A book review of ‘The Dogs of War’, by Frederick Forsyth

As most of my readers know, thanks to my no longer being “active” on a real estate social media platform has ‘opened up’ the time for me to ‘open up’ a book at night rather than being on the Internet blogging. I must say, I’m very happy to be back in the world of being a reader again and not just a book collector.

Now, I am not sure if you have been keeping up with the daily World & US News, but if you have you know that there has been much discussion about the metals and minerals deal that the US and Ukraine are negotiating; add China and the European Union to the mix and obviously it is not only about wealth, it is also about resources that are essential not only to the economy but to national security. Obviously, these materials are also needed for military equipment, computers and batteries.

With this bit of political and historical background, let me also share with you that I bought Frederick Forsyth’s third book, The Dogs of War, over fifteen years ago. My copy is a British first edition and talk about inflation, the book was published in 1974 and it was for sale for 2.5 British Pounds. I paid $20 dollars for my copy, used, and in great condition. With that said, you can find a copy nowadays on eBay anywhere from $16 to $488 US Dollars. I digress as I bring a bit of economic background into the mix.

The cost of this book was 2.5 British Pounds when first published in 1974

You probably guessed that for my latest read, I decided on The Dogs of War since I have always been a loyal fan of Frederick Forsyth. This was not a re-read for me, nor had I watched the movie that was made after the book was published. This book was a page turner for me. It is about the world of the mercenary soldiers and their involvement with a ruthless head of a London-based mining company. The object, or should I say the assignment, is to overthrow the Government of a remote African republic and get rid of its dictator. Clearly the story is all about wealth, distribution, power and corruption.

Paid $20 US Dollars for a used copy.

The plot gets more convoluted when the Russians discover that the firm found minerals that would be beneficial for Russia as well. Not wanting to give away too much of the story, it involves gun smuggling, planning of the coup-d’état and the various European, Middle Eastern and other countries and their contribution to the black market of arms dealing. Needless to say, the result does not turn out the way the plotters planned it. As with any great read, there is a huge twist at the end! I loved this book; it kept me up and entertained into the wee hours. I’m only sorry that it took me this long to read it. Now with that said, I plan to head to my bookshelves and pull out another Frederick Forsyth book as my next read.

If you look at the big picture of the novel, you may wonder, as I did, has anything changed since the story’s plot which takes place in the mid- to late 1960’s. My take is, the names and the actors/players may have changed, but the plot, story and the motivation remain the same.

For Sale Sign

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