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Kingdom Of Shadows
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Amazon.co.uk Review
It must be daunting for an author to be compared to Graham Greene, John Le Carré and Robert Harris, but Alan Furst's much acclaimed sequence of novels set during the 1930s and World War Two unquestionably demonstrate the virtues of his predecessors: brilliantly detailed backgrounds in which the periods involved are faultlessly conjured up; highly impressive plotting and (his ace in the hole) characterisation that has all the richness and complexity of the very best writers. With Kingdom of Shadows, Furst moves his writing on to yet another level: the sense of danger and foreboding that informs this tale of intrigue and betrayal brings the reader the all-too-rare rush of excitement that only the finest novels in this field can convey.
It's 1938, and a sinister tide of Fascism is growing in strength throughout Europe. Ex-cavalry officer Nicholas Morath (originally from Hungary) returns to his young mistress in Paris's Seventh Arrondissement. He has been helping his uncle Count Janos Polanyi, a diplomat, in his attempt to stop Hungary drifting into an allegiance with Nazi Germany. But this is a very dangerous game for Morath and his uncle, involving double dealing between defectors, SS renegades and British politicians. And as Hitler marches into Prague, Morath's foolhardy country-hopping endeavours grow ever more dangerous.
On the level of a highly intelligent espionage tale, Furst demonstrates a masterly command of the idiom, with Polanyi's dangerous odysseys between the Czech fortresses of the Sudeten mountains and the villas of Budapest handled in an utterly authoritative fashion. The driving force behind his narrative is always the struggles within the souls of his characters, and the way the human spirit can survive under the most appalling conditions. Morath, in particular, is drawn with all the complexity and insight that has become Furst's trademark, and we follow his journeys with ever-mounting concern. Furst's way with a passage of tension remains nonpareil, as with this dangerous traversing of a ruined bridge:Flat on his belly, Morath worked his way across the bridge. He could hear the water as it rushed passed, ten feet below, could feel it--the damp chill air that rose from heavy current. He did not look back, Pavlo would either find the nerve to do this or he wouldn't. Crawling over the weathered planks, he realised that a lot more of it had burned than was evident from the shoreline. Long before he reached the end, he stopped. The bridge trembled and swayed each time he moved.--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
A novel of adventure and intrigue in wartime Europe
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First Sentence
On 10 March 1938, the night train from Budapest pulled into the Gare du Nord a little after four in the morning. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
On 10 March 1938, the night train from Budapest pulled into the Gare du Nord a little after four in the morning. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hanging over Paris--nay, all of Europe in l938-39 like a Spectre
is the visage (and vandalism) of Adolph Hitler. However, as we well know, this was no mirage and eventually the Nazis were goose-stepping their way down the boulevards of The City of Light. Thus, with this somber--and agreeably frightening--spirit enveloping the continent, Alan Furst's "Kingdom of Shadows" mesmerizes its readers and we wait for the action to play out. Of course, we know the historical outcome, but Furst is able to paint an atmosphere that is both real and surreal.
The Nazis are coming, the Nazis are coming!
is the visage (and vandalism) of Adolph Hitler. However, as we well know, this was no mirage and eventually the Nazis were goose-stepping their way down the boulevards of The City of Light. Thus, with this somber--and agreeably frightening--spirit enveloping the continent, Alan Furst's "Kingdom of Shadows" mesmerizes its readers and we wait for the action to play out. Of course, we know the historical outcome, but Furst is able to paint an atmosphere that is both real and surreal.
The Nazis are coming, the Nazis are coming!
Furst's central character forty-ish Nicholas Morath loves Paris, where he's been living for some time now as a (not "an") Hungarian expatriot (which translates, in those days, as an aristocrat!). Indeed, a bon vivant in his own right, Nicholas' life even borders on the boring, despite the prestigious life style he enjoys--his uncle is a count; he moves in and out of Parisian high life.
But he's not French. He's Hungarian and the winds of war certainly are undeniable. He also is privy to the covert Nazi political machinations and, like Cassandra, knows the future only too well. Thus, he is enlisted by his uncle to "help the cause" and he goes about with the energy of a true patriot.Furst treats us to a geography lesson as well,as Nicholas hops, skips, and jumps his way across the path of the German war machine, from Paris to Budapest to Bratislava to Antwerp,and so on. The atmosphere Furst creates works well with the geography of the land, the political climate of the time, and the naivete of much of the "modern world." This is not to say that "Kingdom of Shadows" is dull reading--far from it. The author has no difficulty in catching--and holding--the reader's undivided attention. His dramatic pacing, his power of description and episode--all blend into an excellent read, one that, due to its historical implications, certainly cannot contain a "and they lived happily ever after" ending. We know what Hitler did in l939 and that he continued for a few more years. Furst doesn't take us past 1939.
This is an excellent read--not just for studetns of history, but for anyone who delights in being caught up in a plausible--yet exciting--storyline. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you like Alan Furst books you will like this.If you havent read Alan Furst you are missing a first class writer with a unique take on Europe in the 1930 and 40's.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have recently discovered Alan Furst - surprising, since he's an American. Years ago, I started reading Eric Ambler (and I've reread him over the years). I never thought anyone else could transport me back to the world of espionage in the 20's, 30's and 40's, but Alan Furst can. He is an excellent, very involving writer. Be prepared for a wonderful experience. Don't read just KINGDOM OF SHADOWS. Read them all - and beg for more.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Crackerjack
I've yet to read an Alan Furst novel that didn't enthral me from start to finish and this one doesn't disappoint. Read more
Published 2 months ago by henrymiller the second
Furst among equals
The enigmatic world of espionage sixty and seventy years ago has attracted a number of novelists: Eric Ambler set standards that have been aspired to, but not often matched, by... Read more
Published 18 months ago by G. M. Sinstadt
Travers
Like Alan Furst's other novels it is strong in background and atmosphere. The Parisian and Central European sections make you feel you are there. Read more
Published 22 months ago by G. R. T. Harpur
Good, but an unsatisfying ending
This is an enjoyable novel but I found the plot oddly unsatisfying. The story seems to conclude much too hastily and leaves many of the plot's threads simply hanging in the air. Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by Frederick Helmersley-Bott
Interesting and different
'Morath lay back in the bath in the cooling water of the bathtub, smoking a Chesterfield and tapping it, from time to time, into a mother-of-pearl soap dish, Cara, my love. Read more
Published on 15 April 2008 by Chris Rawlings
ENTERING INTO VIRTUAL REALITY
In reading "KINGDOM OF SHADOWS", I saw echoes of "The Third Man". Furst does a superb job here of making you feel 'in the moment', in the midst of a time in which Europe stood on... Read more
Published on 30 May 2003 by MONTGOMERY
A B-movie
Kingdom of Shadows is a puzzling book for admirers of Alan Furst, almost a B-movie in comparison to the dazzling Dark Star and the Jean Casson series (The World at Night, Red... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2001 by "kalcorn4"
Furst brings yet another skein of pre-war intriuge to life
Alan Furst does it again!!.As with all his previous novels he has been able to bring a slice of European pre-war espionage/war build up to vivid life. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2001 by mcphailian@lineone.net
Love live the King!
Furst once again proves he has no equals in the genre of WWII era international intrigue. Kingdom of Shadows may be his finest offering yet.
Indeed, Mr. Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2000
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