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Men at War #5
The Saboteurs
W.E.B. Griffin continues his gripping Men at War series, featuring the legendary OSS.
As the Battle of the Atlantic rages, German U-boats are sinking U.S. vessels at will. Meanwhile, preparations are being made to invade Sicily and Italy. As the war heats up, "Wild Bill" Donovan and his secret agents find themselves battling on two fronts at once. And fate is about to deal them a surprise that may doom them all.
As the Battle of the Atlantic rages, German U-boats are sinking U.S. vessels at will. Meanwhile, preparations are being made to invade Sicily and Italy. As the war heats up, "Wild Bill" Donovan and his secret agents find themselves battling on two fronts at once. And fate is about to deal them a surprise that may doom them all.
512 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2006
289 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
About the author
W.E.B. Griffin
351 books1,298 followersW.E.B. Griffin was one of several pseudonyms for William E. Butterworth III.
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 12, 2022
Another fun book in the Men at War series, this is mostly a struggle between FBI and OSS. The Saboteurs by W.E.B. Griffin is the fifth book in this series and even though the pace is somewhat slower in this one it is still great fun. I actually enjoy the fighting between organisations and rivalry between the indivudals some of the best parts. Don't get me wrong I like the action as well but it takes a genius to create the dialogue that is a trademark of Griffin.
June 14, 2020
The OSS returns battling on two fronts during WWII. First, they have to find out whether the Nazis are sinking ships just by luck, or by some human agency. They also have to prepare for the invasion of Italy.
Not bad, but Griffin just doesn't seem to be for me.
Not bad, but Griffin just doesn't seem to be for me.
February 10, 2015
This is the first book in the series I've been disappointed in. Perhaps it was the long interval between when the previous book and this one were written. Perhaps it was the work of the co-author. I don't know, but this one left me a little unsatisfied. I didn't care for all the New York mob intrigue - much of it seemed pointless. I also didn't like how the four German saboteurs were stopped, not by any efforts of our intrepid heroes, but by their own dumb bad luck. A badly timed fuse and boom, two are gone. The other two get mixed up with a whore and her pimp and are killed, all while the OSS and FBI are wandering around with no idea where to look. Just very unsatisfying. Accurate? Probably. But we expect more from our main characters. Hopefully things get back on track with the next volume.
March 14, 2017
Yawn! The slowest and most turgid Griffin I've read. Double Yawn!
January 13, 2018
Wartime agents of the OSS continue their fight against the Nazi threat. One problem here involves the capture of two teams of German saboteurs landed by submarine in Florida and who engage in bombings through the South and Southwest and up the East Coast. Also, FDR has brought OSS into the search along with the FBI which is upset by this incursion on their jurisdiction. Richard Canidy is sent on another expedition to retrieve a scientist from German occupied Europe, this time an Italian doctor in Sicily where he was forced into work research on using yellow fever as a biological weapon. The New York mob under Lucky Luciano plays a role in both efforts. A fast paced read, but not one of Griffin's best works.
March 16, 2018
The weakest (so far) in this series about the OSS in WWII. It reads like a lull in the action, a set-up for future books in the series. A large part of the book concerns some German saboteurs landed in Florida who then go about setting off various explosions. The rest of the book concerns preparations for the OSS assisting underground resistance fighters in Europe. Nice job of setting the historic background for these operations, but not nearly as exciting a story as the earlier books in this series. I also consider this series to be significantly weaker that the Griffins' other series that I have read. The book would have benefited from tighter and more careful editing.
September 2, 2022
Well, perhaps the other Griffin books spoiled me, but I saw too many patterns here. I know that it's his formula and can use it as he wishes, but now I'm presented with another WEBG that has the same character even when it doesn't:
WWII, hidden talents, very attractive, gets plenty of girls, has plenty of money, a sort of elite cross-cultural man, access to higher-ups, incredibly intelligent, makes organizational political faux pas but never seems to pay that much of a penalty for them, is encouraged to break some rules.
That represents almost 500 pages. Good, interesting, well-researched, but not great and not up to Griffin's standards.
WWII, hidden talents, very attractive, gets plenty of girls, has plenty of money, a sort of elite cross-cultural man, access to higher-ups, incredibly intelligent, makes organizational political faux pas but never seems to pay that much of a penalty for them, is encouraged to break some rules.
That represents almost 500 pages. Good, interesting, well-researched, but not great and not up to Griffin's standards.
January 9, 2025
My Jove version was published in June and has 480 pages.
The war and the story of the OSS continues. I enjoyed the inner workings of the Mob during WWII as some of the novel follows history.
The characters are very interesting and you care about them. My only complaint was that some of the previous characters built up in the previous books got almost no airtime, which was a shame as they would have added to the story.
I won't spoil it, but the ending to the US sabotage was an interesting one that I hadn't considered. It worked, but seemed a bit cliche. But overall, I continue to enjoy the series.
The war and the story of the OSS continues. I enjoyed the inner workings of the Mob during WWII as some of the novel follows history.
The characters are very interesting and you care about them. My only complaint was that some of the previous characters built up in the previous books got almost no airtime, which was a shame as they would have added to the story.
I won't spoil it, but the ending to the US sabotage was an interesting one that I hadn't considered. It worked, but seemed a bit cliche. But overall, I continue to enjoy the series.
August 9, 2021
This book felt like a pause. It reads like a lull in the action, a set-up for future books in the series. About one-third of the book was background and setup, then we got into the action. Germans infiltrate the USA and the OSS infiltrates Italy. There were quite a few characters to track; making the book a mind bender at times. I still find it interesting that Donovan finds time to brief each mission. The book feels like the author ran out of time, and slapped on a 5 minute ending....wow, how did he get there after 11.5 hours of blah-blah?
April 2, 2018
It took Griffen over 400 pages to get to the real meat of the adventure. While there were bombings, killings, and other intrigues along the way; it wasn't until the last portion of the book that it finally got interesting for me. And then it was over.
Not one of his best books. I was a bit disappointed, as I had just read a couple of dark and disturbing books and wanted some excitement.
Not one of his best books. I was a bit disappointed, as I had just read a couple of dark and disturbing books and wanted some excitement.
May 26, 2021
What a weirdly written book - 90% in excruciating detail of every moment, including an apparent fixation with the hero going to the washroom at every opportunity (was the author experiencing bladder issues while writing this I wonder?), and then when the denouement act of the hero finally arrives, everything is wrapped up with minimal, barely summary information. It was as if the author was suddenly given a deadline to finish in a day, and complied. He certainly gave no effort or time to adding any excitement to the final act. This author is permanently off my reading list.
August 15, 2021
Another great WEB GRIFFIN READ
One of my favorite authors. No one compares to Griffin in contemporary military fiction, his people are real, the suspense is wonderful, the story lines fit well into the history of the setting of the story.
Hats off to Griffin, I love his writing, I just wish there were more of his stories to read. I have read every book of each of his series!!!!!!
One of my favorite authors. No one compares to Griffin in contemporary military fiction, his people are real, the suspense is wonderful, the story lines fit well into the history of the setting of the story.
Hats off to Griffin, I love his writing, I just wish there were more of his stories to read. I have read every book of each of his series!!!!!!
July 6, 2019
This was a decent book as a whole. There was quite a bit going on and several story lines the reader had to follow. The story lines were ok, not nearly as detailed as I would have liked. It felt like just as a story line would develop, the character or a character in that story line died. This made it feel as though you never learned a full story because it would suddenly end.
February 28, 2019
If you want a detailed book about how to open doors, fix a scotch and other mundane activities, you're in luck. Especially if you prefer the main protagonists not to really accomplish much or have anything to do with the focus of the book.
December 18, 2021
We’ll it seems Griffin was just treading water w this one. Trying to meet a deadline. Heroes were fine but he just burned up the pages with things like lengthy descriptions of a diner when it was of no significance. Almost no progress in the story. Guess I’m off to number 6. Hope it’s better.
March 6, 2022
Who knew the Germans were dropping off people to sabotage places around the country? This was a little eye opening. It was very interesting reading, but it doesn’t start out that way. Stick with it, it gets better after the first 30 or more pages.
December 16, 2022
Another great installment.
The story continues to hold me, as the characters move through their OSS adventures during WWII.
I must admit, this was not on par with the previous four books; hoping #6 is better.
The story continues to hold me, as the characters move through their OSS adventures during WWII.
I must admit, this was not on par with the previous four books; hoping #6 is better.
August 14, 2017
I have a read a few of these books, and they are ok. Damn things are a series, so I had to grab the next one to figure out what happens to the characters.
December 11, 2018
German saboteurs are in the US blowing up things and the OSS is trying to find them and also get scientists out of the war area and into the US
July 12, 2019
good book
August 12, 2019
The book was definiteily great
August 21, 2020
I greatly enjoyed this book, and this series. Looking forward to the next. Very interesting storyline and characters. I’m a huge fan!
October 13, 2021
Of the books that I have read by this author, this was very disappointing. The two story lines were not compelling at all.
May 12, 2022
Well-written and very much fact-based.
August 5, 2022
The flow of Griffin's stories is unsurpassed
October 6, 2022
Great book.
February 27, 2023
I kind of forgot what the book started like. The author brought the initial plot line to a quick conclusion after treating the second for most of the book. And what did happen to Anne?
April 13, 2023
Quite a fascinating account.
February 11, 2024
Good story
Good story line. Kept me interested until the end of the book. I hope the plot is continued in more episodes
Good story line. Kept me interested until the end of the book. I hope the plot is continued in more episodes
November 7, 2024
My first Griffin novel. I hope they're not all this slow! Interesting connection between the OSS and the mob.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews