The Devil's Alternative

Status

Available

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Standard Shelves

Publication

Bantam Books, 404 pages

Description

#1 "New York Times" bestselling author Frederick Forsyth delivers a frighteningly possible novel of international terrorism and impending war... As the Russian people face starvation, the Politburo is faced with a hard choice: negotiate with America for food, go to war for national survival, or deal with an uprising in the motherland. Through an informant, British Agent Adam Munro learns that the situation is growing dangerously tense, with powerful forces in the USSR maneuvering for supremacy. But even as East and West conduct delicate talks, events spiral out of control and threaten to undo every step taken. The world's largest oil tanker is hijacked by terrorists, and a Ukrainian "freedom fighter" is rescued in a bloody catastrophe on the Black Sea. From Moscow to Washington, the stakes grow ever more perilous as the mad actions of a few threaten to engulf the entire world in nuclear war--unless Munro can stop them.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member gmillar

I don't think this book got as good a reception from critics or the book-buying public as Forsyth's first three novels. But I liked it better. It's as finely crafted as any suspense thriller I have read. The politicians' dilemma postulated by the subject matter is only part of the story. There's

suspense all through it and things happened not as I expected. It's a big book and it kept me awake nights - much longer than usual.

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LibraryThing member jaygheiser

Good read, but certainly not one of his best. Trite, hackneyed and predictable, but good escape.

LibraryThing member Borg-mx5

Makes me almost long for the day of the "Evil Empire".

LibraryThing member RobtCM

Fast-paced and interesting as I have found with other Forsyth novels. This book kept my attention.

LibraryThing member Neilsantos

I am still enjoying my re-discovery of Forsyth, though this one was a little slower moving than some of his others. It had some really fantastic ideas for terrorist targets though.

If I were an evil terrorist mastermind, I'd drop a super-tanker in the Suez and Panama. I say that easily, as if it

were a simple matter, and it isn't, but I bet it's easier than taking over airliners. No, the loss of life wouldn't be anything spectacular, but isolating 80% of global shipping would be an economic disaster. Bwah ha ha ha.

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LibraryThing member scottcholstad

This was one of the most exciting books I've ever read! It's a Cold War story about the US versus the Soviet Union, mixed in with some Ukrainian nationalists bent on raising hell in Russia and upsetting world events as a result. We've got the CIA. We have the Politburo. We have the world's wheat

production, which -- when I first started reading this -- I thought was going to be boring, but actually turns out to be essential to the plot. We have weapons reductions. We have war plans. We have super tankers and terrorists. We have romance. I could go on and on. And Forsyth doesn't go into his usual excruciating 100 page detail on the planning of an assassination or hostage taking like he normally does. In this book, the head of the KGB is killed -- in one page! Amazing. No details at all. I loved it. Talk about a real departure for the author. Of course, there is planning, yes, but none of the mind numbing lengthy stuff that bores the average reader to death with so many of his novels. This is a real page turner. I couldn't recommend it more.

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LibraryThing member christinejoseph

Boring Spy Novel

Russia faces famine. The Soviets are forced to pin their hopes for survival on the U.S. But as the KGB and the CIA watch in horror, the rescue of a Ukrainian freedom fighter from the Black Sea unleashes savagery that endangers peace--and plunges leaders from Washington to Moscow

into a web of overwhelming intrigue, terror, and suspense. Only two lovers can save the world from nuclear destruction. Yet every way out means certain death, and the countdown has already begun.

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LibraryThing member reading_fox

Fairly standard Forsyth, not his very best, but still better than many. It's dated now of course, but perfectly readable for those who remember life without mobile phones everywhere! The setting is another USSR grain harvest failure (Cf Red Storm Rising)

TBC

LibraryThing member DanielSTJ

This was fairly standard fare for a Forysth novel. The elements were all there, but I did not feel the intensity that I felt with The Day of the Jackal and I felt this to be one of his lesser works. It was still interesting, no doubt, but I don't feel it's among his better ones.

2.5 stars.

LibraryThing member Paul_S

Ridiculous in details but and interesting overarching plot. It's sad how little has changed since the cold war. Ukraine wants to break free from Soviet hegemony and the West couldn't care less and will in fact help Russians put them down just to make a deal. Am I describing the plot of the book or

the current state of affairs? This story has repeated itself over the last 70 years so many times it's depressingly familiar.

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