Loaded for Guccifer2.0 by Pumpjack of Pumpjack & Piddlewick

This is a book review of ‘Loaded for Guccifer2.0’, written by our very own Pumpjack. Reviewed by Piddlewick, so slightly biased (in that I hope you will purchase and read it), but very definitely honest in what I think of it.

Generally our Vive le Livre book club has a focus on France and books about France. Wine, life in…, expat journeys, fiction, non-fiction. And then we review the odd book about a chicken, or other animal. Just because we like animals.

So now another deviation, but one with heart, since it is our Pumpjack’s book. It’s not about France, wine or animals. But since I manage a book club, it sort of made sense, at least to me, to review it. Honestly review it.

What it’s about

So what is Loaded for Guccifer2.0 about? It’s a non-fiction detective geo-political thriller. Phew, and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

If you have ever read Sidney Sheldon, or Jeffrey Archer you know that writing style. It’s where the first few chapters are the lead in of characters. Where the author sets out the background and slowly brings the threads all together into the story narrative. That’s this book. But not fiction.

Twining threads

At first I found myself overwhelmed by the amount of information (and sheer research, footnotes and all). Lots of names (characters) and acronyms to absorb. After a fashion I stopped trying to remember who everyone was or where they worked.

And then there was this ah-ha! moment where the threads suddenly came together and the book simply gripped me. Well, maybe not simply, as it is still a complex tale covering continents and multiple overlapping years. But it became a page turner.

Comfort zones

I will say up front I am not normally interested in politics, nor generally non-fiction. (That’s Pumpjack’s passion.) I like my reading to usually be light and happy. A no brainer. Life is hectic enough, I like a little respite. So would I have read this book without it being my partner? Ummm, nope. Am I glad I read this book, even though it is my partners? A resounding yes. And I am truly not just saying that, because he is, well, my better half.

Firstly, it’s good to be prompted outside your comfort zone now and then. Secondly, it meant I could talk to him (and others) with more political understanding of how things work in the world. And lastly, but certainly not leastly, it has made me question the world as I know it. And, as complacency is never a good thing, this is really quite important.

In places it sometimes reads like fiction. And to some of you, you will decide it is fiction. But either way it is a jolly good, very well written, often funny, in depth and interesting read. And you can draw your own conclusions on the conclusion. But at the end, I hope you too no longer feel complacent.

Loaded for Guccifer2.0 is available on Amazon

To buy the book, or simply read more: Click here

Our Book Club Disclosure

Loaded for Guccifer2.0 is available through Amazon as a print on demand purchase, and can be purchased through your own countries Amazon website by simply searching the title.

Generally for our Vive le Livre Book Club Books we are affiliated with Bookshop.Org. As great readers ourselves, we wanted to offer a way to purchase the books we recommend about France and the French (and wine). We specifically chose to affiliate with Bookshop because they support independent bookshops.

For the other books we recommend in our book club, simply click on your book of choice below to read more or purchase…