The Spike

At first, what caught my attention in this book was the writing style. Like a pretty face. What kept my interest for the first half or so was its resonance with my feelings about my past--college in the 60's, etc. But what really got my undivided attention was de Borchgrave's ability to predict the future. The book copyright was in 1980--the year Ronnie got elected and Jimmie got the boot. The author's predictions about the complexion of the White House was accurate, but 12 years early. It's all here: the Soviet threat, the disgrace of the Clinton administration (read Connor admin) and its refusal to see the coming terrorist threat, etc. Makes for a great read, if little sleep.

This was a book that made an impression on me. The newspaperreporter writes a story that gets a CIA operative in big trouble.He learns after the fact that the information he has used was false information supplied by the Russians. From here it is nonstop action for our reporter. This book also gives you a very good idea about the power of the press and how it can be manipulated to achieve various means and goals.Through this book you go to several locations worldwide. The characters in the story are also well written. This is a good book that you willenjoy very much. Buy it and read it. It is a winner.

In these times of public health and other scaresbeing exacerbated by the US media, it's importantto read something that puts the power of the news media - and the fact that not everyone who spillsink is a friend of this country - into a new perspective.The American people too often believe that everythingthat they read in the papers and see in the news is true.The Spike is a novel whose time has come again.

I know, I know. The heading's a tad too ephusive but I JUST LOVED THIS BOOK! The Spike is a news- paper term for killing a story. That's the meaning of the title. Written in 1980, it's about Robert Hockney. It begins in 1968, where Hockney, a journalism major at Berkley, participates in the antiwar movement. The war at the beginning and throughout the first half of the book being the Vietnam War. He's sent to Saigon to cover the Vietnam War for the New York World--a newspaper that's out of business in real life. Hockney meets Tessa Torrence, an aspiring actress who's like Jane Fonda. Hockney's father is a retired admiral. Hockney himself is 4F, unfit for service, because of a bad knee. His girlfriend, Julia Cummings, is the sister of Perry Cummings, a KGB mole in the Department of Defense. In the second half, Hockney goes around the world trying to uncover a plot by the Soviet Union to bring down the United States. Viktor Borisov, a a KGB agent in Switzerland, defects to the West with his wife and family. Borisov goes to Washington and testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee and names names. Some of them U.S. Senators--others high officials in the new Connor Administration. A Soviet backed coup North Yemen, spreads to Saudi Arabia and brings down the Saudi monarchy. At the end of the book, Connor's new vice president tells him that he won't be running in two years and he will. He also warns the Soviets that they'll face a nuclear attack.