The Soldier Spies

Men at War #3

by W.E.B. Griffin

As The Soldier Spies opens, it is November 1942. War is raging in Europe. The invasion of North Africa has begun. In Washington, OSS chief William J. Donovan finds himself fighting a rear-guard battle against an unexpected enemy: the rival intelligence chiefs back home. In Morocco, Second Lieutenant Eric Fulmar waits in the desert for a car containing two top-level defectors - or will it be full of SS men instead? In England, Major Richard Canidy gets the mission of his life: to penetrate into the heart of Germany and bring out the man with the secret of the jet engine, before the Germans grab hold of him. In France, the Allies must find a way to branch the seemingly impregnable German submarine pans at Saint-Lazare. The only hope? An experimental, pilotless flying bomb. Or at least that's what a lieutenant named Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., thinks....

Genres: Fiction, Military Fiction, Historical Fiction, War, Espionage, Thriller, Historical

Audio Cassette

First published February 1, 1986

About the author

W.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

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this story is alright, it is not exceptional. 5 of 10 stars

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Soldier Spies is another masterpiece from W.E.B. Griffin. The struggle continues on all fronts in regards to establish the OSS and get scientists out of Germany as well as how to stop the submarines and a lott of other stuff. I still find this series one of the best out there and will reread them again in the future.

[Jim Morris]

This series is one continuous narrative about the OSS on WWII. Therefore, what I said about the last one still holds. Which is to say it's still wonderful. The only way I can get back to what I should be doing is to finish the whole series as fast as I can. This is Friday and this book is the third of ( think) four, so I should be functional by Sunday.

[George Siehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume three of Griffin's Men at War series continues the lusty, adventure-filled account of America's effort to develop the atomic bomb before the Germans can do the same. He cont8inues to draw on real world personalities as characters in this story, here introducing Navy Lt. j.g. Joe Kennedy in the plan to use a drone aircraft to destroy German submarine pens on the French coast.
The main theme, however, surround the effort to smuggle a German scientist specializing in metallurgy into American hands. Griffin skillfully incorporates the growing threat posed by the success of Nazi submarine warfare on the Allied was effort in Europe, and the potential threat of jet aircraft then being developed in Germany. Introduction of jets could foil the Allied efforts to bomb
important weapon manufacturing centers and prevent the development of German nuclear bombs.

This is an exciting read that mixes real world strategic concerns and personalities with a fanciful group of soldier spies in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) under the direction of Colonel Wild Bill Donovan.

[Brentman99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Jove edition only had 415 pages.

I have always enjoyed reading WEB Griffin books. I thought I had read this series a while back, but decided to re-read it when a new book came out that I wasn't familiar with.

This book was as good as the previous three. The only thing that threw me was that I'm reading a chapter in Book 4 and it seems that somehow the part 4 of the final chapter of Book 3 was exactly duplicated as section 2 of Chapter 3 in Book 4. I'm surprised that the editors didn't catch that. I thought that maybe the last chapter was a preview, but it didn't say that.

Overall, the characters are great. I like those that have been added along the way and look forward to seeing what happens to them. I'm really enjoying the series and recommend it as leisure reading. Although written in the late 1980s, it still holds up well.

[Tod Hazlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment.

The story of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) has always intrigued me. The fledgling intelligence gathering apparatus thrust to the forefront during the most calamitous war in our history. The men and women who risked their lives to obtain the people and intelligence needed for the allies fight and win the war, very romantic stuff.

This third installment did not disappoint as it further develops our characters and the plot line deep into the heart of Germany.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read (12) W.E.B. Griffin books; The Soldier Spies is one of the best written; with action packed suspenseful story I couldn’t put down. I enjoy listening to Griffin audible books; I find the readers are always talented-> however reader of The Soldier Spies is Scott Brick who may be the best narrator.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 of 6 in this W.E.B. Griffin series about OSS agents in WWII. Previous comments refer. It's slow walking plots and author spends a lot of time on the characters. The plots don't necessarily intertwine, so the reader must pay attention to the characters and where they are in the plot. On to book #4

[Ayelet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up from a giveaway shelf not realizing it was part of a series. There were so many characters, all of which had their titles given each time their name was mentioned. I just couldn't keep track of them and didn't particularly care.

[Glen Leavens]

Enjoying this WEB Griffin book. The reading during the celebration of D-day about how young some of the officers are and how much risk they took is amazing. A good read and a lot of action. Quite enjoyable.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fast paced it’s hard to put it down for even a moment. The book gives a peak behind the scenes of how the early intelligence community conducted business during WWII. Great book with wonderful characters.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The European Theater version of "The Corps" series...The OSS involvement in the air war, invasion of N. Africa, preparations for drone attacks on the U-boat Atlantic Coast sub pens...Just great stiff from W.E.B. Griffin...I hate soap operas, but I love his!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow for me at the start, but it got my interest about 100 pgs. in and kept me until the end.

WWII spies amid Germany, UK, Russia, and many smaller countries that no longer are on our maps. The trials and espionage used during the Second World War.

[See · Rating 4 out of 5]

W.E.B. Griffin writes good books about the war

This is the third book in this series and I am going to jump right into the fourth book tonight. It's hard to put them down. There is always a lot of action. Sometimes I wonder how he keeps all these characters up in the air.

[John Oldfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Men at War good

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often read books from the same authors/series back to back. This author is the exception!

[Robert Knorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - looking forward to the next in this series.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to read this as I had eye surgery in the midst of the book. A World War II thriller about spies rather than soldiers. Lots of action, but you will need a willing sense of disbelief.

[Earl Gentile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy the author’s books this series is just what I expected and more than worth the time to read. The characters he creates are larger than life.

[minz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series continues. Old characters return in their clandestine roles and take this series through a couple of adventures. Things

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like his series. Just fun. Good heroes.

[Dallas Autery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one.

[Ryan Hornish · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was gripping from start to finish, although a bit slow in the first 50 or so pages and unsure where the story was likely to go, once it picked up I couldn’t put it down.

[Laura Karsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Felix Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not bad, but somehow I have problem following the story. Didn't finish the book.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good entertaining read.

[KarenC · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with reading books in a series so close together is that you remember what happened in the previous book. So, backstory info for new readers becomes repetitive and annoying when overdone. Familiar characters return, some new characters come in. New missions are planned and begun, but in some cases the reader is left hanging until the next title in the series. And some characters disappear, not as war casualties, but seem simply to have been forgotten. A bit more action in this book to move the overall story along more quickly and with more interest.

[Lloyd Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read from a great author. This is one of the series of W.E.B. Griffin which concerns military men of WWII and the Korean War. Great historical fiction

[Alisonpaddock]

This is the third book in the series about the beginnings of the WWII OSS. I really enjoy this author and the behind the scenes look at history - some of his characters are a bit repetetive but not boring! The best thing about this author seems to be that he never runs out of subject matter. Politics, war, and human behavior - he could write forever.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Soldier Spies to be quite engaging and entertaining, particularly last third of the book. My only complaint about Mr. Griffin's novel is that more action did not take place behind enemy lines until near the end.