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Title: Stick to your novels
Review: Deighton built his reputation by writing action novels, and proves here the old nostrum that one should stick with what he does well. The devil, they say, is in the details. Deighton isn't really careful about these, excelling only when he plays revisionist historian with the broad issues surrounding the "good" war.For example, he takes unwarranted swipes at the Pope whenever he can, possibly revealing more about his prejudices than his research. He occasionally seems confused about geography, as when he says "the Germans used bases in Czechoslovakia to attack Poland from north and south, as well as from the west." (p. 167 hardcover) I was unaware of the annexation of East Prussia to Prague.At any rate, skip this one in favor of one by a professional historian, such as Leckie's Delivered from Evil.
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