Review: A great read (with a caveat)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2013
The Ian Fleming Files: Operation ArmadaAn excellent roller coaster ride. Guns, planes, explosions, boat chases, cool hidden gadgets, secret agents, all of what you'd expect from a Bond film, only set against the background of World War II. The protagonist? Bond's creator, Ian Fleming.Here the author paints an awesome backdrop for Fleming's escapades across Britain, Europe and North Africa during World War II. Get ready for a thrilling read.Pros: Very smooth read. Characterizations were actually great. You could tell most of the characters apart just from their dialogue or demeanor. Great twists and turns, wonderfully plotted, and all the Bond conventions were easily recognizable. Book was tough to put down.Cons: The use of other languages was a little off-putting at some points, where I could either a) almost understand what was being said in French, Spanish, or German (and direct translation just after the dialogue wasn't offered) or b) wonder if the Germans/French/Spanish were actually speaking English.At one point, Fleming says, "I only need a dinner coat" or something similar...which proves to be false. Actually the plan requires a heck of a lot more than that. There are a few other tiny punctuation or spelling errors, but not enough to drop us a star.CAVEAT: If you are a massive World War II buff, I'm not sure if this novel will prove to be historically accurate. Since i'm not, and I'm also not a Bond nut, this didn't bother me in the slightest. I'm also not going to research WWII terminology, contemporary fashion, gun models, tank models, or any of those other details some obsess about. It was a fun read without nitpicking.