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Bestselling author W.E.B. Griffin, whose novels about various branches of the military have won him battalions of fans, returns to the Brotherhood of War series with this crackling yarn. A detachment of Special Forces hotshots teams up with presidential counselor Sandy Felter to put a stop to Che Guevara's attempts to "liberate" the Congo from President Joseph Mobutu's anticommunist government.
Under Felter's direction, the Green Berets dispatch a special detachment to the Congo. Their mission is to convince Mobutu of the wisdom of the American plan to discredit and humiliate Che and his Cuban troops, rather than martyr him, and thus bring an end to his plan to export Castro-style communism to Africa and South America. Repelling the Simba insurgents with help from forces led by South African mercenary Mike Hoare, Mobutu accepts the plan, along with the Green Beret's covert assistance, war materiel, and a fighting force manned by many of the characters who peopled The Aviators, Griffin's last Brotherhood adventure. Yes, fans, the good guys are back--especially flying ace Jack Portet, (a pilot drafted into the army right out of Leopoldville, where he was helping his father run a regional airline), George Washington "Father" Lunsford, and Master Sergeant "Doubting" Thomas. And a lot of them are black, a talented crew of African American airmen and specialists pressed into the Special Forces not just because they're brave and able but because they can pass as Congolese soldiers and thereby keep the American presence under wraps.
As a matter of historical fact Guevara failed badly in the Congo, and after retreating to Cuba, tried the same gambit in Bolivia, where he eventually died under fire and gained the martyrdom the U.S. tried so hard to prevent. But Special Ops offers a close-up look at a little-known piece of military history in a gloriously testosterone-pumped epic, seasoned with a touch of sex and romance. That may seem incongruous, given Griffin's clipped, terse writing style, which is punctuated with plenty of military dispatches and a few gratuitous growls at the internecine rivalry among American intelligence agencies. It's even more incongruous when the general's daughter gets the flying ace, and her father's highly placed friends not only get Portet an officer's stripes but fly her to the Congo to stand by her man. But none of that will stop Griffin's delighted readers from snapping up his latest chronicle of men at war. --Jane Adams
From Publishers Weekly
Newly initiated readers of Griffin (The Fighting Agents) will find the latest in the Brotherhood of War series strongly reminiscent of modern American military classics From Here to Eternity and The Winds of War. Longtime Griffin faithful, eager since 1988's The Aviators for the next BOW installment, will deem this '60s action drama well worth the wait. Fresh from disobeying orders on a rescue mission to the Congo in November 1964 (and receiving two medals for his heroic efforts), former airline pilotDnow Green Beret Sgt.DJack Portet is promoted to lieutenant and assigned to Top Secret Special Operations under Col. Sanford T. Felter, adviser to the president. CIA sources report that Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara is going to the Congo to establish a major Communist foothold in Africa, before moving on to South America. LBJ, with counsel from Felter, decides that it would be better politics to humiliate Guevara in the Congo than to elevate him to martyr status by killing him. To that end, Portet, Felton and Maj. George Washington "Father" Lunsford persuade Joseph Mobutu, president of the Republic of the Congo, to allow a crack unit of African-American Green Berets, all fluent in Swahili, to carry out the assignment. The Special Ops manage to chase Che out of Africa only to see him try to gain power in Bolivia. His writing enriched by new, fully developed characters, Griffin also reprises BOW favorites Craig Lowell, Robert Bellmon, Geoff Craig and William "Doubting" Thomas as he renders an intricately layered, epic novel of the fascinating machinations of international politics and the life and passions of the men who make it happen. Given Griffin's track record with military adventureDhe launched the Lieutenants of the Brotherhood in 1982Dthe audience for this rouser is ready and waiting. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The extremely prolific Griffin has returned to the "Brotherhood of War" series, which began nine books (e.g., The Aviators) and several other series ago. In 1964, Cuba's Fidel Castro tried to export communism to Africa under the leadership of the legendary Che Guevera, and Special Ops details the efforts of the U.S. military and the CIA to stop him. With the world's attention focused on Vietnam and Europe, the deadly fighting in some of the world's most remote and primitive places went unnoticed. Griffin writes from the military perspective, and while it helps to enjoy his unique style and to be familiar with characters from the preceding books (many of whom are featured here), neither is necessary. This is an exciting, intriguing, and fast-paced novel about an often-ignored period in our recent history. For general collections.-DRobert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
When it comes to military stories, W.E.B. Griffin is one of the best. His latest novel continues that tradition. Readers learn of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, who wanted to take over Africa. When that effort failed, Guevara went back to Cuba; from there he tried--and failed--to take over Bolivia. This is the story of Guevara, who died in Bolivia and, despite his incompetence, became a martyr for his cause. Joe Morton's narration is crisp, and his voice fits the characters well. For those who enjoy adventure in a military setting, the story of who killed Guevara, and who tried to keep him alive, is an ideal choice. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Booklist
For readers who are counting, this is Griffin's thirty-first book. Previous ones have included such popular titles as Brotherhood of War (1982), Honor Bound (1994), The Corps (1990), Badge of Honor (1992), and Men at War (2000). Now comes Special Ops , the ninth Brotherhood of War novel, and it's filled with characters from Griffin's other works. The story is set in 1964 and involves the real-life Che Guevara, the Argentine-born Cuban revolutionary leader who was Fidel Castro's chief lieutenant in the Cuban revolution. Guevara, with the help of 200 soldiers, wants to overthrow the government of the Congo and ultimately all the governments in Africa and South America. He fails, returns to Cuba, recruits more mercenaries, tries to take over Bolivia, fails again, and dies there under mysterious circumstances. Griffin's characters include, as always, Green Berets, beautiful women, good guys, and bad guys--all tough talkers and heavy drinkers. One of Griffin's more interesting features is his inclusion of the texts of many "top secret" memos, most of them from the CIA to the president. The result is the kind of sophisticated entertainment typical of Griffin, and his many fans won't be disappointed. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2000
Mammoth...immensely canny...gripping...Griffin fans will dance with delight.
Book Description
W.E.B. Griffin first burst upon the national scene with his Brotherhood of War series of the U.S. Army. In 1988, he published the last Brotherhood novel, The Aviators, yet there was always one more story he wanted to tell-and here it is. Craig Lowell, Sandy Felter, Jack Portet, Geoff Craig, Robert Bellmon, George Washington "Father" Lunsford, Master Sergeant Doubting Thomas-they're all back, with the women who love them, in the crackling new novel Special Ops.
In November 1964, Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara went to the Congo with two hundred men, intent on making it his first step in taking over Africa and South America. He failed, thanks in large part to the efforts of an intrepid band of Green Berets. Licking his wounds, he retreated to Cuba to recruit more men and try the same thing in Bolivia. He failed there, too. In fact, he died there, and thus, despite his incompetence, became a glorious martyr to the cause. But who was trying to kill him, really?...and who was trying to keep him alive?
There, Griffin has some surprises up his sleeve, and as he takes us through the twists and turns of Special Ops, he spins a story of devilish cunning and thrilling adventure.
"Brotherhood of War is an American epic."-Tom Clancy
About the Author
W.E.B. Griffin is also the author of the bestselling The Corps, Men at War, Badge of Honor, and Honor Bound series.
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