The Iron Duke
A Novel of Rogues, Romance, and Royal Con Games in 1930s Europe
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4.2 • 11 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
He’s a lady’s man, a man’s man—and a wanted man, on the run in 1930s Europe….
Meet conman Blacky Lee, ruggedly handsome with a quick wit and a roguish charm. Think Clark Gable—with larceny in his heart and a price on his head. A price put there by the German Gestapo.
But Blacky’s always got an angle, and this time it’s as audacious as they come. He’ll hide in plain sight, with the stolen identity of the crowned head of a Balkan kingdom—the Iron Duke.
Can he pull it off? Win the love of a country beset with communism … and of the beautiful Countess? All Blacky has to do is risk everything—and, for once in his life, find a way to do the right thing and reform.
Hubbard and Gable were fast friends and fellow adventurers. While Hubbard was writing for Columbia Pictures in 1937, the studio often called upon him to doctor scripts for Gable—giving him a unique knowledge of the man and inspiration for characters like Blacky Lee.
“Colorful prose, lively action writing, exotic locales…excellent.” —Ellery Queen
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Prolific pulp-fiction author Hubbard (1911 1986) offers a variation on a familiar romantic theme with this fast-paced if derivative thriller set in pre-WWII Europe. Blacky Lee, an American weapons dealer, just happens to be the spitting image of Archduke Philip of Aldoria, a coincidence that enables him to dodge Nazis and ensnare the heart of the attractive Countess Zita, plot elements familiar to readers of Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau. Those 19th-century swashbucklers successfully blend action with emotion, while Hubbard's breezy romp is only an easily digested, quickly forgotten time-filler.
Customer Reviews
Pure adventure!
I loved the story and had to read it all in one go...just could not put it down!
It is delightful reading with exquisite characters and a throbbing plot! Thank you for digging this out of the archives of pure, honest fiction!
Amazing!
Loved it! The story is gripping and very entertaining!