The Charm School (novel)

For the 1921 film, see The Charm School (film).

The Charm School

Author| Nelson DeMille
Language| English
Genre| Fiction
Publisher| Warner Books

Publication date

| April 1, 1988
Pages| 533
ISBN| 9780446353205
OCLC| 17300504

The Charm School is a 1988 spy thriller novel by American author Nelson DeMille, set in the Soviet Union.[1][2]

In a 2010 FBI investigation, striking similarities were noted between the real life case and DeMille's book.[3]

## Plot[edit]

The novel's hero is U.S Air Force Colonel Sam Hollis, a former F-4 Phantom Fighter pilot[4] who fought in Vietnam. Hollis was shot down during the war[5] and was disqualified from flying. Later on he was transferred to US Air Force Intelligence and served as an intelligence officer and air attaché at the American embassy in Moscow. A young American MBA graduate driving in the Russian countryside encounters another American, claiming to have escaped a secret Russian POW camp—leaving numerous others behind who are still captive and being used to "Americanize" Soviet spies. When the information reaches Hollis, he begins to investigate and discovers a secret[which?] so dangerous that might cost him his life.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Clarity, James F. (3 July 1988). "In Short: Fiction". The New York Times.
2. ^ "Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction".
3. ^ Perez, Even (Jun 29, 2010). "Alleged Russian Spies: A Novel Idea?". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
4. ^ Nelson DeMille, The Charm School, Warner Books, 1988, page 67: "There were times when he wished he were in his old F-4 Phantom with nothing more to worry about than MiGs and missiles converging on his radar screen".
5. ^ Nelson DeMille, The Charm School, Warner Books, 1988, page 110: "I spent four years at the Air Force Academy. I graduated and went on to fighter school. I did a tour in 'Nam in 1968, then another in 1972. That's when i was shot down over Haiphong".

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Novels by Nelson DeMille

Joe Ryker|

* The Sniper (1974)
* The Hammer of God (1974)
* The Agent of Death (1974)
* The Smack Man (1975)
* The Cannibal (1975)
* The Night of the Phoenix (1975)

John Sutter|

* The Gold Coast (1990)
* The Gate House (1998)

Paul Brenner|

* The General's Daughter (1992)
* Up Country (2002)

John Corey|

* Plum Island (1997)
* The Lion's Game (2000)
* Night Fall (2004)
* Wild Fire (2006)
* The Lion (2010)
* The Panther (2012)
* Radiant Angel (2015)

Stand-alone|

* By the Rivers of Babylon (1978)
* Cathedral (1981)
* The Talbot Odyssey (1984)
* Word of Honor (1985)
* The Charm School (1988)
* Spencerville (1994)
* Mayday (1998)
* The Cuban Affair (2017)

Film adaptations|

* The General's Daughter (1999)
* Word of Honor (2003)
* Mayday (2005)

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