Topaz

There's lots of novels about Cold War intrigues, but precious few of them include Cuba. Although clearly a work of fiction, it is well-researched (like all of Uris' books). This book changed some of my thinking about a difficult era in our history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Uris blends the reality of the Cuban Missile Crisis with his tense espionage narrative and the reader benefits. Written nearly fifty years ago, 'Topaz' reads like a more modern thriller, though without much of the bombast and contrived plot twists we are subjected to today. A believable tale by a great storyteller.

Reading this novel reminded me of this incredible time in our history. The "what If;s" were always hanging there while reading because I could remember the actual events. And, what a great President that we had in JFK and his handling of the information once the information made it the White House.