Forsyth’s The Dogs of War, a Lesson in the Use of Detail
Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I bought The Dogs of War on the recommendation of another author, for research purposes. Forsyth is reputed to have amazing attention to detail, and this story of soldiers of fortune did not fail in that regard. The author that recommended this book said that he believed, that for The Dogs of War, Forsyth actually spent the better part of two years living with a group of mercenaries to do his research.
Reading the story I found myself searching the internet for possible events taking place in the timeframes that the author writes about after completing a chapter. I didn’t see an indication of this, but I feel that the book is based on actual events, that’s how authentic the story feels. I think there may also be a section in the book where the author wrote himself into the storyline, which I thought was a nice personal touch. Because Forsyth bases his books on general world events there was even a little overlap in The Dogs of War from The Day of The Jackal, just minor references to the OAS and historical figures, but an interesting tie in nonetheless.
I would recommend this book to writers of any genre that are looking to create authentic realities for their readers with their writing. Forsyth shows you how to include enough detail to build a world without slowing down the story. If you are trying to create interesting well layered stories that come together smoothly at the end The Dogs of War is also worth a read. If you are just a casual reader that is looking for a spy/action thriller type of read I think you will enjoy this book.
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