To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.

Kindle Price:	£4.99
Sold by:	Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. This price was set by the publisher.

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Colour:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Laurent Binet

Follow

HHhH Kindle Edition

by Laurent Binet (Author), Sam Taylor (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 2,516 ratings

See all formats and editions

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Two men have been enlisted to kill the head of the Gestapo. This is Operation Anthropoid, Prague, 1942: two Czechoslovakian parachutists sent on a daring mission by London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich - chief of the Nazi secret services, 'the hangman of Prague', 'the blond beast', 'the most dangerous man in the Third Reich'. His boss is Heinrich Himmler but everyone in the SS says 'Himmler's brain is called Heydrich', which in German spells HHhH.

HHhH is a panorama of the Third Reich told through the life of one outstandingly brutal man, a story of unbearable heroism and loyalty, revenge and betrayal. It is a moving and shattering work of fiction.
Laurent Binet's highly anticipated new novel, The Seventh Function of Language, is available for pre-order now...

From the Publisher

Product description

Review

Vividly recreates the assassination of Heydrich and its consequences -- John Le Carré ― Telegraph

Utterly amazing ... likely to make you gasp, laugh and cry often within a few pages ― Savidge Reads

A novel of great verve and originality… a heart-quickening climax and the undeserved satisfaction of feeling privy to what really happened ― Strong Words

Laurent Binet’s HHhH is hard to categorise. All is can say is that it has the same gravity-defying balance of weight and light as early Milan Kundera -- Janice Turner ― The Times

HHhH is a highly original piece of work, at once charming, moving, and gripping -- Martin Amis

From the Back Cover

This is Operation Anthropoid, Prague, 1942: two Czechoslovakian parachutists sent on a daring mission by London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich - chief of the Nazi secret services, 'the hangman of Prague', 'the blond beast', 'the most dangerous man in the Third Reich'.

About the Author

Laurent Binet lives and works in France.

His first novel, HHhH, was an international bestseller which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt du premier roman, among other prizes.

The 7th Function of Language won the Prix de la FNAC and Prix Interallié. Civilisations is a bestseller that has won the Grand Prix de l'Académie française.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

Gabcík—that’s his name—really did exist. Lying alone on a little iron bed, did he hear, from outside, beyond the shutters of a darkened apartment, the unmistakable creaking of the Prague tramways? I want to believe so. I know Prague well, so I can imagine the tram’s number (but perhaps it’s changed?), its route, and the place where Gabcík waits, thinking and listening. We are at the corner of Vyšehradská and Trojická. The number 18 tram (or the number 22) has stopped in front of the Botanical Gardens. We are, most important, in 1942. In The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, Milan Kundera implies that he feels a bit ashamed at having to name his characters. And although this shame is hardly perceptible in his novels, which are full of Tomášes, Tominas, and Terezas, we can intuit the obvious meaning: what could be more vulgar than to arbitrarily give—from a childish desire for verisimilitude or, at best, mere convenience—an invented name to an invented character? In my opinion, Kundera should have gone further: what could be more vulgar than an invented character?
So, Gabcík existed, and it was to this name that he answered (although not always). His story is as true as it is extraordinary. He and his comrades are, in my eyes, the authors of one of the greatest acts of resistance in human history, and without doubt the greatest of the Second World War. For a long time I have wanted to pay tribute to him. For a long time I have seen him, lying in his little room—shutters closed, window open—listening to the creak of the tram (going which way? I don’t know) that stops outside the Botanical Gardens. But if I put this image on paper, as I’m sneakily doing now, that won’t necessarily pay tribute to him. I am reducing this man to the ranks of a vulgar character and his actions to literature: an ignominious transformation, but what else can I do? I don’t want to drag this vision around with me all my life without having tried, at least, to give it some substance. I just hope that, however bright and blinding the veneer of fiction that covers this fabulous story, you will still be able to see through it to the historical reality that lies behind.

Copyright © 2009 by Éditions Grasset et Fasquelle
Translation copyright © 2012 by Sam Taylor

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007NG91ZO
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Digital (3 May 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5873 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 23,085 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 181 in Cultural Heritage Fiction
- 355 in Historical World War II Fiction eBooks
- 434 in Historical Literary Fiction

Customer reviews:
4.2 2,516 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Laurent Binet

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Laurent Binet (born July 19, 1972) is a French writer. The son of a historian, Laurent Binet was born in Paris. He graduated from the University of Paris with a degree in Literature. He teaches French in a Parisian suburb and also at the University of Saint-Denis.

Binet was awarded the 2010 Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman for his first novel, HHhH. The novel recounts the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in 1942.

In August 2012, Binet published Rien ne se passe comme prévu ("Nothing goes as planned"), a behind-the-scenes account of the successful presidential campaign of François Hollande, which Binet witnessed while embedded with Hollande's campaign staff.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Esby (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

2,516 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-researched. They describe the story as captivating, playful, and compelling. The writing style is described as matter-of-fact and charming. However, opinions differ on the writing style and humor - some find it well-written and readable, while others feel there are few literary flourishes and too little imagination.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Readability Story quality Research quality Style Grip Writing style Humor Pacing

132 customers mention ‘Readability’115 positive17 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as an excellent read that keeps them hooked until the end. The book is described as gripping and well-researched.

"A wonderful book: novel, history and literary criticism rolled into one, and a personal tribute to all those who struggled and suffered under the..." Read more

"...It's a most eccentric novel, but one well worth reading; it has pace and purpose." Read more

"...Research is key to the story which not only keeps the reader engaged, but reminds us of the courage and sacrifice of others that helped bring about..." Read more

"...so I can't comment on the loyalty to the original text, but it reads extremely well, with a strong 'voice' and no glaringly awkward phrases...." Read more

108 customers mention ‘Story quality’90 positive18 negative

Customers find the story gripping and engaging. They appreciate the clear narrative, compassion, and moral outrage. The side stories never become irksome and intrigue the reader. The narrative is playful yet still retains suspense and menace. Readers praise the author's craft of fiction and find the book arresting and absorbing.

"A wonderful book: novel, history and literary criticism rolled into one, and a personal tribute to all those who struggled and suffered under the..." Read more

"...It's a spy thriller, a lament for the millions who perished and an indictment of pacifism in the face of tyranny...." Read more

"...the gaps between the known facts of Heydrich's life with an imaginatively told story that does some justice to the memory of Gabcik and Kubis, the..." Read more

"...This is the true story of one of the most evil men who ever lived, Reinhard Heydrich, and Operation Anthropoid (also the original title of the book)..." Read more

94 customers mention ‘Research quality’75 positive19 negative

Customers appreciate the book's thorough research and use of real names. They find the detailed background information and musings on the nature of fiction interesting and informative. The subject matter is also fascinating.

"A wonderful book: novel, history and literary criticism rolled into one, and a personal tribute to all those who struggled and suffered under the..." Read more

"...The Executioners' Song or Truman Capote's In Cold Blood the well-researched background and the use of real names throughout undermine the very..." Read more

"...Research is key to the story which not only keeps the reader engaged, but reminds us of the courage and sacrifice of others that helped bring about..." Read more

"...The history is interesting, the author is not. There’s probably a great book out there about Heydrich and Operation Anthropoid but HHhH ain’t it." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Style’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's style engaging and readable. They appreciate the clear depiction of the events surrounding the attempted assassination and the author's convincing portrayal of the man behind it.

"...For all the author's disclaimers, this is a highly credibly portrait of the man responsible for putting Hitler's urgent but vague pronouncements of..." Read more

"...This sounds very dry, but his style is incredibly readable, almost as though he is speaking to you...." Read more

"...A fascinating book and visually (graphically) very well presented by the publisher...." Read more

"...The style is interesting, but the book would have been much better with less of Binet's thoughts and opinions." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Grip’8 positive2 negative

Customers find the book gripping. They describe it as an offbeat yet easy read.

"...original piece of work and is, at times, quite exciting, and gripping throughout...." Read more

"Really interesting and off beat but easy and gripping read. The story does make on quite sick about conditions in Prague during the war." Read more

"Brilliantly written,gripping throughout,one of the great books of contemporary French Literature from one of Europe’s ,let alone France’s,greatest..." Read more

"Not gripping. Interesting, confused, messy in fact, but I had to finish it...." Read more

99 customers mention ‘Writing style’62 positive37 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find it well-written and readable, with an engaging presentation. Others feel the book lacks literary flourishes and imagination, with irrelevant preoccupations and intrusive author commentary interspersed with tedious comments about the author's life.

"...because usually anything self-conscious annoys me, but (a) this is well-written and (b) there is a purpose for the reflective self-doubt of the..." Read more

"...the above- cited work of Mailer and Capote, the author frequently intruding into the narrative...." Read more

"...But for its first third alone, this is a fine and unusual book, well translated and compulsively readable." Read more

"...This is a first rate piece of writing, and an excellent translation, that flows very well and is a truly gripping read that will enthral all from..." Read more

20 customers mention ‘Humor’8 positive12 negative

Customers have different views on the humor in the book. Some find it amusing and charming, while others find it tedious and irritating.

"...It's just irritating and gets in the way of a story that deserves to be told...." Read more

"A wonderful book: novel, history and literary criticism rolled into one, and a personal tribute to all those who struggled and suffered under the..." Read more

"...Disgraceful self indulgence." Read more

"...Surprisingly he tells his story with a wry humour. Necessary perhaps when dealing with such a dark period of history...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Pacing’9 positive5 negative

Customers have different opinions about the pacing. Some find it natural and unstrained, while others consider it pretentious and lacking imagination.

"...It's a searching, moving, engrossing and sincere read...." Read more

"...This affects the structure of the book so that it’s a constantly jerky read: facts are presented, then Binet goes back and picks apart his writing,..." Read more

"...As for the (true) story, what comes across is how a perfectly insignificant banal man, when given the opportunity and power, and left un-checked and..." Read more

"...the historical events are told in a dispassionate, concise, and unemotional manner...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

h m kenworthy
Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2025
Verified Purchase
A wonderful book: novel, history and literary criticism rolled into one, and a personal tribute to all those who struggled and suffered under the rule of one of the world’s most sadistic murderers of WW11. A work unlike any I have read before.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Mr. D. James
The Power of Faction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2012
Verified Purchase
Laurent Binet, HhhH (translated from the French by Sam Taylor)

Binet's self-conscious documentary of the rise and fall of Reinhard Heydrich stretches the notion of the term `novel' to its limits. Like Norman Mailer's The Executioners' Song or Truman Capote's In Cold Blood the well-researched background and the use of real names throughout undermine the very notion of a fictional story. But the impulse behind the book is neither biographical nor historical, but personal. Binet is compelled to tell his story in the only way he knows, which, as he frequently admits, must involve making things up, guessing, fictionalising. Since this debut work of faction was awarded the Prix Goncourt du premier roman it must be shelved under `novel.'

It is certainly less smooth than the above- cited work of Mailer and Capote, the author frequently intruding into the narrative. Well, what an asinine thing to do, Binet says: to write about someone who has never existed, putting words into his mouth, pushing him around at will! In his determination to be true to fact, he occasionally admits to lack of a knowledge, to using guesswork, to making things up. Here in this passage on the German occupation of Prague he corrects his original narrative: `Actually I don't know if it was a tank that first entered Prague. The most advanced troops seem largely to have driven motorbikes with sidecars.'

Sometimes the author will even rewrite a passage that he has later found untrue or unconvincing, and yet he cunningly still leaves the original confection undisturbed. But however much the narrator protests his unswerving devotion to fact, the novelist in him is compelled to fictionalise - in matters of dialogue for example: thus Heydrich to Göring at an Air Ministry meeting two days after the infamous `Crystal Night': `Even if the Jews are eliminated from economic life, the main problem remains. We must kick the Jews out of Germany. In the meantime,' he suggests, `we should make them wear some kind of sign so they can be easily recognised.' A fictional reconstruction obviously, since Binet was not even born at the time. Well, even historians have to invent, and like biographers to cheat a little, by exaggerating for dramatic effect.

The truth that overwhelms the reader in this book, however, is not the truth to fact, but the truth to feeling. Binet, presumably a native of Prague, here celebrates not so much the downfall of a tyrant and the demise of a psychotically-led regime that tore Europe apart for some absurd Aryan dream of conquest, but the heroic devotion of a handful of brave men who resisted and died for the freedom to protest against the iron fist of fascism.

Binet's work is not a novel story; indeed, he cites authorities, documents, rival novels, reports and anything he can lay a hand on to convince the reader of its veracity. One imagines him still searching in museums and archives, adding, revising, cancelling, but meanwhile he has written an extraordinary novel. It's a spy thriller, a lament for the millions who perished and an indictment of pacifism in the face of tyranny. It's a most eccentric novel, but one well worth reading; it has pace and purpose.

Read more

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
George
The man with the iron heart: One of the few whom Hitler admired, or feared?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2013
Verified Purchase
The unusual tiltle befits an unusual story about a (thankfully) unusual man. Reinhardt Heydrich was known by various nicknames: 'The blond beast' (admiringly by his own men), 'The butcher of Prague', 'The Hangman'. He was the architect of 'The final solution to the Jewish problem.' Head of the Waffen SS. He took over where the infamous einzatsgruppen could no longer cope with all the killing that was required.
Millions owe their deaths to him.
Amongst the mental degenerates, social misfits and drop outs that comprised the Nazi movement Heydrich stood out because of his efficiency and drive. He got things done. A protege of Heinrich Himmler, he would undoubtedly have surpassed his boss had he lived long enough, but even in those dark days of the 1940's he was known as the most dangerous man in the third Reich. He just had to be eliminated.
So much for the history which is more or less well known:

In his book, Lauren Binet fills in the gaps between the known facts of Heydrich's life with an imaginatively told story that does some justice to the memory of Gabcik and Kubis, the resistance fighters who managed to blow up Heydrich's car and cause wounds which ultimately killed him. He covers the plot and imaginatively guides the reader through the probable events between the facts. Research is key to the story which not only keeps the reader engaged, but reminds us of the courage and sacrifice of others that helped bring about the freedoms we so readily enjoy and take for granted. Surprisingly he tells his story with a wry humour. Necessary perhaps when dealing with such a dark period of history. He builds up a tremendous tension in describing the assassination attempt, ending with the ultimate finale as the assassins paid the ultimate price, and the reader finishes the book with a greater sense of the debt we owe. As to what caused Heydrich, a competent man, to take the path he did and sell his soul the the devil, we may never know.

Read more

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Helge
Impressive book
Reviewed in Germany on 22 March 2021
Verified Purchase
Strongly recommended - interesting plot/perspective.

Read more
Report
onno v.
Great WW2 Literature
Reviewed in Spain on 7 November 2020
Verified Purchase
Original, well written literary account of a heroic act of resistance against nazi-Germany. Recommended if you are interested in WW2 and the history of resistance against the nazi's.

Read more
Report
Jody B.
Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 4 July 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent book--loved every page!

Read more
Report
Francisco Padilla
Touching, amazing and impossible to leave
Reviewed in Mexico on 31 October 2015
Verified Purchase
Frantic and captive lecture shall summarize this extraordinary book. Many years ago I went to the movies to enjoy Seven Men at Daylight, and was very amusing picture, however, after reading this book, I can't even remember such film. This book has taken me by the hand to those dark days of early 40's at Central Europe, and made me feel like being a partisan during such bitter and cruel times, where mankind was just a word without any sense

Read more
Report
Noemia
excelente!
Reviewed in Brazil on 9 July 2014
Verified Purchase
O ritmo adotado por Binet para contar esse terrível, dramático episódio da ocupação nazista da Tchecoslovaquia me impressionou profundamente! Vale muito a pena ler e se emocionar com o sofrimento dos heróicos tchecos .

Read more
Report
Translate review to English

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

HHhH Kindle Edition

Customers who read this book also read

From the Publisher

Product description

Review

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

About the author

Laurent Binet

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Brilliant

The Power of Faction

The man with the iron heart: One of the few whom Hitler admired, or feared?

Top reviews from other countries

Impressive book

Great WW2 Literature

Five Stars

Touching, amazing and impossible to leave

excelente!

Report an issue

Follow the author

HHhH Kindle Edition

Customers who read this book also read

From the Publisher

Product description

Review

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Product details

About the author

Laurent Binet

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant

4.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Faction

5.0 out of 5 stars The man with the iron heart: One of the few whom Hitler admired, or feared?

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive book

5.0 out of 5 stars Great WW2 Literature

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching, amazing and impossible to leave

5.0 out of 5 stars excelente!

Report an issue

Brilliant

The Power of Faction

The man with the iron heart: One of the few whom Hitler admired, or feared?

Impressive book

Great WW2 Literature

Five Stars

Touching, amazing and impossible to leave

excelente!