Topaz

If you're a Leon Uris, espionage, or historical fiction fan, or if you love a don't-want-to-put-it-down story, this is for you. Deals with Cold War era, post Bay-of-Pigs espionage with French and American interests in Cuba. Leaves you shaking your head at the descriptions of the inner workings of international policies and how espionage really works. Realistic, educational descriptions of what Cuba was like at the time. Characters are intriguing and entirely human with both strengths and weaknesses developed. Hyper-tense page turner. One of his easiest books to read. A definite must read.

What a wonderful novel this is. Again Leon Uris is able to make a good story great...this time we are brought into the world of espionage between, the Soviets, Americans and France. In a nut shell there is a great conspiracy brewing i.e. the Cuban Missile Crisis...but Uris goes a step further by saying that maybe the entire Crises was a hoax...dreamed up to get France to leave NATO and weaken the alliance....or is it? I must admit he is really able to keep the story moving along and does a great job creating mystery and intrigue. As you read you are never sure who is telling the truth and who is not...It really makes you bite your nails and question what you think is going on....that is a good story to me. I feel they should re-release this novel because it is very indicative of our times now. A good read.

This is far and away my favorite Leon Uris novel. Unlike many of Uris' other works, this book is crisply written, the story moves at a fast pace, the ending is climactic, and the characters are vivid. The protagonist, Andre Devereaux, is unforgettable.This is a novel essentially of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It also deals with postwar French foreign policy under De Gaulle (thinly disguised as "Le Croix" in the novel). The novel is told from the perspective of Devereaux, a French intelligence officer. Devereaux must deal with his knowledge of the Soviet activities in Cuba as well as Soviet penetration of the French government. This is a fine novel. Unlike many of Uris' other novels, it does not bog down, and the characters behave like real people. There are no idealized characters--each person is shown complete with flaws and foibles. Recommended.

One of the masterpieces. The way cold war has been described is incredible. The way the suspense breaks is really prodigious. You cant drop it till the time you have finished it. The pages turn automatically. One of the few gr8 books read by me. I highly recommend this book.

Leon Uris has done it again. He thrilled readers with Mila 18 and Trinity, leaving us dying for more. Topaz is an incredible novel on the inner workings of Cold-War intelegence operations. Uris dazzeled me with suspence, anxiety, and unpredictability. The secrets this novel contains, hold true to the end. I recomend this to anyone looking for a novel that makes you want to continue to turn the page. Once you start, you just can't stop!