The Officer and The Spy

 The Officer and the Spy by Robert Harris reads like a non-fiction account of the Dreyfus Affair.

It is a fascinating story about Alfred Dreyfus and how he accused of treason as a spy.  Harris takes the story plot from the point of view of an Officer who is promoted to the Special Secret branch of the army after Dreyfus is convicted and sent off to Devil's Island.  

The most interesting part of the story is what happens after that the trial.   French captain Alfred Dreyfus who is wrongfully convicted of passing military secrets to the Germans and sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil's island.  At the time there was controversy around the accusations,  the trial and conviction.  Georges Picquart is promoted to Colonel and assigned to the Special unit for undercover activities. He begins to sense that there are thing happening that he cannot explain.  He becomes aware of the unusual techniques the department uses and begins his own investigation into how the incriminating letters that were used to convict Dreyfus were found.   As he struggles to expose the truth about the doctored evidence that sent Alfred he becomes embroiled in a struggle of his own.

The novel includes espionage, intrigue, romance and even a sword fight.  I did not realize that people did actually challenge others to a duel to settle their differences.  So though the book is written a bit dryly, and there are so many characters to keep straight,  there are some fascinating facts to learn and interesting developments to keep you reading.