description Saving the Queen Overview
Saving the Queen is an espionage novel published in 1976 by the American author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. The book marks the literary debut of Blackford Oakes, a Yale-educated pilot and CIA operative who becomes the central figure in Buckley's subsequent series of spy novels. The plot is set during the early Cold War era and follows Oakes as he is assigned to London to investigate a suspected intelligence leak.
The narrative combines standard espionage tropes with historical settings and figures.
help Saving the Queen FAQ
What is Saving the Queen about?
Set in 1952, it follows Blackford Oakes from his recruitment into the CIA to his first assignment in Britain, where he investigates a security leak close to the fictional Queen Caroline. William F. Buckley Jr. uses that case to introduce the Cold War world of Oakes and intelligence chief Rufus.
Who is Blackford Oakes?
He is the Yale-educated pilot and CIA operative at the center of Buckley's eleven-book spy series. Saving the Queen is his literary debut and shows how the agency recruits and handles him.
Is Saving the Queen the first Blackford Oakes novel?
Yes, the 1976 novel is book one of the Blackford Oakes series. The next book is Stained Glass, so readers who want the character's story in publication order should start here.
Who wrote Saving the Queen and when was it published?
American author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. wrote it, and Doubleday published it on January 28, 1976. The novel is an English-language spy thriller set against early Cold War tensions.
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