Second Saladin

I really can't understand what other Stephen Hunter fans find to not like about this book. Okay, it's not Bob Lee Swagger, or even his dad, Earl, and it doesn't have wild gun - or sword - battles where one lone, determined Marine takes on the world and wins against all possible odds. But it does have a great story line with wonderfully colorful characters, an ex-Marine/CIA anti-hero who is probably the prototype for Bob Lee, an intricate plot that jumps back and forth across time and space from Afghanistan and Iraq in the 70s to Mexico and Washington, DC and the thread that pulls it all together in an underground parking garage a decade or so later. If you are a Stephen Hunter fan, pick this book up after first clearing your mind of the Swaggers and get ready to root for Paul Chardy. He won't disappoint you. And if you're not a Stephen Hunter fan, *WHAT* is your problem?

This is the second novel by Stephen Hunter that I have read. The first being, "Time To Hunt". "The Second Saladin" is a better written, more intelligent novel. I found the characters to be more complete and interesting than the characters in "Time To Hunt". This may be the result of reading the last novel in the series, before reading the preceeding novels, missing some background information, etc...but, overall, the plot, action, pacing..."The Second Saladin" is a better overall novel than "Time To Hunt".

I guess it is hard to find reviewers of a book when it is very hard to find until it is re-published in May. As I was laughing ,I kept thinking that this slightly bizarre humor in this Hunter book seemed just like another author. I wonder if PS -YOUR CAT IS DEAD came out just before Hunter started to write Saladin. For anyone who enjoys James Kirkwood, this book is an an adventure novel written in the style of Kirkwood with his quirky but to me ,at least, very funny -never take yourself too seriously Style .I guess I liked the somewhat slower middle section of the book with its character development and pot shots at the entire US Intelligence Establishment and to me it rang true with the amazing courage and incompetence existing side by side in these agencies. I also liked the way the FBI and the CIA are shown screwing each other up most of the time. Remember this book was written almost 20 years ago. .I hope none to the Kurds, whom we encouraged in 1991-92 to revolt against Saddam ,order this book and gets some ideas.

I am the person who earlier marveled that Hunter's best book was out of print. I almost didn't take my copy of the book back to the Library. It is a book that you can open to a page and begin re-reading it and just enjoy the flow of words and the great deal of humor Hunter puts into the story. I laughed and laughed as the author lampooned many of our sacred Cows in the intelligence community. The story is excellent and I wanted it not to end. I felt I had lost a couple of friends when it did, but now in May,1998 I will see them again.

I had to borrow this book from the Main Library in Boston- no other local library seemed to have a copy.I was surprised at how good the novel was and that it is out of print (1982) when an earlier book-Master Sniper(1980) is in vigorous print and his weakest book-Tapestry of Spies is also easily available.Very Different But also very good