Devils Alternative [Mass Market Paperback]

Frederick Forsyth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1992

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.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When it comes  to espionage, international intrigue and suspense,  Frederick Forsyth is a master."--The  Washington Post --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

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.

"When it comes to espionage, international intrigue and suspense, Frederick Forsyth is a master."--The Washington Post --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553199811
• ISBN-13: 978-0553199819
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,071,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another exciting thriller by the master, May 11, 2001

By 

snowy "Lorne Vallen" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Alternative (Mass Market Paperback)

When catasthrophe hit the grain harvest of the Soviet Union, the Politburo must decide whether to negotiate with the West for grains, or go to war, or suffer mass uprising. No one in the Kremlin wants the last possibility to happen, so two factions emerged, with the bare majority, including the Secretary-General, advocating negotiation. Through a Kremlin informant for British agent Adam Munro, the British PM and the US President learned just how desperate the situation in the USSR was.

Meanwhile, the survivor of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean aroused the interest of a British Andrew Drake. Drake descended from a Ukrainian nationlist, whose mission in life was to strike a humiliating blow against the USSR, and the shipwreck survivor provided him with an opportunity to do just that.

Somehow, the different threads spun by the author in the book came together, climaxing with the world being held hostage to an all-out war between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, or the greatest environmental catasthrophy yet.

The author did not stint on fleshing out his characters, providing them with ample description, motivations and attributes that the reader can just imagine the kind of actors and actresses that would be cast if this was a movie.

Plot development were fast and furious sometimes, yet deliberately slow and detailed at others, paced out well like the different variations of a symphony, but never a dull moment.

In the end, it will be up to our hero Adam Munro to save the world from the various catasthrophies, and the numerous twists in the end came round a blind corner, hitting the readers where they least expect (unless of course, they've been reading way too much thrillers like me who managed to guess a couple of them).

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Author, Great Story, April 7, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil's Alternative (Mass Market Paperback)

Another solid job by this author who I have always liked. This was another of his fast paced, easy to read stories with a good long story. I love the detail of the USSR government, you really feel like it in a non-fiction book at times. He has always used a lot of good factual details to make his books solid. Like the work of all good authors, you really grow to know the characters, like some and hate some - they have solid reasons for doing what they are doing in the book. There is a lot going on but the way he writes it you do not have any problems following the action. A great book that is well worth the time.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Forsyth's Best, February 7, 2000

By 

"rebelunion" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Alternative (Mass Market Paperback)

The Devil's Alternative is one of the finest thrillers ever written. In my opinion it ranks with The Negotiator as the best novels by Forsyth. What makes this book great is the realism. Forsyth knows his stuff, and has done a perfect job of researching the Halls of Power on both sides of the ocean. His depiction of the Soviet Politburo in action is one of the best representations in all of fiction. His use of technology (the tanker, etc.) is well done, with no inaccuracies. [Although it should be noted that the largest oil tanker in the world is the Jahre Viking, which is half the size of the Freya in the book] The characters, unlike most other thrillers, are not your everyday stock characters. Forsyth gives them a personality. The ending of this multi-layered thriller is also a gem, and no other author could have written such a perfect book.