The Feather Men

Product Information

I found this book in a NY Times book review section on mysteries and did not know it was about Oman, when I started to read it. Faint tidemarks on the page edges not affecting the text and a bump on the rear board foredge else very good in a near fine dustwrapper with internal spotting.

It is almost like two stories in one as equal time is invested in getting to know the main characters on both sides. I enjoyed the movie adaptation and as the book had a controversial history I was interested in reading it.Well in Killer Elite even Chairman Mao is quoted, “In given conditions a bad thing can lead to good results. And in the end he succeeds not only in foiling de Villiers final attempt but in capturing him as well. The important thing is to be sure that the reasons are right, and that we admit the wrong, and that we don’t lie to ourselves.

But having passed that initial stage, I was soon captivated - both by the story itself, and by the wealth of detailed inside knowledge it reveals - of SAS actions and training, of a war in Oman I knew almost nothing about, of the mechanics of mounting assassinations so skilfully and stealthily as to make them appear to be accidents.

I will not give away too much suffice it to say that it is a riveting read and is highly recommended. It was even made into a movie - The Killer Elite - but that movie veered far away from this narrative. Now supposedly there was a secret British vigilante organization (the "Feather Men") looking out for the health, welfare and families of former SAS members. The group would be paid one million dollars for each confirmed revenge killing, which included video recording of the target being accused of the death of the appropriate son. But, somehow, the uncertainty bred of where the boundary between reality and unreality lies, can, especially at a certain time of year, feel quite sickeningly worse.