Angola

Secret Mission #9

by Don Smith

The fighting in Angola, seeking independence from Portugal, was growing fiercer and fiercer. When his sometimes boss hears he is heading to Lisbon, Phil Sherman is asked to check on the political situation which in turn leads to a mission down south to find and capture a rebel leader before the Soviets and Chinese get their hands on him.

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Don Smith


Don Smith (August 2, 1909-January 11, 1978) was a Canadian writer of detective and spy fiction. He is best remembered for his Secret Mission series of novels, starring the businessman-turned-spy Phil Sherman.

Smith was born Donald Taylor Smith in Port Colborne, Ontario. In 1934-1939 he was a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star in Beijing and he piloted a fighter in the Royal Air Force during WWII. He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation in the Dieppe Raid in 1942.After the war he lived in Morocco and Majorca, manning different businesses before becoming a full-time writer in his 50s.

source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Tom Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Mission #9: “Angola” by Don Smith. His CIA contact asks Phil Sherman to try and find a black rebel leader in Africa and promise him money and support to back his fight for control of Angola. The only one who may know his whereabouts is an ex prisoner now living in Lisbon, so Sherman starts there. The first half of the book takes place in Lisbon, as Sherman is framed for murder and must hide out from both the police and those men who set him up. Here he meets two women, Meia Gomes and Carlotta, who provide the romantic interest while he’s trying to stay alive. When he leaves Lisbon for Angola in the second half of the book, Meia goes with him, but is kidnapped by the opposition when they arrive. Now Sherman must seek the aid of Manuel Arrabida, the rebel leader to help him get her back. He recruits the help of an ex Green Beret training the rebels at an old Fort. Finally reaching the rebel camp he speaks with Arrabida and is introduced to the rebel’s beautiful sister, Senguela, a vicious jungle fighter. She takes Sherman under her wings to protect him, and the rest of the story revolves around her instead of Meia. I do believe Phil Sherman is better with women than James Bond. Although the first half of the book is very busy, the story really takes off when we move into Angola. Most stories are well written, and the author is well versed in world politics and geography, some of the stories do come across as a bit better than others. This is one of them, and was a fun read. Sherman is merely a CIA asset, not an agent, but willingly takes on dangerous assignments that could result in his death.