Condors

Rosenbaum's third novel about fighter pilot Ross Colyer (after Eagles and Falcons) offers a panoramic, yet sharply focused, look at events preceding the founding of the state of Israel. In 1946, Colyer's small company, Allied Air, is hired to help the Jewish Relief Foundation in its support of Jewish immigrants in Palestine by shipping cargo, and sometimes people, within the U.S. Colyer's increasing support for the Foundation places him in the awkward position of working for people who are being investigated by the FBI and the new Central Intelligence Group, which wants Colyer to report on the Foundation's activities. Through myriad short scenes that focus on a small group of players and that draw added realism from the appearance of historical figures and events (e.g., David Ben-Gurion, the voyage of the Exodus), Rosenbaum creates a dense, often complex story that chronicles Colyer's growth from hired hand to activist. Readers new to the series may be puzzled by certain references to Colyer's past, but this solid adventure novel earns high marks for achieving historical accuracy not only through period detail but also through the attitudes and feelings of its characters. (Apr.)