3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks go to Net Galley and Doubleday for the DRC, which I received free and early in exchange for this honest review.

The story begins with a US spy plane being shot down over Soviet (Russian) airspace in 1960. This is embarrassing. Eisenhower’s people decide to make something up; after all, nobody survives an airplane crash over dry land. Moreover, the pilot was provided with a cyanide capsule—James Bond style—so even if he survived, he must be dead; likewise, the plane was likely blown to bits, with not much left for the Soviet investigators to learn.

Let’s say it was a weather plane. It wandered off course, and those mean Soviets shot it down.

But oh dear, this is even more embarrassing: the pilot lived, and he didn’t feel like taking the poison pill. Would you? So the Russians know what he was flying, and they know who he is. They’re telling the world.

Just reading the teaser for this book, I was hooked. But just as a brilliant writer can take dross and make a good tale of it, so can an indifferent one take compelling information and make it into a snooze. For me, this was not an entertaining read. I had agreed to write about it, so I had to read it, and it felt like work.

I want to be fair here: there are people that will read this book and like it. There’s a lot of technical information about the spy plane, and about many other spy planes, some of which were never built. Apart from the truly bizarre one that was supposed to be landed on its belly (no landing gear), or the ridiculous idea of a nuclear powered plane, I found my attention drifting during these descriptions. But I am not interested in aviation, and if you are, you may like this.

The other aspect that causes my attention to wander is the history 101 aspect of it. I’m a retired history teacher. I don’t need an author to walk me through the Cuban Missile Crisis or the Bay of Pigs. However, I note that other reviewers came to this work with no knowledge of either, and they are delighted to be clued in. For newbies, count this as a win.

Finally, I have to credit the source work. Reel didn’t take the easy way out. His end notes are first rate.

For those that are relatively new to this chapter of American history, this may be a compelling read. For those interested in the history of American aviation, it is recommended. For those that are well read in the field, maybe not.

This book is now for sale.

I’ve seen Bridge of Spies. I’ve even seen Spies Like Us. What else do I need to know about the Cold War? But seriously, books like The Brotherhood of Spies are exactly why I read nonfiction. This work cuts through the history books, connects the dots, and fleshes out the story with entertaining profiles, facts, and dialogue.

A Brotherhood of Spies by Monte Reel is an expertly-paced look at the origins of the CIA and the development of the U2 spy plane. Told through the lives of the men integral to the project, Reel injects great tension and verve in his writing. He sets up and follows many vital conflicts of the time through his narrative: McCarthyism, the ethics of spying, traditional cloak and dagger tactics vs technological advancements, and old school military egos vs the young upstart scientists.

In light of the perceived missile gap and the panic of the space race, America’s spy craft was just not getting enough information through individual agents and sought to move the game into the air. Reel profiles four innovators of the era who were able to advance aircraft technology and get the pictures that would garner the best intelligence. Polaroid cofounder and optics expert Edwin Land was called upon to create and lead the group. Kelly Johnson was brought in as a expert in aircraft design from Lockheed. After his success in administering the Marshall Plan, Richard Bissell acted as an intermediary between the CIA, the White House and the project. And Frank Powers was the man who flew the plane that was knocked out the air and captured by the Soviets.

A Brotherhood of Spies tells the captivating story of the “marrying of espionage with high-tech innovation.” This is an essential read when trying to understand the original mission of the CIA, and the ethical and technological foundations of modern spy craft. Reel’s narrative poses several questions about the modern tactics of war. An enlightening read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and Monte Reel for a copy for review.