It's definitely cool to read about spy secrets, but aren't these things secret for a reason? Have we just given up all our intelligence-gathering secrets so some guy could get a book deal?

Anyway, you can go ask him and see him speak (along with his co-author, intelligence historian Keith Melton) at the National Archives this afternoon. Maybe you'll decide it was worth the potential intelligence breach.

» National Archives, Constitution Avenue and 7th Street; Wed., Dec. 3, noon, free; 202-357-5000. (Archives-Navy Memorial)

Image courtesy Dutton

Veteran cartoonist Guy Delisle created a new graphic novel, "Burma Chronicles" (Drawn & Quarterly), while Enrico Casarosa released his debut comic, "The Venice Chronicles" (AdHouse).

Delisle has made a career out of visiting unfriendly places and creating fascinating graphic novel travelogues about them. His first two, "Shenzhen: A Travelogue From China" and "Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea," offered in-depth views of these Communist countries from the perspective of a long-term visitor.

When the vice president of the United States dies in the Everglades after hunting alligators, Swyteck's dad — the former two-term governor of Florida — is tapped as his replacement. The father and son have had a difficult relationship, but with things on the mend, poppa Harry taps his kid to be his lawyer. But by the time the twosome gets to the District, Jack is thrust into a mystery whose lethal backstory stretches back more than 50 years and involves cover-ups at the highest levels of government.

Grippando's 15th suspense novel has all the page-turning requirements down to a science, while D.C. residents will find that "Born to Run" races with the political pulse of the city.

» EXPRESS: Since this Jack Swyteck book takes him out of Miami, how much research did you have to do on D.C. and the U.S. government?
» GRIPPANDO: Funny, most of the questions I get about my research usually focus on how I know about strip joints or Mafia hangouts. When I'm not writing a book, I'm researching a book. I've been to Washington many, many times, and I love to explore. Short of the inner sanctums of the White House, I've been to all Washington sites mentioned in "Born to Run." I love research.

Enter John Stauffer, whose book, "Giants: The Parallel Lives of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass," should help us appreciate Obama's success by going back to a time when the country's political landscape wasn't so inviting.

While some Web artists resort to stick figures, Rees turns instead to clip art to accompany his political satire. His strip is so popular that it's been made into a play — and Rees will be speaking about his contribution to political discourse at the new Busboys and Poets space on Sunday.

» Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW; Sun., Nov. 23, 6 p.m., free; 202-789-2227. (Mt. Vernon Square)

Photo courtesy Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

» Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW; Fri., Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m., free; 202-387-7638. (U St.-Cardozo)

Written by Express contributor Katie Litvin
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Author and military historian Patrick K. O'Donnell thinks so.

In his new book, "The Brenner Assignment: The Untold Story of the Most Daring Spy Mission of World War II," O'Donnell tells the story of an improbable mission, one that seems suited to movies rather than military history. In stark yet evocative prose, O'Donnell deftly shows how a young, idealistic Army lieutenant attempted to cut off access to the Brenner Pass, an essential trade and military route through the Alps along the border between Italy and Austria.

Yet, while the story of the young and dashing Steven Hall is essential to the book, it is intertwined with the story of Capt. Howard Chappell — and yet the two never meet.

"[Hall] writes this letter that says that he can do this impossible mission, which is to parachute behind the lines alone and basically take out the smaller passes through landslides and blowing up tunnels to block off the Brenner Pass," O'Donnell said. "They need to get him a radio operator and augment his team, so they send this commando team led by Chappell behind the lines. What happens is the same person hunts the two of them, and in the end Capt. Chappell finishes Hall's mission and finds Hall's diary, which was buried in a wine bottle."

Throw in a beautiful and potentially dangerous Italian countess and you've got a Spielberg drama in the works.

Which is why the 78-year-old actor wrote "In Spite of Myself: A Memoir," an autobiography documenting the trials and tribulations of his lengthy career both on stage and in front of the camera. Your next chance to see him on the silver screen won't be until next year's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (known for being Heath Ledger's final role), but you can catch Plummer in person at Politics and Prose on Tuesday, where he will be speaking about his new book.

» Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave., NW; Mon., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., free; 202-364-1919. (Van Ness)

Written by Express' Thomas Floyd
Photo courtesy David Lee

D.C. luminaries such as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and White House correspondent Helen Thomas will be there — and so should you.

» National Press Club, 14th and F streets NW; Tue., Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., free; 202-662-7516. (Metro Center)

Photo by Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

I'm not going to advocate for most of the popular recreational options of the Great Depression, since I firmly believe that antagonizing hobos is wrong, but one old-fashioned possibility to consider is reading. It makes you smarter, it's a major time-killer and it can be done on the cheap.

I visited four D.C. bookstores to see what they had to offer for $10 or less.