I’m old enough to remember a divided Germany and, very dimly, the Berlin Wall. But today’s world is rather different, so it is always interesting to read a book written during those decades of a divided Germany and a worldwide struggle between East and West. Stained Glass by William F. Buckley is one such story entrenched in the Cold War. It is full of secret agents, political intrigue and people talking to each other in code. I would compare it to a James Bond movie, except I’ve never seen a James Bond movie. So I’ll say instead that it is almost what I’ve always expected a James Bond movie to be, only with an American secret agent, and a larger vocabulary (I had to use a dictionary twice to figure out a word, when I don’t usually look up new words while reading, but rely on the context to give me the meaning).Blackford Oakes is an American secret agent, and he is sent to West Germany to shadow Count Axel Wintergren, a German who is running for the chancellorship and whose platform consists of one plank: unification of East and West Germany. Because Wintergren threatens violence to achieve his aims, the goverments in Washington and Moscow get nervous. Moscow accuses Washington of supporting Wintergren, while Oakes’ superiors in Washington are worried that Wintergren will start a third world war, not 10 years after the conclusion of the second. When Moscow discovers Oakes, it raises a host of questions: is there a Russian agent in Wintergren’s entourage? Will that agent try to kill Wintergren? And can Wintergren win the election?Stained Glass was an interesting book and a radical departure from what I usually read. Maybe I’ll give another spy-thriller a try. Maybe I’ll even try a James Bond novel…
The second Blackford Oakes spy novel, like the fourth (The Story of Henri Tod), is set in the divided Germany of the Cold War era, and the shadow of tragedy gives William F. Buckley's storytelling unaccustomed depth and authority. The moral dilemma Oakes faces here is genuinely moving, even if the resolution and the coda (in which Oakes confronts Allen Dulles over the U.S. government's actions) are deeply unsatisfactory. When it came to writing spy novels, Buckley was no Len Deighton, much less John Le Carre, but the Berlin novels show him at his best.
Do You like book Stained Glass (1997)?
At first glance this book is simply another good thriller. However, Mr. Buckley offers a subtle view into the 'what if' environment which adds depth to an otherwise common tale. His personal history makes me wonder about the fact-fiction ratio. His knowledge of words exceeds that of most readers so having a dictionary handy is helpful; but I appreciate the challenge. I thoroughly enjoy reading any of his works. On another note, I read a paperback version printed in the vey early 1980s and was surprised to find three obvious tying errors. I find errors very commonplace today but can't believe he or his publishers would accept such imprefections - ever.
—Judith
