I loved the fact that, like the better-established Robert Harris, Richardson has written a thriller that is stitched seamlessly into the real world.
Here the universe is that of espionage: postwar Vienna, MI6, MI5, double agents, the Cambridge Spies. Fictional characters interact with real historical individuals. As a nonfiction writer about the undercover world, I enjoyed the challenge – even if sometimes frustrating – of teasing out fact from fiction.
The story twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing until the end, and some of the persistent controversies of intelligence history reappear. But, just as in a successful police procedural novel, it is authenticity – in this case tradecraft and intelligence procedures – that gives colour to the plot.
THE BRAND NEW BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL WITH THE HIGH-STAKES THRILLS OF SLOW HORSES AND THE ADRENALINE-SOAKED EXCITEMENT OF BOX 88
**SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH**
'A breathtaking thriller. A classic in the making' PETER JAMES 'A shot in the arm for thriller fans' THE TIMES 'Hugely impressive and compelling' WILLIAM BOYD 'Look out for The Scarlet Papers . . . Engrossing' STEVE CAVANAGH 'The most impressive espionage debut since Mick Herron's Slow Horses' DAILY MAIL 'Magnificent' LITERARY REVIEW 'Superbly constructed and written with flair. This might be the best spy novel of the year' SUNDAY TIMES 'The Cold War is…
Andrew Roberts is among the greatest military historians and, however many books have been written about the Second World War, there is always room for a comprehensive masterpiece of this quality.
Myself an author who tries to bring stories of undercover WW2 operations to a wide audience, I can only marvel at the mix of human narratives and strategic analysis that Roberts brings to the reader. I admire both the balanced approach and the depth of detail, achieved while holding the reader’s attention. A master to look up to and an example to follow.
On 2 August 1944, in the wake of the complete destruction of the German Army Group Centre in Belorussia, Winston Churchill mocked Adolf Hitler in the House of Commons by the rank he had reached in the First World War. 'Russian success has been somewhat aided by the strategy of Herr Hitler, of Corporal Hitler,' Churchill jibed. 'Even military idiots find it difficult not to see some faults in his actions.'
Andrew Roberts's previous book Masters and Commanders studied the creation of Allied grand strategy; The Storm of War now analyses how Axis strategy evolved. Examining the Second World War…
The secret world has been my area of research and writing for several years, so this account of the 100-year saga of intelligence rivalry between Russia and the West puts my writing about undercover WW2 operations in its proper context.
More than that, the century-old secret East-West war helps to make sense of the Russia-Ukraine war that started in February 2022. Always gripping, the stories hold the attention, partly because much detail is consigned to the many pages of notes. When reading a book like this, I often find as much value in the footnotes as in the main text, and here they are particularly comprehensive.
I spent many happy hours diving down rabbit holes to pursue an interesting story, before returning to pick up the thread of the main narrative.
The riveting story of the hundred-year intelligence war between Russia and the West with lessons for our new superpower conflict with China
'A masterpiece' CHRISTOPHER ANDREW, author of The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5
'The book we have all been waiting for' BRENDAN SIMMS, author of Hitler: A Global Biography
'Gripping, authoritative... A vivid account of intelligence skulduggery' Kirkus
Espionage, election meddling, disinformation, assassinations, subversion, and sabotage - all attract headlines today about Putin's dictatorship. But they are far from new. The West has a long-term Russia problem, not a Putin problem. Spies mines hitherto secret…
'Captain Charles Kennedy' parachuted into a moonlit Austrian forest and searched frantically for his lost radio set. His real name was Leo Hillman and he was a Jewish refugee from Vienna. He was going home. Men and women of Churchill’s secret Special Operations Executive worked to free Austria from Hitler's grip. Many were themselves Austrians who had fled Nazi persecution. Trained and equipped by SOE, they courageously returned to their homeland. Some died in the attempt. Their moving stories are part of the history of how Austria recovered her sovereignty. 'An enthralling tale from a lesser-known part of real Second World War history. ... At its heart, this is a human story brimming with emotion, triumph, heartache, and tragedy. 5-star Readers' Favorite review. 'An extraordinary and compelling account of the little-known operations of SOE and Austria in World War Two. Peter Dixon shines a light on the bravery of the agents, in a narrative told with colour and vivacity, yet great sensitivity and meticulous research', Dr Helen Fry, author of Spymaster.
