The Charm School

This is the first novel that I read from Mr. DeMille, and that was a few years ago - but I remember the story. Can’t wait to relax and enjoy it again.

Once I started reading this book I could NOT put it down. I love DeMille's writing style. The story is full of twists and turns and the ending is a WOW. Although the book is fiction (isn't it?) the storyline is so well done that I couldn't wait to turn the next page. GREAT BOOK - GREAT AUTHOR - GREAT READ!

I found this book many years ago in an airport. Just thought I would like something to pass the time. I was hooked. Read through the nights, days, and could not put it down. Since then have read all of the author's books. I bought this hard copy to keep in my collection and will read it again.

The Charm School is my favorite Cold War novel of all time and one of my favorite novels of any genre, ever. This is a powerful, well-written, and disturbing novel of Cold War intrigue. It takes place in the old Soviet Union circa 1988, and DeMille's research about, and visits to, the USSR around this time have given this novel an authenticity that resonates throughout the novel. DeMille captures the tension of the Cold War conflict, the sorrow of the Russian people and the contradictions in the old Soviet state ("with gravel roads, ICBMs, and a world-class Secret Police service..."). This is a superb novel.Without committing any spoilers, the plot is simple, powerful, and disturbing. Two US diplomats in the Soviet Union discover a terrible secret: that over 1000 US MIA pilots shot down over Vietnam have been spirited away to Russia. The purpose is to allow the Soviets to set up "Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School" which is a KGB academy in which the pilots are forced to teach aspiring Russian spies how to act, speak, and pass as Americans. The KGB will go to literally any lengths to keep the existence of "The Charm School" a secret. The rest would be telling. This is a great story.DeMille literally transports the reader to Soviet-era Russia. His prose dealing with the Russian people, the Soviet government, the vast country, and the long-suffering people to me seemed to capture at least some of the essence of that great and troubled country. The novel moves at a fast-pace without racing to the finish; the reader is allowed to "smell the flowers" along the way, but the storyline never drags. This novel manages to do what very few novels ever succeed in doing: it is a classic of its genre, as well as a ripping page turner."The Charm School" ranks with DeMille's "Word of Honor" as a true masterpiece that belongs in every reader's library.

This book is absolutely amazing. It is the second book I have read by Demille, and is by far one of the stories I will most recommend to my friends. It is a fantastic page-turner that truly captures the heart and soul of the Russian people and the differences between their perspectives and American attitudes toward life. All of the characters are amazingly believable; the plot also comes across as being extensively researched. Demille's world of espionage and foreign service comes to life in a manner tha most authors cannot match: this was our world during the Cold War. Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School did not exist that we know of, but the reality of national security policies are exemplified in this fictional account.After my own experiences in Russia, I highly recommend that you read this book even if your interests only slightly bend in this direction. It is a novel you will want to display on your own shelves to be discussed with friends and family!

This is my third Nelson Demille novel, and each time I start a new one, I think that it cannot be better than the last. Wrong. With every novel, I have more of an appreciation for Demille. The Charm School is one of the best books that I have ever read. Demille gives the reader an indepth look into the world, people, and psyche of Cold War Russia, the inner workings of KGB, CIA, and our government. The characters are superbly develpoed, you really feel as though you know their thoughts and understand why they react the way that they do. The stlye in which Demille conveys his story is unparalleled, you can't help but tear through the pages to find out what happens next. One of the aspects of Demille's novels that I really appreciate is the fact that everything that happens is believable. The protagonists are very human and make mistakes, the antagonists are equally as human and to some degree are compassionant. Nothing is "over-the-top". Very believable situations and outcomes.This is a must read for anyone. Another great job Mr. Demille. I only wish I had read it sooner.

A few basic facts about my experience with this book: First, I picked it up at 4 in the afternoon, and didn't put it down until 4 AM. I walked, ate and peed while reading this book. I'm not exagerating. When I finally closed it, I was on page 400. I've re-read it three or four times in the few years since then. Beyond simply being an extremely witty and sarcastic writer, Nelson Demille obviously did his homework for this book. I spent a week in the Soviet Union in 1986, and I can promise you that Mr. Demille spent more time than that over there, because he captures the essence of the Evil Empire, and the soul of the Russian people. The book is every bit as educational as it is entertaining and exciting. It's so good that Demille's other books, as good as they are, can't compare.

"The Charm School" is one of the BEST books I've ever read in my life! I've read over 500 spy novels, and at least 300 mysteries - Nelson DeMille has the ability to capture the reader from the first line of this book where he involves the reader DIRECTLY in the action, as well as elicit a multitude of emotions from the reader, based on the reader's personal experiences and what the reader can imagine, evocatively elicited by DeMille from is readers. The novel occurs during the waning days of The Cold War in Soviet Russia. An American tourist, Gregory Fisher, discovers a dark secret hidden deep in European Russia, which could effectively end Soviet-America relations for years to come. This discovery occurs when Fisher is committing an "intinerary violation," which brings him to the attention of the KGB. Fisher then attempts to relate the information that he uncovered to the American Embassy's Air Force Attache` in Moscow, Sam Hollis, on the very night that the KGB discovered Fisher's intinerary violation. Following that discussion, Fisher is murdered by the KGB, who subsequently tries to make Fisher's death look like an accident. This does not sit well with Hollis, who is trying to help him get to the American Embassy. It also does not sit well with the CIA Station Chief at the American Embassy, Seth Alevy. The woman who took the initial call from Fisher, a State Dept. Liason Officer, Lisa Rhodes, is also involved, as she listened to and recorded the initial call between Fisher and Hollis, and she is familiar with some of the CIA's espionage operations in Moscow; she was the former girlfriend of Alevy, and is soon to become Hollis' girlfriend during the operation to discover the truth behind Fisher's death and the secret Fisher discovered. Both Alevy and Hollis operate together under personal and professional rivalries; their CIA/U.S. Air Force rivalry, as well as their mutual affection for Lisa Rhodes, yet they form an alliance to try and solve Fisher's death, as well as solve the dark secret which Fisher dicovered. As the novel goes through its paces, the tension between the KGB and the joint-American espionage forces escalate to the point where Hollis and Rhodes get their diplomatic privileges revoked and are kicked out of the Soviet Union. This is the point where the tension REALLY hits home with the reader - from here you just need to buy the book, and discover the end of the story, as well as the details which I purposely omitted. One thing that I will say is this - that which I omitted provides a wealth of information concerning how sociological aspects affect each and every one of us (worth the read in itself). You can discover how Nelson DeMille develops his characters and his story in order to appreciate how well he places a reader into one of his novels.And you can experience the overall sense of humanity and justice which DeMille elicits from his readers. Buy ANY of DeMille's books (I've read th