The Bullet Garden is a masterful mashup of historical fiction, espionage, and a sniper vs sniper showdown. Stephen Hunter employs all of his vast writing skills in this epic story, expertly pricking your emotions like the barbed wire lined hedgerows of the bocage slashed the soldiers battling for every inch of land on the page.
Set in the summer of 1944, the American advancement across France after D-Day has come to a swift and deadly halt. More than any physical damage the German tanks and mortars can inflict, it’s the psychological toll of sniper attacks that has left the GIs unable to move beyond the unofficial boundaries.
Frustrated with the current state of affairs, Gen Eisenhower orders his intelligence services to rid the battlefield of the silent killers. Earl Swagger, of the USMC and hero of the Pacific campaign, finds himself assigned with the incredibly difficult and urgent task to do just that. What he finds is the politics and policy wonks of the OSS are out for his blood as much as any German at the end of a long gun. With no clear idea of who he can trust, Swagger only has one choice… finish the job, no matter the cost.
I’ll be the first to tell you that I do not often read historical fiction, but The Bullet Garden has a timeless feel to it. The tactics and technology may be of a bygone era, but the emotions, the comradery, and the danger are every bit intriguing and engaging as any modern thriller. I was sold initially on the mano e mano sniper battle, but Hunter went and sprinkled some spies in the mix and gave us one hell of a read. With shades of Bands of Brothers meets Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy…there is very little not to like in this sprawling narrative.
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