Book Review: Riley and the Great War by James Anderson O’Neal
Jim hasn’t had much contact with his grandfathers over the years; Grandpa Jimmy was often absent without explanation, and Riley was even more remote, seldom talking even when he was present. But now that Jimmy is dead, Riley has a present for his writing-ambitious grandson. Jimmy (known to his friends as Cornelius) wrote his autobiography in secret, and now it’s Jim’s to transcribe with Riley’s expansions and corrections. The secrets of the past unfold.
The story begins in Independence, Missouri, where the men met as young boys and became friends. It follows them to Mexico and an encounter with Santa Ana, and then to the battlefronts of World War One. Along the way they have multiple encounters with the man they first know as the Spaniard, who becomes their archenemy.
This is “secret history”; Riley and Cornelius have constant close encounters with famous people, but most of these involve embarrassment or national security so the pair’s names somehow never get into the history books.
Good stuff: Some nice action scenes, and contrasting protagonists who have very different approaches to their problems. Riley comes across as much more competent than Cornelius, who is good at talking himself into trouble but not so good at talking himself out.
Not so good: “The Spaniard” feels like a throwback to the all-evil, all the time foreign villain of early Twentieth Century popular literature. He’s cartoonishly villainous, but with 21st Century evil acts added to his repetoire that would only have been hinted at in the literature of the time.
Cornelius isn’t likable enough to overcome some of the ethically dubious things he does. He’s supposed to be a charming rogue, but it’s not working for me.
Content note: There’s torture, rape and sexual assault, mostly by the Spaniard. Cornelius has a lot of extramarital sex.
Best line: “I hope this will not make you think less of women, but I must kill you now.”
This is the first book in an intended series that will cover most of the 20th Century. If you like “secret history”, you’ll probably enjoy this book.
