The Phoenix

Drynan's works draw upon the experiences of storied life that spans five continents and more than half a century. They celebrate the selfless service of ordinary servicemen and women who serve on the front lines, and rail at politicians and career officers who send them so casually into harm's way. They immerse his readers in vignettes of Latin America life told with an intimacy born of personal experience. They bear witness to life in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Soviet Union. All are framed in a knowledge of history and geography that often reminds the reader of context too often forgotten. Drynan's short story collection Mirage of El Dorado movingly articulates his heartfelt sympathy for ordinary servicemen and women and his outrage at warmongers disrespectful of their sacrifice. Tales set in in contemporary Peru and in Venezuela are prefaced by a factual and illuminating perspective on the Spanish conquest of the Americas which draw on the author's extensive knowledge of the region's history.