Posted: August 2,2021
The Key to Rebecca
This novel makes me want a BSA 350 motorbike, a lonely stretch of road, and some kind invasion happening.
Set in Egypt and its environs during World War II, "The Key To Rebecca" is a spy thriller by Ken Follett. The backdrop is Rommel's campaign to wrest Egypt from the British.
Against this backdrop, Alex Wolff, a German who grew up in Egypt, attempts to obtain British war plans and inform Rommel about them. Pitted against Wolff is British military security specialist Captain William Vandam.
The novel begins with a daring desert crossing by Alex Wolff that acquaints us, to a limited extent, with his Bedouin cousins and their culture. Soon enough we are thrown into bustling Cairo for a candid look at the nature of British rule in Egypt. We are introduced to disgruntled Egyptian nationals, inept British commanders, a seductive belly dancer, among others. We also get a look at the diverse cultures in Egypt including representatives of its Jewish and Greek population.
The novel shows Alex Wolff being the key to stopping Rommel's seemingly inexorable advance to capture Cairo and all of Egypt for the Reich.
The historical aspect of this novel is enthralling. I know Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, is a historical figure, but I don't have enough historical knowledge to know if the desert battles between the British and the Germans in this book are historically accurate - I suspect they are.
Another thing I liked is Ken Follett's honest assessment about British rule in Egypt, in particular, and British colonial rule, in general. The observation is made in this book that being under the British is only a little bit better than being under the Germans. Vandam's son Billy, seems to be repeating something from his father when he asserted that the British are fighting the Germans to avoid getting treated by the Germans the way the British treated the Egyptians for the last fifty years.
I haven't read a lot of thrillers but I find this by far the best I've ever read. If you are in a mind for a fast-paced and well written adventure set in World War II I heartily recommend "The Key to Rebecca".
There is an amazing motorbike chase in this book, even though I don't know how to ride a motorbike, this story has me hankering for a BSA 350. That motorbike was in use throughout the story and I quite fell in love with it.