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THE SECRET SOLDIER
by Alex Berenson
Putnam, February 2011
416 pages
$25.95
ISBN: 0399157085


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

The far reaches of espionage writing seldom touch Saudi Arabia, but author Alex Berenson has staked his claim firmly in this often-forgotten land, which plays so complicated a part in the foreign policy puzzle of the United States. In this most recent novel, THE SECRET SOLDIER, John Wells has given up his career in the CIA, but he can never completely escape its grasp.

While the story begins a bit shakily, mixing in another easily forgotten story set in Jamaica about a rogue CIA operative, the heart and soul of the novel is the job Wells takes to work for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Author Alex Berenson carefully mixes just the right amount of fact and fiction to make a compelling story that will cause readers to question what they know about The Kingdom and the difficult line that must be walked between democratic support for a dictatorship and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

There is also that nagging question of oil, the real reason the US cares about Saudi Arabia and the royal intrigues at all. The character of John Wells speaks for so many Americans when he opines that while he believed the US was generally a force for good, things get fuzzy when oil is involved. He notes, for example, "The United States theoretically wanted him [referring to King Abdullah] to succeed. But not at the risk of a single barrel of oil."

When Wells is called to investigate the terrorist activities occurring in The Kingdom, it is because the king suspects someone in the royal family is behind the terror, and his own guards cannot be trusted to provide reliable proof. Wells tracks it all, assisted in part by the CIA, which takes a hands-off approach when convenient and acts like Wells is still an employee when they need his help.

It's a fascinating trail from Wells's initial meeting with the Saudi king in France to the terrorist training camp in the Bekka Valley of Lebanon to the terrorist safe house in the streets of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This story is very well written, with just the right amount of action and commentary on political matters. Those who are interested in contemporary politics will find much to think about and enjoy while reading THE SECRET SOLDIER.

§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.

Reviewed by Christine Zibas, January 2011

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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