Current Assignment

Now for a change of pace. Summer takes many of us to hideaways on the shore or in the hills, where one goal is to leave worries of the world behind and enjoy recreational reading of a more fanciful kind. Any reader of the old MAD Magazine will remember the comic strip “Spy Versus Spy” that appeared in each issue, and we will take up our own version of that theme by reading two spy novels, one an early example of the genre and another more recent, both by masters of the craft. The first is “Epitaph for a Spy” by Eric Ambler, who is credited with incorporating more real world accuracy in his portrayal of clandestine operations. The second is “The Perfect Spy” by John Le Carre, regarded as the consummate practitioner of contemporary spy writing. My guess is that reading these two books will incite a desire for more of the same, and Bookworms are encouraged to share further book ideas with the rest of us by using the “Reply All” function. So grab your forged passport, head undercover, and have fun until we meet again in the early Fall.