MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Free (iBooks) - Moscow Sting by Alex Dryden [Espionage Thriller]

SteveEisenberg · 05-13-2012, 03:17 PM

Just finished #3, The Blind Spy

It's well worth reading if you have any interest in either US foreign policy or Eastern Europe, and reviews I'm finding are good -- but few in number. I usually judge books a lot by whether they are realistic. Much of the appeal is that you know Dryden is retired MI6 and can get away with truths in fiction he couldn't in non-fiction. But which parts are and are not ripped from real occurrences? Take the title character. While many blind people can have productive careers, the idea of a blind spy who travels foreign cities, by himself, sensing surroundings better than virtually all sighted spies is a little hard to accept. On the other hand, maybe Dryden knows a real-life blind (or comparably disabled) spy.

This must have been a problem for Dryden:

April 27, 2010 - Russia and Ukraine Announce 25 Year Sevastopol Lease Extension

September 16, 2010 - Original publication date, The Blind Spy

To its credit, the book does integrate the lease extension in the plot. This news event must have caused a big last minute re-write. If you will like guessing how it changed the book, and deciding whether it argues for or against the overall Dryden political thesis, this book is definitely for you.

05-13-2012, 03:17 PM	#18
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,435 Karma: 43514536 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	Just finished #3, The Blind Spy It's well worth reading if you have any interest in either US foreign policy or Eastern Europe, and reviews I'm finding are good -- but few in number. I usually judge books a lot by whether they are realistic. Much of the appeal is that you know Dryden is retired MI6 and can get away with truths in fiction he couldn't in non-fiction. But which parts are and are not ripped from real occurrences? Take the title character. While many blind people can have productive careers, the idea of a blind spy who travels foreign cities, by himself, sensing surroundings better than virtually all sighted spies is a little hard to accept. On the other hand, maybe Dryden knows a real-life blind (or comparably disabled) spy. This must have been a problem for Dryden: April 27, 2010 - Russia and Ukraine Announce 25 Year Sevastopol Lease Extension September 16, 2010 - Original publication date, The Blind Spy To its credit, the book does integrate the lease extension in the plot. This news event must have caused a big last minute re-write. If you will like guessing how it changed the book, and deciding whether it argues for or against the overall Dryden political thesis, this book is definitely for you. Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 05-13-2012 at 03:19 PM.