Saving the Queen (Blackford Oakes Novel) [Paperback]

William F Buckley (Author), William F Buckley Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997 | Series: Blackford Oakes Novel

Saving the Queen, by William F. Buckley Jr. Queen Elizabeth has just settled onto the throne of England, and the CIA is baffled at the breaks in security that are taking place. Worst of all, the leaks have been traced directly to the queen's chambers. Blackford Oakes is called upon to penetrate the Royal Circle, win the Queen's confidence, and plug the leak.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

7 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. is the author of numerous NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, writer of a syndicated newspaper column, founder of NATIONAL REVIEW, longtime former host of Public Television's FIRING LINE, and a much sought after lecturer. A volume in the Blackford Oakes series, LAST CALL FOR BLACKFORD OAKES, is scheduled to be published in Spring 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188895227X
• ISBN-13: 978-1888952278
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming fiction from a writer with his own spook background, August 30, 2006

By 

Daniel Berger (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving the Queen (Blackford Oakes) (Paperback)

William F. Buckley Jr. showed he had a talent for fiction, as well as non-fiction writing, with this enjoyable espionage novel, the first of his Blackford Oakes adventures. Buckley unashamedly brings his old-boy background to bear in creating an Oakes who plausibly finds his way from Yale to Windsor Castle within a few months. Buckley, who served as his fictional Oakes does in the CIA of the early 1950s, has me now wondering how much of this is autobiographical.

A World War II ace graduating from Yale in the early 1950s, Oakes joins the CIA. He establishes a deep cover identity as a wealthy American postgrad doing engineering research in London, where his mother and English stepfather live. The Americans suspect secret hydrogen bomb research is leaking to the Russians from a source embarrassingly close to the fictional Queen Caroline. It is so close that the affair must never be known beyond a tiny and non-English group. The CIA finds Oakes its best option, and orders him to climb socially and root out the palace spy.

Buckley's detail on life among the British royals is one strong suit of the book. . You get the feeling he himself has probably been a royal guest at one time or another. (All in the name of literary research!) He delightfully characterizes Caroline - beautiful, married, lively and suddenly acceding to the throne in one of those accidental-death scenarios political novelists rely upon. Caroline is more of a Di than an Elizabeth. Oakes, of course, is merely serving his country in, uh, getting as close to her as his mission requires.

With Buckley's own spook background you don't know what he's making up. His allusions to the mysterious Rufus, the veteran spy called in to fix the leak, are tantalizing enough to make me wonder if such a character truly existed. His backstory here includes having been charged with deceiving the Germans that the D-Day invasion would take place at Calais rather than Normandy. Was there a man to whom Eisenhower actually gave his own dog tags in gratitude? And who wouldn't take calls from Ike or Winston Churchill?

Buckley's climax is a bit over the top but his resolution of the main characters' moral dilemmas, flies.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the best piece of fiction Buckley ever wrote, December 29, 2002

By 

Kimberley Wilson (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving the Queen (Loose Leaf)

Saving the Queen is the best of the Blackford Oakes spy novels. It's the only one that is light hearted and totaly unlike Buckley's columns. Blacky is at his best in this fun and exciting spy caper. What a shame this delightful book is out of print.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written a a pleasant read, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Saving the Queen (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

Being a fan of Buckley's columns, I decided to give his spy novels a try. This is his first and the only one I've read so far, but I plan on reading more. Its plot is nothing to write home about, but it is never boring, occasionally humorous, and always interesting. And of course, Buckley's incredible use of the English language is ever present. But don't worry about having to pull out your dictionary every few minutes to understand what's going on, although it can help.