Trooper

Assignment Cyprus: Middle East Mission Trooper

Assignment Cyprus includes an account of the 1956 invasion of the Suez Canal. With a murderous conflict in Cyprus coming to a head, Nyles Hawkspurr and his S. A. S. troop of specialists are posted to this lovely island to hunt for the elusive General Grivas, leader of the EOKA terrorist organization in the mountains. On a covert assignment, Hawkspurr must first journey alone to Spain to eliminate a Greek arms dealer who is supplying weapons to the terrorists. After a successful operation, Hawkspurr has a romantic interlude with a wild Gypsy dancer, but is later arrested by Spanish police unsure of his identity. Later, with help from the Gypsies, Hawkspurr escapes by boat to Gibraltar. Reunited with his men, Hawkspurr seeks out and destroys the enemy in towns, villages, and mountain hideouts, and yet still finds time for romance with Greek and Turkish women alike. When the Egyptian government under General Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal, Hawkspurr enters Egypt clandestinely to gather information. During the Anglo/French invasion of Suez, he leads a special unit of his own men and French Foreign Legionnaires on a parachute raid to a canal installation. For the thrilling climax Hawkspurr returns to Cyprus.