If I’m not reading non-fiction about WWII and the Holocaust, I’m reading fiction about WWII and the Holocaust. The book is split between two timelines. The first is about a Nazi laboratory headed by Major Lichtblau, and two young Jewish prisoners who are experimented upon (Anton and Shlomo). The Nazis commandeer a castle to set up their experiments, which mostly focus on creating a super soldier with LSD. As the Soviets approach in 1945, Lichtblau manages to escape and travels to the United States. Anton and Shlomo are rescued by the Soviet Army, but their suffering is not over. Their homes and families were utterly destroyed. The creation of the Israeli state in May 1948 eventually brings them some sense of peace.
The second timeline is set in the 1980s. Lichtblau is recruited to the CIA and becomes Mr. Huberman, a hard partyer who works to support the Contras against Nicaraguan government. He uses LSD to train better rebels and finances their operations by shipping cocaine back and forth to the US. Anton and Shlomo are brought together again to assassinate Lichtblau, hired not by the Mossad but a secret Jewish group who leverage their wealth to find revenge.
Anton and Shlomo track Lichtblau/Huberman to the jungles of Honduras and Nicaragua, and a delicious cat and mouse game ensues. Who will emerge victorious?
Highlights:
The fencing scenes are rendered beautifully. I don’t know much about it and it was interesting to learn. The title of the book comes from the French saying le sentiment du fer, a feel for the iron, that you must have while fencing. The blade should be a part of you.
Alonge eerily captures the dichotomy of the Nazi scientists; they believe they are conducting vastly important work for the good of their country, with absolutely no regard to the human cost.
Criticisms:
New characters are introduced in almost every chapter, which makes it difficult to discern who is actually important to the story.
Everything comes together very neatly at the conclusion. Just a bit too tidy for my liking.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5. Hypnotically written, it felt more like I was watching a movie than reading a book. It only took me a couple of nights to get through.
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