Who's on First? [Hardcover]

William F. Buckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1980

With the U.S. and the Soviets racing to put the first satellite in space, Blackford Oakes is commissioned to kidnap a pair of extraordinary Russian scientists who would help put the U.S. in the lead. Reprint.

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

It's 1956, and the U. S. is locked in a do-or-die space race with the Russians. Who will get there first? It's up to American secret agent Blackford Oakes to see that the good guys win. His assignment is to kidnap two Russian missile scientists who can help put the Americans out front for good. To succeed, he must dodge a lethal combination of murderous KGB agents and revengeful Hungarian freedom fighters fresh from the bloody streets of Budapest -- and who mistake Oakes for their enemy. Who's On First is a rollicking good read, easy to pick up, hard to put down! -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

8 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1ST edition (February 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385146817
• ISBN-13: 978-0385146814
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Prelude to Sputnik, November 23, 2006

By 

zorba (Bala Cynwyd, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Who's on First: A Blackford Oakes Mystery (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

This Blackford Oakes thriller explores what might have taken place on the run-up to the launching of Sputnik and the space age on Oct. 4, 1957. The plot centers on the efforts of the Soviet Union and the U.S. to obtain -- illicitly -- needed info that would enable either one to be the first into space. Oakes plays a major role in this intrigue. I found the book interesting for its characterization of some famous players in those days as well as for some plot twists. It's a typical Buckley book -- good characterization, sparse description, spotty mood setting and a plot which plows ahead slowly but steadily. I'm beginning to see that the Oakes books are more Cold War period pieces than blood-stirring thrillers. But I'll read the rest of them nevertheless.

4.0 out of 5 stars If all of the Oakes novels are like this--looking forward to the rest, July 8, 2011

By 

ironman96 (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Who's on First: A Blackford Oakes Mystery (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

I was pleasantly surprised with "Who's On First," my first Blackford Oakes novel as well as my first reading of WFB. This is along the lines of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, and David Ignatius but with a slight conservative bent. This is the type of CIA spy novel written by someone who has been a CIA officer (WFB was for 2 years), not a Hollywood version of the CIA. As such, its more realistic and more fun and is told against the backdrop of the Cold War's space race. The references to real historical figures were an added bonus. The main character is what you'd expect of a 1960's CIA officer. The story was such that its the type of thing that probably happened and may still happen. Very enjoyable--can't wait to get into the rest of the series. I actually found this novel better than the handful of Le Carre novels I've read.

4.0 out of 5 stars A look back 50 years, November 30, 2010

By 

June W. Bare - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who's on First: A Blackford Oakes Mystery (Blackford Oakes Novel) (Paperback)

"Who's on First" was difficult to get into at first. It is the first of Buckley's books I have read. Once I was into it, I was fascinated by his character portrayals of men in recent history as well as the story line. It is easy to put our heroes on marble pedestals, and Buckley realistically knocks them off. Whether he portrays them correctly or not, they are believeable. I may have to look for another Blackford Oakes novel.