The Commandos

Elliott Arnold (1912-1980) is best known for his 1947 novel Blood Brother, a western that was adapted into a 1950 film titled Broken Arrow and a subsequent 1956 television series of the same name. The Brooklyn-born author, who was once married to actress Glynis Johns, authored 25 novels from 1934 through 1977. My first experience with Arnold is his 1942 novel Commandos, which was adapted into the 1943 Columbia Pictures film First Comes Courage. The book has been published repeatedly by different companies. My copy is the Belmont Tower paperback with artwork by Ken Barr capturing Clint Eastwood's likeness.  

In this 300-page book, Alan is an American soldier serving in World War II as a member of a British-led international team of Commandos. This team operates covertly in Norway, a country held in a vice-grip by Nazi Germany. In the novel's first half, Alan is working solo on missions to capture German leaders, destroy a fish-processing factory, and to hop in and out of long-range reconnaissance missions. In the first few chapters, Alan is teaching a middle-aged Polish man English, as well as training him on stealthy operations to stalk and kill targets. 

Alternating in and out of these chapters are two major characters, Nicole and Dichter. In these chapters, readers learn of Nicole's faithful service as a spy for the Allies. After her husband was killed in the war, she's now a vengeful widow working behind the scenes to feed the Commandos valuable intel. However, by day, she hosts extravagant parties for Nazi soldiers and affluent Norwegians that are sympathetic to Germany – a job she finds distasteful. Years ago, she met and fell in love with Alan and consistently worries about him on perilous missions. 

Dichter is a Nazi Major in charge of tormenting and terrorizing the Norwegian citizens. He has a romance with Nicole and often tells her details about German operations, details she uses to further the Commandos' resistance efforts. There are some chapters that delve into Dichter's personal life, key childhood moments, and a crescendo of violent occasions that have propelled his sadistic behavior. 

The book's second-half concerns Alan being captured behind enemy lines. These scenes aren't for the squeamish as Alan suffers an infectious bullet wound in his leg that complicates his survival efforts in the hands of Dichter and his Nazi torturers. However, his most agonizing moments center around his thoughts about Nicole lying in bed with Dichter while serving the Allies. He fears for her safety while also pining for her in his darkest hours.

Arnold's prose borders on literary, reminding me of a British author named Cecil Day Lewis. They both have a poetic nature to their work that involves difficult romances put to the sword over loyalty and allegiance. The Commandos carefully walks a balance beam of engaging romance and death-defying action-adventure. Thankfully, there's enough here to please both types of readers. Alan is a very human hero, often crying over some despicable act he's forced to endure or simply reminiscing about a better time in human history. Nicole's strong feminine leadership is a captivating part of the book and an endearing look at the sacrifices women made during the war. 

If you love a slow-burn action novel, The Commandos is a winner. Highly recommended. Get the book HERE.