Partisans

Author : Alistair MacLean

Partisans is a novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean, first published in 1982. MacLean reverted to the theme of World War II, with which he was successful and highly popular in his early career. However, as with many of his later novels, Partisans proved to be less than popular with his long time fans.

During World War II, Pete Peterson, a Yugoslavian agent with an unlikely name, and his team of compatriots cross war-torn Yugoslavia to deliver a secret message and unmask a double agent.

It is not clear who Peterson is actually working for, as the plot meanders through the confusion of Yugoslavia's three-way civil war, with Communist Partisans, the Serb royalist Chetniks and the Croatian fascist Ustashe fighting as much against each other as against their Italian and German occupiers. Everyone's loyalties are uncertain. Obviously, the sardonic Petersen is not working for the Nazis, but what about those with him?