- Hardcover: 200 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan; New edition edition (6 Jan 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1405005467
- ISBN-13: 978-1405005463
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 16 x 5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 35,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Winter in Madrid
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More About the Author
Product Description
Nigel Jones, Literary Review
'[an]enviable ability to land his readers in an alien world, yet make them feel entirely at home.
Nigel Jones, Literary Review
'in Sansom's capable hands, story, characters and that indefinable spirit of place meld and twist into a narrative that grips'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
257 of 266 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent novel, with convincing characters and a feeling of authenticity about the conditions in Madrid following the Civil War. The story line itself is excellent and exciting, with many parallel threads developing to a conclusion full of suspense and drama. It is both spy novel, and also a love story, but also has great historical interest, showing the situation in Europe at the time, with the risk of Spain allying with the Germans against Britain, and the efforts of British diplomats to avoid this by subtle relationship building with key people in the Spanish government.
I am surprised that an earlier reviewer found the characters stereotyped for I found them totally convincing. Yes, they are people of their time, but their characters are picked out in fine detail and the reader can empathise with them with little difficulty.
The author has conducted meticulous research into the history of the Spanish Civil War and its effects on the various classes of people in Spain. The book shows the great divisions in Spain following the war, and the bitter wounds caused to family and social relationships by the polarisation of the nation into two different sides. I can set this book alongside the very best works of Sebastian Faulkes, John le Carré, Alain Furst etc. This is a very fine book, with a strong story line set in a convincing portrait of Madrid in 1941. Well worth reading.
I am surprised that an earlier reviewer found the characters stereotyped for I found them totally convincing. Yes, they are people of their time, but their characters are picked out in fine detail and the reader can empathise with them with little difficulty.
The author has conducted meticulous research into the history of the Spanish Civil War and its effects on the various classes of people in Spain. The book shows the great divisions in Spain following the war, and the bitter wounds caused to family and social relationships by the polarisation of the nation into two different sides. I can set this book alongside the very best works of Sebastian Faulkes, John le Carré, Alain Furst etc. This is a very fine book, with a strong story line set in a convincing portrait of Madrid in 1941. Well worth reading.
48 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was in Madrid for a conference and I bought this book to read in the evenings. I found it a gripping portrait of what Madrid was like under the newly formed Facist Government (Would it have beeen like it here if the Nazis had won in 1940?). Very atmospheric and belivable descripition of life at that time, however, although the plot works well in the beginning, it becomes rather "stretched" by the end. It shouldn't put you off from reading it, as the novel has a lot a merit. I enoyed it, on the whole, but for the ending, which failed to convince.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I have just finished the book and I can only say that it's quite good and enjoyable. I am Spanish and I can appreciate a novel set in Spain on a vey painful time for its history. I think this gets accross quite well, from a human and non biassed perspective. The character's motivations are quite well drawn, and unlike many other reviewers, I felt quite at easy among its characters. It's true that the main heroes don't seem to have pre-set ideologies, by as you keep reading, they end up taking side. This in itself allows for the book to be an initiation, and in this sense, I find it similar with the Shardlake series, where the hero has doubts, puts himself deep questions about politics, religion or love at the same time that he solves crimes. They have also weaknesses, which makes them more human and approachable. Isn't the fact of questioning part of the search itself? Then it should make sense that he questions everything, including himself.
With regards to the story, it is true that sometimes developements are a bit far fetched, but it's not the first time I see this (and most surely not the last). The trick is to read it quickly and get to the end. Perhaps I could agree that there is a twist too many and the long epilogue was not necessary in a novel, but overall for me the most important part of the book is the atmosphere, the interaction among its characters and their feelings more than the spy framework and the resolution of the story. I take from it the danger and the fear and the important bit is whether they get out, not the how.
In reply to some other reviewers about the irritating spanish quotes in the book, I have only found one dialog where there is an error. It says 'malo' where is should say 'mal', regarding the wheather. And I think they (not that many, really) help in picturing the atmosphere about foreigners living somewhere whith a different language.
But the 'malo' nada, I trully recommend it.
With regards to the story, it is true that sometimes developements are a bit far fetched, but it's not the first time I see this (and most surely not the last). The trick is to read it quickly and get to the end. Perhaps I could agree that there is a twist too many and the long epilogue was not necessary in a novel, but overall for me the most important part of the book is the atmosphere, the interaction among its characters and their feelings more than the spy framework and the resolution of the story. I take from it the danger and the fear and the important bit is whether they get out, not the how.
In reply to some other reviewers about the irritating spanish quotes in the book, I have only found one dialog where there is an error. It says 'malo' where is should say 'mal', regarding the wheather. And I think they (not that many, really) help in picturing the atmosphere about foreigners living somewhere whith a different language.
But the 'malo' nada, I trully recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A story well told beside bleak history
C J Sansom's Winter In Madrid goes a long way beyond the habitual territory of the historical novel. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Philip Spires
Winter in Madrid
Another thoroughly gripping book by C.J.Sansom. I was very ignorant of Spanish History, and the awful conditions that existed in modern times. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Mrs. G. C. T. Smith
Good read
I am a great fan of CJS and this book doesn't disappoint. The characters are well rounded and believable. I loved the book
Published 28 days ago by NM
Well crafted, but not for me
First let me admit that I am a devotee of Shardlake, and being so I downloaded a sample of this book with anticipation. Read more
Published 1 month ago by shepherdess
Vivid and real
Because I love the Matthew Shardlake books I followed CJ Sansiom to wartime Madrid for an entirely different tale. Read more
Published 1 month ago by G. Webster
A Great Read
I have read all of Sansom's books set in the Tudor period (Matthew Shardlake)and was curious to see if this was as good. It is! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mary
No Homage to Catalunya
I heard this book mentioned on radio four and was interested in the Spanish civil war setting.
There were a lot of things to like about the book. Read more
There were a lot of things to like about the book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by DaisyCutter
Brilliant book
My university lecturer recommended reading this book before visiting Madrid on a field trip, so I assumed that it was going to be very information based. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Emily
Well crafted and authentic thriller
I am a big fan of C J Sansom's Shardlake series which is based in Tudor times and I wondered how he would handle a complete change of setting. He does it well. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Paul Sloane
Really enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book I have purchased for my Kindle that costs over £1 and I am glad I did! Read more
Published 5 months ago by A. Savvides
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