Review: Comes Up Short/See S. Talty's Full-Length Captivating Garbo Book Just Out
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2012
Mr. Anderson's treatment of Agent Garbo simply does not do justice to a fabulous story.  Even the title seems bland and uninspired and no new ground is plowed here. Typos and some incomplete sentences convey a hurried sense in the preparation. The pervasive invented dialogue often is hard to follow. The overall feel is that of a rush job, perhaps to get a head start on the up-coming Ben Macintyre book about the nucleus of six double agent spies (including Garbo) so instrumental in the amazing D-Day deceptions.Complicated, eccentric and enigmatic true characters surprisingly come off here almost as one dimensional. Individual motives are not probed beneath the surface. For example, the top German spy in Madrid (Kuhlenthal), responsible for running Garbo and determining who in the Nazi hierarchy saw what, and when, was a very complicated individual (see "Operation Mincemeat" by Macintyre, acknowledged by Anderson as "the consummate case study" on the Abwehr in Spain, Garbo's German control-and-command post).The choice to tell Garbo's story in a strictly linear, chronological fashion seems misguided and severely limits the action and pace. As another commentator notes, the result is not unlike that in reading a college term paper, well-intended but lacking fire.So much of Garbo's story blends intelligence, bravery, courage, luck, pluck, fate and chance. While at $1.99 this is a great value and starting-off point for a reader just becoming aware of Garbo, one should look elsewhere for the sort of thoroughly engrossing pot-boiler this story rightly merits.PS July 3, 2012 Published today: Stephan Talty, "Agent Garbo: The Brilliant...." First full-length treatment. A cast of characters list to follow names. Footnotes showing extensive sources. Great B&W; photos. Invented dialogue not necessary; the facts more than tell the remarkable story. 11 "Vine" reviewers convey 4 1/2 star average and much enthusiasm. Recommendation: Try a sample; then, if hooked, apply the "Single" price to Talty's eminently more satisfying work!