Stained Glass (novel)

Stained Glass is an American spy thriller novel by William F. Buckley, Jr., the second of eleven novels in the Blackford Oakes series.^[1] Its first paperback edition won a 1980 National Book Award in the one-year category Mystery (paperback).^{[2][Note 1]}

Stained Glass

Cover of the first edition
Author	William F. Buckley, Jr.
Language	English
Series	Blackford Oakes
Genre	Spy thriller, espionage
Publisher	Doubleday
Publication date	April 7, 1978
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print, 8vo
Pages	252 pp
Awards	National Book Award
ISBN	9781581824629
Preceded by	Saving the Queen
Followed by	Who's on First

Plot

Oakes's second assignment sends him to West Germany. There, he is infiltrated into the inner-circle of a charismatic and heroic nobleman, Count Wintergrin, who intends to run for the West German Chancellorship on platform of immediate re-unification with East Germany. Although this is ultimately in the interest of the Western Powers and NATO, the threat of Soviet invasion of West Europe means that Oakes must prevent Wintergrin's election, by whatever means necessary. Set in 1952.