Honor Bound

Good character and story line development. Spent less time on development of the agency (which was developed in several other series) and more time on character development. Would recommend the book to others. Look forward to next book in the series.

An excellent novel, part of the series written by WEB Griffin. As intiguing as The Corps series. Delightful to read as a relaxing activity but always "wanting more" as you continued the novel. Strongly recommend as an adventure espionage novel. Highly recommend.

This engaging first installment in Griffin's "Honor Bound" sets the stage in 1942. Marine pilot Cletus Frade, surviving against long odds desperate air battles over Guadalcanal, gets called home supposedly for a War Bonds tour, but actually to serve with the OSS. They want him to lead a team to Argentina, charged with taking out a neutral merchant ship secretly resupplying German submarines offshore.

The father Frade has never met lives there. He's a wealthy Army colonel, and also leading a plot against the pro-Axis Argentine president. So how much of his son's mission is about attacking the ship, and how much of it is really about his dad? Do the Germans want him dead? How about the Argentines? And how about some of his own people? And why?

Meanwhile Luftwaffe pilot Hans Peter von Wachstein, a general's son, accompanies the body of an Argentine military observer shot down at Stalingrad. The Germans hope the elaborate ceremonial gesture will draw Argentina closer to Germany. Von Wachstein, though, has been sent to a neutral safe haven as the price of his father's entry into a plot against Hitler. High-ranking Germans know Stalingrad will be lost and with it, likely, the war. News of the Holocaust has begun leaking out, making it harder for those abroad to support Germany. Von Wachstein's father is one of an aristocratic cabal bent on eliminating the man driving Germany toward destruction. But he wants his last remaining son to survive the war, and the family fortune safe abroad.

The Abwehr, though, wants to draw the young Von Wachstein into a plot against the Frades, placing him at a crossroads. With whom will he side?

Frade learns how difficult it is to lead a double life and maintain a cover story, as people start seeing through his almost from the moment of his arrival. And of course romance intervenes, as it should in the life of any fictional spook.

Frade has the unusual job of getting to know the father he's been taught all his life was an ogre, and the country where, he comes to realize, he will one day inherit an enormous business empire.

The book is a fine page turner, never flagging as it employs a large and colorful cast of characters, from the Texan fighter pilot Frade, to his Latin gentleman father, to his crusty grandfather, an American oil magnate, to the sly Argentine intelligence chief Martin, and many more.

And he draws a fine portrait of an Argentina neutral but pressed by both sides in the war to side with them, bringing along its agricultural resources and its strategic South Atlantic location. Many Argentines side with the Germans, Catholics who see them as fighting the godless Communists on the Eastern Front. Juan Peron, now a colonel but both a leader in the future and a figure later in this series, is visiting Nazi Germany to examine its social welfare system, an experience he would draw from later when taking power.

Griffin's books are escapist, as they involve wealthy and entertaining protagonists who have the means to make just about anything happen, surrounded by their trusty and loyal retainers upon whom they depend, beautiful women, huge estates, their own planes and endless amounts of money and influence.

His military detail, though, is excellent, from the hardware (planes, guns, ships) to the software (uniforms, traditions, customs, titles) to the battles (what was really happening in the air at Guadalcanal) to the politics (say, American considerations regarding the positions of Brazil and Argentina in the war). He delights in arrangements, not only who is driving whom to dinner (which occasionally figures in the action) but in how his characters use the ambiguities in their lives - the double citizenship Frade discovers he has, say, or questions about whether he's actually still a serving officer or a retired one - to their advantage.

This series really does center on the concept of honor, a vanishing one in today's world, particularly as motivating people born to rank, privilege and money to do the right thing, and figuring out what that right thing is.

His writing is crisp and entertaining. A saga like this is one you want to get lost in.

Love this series!

Lieutenant Cletus Howell Frade crash lands his airplane on an airstrip in Guadalcanal. Upon recovering, he's mysteriously (and too easily) shipped back to the States for a "war bond tour".

What does Colonel Alex (Alejandro) Graham really want with him and other crack soldiers?

Argentina and Brazil are playing their parts in the war and Frade's political father in Argentina may be an ace in the hole for the Americans. Is Jorge Guillermo Frade the beast Lt. Frade's grandfather portrays him to be? Or does he really love his long lost son and long to be the father he never was?

Meet Ettinger, Jewish officer who tries to befriend a Jewish Argentinean. And Pelosi, the explosives expert. For romance, the Virgin Princess, Dorotea Mallin keeps Lt. Frade's mind occupied. On the German side, Hans-Peter von Wachtstein accompanies the body of cousin Jorge Frade, killed in action, home to Argentina, meeting up with Cletus at the Frade guest house.

Clashing with chief Nestor, is Clete jeopardizing the mission or protecting his crew? "A soldier is honor bound to face the risks involved in performing his duties, no matter how dangerous." You'll want to read Blood and Honor, the next in the series.

During WW2, the 'Office of Strategic Services' was set-up by 'Wild' Bill Donovan as the precursor to the CIA. Unlike the CIA of today (uhhuh) OSS was run on a shoe string and by a lot of academics who watched to many John Wayne movies. The OSS was notorious for trying to pull off missions in France which led to more problems for the Resistance than they were worth. It was a hotbed of Ivy Leaguers who thought that intellectualism would win out over ability every time.

Griffin has done a marvelous job of describing the tenor of the times on both sides of the Atlantic. The Germans cover all the cliches, like the Honorable Prussian Office, the dastardly Gestapo/SS Guy, the bumbling 'Sargent Schultz' type, etc. The Argentines spend their time plotting to overthrow the government (coup d'etats are like a national sport) and deciding on whether to be American or German neutrals. The Americans are all 'can do' kind of guys, especially the marines, and have more luck with the ladies then an Emir in his Hareem.

But, it's all good fun, sort of like Casablanca (but without the music) from the feel of it. Of course, the idea that there will be a sequel is understood, and we'll get to see everyone again real soon. We'll always have Buenos Aires. Here's looking at you amigo.

Honor Bound captures your attention at the start and never lets go. While there is not really a lot of "action," the story, the settings and the character development all make for an excellent book.

The story is the recruitment and development of an OSS team to carry out a secret mission to disrupt German submarine activity in neutral Argentina during WWII. The sub story is the reconnection of a powerful Argentine father and his American son who have not seen each other since the son was an infant. Several other sub stories are also woven in. All are interesting and well told.

The primary setting is WWII Buenos Aires. Most of us are unaware of the atmosphere there during the war, so that makes for a good learning experience. Other settings include Guadacanal, Midland (Texas) and New Orleans. All add interest to the story.

Griffen also does an excellent job of developing his characters. The primary ones really come to life.

If you are looking for "shoot 'em up" action, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a fascinating book about an arena that you probably know little about, give this a try. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

This book is the first in another chronicle about WWII in Argentina. The characters are fascinating and very believable. Cletus Frade finally meets his father in Argentina because of the death of his mother. His mother is Texan through and through. He also was raised by his grandfather. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and was immediately approached by some other military. They turned out to be the OSS which became the CIA. This is a fascinating part of WWII history in South America and Argentina in particular.
This novel is very hard to put down, it so exciting.
This book is a must if you like W E B Griffin and the detail of a well-researched history.

Ten stars!! **********

The book set in WWII Argentina, "Honor Bound" is a great historical fiction of the WWII espionage game, coupled with an intense and dynamic story line. Cletus Frade, is a magnificent hero who has intensity, likeability, and charm. The secondary characters are richly developed and are as interesting in many cases as the hero. This story wraps you up in the characters, make you care about them, and takes you on a wonderful journey that ends way too soon, thankfully there are two more books in the series.
This is the best W.E.B. Griffin book yet in my opinion, and one of the most enjoyable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading!
OVERALL SCORE: (A+)
PLOT: (A+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (A), SETTING: (A), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), ANTAGONISTS: (A+), ROMANCE: (A-), SEX: (Light), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

"An officer is honor bound to face whatever hazards his duty requires; not throw his life, or that of his men, away."

"Honor Bound" takes an interesting mix of colorful characters, wartime intrigue, blends them together in an uncommon World War II location, that results in a fairly deep and fun book. Based mostly in Buenos Aires, prolific military writer, W.E.B. Griffin does a good job of creating fairly fleshy characters, and creating a unique WWII thriller.

It's a little hard to even characterize this book. There's not a ton of military action, though it's clear that Griffin is passionate about the subject, as well as his adopted home of Argentina. The primary characters are just short of cliche's, but neither are they totally unique.

The book set in WWII Argentina sets up a marvelous contrast between friends and enemies, trust and deceipt, and loyalty and treason. While recounting some of the actual events and occurences during the war era, it also involves an entrapping story line of a Marine war hero who must choose for duty and honor, or his friends, family, and his true feelings. Can he have his cake and eat it too? I could not put this book down. I felt myself wanting to be there and participate. The book paints vivid mental pictures playing itself like a movie. It is a must read!

Griffin is well known for his military books that have real characters doing unreal things that make the entire novel a real story of unreal quality. Ok just a confusing enough sentence to make you read more. Griffith is such a writer that his characters are what carries the story; meaning the reader wants to know how the characters are going to develop in the situations. Cletus Frade is akin to another of WEB's great characters...Craig Lowell.

Perhaps one of my favorite authors with books that allow for countless rereads.

Shipped home from the Pacific, Cletus Frade learns that he will be sent to Argentina to aid in the war effort against the Nazis. He and two other Americans are sent to Argentina to sink a Nazi ship refueling and rearming German U-boats. In Argentina Cletus meets his long lost father, a very important man in Argentina and tries to sway him toward the United States. During the course of his mission Frade comes upon many problems, falls in love and builds a strong relationship with his father.
I recommend this book very highly. This book never had a dull moment. This is the second book of W.E.B. Griffin that I have read and I enjoyed both of them. This book takes place during World War Two and contains a lot of real to the time's technology and information. Griffin obviously spent a great deal of time researching before he wrote this book. It pays off. The quality of the story is greatly enhanced by the use of factual information. Of the many books in this genre that I have read this is one of the better ones. The story line drives along at a steady action packed pace. Though this book is projected more towards the middle-aged male demographic, I think that anyone who enjoys espionage, romance, anyone interested in World War Two or anyone who enjoys fiction would greatly enjoy reading this book. This is a great book and I recommend it to anyone.

Typical WEB Griffin Book - A great read. I have been going back and ordering the entire series so I can read them in the order that they were published as the "story lines" will make more sense... but it is not necessary however.

Enjoy, I did...