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Archangel
Present-day Russia is the setting for this stunning new novel from Robert Harris, author of the bestsellers Fatherland and Enigma.
Archangel tells the story of four days in the life of Fluke Kelso, a dissipated, middle-aged former Oxford historian, who is in Moscow to attend a conference on the newly opened Soviet archives.
One night, Kelso is visited in his hotel room by an old NKVD officer, a former bodyguard of the secret police chief, Lavrenty Beria. The old man claims to have been at Stalin's dacha on the night Stalin had his fatal stroke, and to have helped Beria steal the dictator's private papers, among them a notebook.
Kelso decides to use his last morning in Moscow to check out the old man's story. But what starts as an idle inquiry in the Lenin Library soon turns into a murderous chase across nighttime Moscow and up to northern Russia--to the vast forests near the White Sea port of Archangel, where the final secret of Josef Stalin has been hidden for almost half a century.
Archangel combines the imaginative sweep and dark suspense of Fatherland with the meticulous historical detail of Enigma. The result is Robert Harris's most compelling novel yet.
Archangel tells the story of four days in the life of Fluke Kelso, a dissipated, middle-aged former Oxford historian, who is in Moscow to attend a conference on the newly opened Soviet archives.
One night, Kelso is visited in his hotel room by an old NKVD officer, a former bodyguard of the secret police chief, Lavrenty Beria. The old man claims to have been at Stalin's dacha on the night Stalin had his fatal stroke, and to have helped Beria steal the dictator's private papers, among them a notebook.
Kelso decides to use his last morning in Moscow to check out the old man's story. But what starts as an idle inquiry in the Lenin Library soon turns into a murderous chase across nighttime Moscow and up to northern Russia--to the vast forests near the White Sea port of Archangel, where the final secret of Josef Stalin has been hidden for almost half a century.
Archangel combines the imaginative sweep and dark suspense of Fatherland with the meticulous historical detail of Enigma. The result is Robert Harris's most compelling novel yet.
- GenresFictionLiterature
287 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 1995
4 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Paul Watkins
144 books92 followersPaul Watkins is an American author who currently lives with his wife and two children in Hightstown, New Jersey. He is a teacher and writer-in-residence at The Peddie School, and formerly taught at Lawrenceville School. He attended the Dragon School, Oxford, Eton and Yale University. He received a B.A. from Yale and was a University Fellow at Syracuse University, New York. His recollections of his time at the Dragon School and Eton form his autobiographical work Stand Before Your God: An American Schoolboy in England.
Writes crime fiction set at the birth of Stalin's Russia under Sam Eastland.
Writes crime fiction set at the birth of Stalin's Russia under Sam Eastland.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 26, 2025
I was captivated from the start and couldn’t put this down. Every character is so unique and ties perfectly into the story. This is a masterpiece with running themes of the sublime, human power and destruction but also the potential for people to stand up for what they believe in. I cannot recommend this book enough.
March 1, 2022
This book is gritty and not for those who have weak stomachs, but the story captivated me and overall I found it to be a satisfying read.
“That bear is just being a bear, and killing it won’t give you what you need.” can be read with multiple layers - Coltrane and the bear, MacKenzie and Madeline, Gabriel and MacKenzie…
“That bear is just being a bear, and killing it won’t give you what you need.” can be read with multiple layers - Coltrane and the bear, MacKenzie and Madeline, Gabriel and MacKenzie…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2023
Vor Jahren hat Jonah MacKenzie beim Holzfällen sein Bein verloren. Aber er kehrt wieder in die Algonquins zurück. Mit seinem Holzfällerunternehmen betreibt er eine systematische Rodung. Bisher hat nur die Verlegerin der kleinen Lokalzeitung versucht, ihm Einhalt zu gebieten. Aber das ändert sich. Plötzlich hat er einen ernstzunehmenden Gegner, der auch vor Maßnahmen nicht zruückschreckt, die das Leben seiner Arbeiter in Gefahr bringen.
Jonah MacKenzie ist ein harter Hund. Das wir klar, als er sich sein eigenes Bein absägt, um nach dem Unfall beim Holzfällen nicht in den Wäldern zu erfrieren. Danach scheint es, als ob er sich an den Wäldern rächen will, denn er rodet sie gnadenlos. Ähnlich wie seinem Gegner sind ihm die Methoden egal, solange sie nur Profit bringen. Selbst als ein Unfall passiert, an dem veraltetes Material schuld ist, will er den Vorfall vertuschen, um seine Arbeit weiter führen zu können.
Das Buch spricht ein sehr aktuelles Thema an: wie weit kann sich der Mensch an der Natur bereichern, bevor er erkennt, dass er etwas ändern muss? Jonah MacKenzie kämpft nicht nur um den weitererhalt seiner Firma, sondern auch gegen einen unsichtbaren Gegner. Dieser Gegner bleibt nicht nur für Jonah unsichtbar. Ich fand ihn auch geheimnisvoll, aber nicht in einem positiven Sinn. Seine Motive konnte ich nur schwer verstehen. War ihm der erhalt der Wälder wichtig, oder die Zerstörung Jonahs?
So war die Geschichte für mich stellenweise nur schwer zu durchschauen, obwohl ich das zentrale Thema durchaus interessant fand. Schade, daraus hätte man mehr machen können.
Jonah MacKenzie ist ein harter Hund. Das wir klar, als er sich sein eigenes Bein absägt, um nach dem Unfall beim Holzfällen nicht in den Wäldern zu erfrieren. Danach scheint es, als ob er sich an den Wäldern rächen will, denn er rodet sie gnadenlos. Ähnlich wie seinem Gegner sind ihm die Methoden egal, solange sie nur Profit bringen. Selbst als ein Unfall passiert, an dem veraltetes Material schuld ist, will er den Vorfall vertuschen, um seine Arbeit weiter führen zu können.
Das Buch spricht ein sehr aktuelles Thema an: wie weit kann sich der Mensch an der Natur bereichern, bevor er erkennt, dass er etwas ändern muss? Jonah MacKenzie kämpft nicht nur um den weitererhalt seiner Firma, sondern auch gegen einen unsichtbaren Gegner. Dieser Gegner bleibt nicht nur für Jonah unsichtbar. Ich fand ihn auch geheimnisvoll, aber nicht in einem positiven Sinn. Seine Motive konnte ich nur schwer verstehen. War ihm der erhalt der Wälder wichtig, oder die Zerstörung Jonahs?
So war die Geschichte für mich stellenweise nur schwer zu durchschauen, obwohl ich das zentrale Thema durchaus interessant fand. Schade, daraus hätte man mehr machen können.
January 5, 2022
Expected a bit more than what I got, especially regarding the discussion on environmental conflicts and eco-terrorism, but it is still a nice read.
February 17, 2019
Paul Watkins is a very good writer. This particular outing is gritty, poetic and beautifully realised.
April 14, 2023
Love the ecoterrorism, was meh on the characters. Pretty good but not for me
February 16, 2011
Although Paul's exceptional writing style and creative ability to come up with a good yarn is still present in Archangel, he fell well short of the mark with his fact checking. Nothing is more annoying to a former USAF Pilot than reading a reference to a USAF pilot flying an aircraft that is only flown in the Navy or Marines. Additionally, if the type of aircraft mentioned was said to be used in a particular conflict (DESERT STORM), it ought to make sense. In this case, Paul could have asked me and I would have set him straight.
January 4, 2013
Fantastic book! It was pure chance I ran across this author. Paul Watkins story line is seamless, it ebbs and flows from start to finish. What started out a story about lost souls and environmental concerns quickly turned into a story that is so much more than that. It is a coming of age story and how history and family always end up coming full circle. I never thought I could care as much about a silly bear, but he was the center and everything else revolved around him and if he lived or died. Well done.
December 2, 2016
Good, but not as engaging as the first book by Paul Watkins, which I purchased at friends of library sale: The Forger, which takes place during WWII in Paris is a truly excellent and absorbing novel, which I donated back and advised the head librarian to add it to the library's shelves. Archangel was the only title in the system!
abandoned
September 9, 2014I was actually quite enjoying this book for a while, then I got sidetracked and didn't pick it up for ages. When I did I just couldn't get back into it so I'm afraid it now goes on the "did not finish" shelf.
Read
May 7, 2009Don't know if I'll be able to make it through this one. I'll keep trying. By the way, the author picture on the back of the book? So cute.
Want to read
February 15, 2011http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5...
I own a copy and bookcrossed a copy.
I own a copy and bookcrossed a copy.
August 7, 2014
I enjoy his books.They are good stories set in interesting locations .If you have ever travelled in Maine or even remoter parts of the USA this will resonate with you.Also it is a great tale.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews