Jamie
Retief is the sort of diplomat that makes folks wonder about diplomacy. Not
that he is a bad diplomat, it is just that he is not above a bit of slight of
hand to make his plans work out. His history and his adventures were first shared by his creator Keith Laumer, himself a former member of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps who used his own experiences to draw on the ideas for Retief. Now, these adventures are being continued by William Keith who has already shown that he can work in Laumer's universe by his previous work on the Bolo series of stories.
Here Retief faces off against the Peace Movement, a group who seems more interested in forcing the humans to give up the planet leaving it without any defense against invasion. But who would do this dastardly thing? Who would come up with the idea of using innocent students as unwitting pawns against the humans?
No, not the Godless commies, this time it is the warlike and deadly Kril who have their own plans for the planet. And not much help either are the Earth diplomats who are more concerned with their own careers (as well as their own backsides) to do much more then complain about what they can't do.
So it is up to Jamie Retief as a member Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne (CDT) to thwart the bad guys and save humanity once more.
I should warn the reader that this book is not what you would call 'serious'. Although there is action, adventure and excitement, the story is pure satire and goofiness. Keith has captured the essence and soul of what Laumer envisioned Retief to be.
Puns abound, so watch out.