Review of Quest: Finding Freddie

[Alana Walker Tutwiler]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Quest: Finding Freddie" by Thomas Richard Spradlin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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I have no plans to go missing in a foreign country at any point, but let me just say that if, by some misfortune, I did, I would want Thomas Richard Spradlin looking for me. The author of Quest: Finding Freddie went to remarkable lengths to find his firm's missing client and bring him home alive and relatively unharmed. This memoir about an extraordinary case that he took on in Lagos, Nigeria in 1976 was filled with amazing details, insight into Nigerian culture at the time, as well as action, suspense and adventure. Mr. Spradlin left no stone un-turned in his search for his client. In the introductory chapters, the author's extensive explanation of the political and historical climate of Nigeria as well as other African countries such as Uganda, helps the reader to appreciate the urgency and danger of the situation. Less than a decade after the country was embroiled in a brutal civil war and on the heels of several coup attempts, the situation for travelers unaware of the sticky political situation and rivalry between ethnic groups could prove dangerous and even life-threatening. Add to the fact that the Israeli Defense Force's Entebbe Rescue Mission in Uganda only a month before the events in this memoir unfolded had led to a permeation of anti-Semitism throughout the region and the situation was especially precarious for Freddie Nachman, the Jewish client of Mr. Spradlin's who had vanished while on a business trip in Lagos. Mr. Spradlin's legal prowess, diplomacy, and willingness to adapt to foreign cultures and learn the history and language of the country in which he was working, all proved to work in his favor as he navigated the city in the search for Freddie. On more than one occasion, he also drew on his military training, including one unbelievable scene near the end of his search that seemed more like something out of a James Bond movie than a non-fiction memoir. Quest: Finding Freddie was detailed, action-packed and riveting from start to finish. There were some errors, but not enough to detract from the quality of the writing. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys non-fiction, history and politics, as well as action and adventure.

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Quest: Finding Freddie
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