Review: A gripping and informative historical thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2012
Stormbringer opens with an enticing hook: a torture scene in which the unnamed first person narrator is repeatedly asked, "Who are you?" In this story of deception and duplicity, the answer to that question is anything but straightforward.Following this prologue, we are introduced to Robert Leroy Parker, a British con man who adopted multiple aliases and pilfered millions of dollars from the Spanish government by his mid-twenties. One day in 1938, he is apprehended by the British government, which is well aware of his activities, and offered a job: to infiltrate the German military as a deep cover spy. Knowing that refusal would mean having to answer for his theft, and perhaps driven by a touch of idealism, Parker accepts.Adopting the identity of one Michael Krause, a German American supposedly drawn back to the fatherland out of a patriotic desire to aide the Reich, Parker starts out as a translator for the Foreign Intelligence Collection Department but eventually finds himself, ironically, becoming something of a Nazi hero after participating in a number of missions, including the one that started World War II. In watching Parker's rise, it is easy to forget that he is, in fact, a foreign spy and not and the up-and-coming young officer he masquerades as.Throughout the book, there are several instances in which Parker directly addresses his readers, challenging them for presumably judging him and toying with their expectations. Oftentimes while reading, I felt as though I was in a room with Parker as he recounted his tale, for his voice comes across as genuine and relatable. Irreverent and witty, arrogant and yet and fully aware of his own flaws, Parker really comes alive and engages the reader in a way that makes it easy to forget that he is a fictional character.Although Parker is a work of fiction, most of the events detailed in Stormbringer are based on well-researched historical facts, from Kristallnacht to the invasion of Poland. Parker's "on the ground" close-up view of his life and missions during this tumultuous time is wrapped in concise, textbook-like descriptions of the historical context. Many historical figures make cameo appearances in this story, including Winston Churchill, Clause von Stauffenberg, and the Fuhrer himself.Stormbringer is anything but a run-of-the-mill spy story. It takes a realistic, down-to-earth approach to its subject matter and avoids romanticizing the war or Parker's role in it. The military and political drama juxtaposed with Parker's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor give this book all the elements of a thoroughly enjoyable read.This is a condensed version of a full review on my blog: (...)