Dan Fesperman

Horrible news. Hope you find a landing place worthy of your talent.

So it looks like Tom Wambsgans just got promoted to CEO of Disney.

Sounds just like Westmoreland in Vietnam. It's a military occupation, plain and simple, and they're only in retreat because they're appalled by their poll numbers.

Since Trump is routinely guilty of projection, what does this say about how he regards the attempt on his own life?

Nice list to be on!

And if you've caught the ball in the end zone, why the heck is a "football move" then required of you to seal the completion?

Now they'll browbeat him for another five hours until he recants his support for Trump and, in exchange for lenience, instead "confesses" to a false flag operation.

Shouldn't that be "Ssecrets and Sspies?"

Thank you! Glad to know you've been enjoying my books for so long. Hope this one pleases you as well.

The words "CNN Panel" always make me reach for the remote.

Wouldn't surprise me if he did that, but that looks fake.

Well I was one of them marching, asshole, and you're the lowlife, not us.

This post feels like performative intellectualism.

But there was also the over-dubbing of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, which, if you've ever heard any of her more genuine original versions, are a tragedy.

Thank you, Suzanne. Much appreciated! And, no, no one has yet, although there has been quite a bit of interest, so I'm hoping...

We loved Zadar even more, so if you get a chance...

Such a great country to travel in.

Thank you, Neil! He was an enjoyable character to keep company with in all those months of writing.

Thank you, Jeremy. And, yes, the one I'm working on now (about 58,000 words completed) rejoins Emil five years after the end of Winter Work, when he is called upon to take care of some unfinished business from Cold War days.

Thank you so much! Hope it helped some of the miles pass more quickly. Looking forward to reading your memoir.

Good timing! I'll be returning to Sarajevo for a brief overnight visit (first time since 1996) in about a week!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Total mentions that Trump is taking a 5-day trip to Scotland on our dime in order to promote his new golf course -- 0

A Spy Thriller With an Unlikely Hero: A Disgraced Comedian

Thrilled to see this New York Times review by Christopher Bollen of my new novel Pariah. Pub date is Tuesday!
#booksky

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/19/b...

Quoting from this college fight song seems quite appropriate at the moment:

Fight fiercely, Harvard
Fight, fight, fight
Demonstrate to them our skill
Albeit they possess the might

Congratulations to @paulvidich.bsky.social on publication day of his fine new novel, The Poet's Game.

If you happen to be in NYC this Wednesday, I'll be helping Paul launch the book with a 6 p.m. event at The Mysterious Bookshop, at 58 Warren Street in Manhattan.
paulvidich.com/books/the-po...

Especially as opposed to Sgt. Paine's review of Holly Martins' work, as heard in passing in The Third Man: "That's what I like about your books, sir. You can pick them up and put them down anytime."

Doubt I can recommend any books on this, partly because I'm not clear on how to define "independent journalism." Untrained citizen journalists? Trained journalists who strike out on their own? A good lab of indy (non-profit) local journalism that you might want to check out is the Baltimore Banner.

That was my own stupid brain fart, and I thank you for pointing it out. I still tend to think of it by its nickname, No Such Agency.

Goodness, what a nice surprise. Thrilled to know it.

You probably already know this, but the Berlin tunnel op figured prominently in one of Ian McEwan's early novels, The Innocent (1990). A great read.

Oh, I have no doubt she's up to it, I just wonder if Caro will be as likely as before to heed editorial advice, especially with regard to cutting, considering how difficult it was even for Gottlieb to win some of their past battles. It'll be a new dynamic for sure.