The Charm School (novel)
The Charm School is a 1988 spy thriller novel by American author Nelson DeMille, set in the Soviet Union.[1][2]
 | |
| Author | Nelson DeMille |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Warner Books |
Publication date | April 1, 1988 |
| Pages | 533 |
| ISBN | 9780446353205 |
| OCLC | 17300504 |
In a 2010 FBI investigation, striking similarities were noted between the real life case and DeMille's book.[3]
Plot
The novel's hero is U.S Air Force Colonel Sam Hollis, a former F-4 Phantom Fighter pilot[4] who fought in Vietnam. Hollis was shot down during the war[5] and was disqualified from flying. Later on he was transferred to US Air Force Intelligence and served as an intelligence officer and air attaché at the American embassy in Moscow. A young American MBA graduate driving in the Russian countryside encounters another American, claiming to have escaped a secret Russian POW camp—leaving numerous others behind who are still captive and being used to "Americanize" Soviet spies. When the information reaches Hollis, he begins to investigate and discovers a secret so dangerous that might cost him his life.
References
- https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/03/books/in-short-fiction-446288.html
- https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nelson-demille-4/the-charm-school/
- Perez, Even (Jun 29, 2010). "Alleged Russian Spies: A Novel Idea?". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- Nelson DeMille, The Charm School, Warner Books, 1988, page 67: "There were times when he wished he were in his old F-4 Phantom with nothing more to worry about than MiGs and missiles converging on his radar screen".
- Nelson DeMille, The Charm School, Warner Books, 1988, page 110: "I spent four years at the Air Force Academy. I graduated and went on to fighter school. I did a tour in 'Nam in 1968, then another in 1972. That's when i was shot down over Haiphong".