The Eagle Scout Picture, a WWII Spy Thriller
As 2024 rolls into 2025, we must remember events from 80 years ago. Between December 16, 1944, and January 25, 1945, the Ardennes Offensive, what Americans call the Battle of the Bulge, was Germany’s last big effort in World War II. It led to Victory in Europe Day on May 8, 1945. Almost all who fought the war are gone now, but the stories of the Greatest Generation need to live on in our collective memories.
I grew up listening to the war stories of my older brothers and uncles. When I discovered an untold story, I felt compelled to share it. That’s why I have released The Eagle Scout Picture, a WWII spy thriller, at this time. “Lest we forget” the sacrifices of the men and the women who supported them. This novel is based on actual events. Read about them in the book’s description below.
Description of The Eagle Scout Picture​
“No American could survive the ruthless fascist police state,” they said. But one young spy did.
Fred Brown, an eighteen-year-old Eagle Scout from Texas, is thrust into the unforgiving heart of Nazi Germany under the alias of Frederich “Zelly” Zellner in early 1941. He is the son of German immigrants and an electronics whiz-kid. Trained to infiltrate the Hitler Youth and the Nazi’s brutal regime, he embarks on a dangerous mission of espionage, deceit, and survival in WWII. Upon arrival in the Reich, his mistakes catch the Gestapo’s suspicion.
He finds his Eagle Scout picture from Texas published on the cover of a 1938 Nazi magazine and wonders how that could be. It causes him to question everything he knows about himself and his family.
From shadowy train car meetings to high-stakes encounters with Gestapo officers, he must maintain his cover or face a chilling fate. As he grapples with loyalty, morality, and his identity, he discovers that being a spy is far more than survival – it’s about the fight for justice in a world consumed by tyranny.
While he longs for home, he wonders where home is and who he is.
Early Reviews
History buffs, especially those drawn to World War II, are going to love The Eagle Scout Picture.
– Independent Book Review
The Eagle Scout Picture brims with tension, intrigue, moral complexity, meticulosly researched settings, palpable tension, and a hero whose internal suruggles are as compelling as the external challenges he faces.
– Book Writing Craft
Imagine having to live as another person for 5 years … the horrors of the Nazis had to be disheartening.
– Reedsy Discovery
Imagine being transported into the heart of Nazi Germany as you follow Fred’s journey from small-town Eagle Scout to an unlikely hero risking it all behind enemy lines. In this richly detailed story of World War II espionage, you’ll grapple with issues of morality, loyalty, justice, and self-identity.
– Book Writing Craft
An action-packed and detail-rich tale.
– Kirkus Reviews
An impressive imagining of a compelling what-if scenario.
– Kirkus Reviews
The story kept my interest throughout. The characters are interesting and engaging. I loved it! 4 stars.
– Reedsy Discovery
A tense historical tale set during World War II about identity and the sacrifices of war.
– Independent Book Review
The reader faces these questions: Will he discover the truth? Will he see behind his cover story? What will be his fate?
– OnlineBookClub. org Featured Review
A tense historical tale set during World War II about identity and the sacrifices of war.
– Independent Book Review
Are you ready to follow Fred’s journey into war?
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