An Officer and a Spy

Dreyfus. If, like me, you recall three or four facts about the Dreyfus affair, and if you like to read historical fiction, you’ll probably enjoy reading Robert Harris’ novel titled, An Officer and A Spy. Protagonist Georges Picquart works in intelligence for the French Army, and he slowly comes to realize that the charges that convicted Alfred Dreyfus of being a spy were false. What happened to this 19th century whistle blower provides the tension in the novel. While presenting enough detail to relate a cogent description of the actions and the cover-up, Harris enlivens all the characters by developing each character quite fully. Readers can understand the expectation of conformity within hierarchical institutions, and the impact of anti-Semitism on the integrity of the investigations. Harris does what most readers of historical fiction desire: he brings the time period to life, and presents a story that informs and entertains us. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase An Officer and a Spy from amazon.com.