Behind the lines

Through six books, W.E.B. Griffin's bestselling chronicle of theMarine Corps has proven itself to be one of the country's most enduring andpopular series. But in Behind The Lines, Griffin has given us hismost dramatic story yet. On the island of Mindanao, a man calling himself "General" Fertig hasset himself up as a guerrilla leader to harass the Japanese. Army recordsshow that the only officer named Fertig in the Philippines is a reservelieutenant colonel of the Corps of Engineers, reported MIA on Luzon, butstill, the reports filtering out are interesting, and it's Marine lieutenant KenMcCoy's mission to sneak behind the lines and find out if he's for real. Withhim is a motley group put together as a compromise between warring factionsof Douglas MacArthur and OSS chief Bill Donovan: veteran Marine gunnerysergeant Ernest Zimmermann; OSS captain R.B. Macklin, a bully who hasmanaged to fail ever upward; submariner Navy lieutenant Chambers D.Lewis; and Marine staff sergeant Stephen Koffler. Together, these men will steal into the heart of enemy territory andthere, amid firefights and jungle camps, encounter more than they hadbargained for. Before they're done, each will undergo a test of his ownpersonal mettle--with results that will surprise even the most hardened ofthem. As always, this new novel is filled with crackling realism and adventure,rich characters, real heroes, and that special flair for the military heart andmind that make Griffin's novels so loved. It is further proof, as Tom Clancysays, that "W.E.B. Griffin is a storyteller in the grand tradition."