The reason there are so many World War II books is that there is still so much to be mined from the conflict. Case in point, I had never heard of Major Pierre “Pete” Ortiz until about 3 months ago, and now I have read the second book on him in the last 60 days. This is The Phantom by personal favorites Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. As expected, I had a great time.
Pete Ortiz seems pulled from a fictional World War II movie epic. Rich kid who eschewed the easy life and joined the French Foreign Legion. Tried out civilian life and found he didn’t quite fit in. World War II sees him join the marines, but then shift over to the nascent OSS. It was a perfect fit as Ortiz just loved to get things done and the multitude of languages he spoke didn’t hurt, either.
Drury and Clavin are the types of authors who need to give background and backstory. As such, a good portion of this book is not about Ortiz as they tell the war story of OSS founder Wild Bill Donovan and a few other characters. It does feel like Ortiz gets a little lost in the wider story at times, but every other chapter is dedicated entirely to him. And let’s just say the guy is worth the wait. If you want a fast-paced World War II story about a man you probably hadn’t heard of before, this is a solid one to pick up.
(This book was provided as a review copy by St. Martin’s Press.)
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