I came into "The Devil’s Alternative" by Frederick Forsyth while watching Abraham Ozler a South Indian Malayalam movie. I was attracted by Mamooty's description of the book and became curious about how it related to Ozler's character's retaliation against his foes. I had trouble finding it at the local library at first, but I persisted and found a PDF version online. To my surprise it was very different from the context in the movie, the book reveals a convoluted story that takes place during the Cold War, between the Soviet Union and the United States, and is entwined with the aspirations of Ukrainian nationalists to destabilise international relations. Since I took History in secondary school I gladly read on to find out more. Here is the summary if you haven’t read before
Summary:
The story begins with the discovery of Miroslav Kaminsky, a Ukrainian nationalist who survived KGB betrayal, as a castaway on the Black Sea. Anglo-Ukrainian Andrew Drake convinces Kaminsky to launch an attack against the Soviet Union. Inspired by a lifetime of prejudice, Kaminsky shows Lev Mishkin and David Lazareff's willingness to take action against the USSR. A crisis arises as a result of Soviet fungicide plant malfunctions, poisoning the wheat crop, and the US decides to trade food for military and political concessions.
As hardliners in the Politburo plot to invade Western Europe and possibly trigger nuclear war, intrigue grows. Knowing that a calamity is about to occur, Chairman Maxim Rudin must contend with resistance from inside the faction as well as his own cancer-related death. Through Valentina, his ex-girlfriend who works at the Kremlin, British intelligence operative Adam Munro finds out about the war plan. By killing the head of the KGB and taking control of a Soviet aeroplane, Mishkin and Lazareff make things more difficult.
In order to incite nationalist protests and create a standoff where Westerners hijack an oil supertanker, Drake arranges the release of Mishkin and Lazareff. The 'Devil's Alternative,' which would guarantee a significant death toll, is either the biggest oil disaster in history or a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, according to US President Bill Matthews.
As Munro learns of Valentina's treachery, Rudin's façade of peace breaks down in the epilogue. A third alternative that Munro comes up with results in the release and execution of the convicts. The resolution that prevents war is marked by the tragic demise of Kaminsky, the death of Drake, and the expulsion of Vishnayev from the Politburo.
Conclusion:
Forsyth tells a gripping story of espionage and moral ambiguity in the midst of Cold War tensions in "The Devil's Alternative." Individuals like as Drake and Munro manoeuvre across a perilous terrain, contending with personal grudges and political intrigues. Readers are left wondering about the long-lasting effects of decisions taken during difficult times by Forsyth's painstaking writing, which explores the complexity of power, sacrifice, and human perseverance.