Stalin vs. Me

The Bandy Papers #9

by Donald Jack

At long last -- the ninth and final volume of the Bandy Papers, Stalin Versus Me, in which quintessential Canadian hero Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy has one final fling with death, despair, and destruction, in the final year of the Second World War. In the aftermath of the Normandy invasion, Bandy continues to bob through the ranks like a cork at sea, persecuted by one of his pilots and pursued by Gwinny, who just can't understand why her attempt to have him convicted of treason has soured their relationship. Love rears its (elegant, Belgian) head again, the King needs a man of tact and discretion for a delicate post-war job in Germany, and there's an embarrassing parcel of ladies undies to explain, not to mention just why a half-clothed Bandy (unfortunately, not the right half) is in bed with George Garanine, that lazy, loveable, failed Bandy-assassin. From Normandy to Brussels to Yalta to Moscow, Bandy's career path is as labyrinthine as ever, strewn with bottles, battles, and brasshat blood-pressure. Of most crucial concern to our hero, as 1944 draws to a close and 1945 sees the last grim push of the war beginning -- boozing pal Philby of the SIS couldn't possibly have any reason to get Bandy sent to the Yalta Conference except as a translator, right? And Stalin can't really be out to get Bandy, just because he happens to know that a certain Soviet leader was once a Tsarist agent provocateur. After all, we all know Uncle Joe isn't the type to hold a grudge. Will Bandy survive? Will he get the, er, mature, middle-aged lady (unaccountably still in love with her lazy, loveable, long-lost husband?) Will a plane be purloined? Will his last few hairs hold out?

Genres: Humor, Historical Fiction, Canada

308 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Novelist, playwright, and scriptwriter. Best known for his "Bandy Papers" novels about WWI ace Bartholomew Bandy, which won Jack the Leacock award three times for volumes of the series. Also penned the first modern play performed at the Stratford Festival of Canada, and wrote numerous scripts for television and radio.

Reviews

[Karen-Leigh]

At long last -- the ninth and final volume of the Bandy Papers, Stalin Versus Me, in which quintessential Canadian hero Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy has one final fling with death, despair, and destruction, in the final year of the Second World War. In the aftermath of the Normandy invasion, Bandy continues to bob through the ranks like a cork at sea, persecuted by one of his pilots and pursued by Gwinny, who just can't understand why her attempt to have him convicted of treason has soured their relationship. Love rears its (elegant, Belgian) head again, the King needs a man of tact and discretion for a delicate post-war job in Germany, and there's an embarrassing parcel of ladies undies to explain, not to mention just why a half-clothed Bandy (unfortunately, not the right half) is in bed with George Garanine, that lazy, loveable, failed Bandy-assassin. From Normandy to Brussels to Yalta to Moscow, Bandy's career path is as labyrinthine as ever, strewn with bottles, battles, and brasshat blood-pressure. Of most crucial concern to our hero, as 1944 draws to a close and 1945 sees the last grim push of the war beginning -- boozing pal Philby of the SIS couldn't possibly have any reason to get Bandy sent to the Yalta Conference except as a translator, right? And Stalin can't really be out to get Bandy, just because he happens to know that a certain Soviet leader was once a Tsarist agent provocateur. After all, we all know Uncle Joe isn't the type to hold a grudge. Will Bandy survive? Will he get the, er, mature, middle-aged lady (unaccountably still in love with her lazy, loveable, long-lost husband?) Will a plane be purloined? Will his last few hairs hold out?

[Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ninth and final book of The Bandy Papers, published posthumously in 2005. This was the toughest of the nine volumes for me to get through. This is partly due to the fact that the book was not as 'refined' as the other eight volumes, as Donald Jack had not completely finished it at his death. Also, I did not find that there was as much action as previous volumes. The story focuses around two main events: Bandy shooting down a German flying ace, and then Bandy being chosen to attend the Yalta Conferences. I found the other events of the story to be too long and drawn out to keep my attention. Overall I'm glad that I finished this series, as there were some extremely humorous events in all nine of the novels. I would rate the entire series as a whole as 3.5 stars.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting last escapade with Bandy!

I hadn't realised that he author had sadly passed on and this book existed. I had read the early books decades ago & had fond memories of laughing out loud when doing so.
This final escapade is in the same vein as the earlier ones. I felt the years drop off my shoulders as I laughed out loud again, getting curious looks from fellow commuters in this Brexit sick, intolerance world. Bandy, we need you now, more than ever!
Spiffing fun, what what!
TTFN.