''Stained Glass'' is an American spy thriller novel by William F. Buckley, Jr., the second of eleven novels in the

Blackford Oakes Blackford "Blackie" or "Black" Oakes is a fictional character, a Central Intelligence Agency officer, spy and the protagonist of a series of novels written by William F. Buckley, Jr. Early life Oakes was born in 1925. He served in World War II ...

series. Its first paperback edition won a 1980

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

in the one-year category Mystery (paperback).

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 1953.

References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * 1978 American novels Blackford Oakes novels Novels set in Germany National Book Award-winning works Doubleday (publisher) books {{ColdWar-novel-stub