Monday, February 8, 2021

My Amazon Review of William Walker's "Target Switzerland: A Paul Muller Novel of Political Intrigue"

 

Economic Warfare

 

This is William Walker’s third novel featuring Paul Muller his diplomat/spy protagonist. I reviewed his first novel “Danzig” a few years ago and have yet to read his second. Our characters come on the scene in late 1938 where neutral Switzerland is caught in a vice between England/France on one side and Nazi Germany on the other. England is threatening to engage in economic warfare against Germany, a war in which the Swiss economy would be collateral damage.

 

The Brits seek out Muller to get information on the German economy. Muller is set up as a lure to find out what the Brits are up to. With the aid of Hilde Magendanz, an economist buried in the bowels of the Swiss National Bank he hits paydirt. Hilde initially comes off as a “mousey woman” in dingy office actually is not only brilliant but rather glamourous in high diplomatic settings. It is no brainer to figure out that there would soon be a romantic attachment between her and Muller.

 

Hilde discovers that the German economy is teetering under the weight of armament expenditures that is rapidly draining Germany’s foreign exchange reserves. Hjalmar Schact the Reichsbank president urges Hitler to cut back his armament buildup which Hitler accedes to in part, but in the end, Schacht is fired. Simply put Hitler had no choice but to go to war sooner rather than later.

 

We find out that the Swiss are fearful that Germany was planning an end run around the Maginot Line through Switzerland. Though neutral Switzerland entered in a secret defense pact with France who would come to its aid should Germany invade, something I did not know.

 

There is much more in the book and it makes for a good read. Walker makes at least one mistake when he attributes the phrase “arsenal of democracy” in 1939, when in fact Roosevelt doesn’t utter it until December 1940.

For the full Amazon URL see: Economic Warfare (amazon.com)



 

1 comment:

  1. In William Walker's latest novel, Paul Muller navigates the intricate web of diplomacy and espionage amidst Switzerland's precarious position as tensions escalate on the brink of World War II. Muller's role as a diplomat/spy intersects with the economic realities of neutral Switzerland, caught between warring powers. Walker masterfully integrates historical context, shedding light on lesser-known aspects such as Switzerland's involvement in secret defense pacts and the significance of economic intelligence in shaping wartime strategies. Engrossing and insightful, Walker's narrative immerses readers in a world where diplomacy, espionage, and the 3rd pillar of Switzerland's neutrality converge.

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