a story of this sort, I slipped right in and easily became engrossed in what was happening.
Much like Our Wild and Precious Lives it feels as if the author lived these events specifically. The story feels so realistic, it's hard to remember at times that it's fiction. This kind of writing is what I love. It's so vivid that it's impossible not to see it all playing out in my head like a movie.
If you're interested in a fictional account of what happens in the personal lives of those who give their lives protecting the United States, Offenbunker is fantastic place to start. I'd also recommend it if you're looking to try something new. It's a great book.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
Like the other books I've read from this author, Offenbunker is a well written and enjoyable novel. Even though I wasn't sure if I'd be able to easily fall into a story of this sort, I slipped right in and easily became engrossed in what was happening.
Much like Our Wild and Precious Lives it feels as if the author lived these events specifically. The story feels so realistic, it's hard to remember at times that it's fiction. This kind of writing is what I love. It's so vivid that it's impossible not to see it all playing out in my head like a movie.
If you're interested in a fictional account of what happens in the personal lives of those who give their lives protecting the United States, Offenbunker is fantastic place to start. I'd also recommend it if you're looking to try something new. It's a great book.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
August 29, 2017
A.G. Russo's most recent book, Offenbunker, is a real page turner--well written and exciting. It would make a great movie. From the perspective of someone who grew up in the 60's and also lived in Germany, the story elements are probably not far from the truth. Recommended.
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