Grabbers

This robust action story is for strong palates and for those with a diverting adult sense of humor. When Dan Baldwin, an ex-colonel whose life has crashed, is rescued from a gutter in North Africa, he finds himself elected at gunpoint to the company of a purposeful trio about to raid the secret diamond field of a relentless South-West African cartel. He contrives to locate the diamonds, and for his pains is left for dead by the gang's treacherous leader who has worked to secure the entire illicit haul for himself. Dan has to battle with a vulture before he can barter and bribe his way back to civilization, and finally meet up again with his cunning and merciless enemy, whom he has dubbed Tom the Trooper. The furious climax is reached in London, where Dan, after a tempestuous clash with lovely blonde Ingrid Talaanger, daughter of the diamond cartel's head, discovers that, for all his violence and cynicism, he can again love a woman devotedly and be changed by her. About the Author: Lester Taube was born of Russian and Lithuanian immigrants in Trenton, New Jersey. He began soldiering in a horse artillery regiment while in his teens, where in four years he rose from the grade of private to the exalted rank of private first class. During World War II, he became an infantry platoon leader and participated in operations in the Bismarck Archipelago, was attached to the 3rd Marines for action on Iwo Jima, and finally combat on Okinawa, the last battle of the war. After leaving the army and recuperating from wounds and malaria, he became general manager of a 400 employee electronic company in California, manager of a 450 employee paper stock company in Pennsylvania, and finally opened a logging and pulpwood cutting operation in Canada. Called back to duty during the Korea Police Action, he served as an advisor to the Turkish army, then as an intelligence officer and company commander in Korea. During the Vietnam period, he was stationed in France and Germany as a general staff officer working in intelligence and war plans. Prior to retirement as a full colonel, he moved to a small village in the mountains of North Tyrol, Austria, and kept a boat for five years on the Cote d'Azur, France. He began writing novels while in France, and after producing four books, which were published in a number of countries, and selling two for motion pictures, he stopped - 'as there was heavy soldiering to do and children to raise.' Returning to the U.S. after 13 years overseas, he worked as an economic development specialist for the State of New Jersey helping companies move to New Jersey or expand therein. He has four children, all born in different countries.