High Jinx

A pack of cigarettes puts William Buckley super spy Blackford Oakes onto a plot that got a team of American and British commandos killed. Buckley impressively uses spartan prose to spin an international tale of intrigue. The storyline is clever and the chapters short. I was able to knock off single chapters during 15-minute work breaks. Overall, a very kind pace. I daresay WFB wrote the book with the airline passenger in mind. Retired editor but still owner of National Review magazine and longtime host of the departed "Firing Line" TV program, Buckley's desire to keep the "special relationship" between the U.S. and Britain strong during the Cold War may explain why he chose to use fictitious names for British leaders -- Queen Elizabeth II appears as "Queen Caroline" and Prime Minister Anthony Eden becomes "Anthony Brogan." Yet real-life U.S. and Soviet leaders -- Eisenhower, the Dulles brothers, Khrushchev, KGB chief Beria -- appear as themselves. What are we to make of this? Agent Oakes, curiously educated at Yale just like one-time CIA man Buckley, has an intimate personal relationship with the queen of the UK. What are we, ahem, to make of this? Prince Philip, watch your back. Other high humor in "High Jinx" -- Buckley gives himself a cameo through mention of his supportive work on Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Our author shows he's a man of truth by not trying to bury this part of his life. Buckley also has a character with a name close to that of this reviewer -- "Jimmy Moser." What am I to make of this? Buckley's knowledge of world affairs enables him to sneak in what George Kennan observed was one of the most overlooked aspects of the Cold War -- that it was much more about practical politics than ideology. Leaders of the U.S. and USSR didn't expect to conquer the world. They mostly wished to avoid embarrassment. Buckley's name happens to be very close to that of a real-life CIA station chief in Beirut who was kidnapped and murdered during the Reagan years. Never read the author's reaction to this sad coincidence. Would be neat for WFB to use this incident and his considerable powers to give us a Blackford Oakes tale set in the War on Terror. Include characters based upon WFB's accomplished writer/humorist son Christopher and WFB's late wife Pat (died 2007). The book would surely be widely read, almost certain to be on Queen Elizabeth's nightstand and many others.

As expected, William F. Buckley writes a web of intrigue for his main character, Blackford Oakes. This is the fifth book that I've read in this series, and it definitely receives 5 stars. Mr. Buckley always seems to involve the essential ingredients necessary in order to keep the reader captivated and entertained. The only disappointing thing with this book is, like all good things, it had to come to an end. High Jinx has a blend of mystery, politics, and romance that kept me captivated from start to finish. To Mr. Buckley, I admire you and I hope that you continue the Blackford Oakes series.