Write to Be Read: The Emperor and the Spy (Diane Cresswell)

Literati!

Do not be fooled by the title! I did not mean to give Diane the credit for a well written novel (does my fellow Cancer born DESERVE credit for such a feat? Of course!).

The Emperor and the Spy is a novel by Stan Katz and is the first novel to be featured on our Write to be Read segment! In exchange for a copy of the novel, Diane–as well as a number of other readers that will soon follow–graciously took the time to write this wonderful review of Stan’s novel. So without further ado, here is Diane Cresswell’s review of The Emperor and the Spy:

What an amazing book to read!  Here is history being written as a novel and is truly exciting to read.  I must admit that this is not the type of book I would pick up to read, however, I found this to be an extraordinary novel about a man many people today would have no idea who he was or what he did–until now.  This information is not placed into history books, but it should.  Colonel Stanley F. Mashbir led an adventuresome life starting at an early age in the Army.  His ‘behind the scenes’ information gathering started his career leading him into the realm of highly important people and situations that at times had him walking on the edge of a sword, so to speak, to stay alive.  What I found intriguing was the list of names that Colonel Mashbir knew from his career whether from working with them or introduced to.  The recognizable name list is quite impressive: General Pancho Villa, General John Pershing, George S. Patton, Prince (then Emperor) Hirohito, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, Charles Lindbergh, General Douglas MacArthur, William Randolph Hearst and definitely a surprise-Charlie Chaplin and Hedy Lamarr.  You will have to read the story to find out how these last two found their way into the chronicles of this tale.  Mr. Katz wrote an astonishing story based on Mashbir’s papers giving us a new perspective from someone who was deeply involved with the beginning and ending of WWII in the Pacific.  The only thing that I found a bit frustrating was the final formatting and editing of the book.  All in all, this is but a minor frustration (being a proofreader and copy editor) that doesn’t slow your attention in reading the tale of real spy. 
Diane Cresswell

And they say James Bond is a fairy tale!

Thanks so much to Diane for helping Stan get the attention he well deserves for his work!  Remember: if you wish to be a part of the Write to be Read program (if only to be known for your stellar reading skills!), please e-mail Thorn at thorn@awordwithyoupress.com! Stay tuned for the next Write to be Read commentary!