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The Only Good German
Maverick CIA killers loose in West Germany. Violent sabotage and subversion behind the Iron Curtain. A right-wing terror-organisation run from a Hamburg brothel, with connections stretching back to the Nazi era.David Mills had long since left behind his life as an Intelligence Officer, or so he thought. As the British and American Intelligence agencies struggle to combat the mounting fascist threat, Mills is pulled back into the murky world of International espionage by a figure from his past.
- GenresEspionage
Paperback
First published December 12, 2013
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About the author
Ted Allbeury
167 books43 followers1917 - 2005. Also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly.
Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.
See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...
Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.
See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 25, 2019
I came to discover Ted Allbeury quite late and I am trying to catch up...I've read so far a dozen of books of this extremely prolific author and I found in his body of work a few outstanding pieces, some honest and solid ones and also some really bad stuff.
The Only good German is one of the good ones, a solid classic espionage novel, with a nicely constructed plot and - as it often happens in Allbeury's novels - a sense of tragic which permeates its ending.
The only reason for not giving the fifth star is that the plot, after turning a double play into a triple and finally into a quadruple, ended up a little on thin ice and plausibility was stretched to its limits. This however did not subtract from the overall enjoyability of the read.
The Only good German is one of the good ones, a solid classic espionage novel, with a nicely constructed plot and - as it often happens in Allbeury's novels - a sense of tragic which permeates its ending.
The only reason for not giving the fifth star is that the plot, after turning a double play into a triple and finally into a quadruple, ended up a little on thin ice and plausibility was stretched to its limits. This however did not subtract from the overall enjoyability of the read.
December 5, 2019
Another vinegar sharp Cold War nugget from a master of the genre. The brutal opening set at the end of the Second World War sows the seeds for the bulk of the action in seventies Germany. Our hero's day begins with the suicide of an alcoholic girlfriend and things don't get much better. There's the usual authentic spycraft shaped by the author's own amazing experiences (check out his bio) leading to a devastatingly bleak finale. Not sure if "enjoyed" is the right word to use but this novel certainly makes an impact.
August 6, 2017
... after THE CROSSING, very disappointing ....
July 20, 2018
3.5 stars. Another very good spy thriller from Big Ted. Much like his other work there is a real sense of tragedy and sadness to proceedings and characters. Recommended.
August 23, 2022
Tragedy
April 21, 2019
There was a saying along time ago during World War Two that, "The only good German was a dead German". Perhaps, it's also rings true that in cold war East Germany, that the only good Englishman was a dead Englishman but, you'll have to decide that for yourself. It was certainly true, however, that there were plenty of spies hanging around East Germany during the cold war days that's for sure: The SIS (English), the KGB (Russian), the Stazi (East Germans), the French and, of course, the CIA (Americans). It made for a cauldron of bluff and counter-bluff in a game where if you lose, it could cost you your life. Who can you trust? Anyone? Who are your allies, when even the CIA are doing deals and trading secrets with the KGB and often ignoring the the SIS who were supposed to be their allies!
In this instalment, Allbeury wrote about Kruschev having secret talks with Kennedy in 1961, leaked confidential KGB files to the CIA mixed with very believable character's amongst the sleaze, vice and violence in a grimly set East Germany. There were not many novels that this reader could not put down, but this one of them. An excellent espionage thriller that has all the hallmarks of a classic. It remained firmly with this reader long after it was finished. Those blue and green capsules that glinted in the afternoon sun will always be remembered ~ and not always for the right reasons! There have only been two other novels that chilled this reader well after the novel was finished. They were: Markus Zusak's, "The Book Thief" and Gerald Seymour's, "Home Run" (each for different reasons). *Spoiler Alert* This story was like Shakespeare's, "Romeo and Juliet" because like the play, this story too was a tragedy. Well, that's how it ended and that's a common theme for a great espionage story. (Think of any early John Le Carre, Seymour or Len Deighton and you think of tragic or at least pyrrhic endings in all of them). Without giving away the ending too much, however, our chivalrous hero who had been through so much, finally gets the girl and, this reader thought, would finally find happiness. Yet, in the final scene he his brutally betrayed. So feel free to download it on your Kindle or if you come across it at a second hand bookshop (if anyone still goes to those) buy it and read it and weep! This reader liked this story so much because it was the first Allbeury novel read in a long time that just knocked his socks off! 5 Stars!!!
Ted Allbeury wrote a staggering 42 novels and wrote under two other pen names ~ Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly as well. Here are 28 read’s from Allbeury, all rated accordingly:
THE GOOD (Four to Five Stars): ‘The Lantern Network’, ’Shadow of a Doubt’, ’A Wilderness of Mirrors', 'A Time Without Shadows' aka 'The Rules of the Game', 'The Only Good German' aka ‘Mission Berlin’, 'The Dangerous Edge', ‘Palomino Blonde’ aka 'Omega- minus', 'The Lonely Margins', ’The Crossing' aka ‘The Berlin Exchange’, 'Seeds of Treason', 'Other Kinds of Treason', 'Special Forces' aka 'Moscow Quadrille', the feel good, 'The Girl From Addis', 'Pay Any Price' and the rather exceptional, and this person's favourite, 'The Line-Crosser' (published in 1993).
THE AVERAGE (Two or Three Stars): 'Show Me a Hero', 'No Place to Hide' aka ‘Hostage’, ‘The Reckoning’, ’The Twentieth Day of January’ a.k.a. ‘Cold Tactics’, 'The Reaper' aka 'The Stalking Angel' and ‘Deep Purple’. He also wrote, ’The Choice' which is not espionage and this reader thought (even though it was critically acclaimed) not a good one.
THE UGLY (One or two stars): It’s, however, probably best to stay away from: ‘Aid and Comfort’, ‘The Assets' aka “Due Process’, 'The Secret Whispers’, 'The Alpha List', ’Consequences of Fear' aka ‘Smokescreen’ and ’The Spirit of Liberty'.
In this instalment, Allbeury wrote about Kruschev having secret talks with Kennedy in 1961, leaked confidential KGB files to the CIA mixed with very believable character's amongst the sleaze, vice and violence in a grimly set East Germany. There were not many novels that this reader could not put down, but this one of them. An excellent espionage thriller that has all the hallmarks of a classic. It remained firmly with this reader long after it was finished. Those blue and green capsules that glinted in the afternoon sun will always be remembered ~ and not always for the right reasons! There have only been two other novels that chilled this reader well after the novel was finished. They were: Markus Zusak's, "The Book Thief" and Gerald Seymour's, "Home Run" (each for different reasons). *Spoiler Alert* This story was like Shakespeare's, "Romeo and Juliet" because like the play, this story too was a tragedy. Well, that's how it ended and that's a common theme for a great espionage story. (Think of any early John Le Carre, Seymour or Len Deighton and you think of tragic or at least pyrrhic endings in all of them). Without giving away the ending too much, however, our chivalrous hero who had been through so much, finally gets the girl and, this reader thought, would finally find happiness. Yet, in the final scene he his brutally betrayed. So feel free to download it on your Kindle or if you come across it at a second hand bookshop (if anyone still goes to those) buy it and read it and weep! This reader liked this story so much because it was the first Allbeury novel read in a long time that just knocked his socks off! 5 Stars!!!
Ted Allbeury wrote a staggering 42 novels and wrote under two other pen names ~ Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly as well. Here are 28 read’s from Allbeury, all rated accordingly:
THE GOOD (Four to Five Stars): ‘The Lantern Network’, ’Shadow of a Doubt’, ’A Wilderness of Mirrors', 'A Time Without Shadows' aka 'The Rules of the Game', 'The Only Good German' aka ‘Mission Berlin’, 'The Dangerous Edge', ‘Palomino Blonde’ aka 'Omega- minus', 'The Lonely Margins', ’The Crossing' aka ‘The Berlin Exchange’, 'Seeds of Treason', 'Other Kinds of Treason', 'Special Forces' aka 'Moscow Quadrille', the feel good, 'The Girl From Addis', 'Pay Any Price' and the rather exceptional, and this person's favourite, 'The Line-Crosser' (published in 1993).
THE AVERAGE (Two or Three Stars): 'Show Me a Hero', 'No Place to Hide' aka ‘Hostage’, ‘The Reckoning’, ’The Twentieth Day of January’ a.k.a. ‘Cold Tactics’, 'The Reaper' aka 'The Stalking Angel' and ‘Deep Purple’. He also wrote, ’The Choice' which is not espionage and this reader thought (even though it was critically acclaimed) not a good one.
THE UGLY (One or two stars): It’s, however, probably best to stay away from: ‘Aid and Comfort’, ‘The Assets' aka “Due Process’, 'The Secret Whispers’, 'The Alpha List', ’Consequences of Fear' aka ‘Smokescreen’ and ’The Spirit of Liberty'.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews