I’ll tell you what kind of book this is. The man in charge of intelligence operations is the single least intelligent person in the building, and somehow that’s not even the funniest part. Apricot Marmalade is a war satire set in Vietnam-era Thailand, and it’s properly funny.
Orey served in Military Intelligence during this period, which is why the bureaucratic comedy lands so cleanly — he knows exactly how this stuff works, and more importantly, how it doesn’t. Colonel Morgan and Major Harris are characters I would not want anywhere near a real intelligence operation, but as reading companions they’re a genuine pleasure.
The prisoner exchange with the Soviets. The CIA bugging operation. These scenes alone are worth the price of admission.
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