The Spies of Warsaw

Outstanding book, superb and well crafted writing, high intellectual Espionage in pre-WWII central and eastern europe

This is one of the most well written books in this genre ever. Te depth of character development, the knowledge of the history of the sub-surface political and espionage intrigue is unparalleled.

I warn readers to buy the audio books not the down loads from Barnes and Noble because I paid for one download but it was never delivered to my computer.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Spies of Warsaw; going through the motions

I have read every one of Alan Furst's books concerning the period around WW II but have been very disappointed in the last two - The Foreign Correspondent and The Spies of Warsaw. For me, I most enjoyed the imagery and descriptions that made me feel as if I were in the locale of the story. As someone else wrote, "I could feel and taste the fog."

In each of the last two novels Furst has abandoned the rich, detailed descriptions which made his stories so enthralling. Rather it is as if, he starts a description and then says, "Dear reader, you can fill in the rest, I'm bored with writing this stuff."

The ending of the Spies of Warsaw represents a good example of his unwillingness to put the effort into this story that was routinely put into his earlier work. Overall, the latest story is a B-; the premise had real possibilities but the implementation was not up to the standards longtime readers have come to expect.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Back to Form

Furst seems to be getting back to the great game of espionage, leaving the reluctant journalists to their own devices. Will remind most of the Polish Officer, but not as good as Night Soldiers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

brilliant

Alan Furst is a genius

Hardly a Page Turner

"The Spies of Warsaw" is a fiction recounting the work of European spies in the months leading to WW11. The year is 1937 and Germany is secretly preparing to invade Poland.....

The story is of Col. Jean- François Mercier, a French embassy's military attaché in Poland whose job is to handle routine diplomatic work and attend nightly social obligations. His position provides him with the perfect cover to obtain crucial information on Germany`s war plans. Behind the lines he covertly runs a small network of agents specializing in obtaining information on what the German command has planned for its industries. Edvard Uhl, a German Engineer, is Mercier's main contact and one of his most valuable informants.

The plot evolves around Mercier and his dealings with both the Russians and the Germans. We have an abundance of low keyed and un-dramatic espionage creating a tone that is rather cold and impersonal. It reads more like a history book or a documentary.

The main characters are well represented but the author tends to represent the Nazi and the French military in a keystone cop manner.

This is hardly a page turner, the storyline is weak and lacks suspense but does captures the darkness of the time and brings forward some intriguing elements surrounding the exploits behind intelligence gathering. As we may expect with spy novels, there is always a need for a spicy romance, this one leaves no surprises, Mercier is smitten by the mysterious Anna Szarbek, a beautiful French lawyer of Polish parentage with uncertain loyalties and unclear ambitions....

Although this novel is good, it is far from being my favourite of the year

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