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Night Soldiers #6
Kingdom of Shadows
In spymaster Alan Furst's most electrifying thriller to date, Hungarian aristocrat Nicholas Morath becomes embroiled in a daring and perilous effort to halt the Nazi war machine in eastern Europe.
In spymaster Alan Furst's most electrifying thriller to date, Hungarian aristocrat Nicholas Morath — a hugely charismatic hero — becomes embroiled in a daring and perilous effort to halt the Nazi war machine in eastern Europe.
In spymaster Alan Furst's most electrifying thriller to date, Hungarian aristocrat Nicholas Morath — a hugely charismatic hero — becomes embroiled in a daring and perilous effort to halt the Nazi war machine in eastern Europe.
239 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2000
661 people are currently reading
2171 people want to read
About the author
Alan Furst
39 books1,558 followersAlan Furst is widely recognized as the current master of the historical spy novel. Born in New York, he has lived for long periods in France, especially Paris. He now lives on Long Island.
Night Soldiers novels
* Night Soldiers (1988)
* Dark Star (1991)
* The Polish Officer (1995)
* The World at Night (1996)
* Red Gold (1999)
* Kingdom of Shadows (2000)
* Blood of Victory (2003)
* Dark Voyage (2004)
* The Foreign Correspondent (2006)
* The Spies of Warsaw (2008)
* Spies of the Balkans (2010)
* Mission to Paris (2012)
* Midnight in Europe (2013)
* Under Occupation (2019)
Stand-alone novels
* Your day in the barrel (1976)
* The Paris drop (1980)
* The Caribbean Account (1981)
* Shadow Trade (1983)
For more information, see Wikipedia.
Night Soldiers novels
* Night Soldiers (1988)
* Dark Star (1991)
* The Polish Officer (1995)
* The World at Night (1996)
* Red Gold (1999)
* Kingdom of Shadows (2000)
* Blood of Victory (2003)
* Dark Voyage (2004)
* The Foreign Correspondent (2006)
* The Spies of Warsaw (2008)
* Spies of the Balkans (2010)
* Mission to Paris (2012)
* Midnight in Europe (2013)
* Under Occupation (2019)
Stand-alone novels
* Your day in the barrel (1976)
* The Paris drop (1980)
* The Caribbean Account (1981)
* Shadow Trade (1983)
For more information, see Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
January 16, 2024
Amor Towles' hugely popular A Gentleman in Moscow did not impress me much, given its disdain for history. Consider as an alternative Furst's hero Count Nicolas Morath, a Hungarian diplomat living in Paris in the 1930's. Like Towles' Count Rostov, he is charming, sophisticated and has lots of friends. But unlike Rostov, he has made his life's work to struggle against Hitler and protect Hungarian Jews, rather than trying to outwit a hairdresser and headwaiter.
1933-1939 was an exciting, if harrowing, time to be a European diplomat. The nations of Eastern Europe were not in an enviable position, having Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other. Each nation did its best to forge alliances with Britain, France and the US in order to limit the damage, and to varying degrees each was willing to throw their Jewish population under the bus (or much worse) to achieve their aims. Knowing that neither Germany nor Russia would hesitate to roll through their countries once a war started, the diplomats were desperate (and doomed) in their attempts to prevent war from breaking out.
Morath, for his part, hoped to convince Britain to publicly support an alliance against Germany, as this might have given even Hitler pause. And that's what this book was about.
Furst is no dummy. He realizes his audience consists largely of men with an interest in history, which I assume dovetails with older men. To keep older men's interest from flagging, he throws in lots of sex with serial partners, all of whom are insanely desirable and never seem to be much troubled by disease or contraception. Also lots of fancy drinks in fancy hotel bars, high-end automobiles and all those other things that appeal to the sort of guys you see driving around in vintage cars, wearing those goofy-looking flat caps that they believe make them look sophisticated. Well, those guys plus me. But hey, my flat-capped brethren and I have money to burn and he's made a nice career by feeding us these fantasies.
Plus, he can write.
1933-1939 was an exciting, if harrowing, time to be a European diplomat. The nations of Eastern Europe were not in an enviable position, having Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other. Each nation did its best to forge alliances with Britain, France and the US in order to limit the damage, and to varying degrees each was willing to throw their Jewish population under the bus (or much worse) to achieve their aims. Knowing that neither Germany nor Russia would hesitate to roll through their countries once a war started, the diplomats were desperate (and doomed) in their attempts to prevent war from breaking out.
Morath, for his part, hoped to convince Britain to publicly support an alliance against Germany, as this might have given even Hitler pause. And that's what this book was about.
Furst is no dummy. He realizes his audience consists largely of men with an interest in history, which I assume dovetails with older men. To keep older men's interest from flagging, he throws in lots of sex with serial partners, all of whom are insanely desirable and never seem to be much troubled by disease or contraception. Also lots of fancy drinks in fancy hotel bars, high-end automobiles and all those other things that appeal to the sort of guys you see driving around in vintage cars, wearing those goofy-looking flat caps that they believe make them look sophisticated. Well, those guys plus me. But hey, my flat-capped brethren and I have money to burn and he's made a nice career by feeding us these fantasies.
Plus, he can write.
March 11, 2016
If you read only one Furst book, this is it. Except for his 2013 release, all of Furst's work is much the same -- character development, ennui, plotless-disconnected scenes. Kingdom of Shadows, however, has the best characters (including two half-way real females) and almost a plot. Besides, the lead character is great and the setting (the City of Light, just before the Germans invade, punctuated by trips to England, Normandy, and Antwerp) is beautifully painted. The business trips, on the other hand (to Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria) are chilling page-turners. Furst is a master fact-checker, so his novels also are a great way for the un-initiated to learn.
January 5, 2012
This book was frustrating. Everytime the plot started to get interesting Furst would go off on one of his innumerable tangents, examining the circumstances of some bit player. I know that he likes to chronicle the effect WWII had on everyday people but the plot gets too diluted with all the effort to create atmosphere everywhere. Plus, I think he's too enamoursed of his witticisms. When he would examine the actual history of the era the book was very good, but these passages were too few and far between.
August 18, 2021
Kingdom of Shadows, Alan Furst. Historical fiction, late 1930s in an anxious Europe. Nicholas Morath a war veteran, intimidating tough nature, a fiercely proud Hungarian, powerfully built, living a successful businessmans life within Parisian elite circles for 20 something years. His Uncle a Count Polanyi a constantly traveling career diplomat who recently has been working tirelessly to see Adolf Hitler doesn’t take control of Hungary. These 2 men frequently quarrel in highly heated verbal encounters but Morath always obeys Polanyi and goes on guess what, spy missions disguised funnily enough as a successful businessman scouting for new financial opportunities. Overall the story line seems straight forward but it’s all a smoke screen these 2 men feel real guilt as they belonged to the class of people that helped instigate the first war, as part of the Austro-Hungarian nobility and now they are desperate and very willing to sacrifice their own lives to see Europe doesn’t lurch forward into another useless catastrophe. But we know better and Furst gives us clues of what may or might have been. We sure do get a time period picture of many interesting nooks and crannies and side alleys, here and there, all over the show, quite tricky to keep track off at times. It captures simply the dread when the sacrifices happen, jeepers how is Nicholas going to get out this utter complete mess, especially harrowing affair. This is a beautiful work that captures the anxiety, desperation, and frustration, many must have felt, an over the shoulder tiny glimpse of the times, with you know ...the worst war humans so far have managed, just ahead.
April 6, 2017
Welcome to “Night Soldiers,” the brilliant series by one of our most accomplished writers of espionage novels.
Meet Nicholas Morath, 44, is an aristocratic Hungarian living in Paris, where he is a partner in an advertising firm. His uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, is a senior diplomat in the Hungarian mission to France who is engaged in organizing the resistance to Hitler in Eastern Europe. World War II hasn’t yet started in earnest — Germany’s Anschluss with Austria is still weeks away, and the occupation of the Czech Sudetenland on the distant horizon — but Polanyi sees the future with clarity. He presses his nephew into taking on a dangerous mission in Budapest . . . and the trouble begins.
Morath, known as Nicky to Cara, his young Argentine lover, is one of those world-weary Europeans who surely abounded on the Continent during the fateful years of the 1930s. “He was doomed to live with a certain heaviness of soul, not despair, but the tiresome weight of pushing back against it. It had cost him a wife, long ago, an engagement that never quite led to marriage, and had ended more than one affair since then.” As war approaches, Morath’s already complicated life becomes ever more challenging. His work for his uncle exposes him to grave danger. The stakes grow as the months go by. And the suspense increases apace.
Kingdom of Shadows is the sixth of the thirteen novels in Alan Furst’s “Night Soldiers” series. Each of these finely crafted stories features its own protagonist, typically a man in early middle age engaged in (or about to become engaged in) a love affair who is reluctantly drawn into a role in espionage. The setting shifts from the Balkans to Iberia and Paris to Warsaw, but the cast of characters often overlaps. In this manner, Furst has created a finely textured portrait of Europe before and during World War II.
For reviews of some of Furst’s other historical espionage novels, go to Spies of the Balkans, Red Gold, Midnight in Europe, and Mission to Paris.
Meet Nicholas Morath, 44, is an aristocratic Hungarian living in Paris, where he is a partner in an advertising firm. His uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, is a senior diplomat in the Hungarian mission to France who is engaged in organizing the resistance to Hitler in Eastern Europe. World War II hasn’t yet started in earnest — Germany’s Anschluss with Austria is still weeks away, and the occupation of the Czech Sudetenland on the distant horizon — but Polanyi sees the future with clarity. He presses his nephew into taking on a dangerous mission in Budapest . . . and the trouble begins.
Morath, known as Nicky to Cara, his young Argentine lover, is one of those world-weary Europeans who surely abounded on the Continent during the fateful years of the 1930s. “He was doomed to live with a certain heaviness of soul, not despair, but the tiresome weight of pushing back against it. It had cost him a wife, long ago, an engagement that never quite led to marriage, and had ended more than one affair since then.” As war approaches, Morath’s already complicated life becomes ever more challenging. His work for his uncle exposes him to grave danger. The stakes grow as the months go by. And the suspense increases apace.
Kingdom of Shadows is the sixth of the thirteen novels in Alan Furst’s “Night Soldiers” series. Each of these finely crafted stories features its own protagonist, typically a man in early middle age engaged in (or about to become engaged in) a love affair who is reluctantly drawn into a role in espionage. The setting shifts from the Balkans to Iberia and Paris to Warsaw, but the cast of characters often overlaps. In this manner, Furst has created a finely textured portrait of Europe before and during World War II.
For reviews of some of Furst’s other historical espionage novels, go to Spies of the Balkans, Red Gold, Midnight in Europe, and Mission to Paris.
September 29, 2011
An Alan Furst protagonist is invariably intellectual, politically astute, a man of action, a consummate lover, honorable, brave, and on the right side of any conflict (which follows naturally from despising Nazis). Nicholas Morath is the perfect archetype. Of course, the background and circumstances of a Furst hero can vary. Morath was an ex-pat from Hungary residing in Paris right before WWII. He was living life well working as an ad executive and seeing an attractive Argentine heiress. As the big conflict approached, though, a prominent uncle, Count Polyani, asked him to attend to a few wrinkly affairs of state. These projects grew increasingly urgent when Hitler’s designs on Eastern Europe became obvious and fascism threatened their homeland. As a former war hero with a talent for espionage, Morath was well-equipped for these activities, but it hurt him to know that the good life would soon be a thing of the past. Bullets whizzing by a man’s head give him all the perspective he needs for that.
The book delivered exactly what I’d hoped it would. For one, it was filled with history, highlighting the Anschluss in Austria, events in the Sudetenland, and reactions throughout Europe both before and after Chamberlain (dubbed “J’aime Berlin”) appeared in Munich. It also featured memorable characters. Even the minor ones were fully formed and nuanced. So, you get all that, plus certifiably good writing.
This is only my second Furst book (that sounds funny, doesn’t it?), but I’ve picked up on the obvious consistency of quality. It won’t be my last Furst (OK, I confess, that one was on purpose). But seriously, if you’re looking for a spy thriller chock full of action, intrigue, and more, this one’s a great choice.
The book delivered exactly what I’d hoped it would. For one, it was filled with history, highlighting the Anschluss in Austria, events in the Sudetenland, and reactions throughout Europe both before and after Chamberlain (dubbed “J’aime Berlin”) appeared in Munich. It also featured memorable characters. Even the minor ones were fully formed and nuanced. So, you get all that, plus certifiably good writing.
This is only my second Furst book (that sounds funny, doesn’t it?), but I’ve picked up on the obvious consistency of quality. It won’t be my last Furst (OK, I confess, that one was on purpose). But seriously, if you’re looking for a spy thriller chock full of action, intrigue, and more, this one’s a great choice.
December 7, 2015
Furst is regarded as one of the best contemporary thriller writers, and for good reason. His books are not just literary thrillers, but historical espionage novels, all of them set before or during World War II. He writes elegiacally of a world gone by, of a Europe that had grace, romance, style, and art. His characters are talented people who find themselves struggling to find a place for themselves as the biggest maelstrom in history begins to descend upon them. His writing is clear and strong; he strikes poetic notes but never overdoes them. If he has a weakness, it is his characters – Furst seems more interested in history and situations than he is in creating complex individuals. Interestingly enough, the author is not European at all, but an American Jew who went to NYU.
This was not a bad read, but the level of intensity that Furst achieved in "Dark Star" (the other book I read by him) is lacking a little here. Here the immediacy and description seem to be lacking a bit as well. This story focuses on a suave Hungarian in Paris in 1938 and 1939. The clouds have gathered and are beginning to burst. Nicholas Morath is a cultivated gentleman who works for an advertising agency. He moves in the circles of the upper bourgeoisie, but has a few contacts in the underworld too. He has a Spanish lover, with whom he vacations in the Cote d’Azure and the English countryside. He is a classic leading man: principled, strong, unemotional, resilient, and a little gloomy. His uncle is Count Janos Polanyi, a wealthy Hungarian diplomat.
SPOILER ALERT
As the story unfolds, Morath finds himself, at his uncle’s direction, getting involved in a number of sleazy endeavors which are related to the increasing tensions between the nations: he finds a mistress and an apartment for a German general, he sneaks an assassin across the Hungarian/Romanian border and then to Paris, he delivers some diamonds to a secret cabal that is trying to resist the Nazis, he goes to meet some Czech intelligence officers in the Sudetenland as a German‑sponsored rebellion is starting to rage. Morath is a good man who is trying to stay afloat, just as the Hungarians are. Although he is opposed to the Nazis, he does some of their dirty work in order to avoid their wrath.
It is hard to really understand what is going on inside Morath, though. He simply continues to move forward, to do what he has to do. His girlfriend leaves him, forced to return to Spain by her father because of the growing danger in Paris. He does not seem to miss her very much, and soon takes up with a colleague. There was one really good passage concerning his love life:
“Cara was on to him, but that was just too bad. He was doomed to live with a certain heaviness of soul, not despair, but the tiresome weight of pushing back against it. It had cost him a wife, long ago, an engagement that never quite led to a marriage, and had ended more than one affair since then. If you made love to a woman it had better make you happy – or else.” (pg. 69)
The story is episodic, just as Dark Star was, and does not really reach a satisfying conclusion. It winds down when Count Polanyi is forced to murder a Hungarian spook who has been putting some heat on him. Shortly after that he disappears and passes the mantle of family leadership onto Nicholas, just as the war is breaking out. Still, it was an enjoyable if unexciting read – an elegant visit to a world that no longer exists. And one more thing – the dust jacket was really nice – it featured a blurred black and white photo of a well-dressed man lighting a cigarette, and brass-colored raised lettering over it. This definitely helped persuade me to buy the book. ;-)
This was not a bad read, but the level of intensity that Furst achieved in "Dark Star" (the other book I read by him) is lacking a little here. Here the immediacy and description seem to be lacking a bit as well. This story focuses on a suave Hungarian in Paris in 1938 and 1939. The clouds have gathered and are beginning to burst. Nicholas Morath is a cultivated gentleman who works for an advertising agency. He moves in the circles of the upper bourgeoisie, but has a few contacts in the underworld too. He has a Spanish lover, with whom he vacations in the Cote d’Azure and the English countryside. He is a classic leading man: principled, strong, unemotional, resilient, and a little gloomy. His uncle is Count Janos Polanyi, a wealthy Hungarian diplomat.
SPOILER ALERT
As the story unfolds, Morath finds himself, at his uncle’s direction, getting involved in a number of sleazy endeavors which are related to the increasing tensions between the nations: he finds a mistress and an apartment for a German general, he sneaks an assassin across the Hungarian/Romanian border and then to Paris, he delivers some diamonds to a secret cabal that is trying to resist the Nazis, he goes to meet some Czech intelligence officers in the Sudetenland as a German‑sponsored rebellion is starting to rage. Morath is a good man who is trying to stay afloat, just as the Hungarians are. Although he is opposed to the Nazis, he does some of their dirty work in order to avoid their wrath.
It is hard to really understand what is going on inside Morath, though. He simply continues to move forward, to do what he has to do. His girlfriend leaves him, forced to return to Spain by her father because of the growing danger in Paris. He does not seem to miss her very much, and soon takes up with a colleague. There was one really good passage concerning his love life:
“Cara was on to him, but that was just too bad. He was doomed to live with a certain heaviness of soul, not despair, but the tiresome weight of pushing back against it. It had cost him a wife, long ago, an engagement that never quite led to a marriage, and had ended more than one affair since then. If you made love to a woman it had better make you happy – or else.” (pg. 69)
The story is episodic, just as Dark Star was, and does not really reach a satisfying conclusion. It winds down when Count Polanyi is forced to murder a Hungarian spook who has been putting some heat on him. Shortly after that he disappears and passes the mantle of family leadership onto Nicholas, just as the war is breaking out. Still, it was an enjoyable if unexciting read – an elegant visit to a world that no longer exists. And one more thing – the dust jacket was really nice – it featured a blurred black and white photo of a well-dressed man lighting a cigarette, and brass-colored raised lettering over it. This definitely helped persuade me to buy the book. ;-)
March 1, 2021
I love Alan Furst's World War II noir thrillers and this one is very noir indeed. Nicholas Morath, nephew to my favorite Furst recurring character, Hungarian Count Janos Polanyi, is living the good life as an advertising executive in Paris while helping his uncle out with his clandestine work on the side. It is 1938 and as the story moves along - told in a series of vignettes rather than a straight forward narrative - Nicholas is drawn further and further into the shadowy world of displaced persons, spies, counter spies and ever-shifting loyalties between nations.
I can't relate much of the plot without spoiling the book, but I will say that the best line in the book is "I came here for you. I burned down this hotel for you." If you haven't read this book, you're missing out on something special.
I can't relate much of the plot without spoiling the book, but I will say that the best line in the book is "I came here for you. I burned down this hotel for you." If you haven't read this book, you're missing out on something special.
March 3, 2015
alan furst doesn't write novels so much as a series of episodes. some are loosely connected and some don't seem to have any connection to what has gone on before or after. it's kind of frustrating. I don't want formula or cliché, but if you're going to break the rules, you better make it work. we're nearing the end of kingdom of shadows--we're running for the curtain--and a whole new story line comes up. it's as if furst is trying to tell a story the way it would happen in real life. but reality is not drama; reality is the opposite of drama. as a result, kingdom of shadows has little forward narrative drive. vignettes of paris in the spring, then someone is killed, then coffee, and whatnot. many readers say the same thing about furst: excellent atmosphere, weak story. someone on this site wrote that furst is a great cinematographer but a terrible director. that is spot on. so I would like to challenge alan furst and his editors to work on the structure on his stories: weave the tapestry of the tale into some kind of cohesive unit. if not, suck an egg. word to ma.
December 6, 2019
I have read at least 4 of Alan Furst’s books, but this one didn’t do it for me.
I was interrupted a few times and didn’t get into the flow .
Story moved around more than normally for the author.
Would I try it again ? No, there are just so many books to read.
I was interrupted a few times and didn’t get into the flow .
Story moved around more than normally for the author.
Would I try it again ? No, there are just so many books to read.
July 16, 2012
A blurb on the back of my edition read, "...haunting, elegiac, and seductive. It is suffused with forlorn hopes, risktaking and heartbreak. I wanted it to go on and on." I agree with all of that except the last sentence. This book was real, detailed, and authentic. It put me in a pre-war world of betrayal and fear that I could not wait to get out of. I've visited some of the cities described here, and I've read potted histories describing the national animosities of the period. But this book makes all the incredibly complicated history--only about 60 years old--vivid in the extreme. Hitler has just invaded Czechoslovakia. Will he invade Poland? Really? REALLY? What will Stalin do? England? Hungary? Meanwhile the French make puns on Chamberlain's name: J'aime Berlin. Paris is still elegant and comfortable for those who have the money, but in the corners of the fine restaurants and clubs are betrayal and sudden disappearance. The levels of suspicion and justified mistrust are beyond calculation. Even the spymasters aren't sure who they're working for ultimately. The actual witnessed violence is mild compared to many less worthy spy novels. But the tension is almost unrelenting. This is the only novel I've read by Alan Furst, and I understand they're all very much alike. I admire this one; but I'm not sure I want to read another very soon.
August 6, 2013
There were moments I absolutely loved this book, but then it would unravel and drop. The whole fabric of the novel was just a tad too rough. The narrative was beautiful, like all Furst novels, but it didn't have much forward momentum. Other than the jumpy, rough plot -- I loved it. You can practically fall asleep in the whole dark, smokey, Hungarian/French flavor. Furst is amazing at describing the grease between the gears of history.
July 3, 2016
This is book №6 in the "Night Soldiers" series. As with the previous books the central character is almost portrayed as a reluctant hero, often dragged into things inadvertantly. If this case it is the turn of Nicholas Morath. He was a Hungarian cavalry officer in WWI, who now finds himself working as an advertising executive, and living as a Hungarian ExPat in prewar Paris. His Uncle, Count Polanyi, is a diplomat at the Hungarian legation, who also doubles up as the spy master in situ. On the odd occasion he needs his Nephew's help, and gradually Nicholas finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into his Uncle's shadowy world.
This book didn't seem quite as polished as the previous books from the series. The atmospherics are there, the credible characters are there, as are the well depicted environments. It seemed just as the plot was gathering pace, it would shoot off at a tangent to further elaborate on a small event or supporting character.
Nonetheless, this was still an enjoyable read.
This book didn't seem quite as polished as the previous books from the series. The atmospherics are there, the credible characters are there, as are the well depicted environments. It seemed just as the plot was gathering pace, it would shoot off at a tangent to further elaborate on a small event or supporting character.
Nonetheless, this was still an enjoyable read.
April 5, 2007
This was my stab at genre fiction, and a stab it was: quick and ineffective. Furst might be excellent within his coterie, but as a traditional reader of literary fiction, this felt slight and cheap at almost every turn. The plot itself was pretty much garbage, nothing more than a prop for the author's show-offy details, and I couldn't feel anything for the protagonist because he, too, was nothing more than a prop. There should be a name for this, but you can probably guess the type: adult male whom all women love (which we can't refute, since we only have his hair color as a physical marker), cool under pressure, without any challenging flaws.
I say skip this one and rent "Spy Game" instead.
I say skip this one and rent "Spy Game" instead.
May 7, 2008
I'm fascinated by WWII and the history of the Holocaust so I began this book eagerly, on the recommendation of my friend Mike Ciraolo. I was somewhat chagrined to realize how ignorant I was about the details of that era which made it hard to follow the book at times. When I finally "connected," I found I couldn't put it down. I was particularly interested in the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia and the subsequent invasion of Poland with all of the complicated politics surrounding the rise of Fascism. When I finished the book, I wanted to start all over again or maybe read a history of WWII at the same time. I'll definitely read more by this author.
July 24, 2011
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 the brink of war. 'Europe 1938' lives again through Furst. I liked von Morath and admired his style and sang-froid. His relationship with his mistress was tender and endearing. More than anything, I loved the cinemagraphic sensations this novel evoked in me. "KINGDOM OF SHADOWS" reads as good as any of the best movies of "film noir" you'll ever see. Highly recommended.
December 23, 2016
Espionage, for Alan Furst, is just a regular job with an edge. He writes his spies as people, not as heroes with guns and gadgets. Nicholas Morath may be a Hungarian aristocrat and wealthy, but he's as concerned with people and life as the waiter in his favorite Paris cafe. While he is a part-owner of an ad agency and spends time working for it, he also works for his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, a diplomat at the Hungarian Legation in Paris. In this installment of the Night Soldiers series, the spies are involved in gathering intelligence about Hitler's intentions for the Balkans in 1938-39. So we get the Anschluss of Austria, Chamberlain's infamous failure for Czechoslovakia, and Russia trying to gain a foothold in Europe. Morath travels to extract other spies, and ends up in prison himself at one point. What I found especially interesting was how people on the same side turned against each other, and how many Germans were actually against Hitler. I met a German man years ago who'd been a member of the German Resistance, and now I think it amazing he survived WWII.
Furst's writing style has been successful in past books in creating and building suspense, but I didn't think it worked as well in this story. The pace was choppy and slow, especially at the beginning. He has mastered characterization and character development, and deflating expectations with a wry or sarcastic twist in a sentence. Furst's grasp of historical detail continues to amaze me -- I learn something new about this pre-war period from each book I read. And I plan to continue reading his books. His dialogue rings true, and he's adept at creating uncertainty -- showing how spies can never really know the motivations of the other spies they deal with.
There was one glaring problem for me in this book, and it really surprised me. It involved a shooting. At one point, one character, who's standing, shoots another character, who's sitting at a desk, in the head. Furst writes that the shot man "sprang to his feet, furious, eyes hot with indignation, unaware that a big drop of blood had left his hairline and was trickling down his forehead. "Cur!" he shouted. Leapt into the air, clapped his hands to his head, spun around in a circle and went crashing backward over his chair. Screamed, turned blue, and died." And I burst out laughing at the absurdity of that reaction, so dramatic and totally unrealistic. It stood out in a book in which Furst works hard to capture the reality of the times, the lives of his characters, and the atmosphere of his settings. I think this scene would have been far more effective and realistic without that implausible reaction by someone shot in the head.
I still really enjoyed this novel, and I plan to continue reading Furst's novels. I love the espionage, I love the time period, I love the complexity of the politics of the time. It's very interesting to read about Hitler's time in power especially now considering what is happening in America.
I recommend this novel to readers of espionage, historical novels, and psychological suspense.
Furst's writing style has been successful in past books in creating and building suspense, but I didn't think it worked as well in this story. The pace was choppy and slow, especially at the beginning. He has mastered characterization and character development, and deflating expectations with a wry or sarcastic twist in a sentence. Furst's grasp of historical detail continues to amaze me -- I learn something new about this pre-war period from each book I read. And I plan to continue reading his books. His dialogue rings true, and he's adept at creating uncertainty -- showing how spies can never really know the motivations of the other spies they deal with.
There was one glaring problem for me in this book, and it really surprised me. It involved a shooting. At one point, one character, who's standing, shoots another character, who's sitting at a desk, in the head. Furst writes that the shot man "sprang to his feet, furious, eyes hot with indignation, unaware that a big drop of blood had left his hairline and was trickling down his forehead. "Cur!" he shouted. Leapt into the air, clapped his hands to his head, spun around in a circle and went crashing backward over his chair. Screamed, turned blue, and died." And I burst out laughing at the absurdity of that reaction, so dramatic and totally unrealistic. It stood out in a book in which Furst works hard to capture the reality of the times, the lives of his characters, and the atmosphere of his settings. I think this scene would have been far more effective and realistic without that implausible reaction by someone shot in the head.
I still really enjoyed this novel, and I plan to continue reading Furst's novels. I love the espionage, I love the time period, I love the complexity of the politics of the time. It's very interesting to read about Hitler's time in power especially now considering what is happening in America.
I recommend this novel to readers of espionage, historical novels, and psychological suspense.
December 29, 2016
Alan Furst's sixth Night Soldiers novel introduces Nicholas Morath, a Hungarian aristocrat and cavalry veteran of the first world war, who now works as an advertising executive for an agency in Paris. It is 1938, and as Adolph Hitler tests Europe's appetite for another war by uniting Austria and Germany and annexing territory in Czechoslovakia and Poland, Morath finds himself increasingly at the beck and call of his uncle Janos Polyani, a spymaster for the Hungarian government.
Polyani's intrigues are aimed at keeping Hungary safe, but also out of fascist hands, and he often requires an adept man in the field. Soon, Morath is working not only in Paris, but his native country, Czech territory and Austria as well. Over the course of 18 months we watch as the continent slowly starts to unravel, and things become more and more complicated for those living there and hoping they will not be pulled into another bloodbath only 20 years after the horrors of the last great war.
As usual, Furst delivers atmosphere in spades, as well as well-rounded characters we come to know well as they navigate the shadows in pursuit of aims both clear and mysterious. Morath is a strong, capable professional - a counterpoint to Jean Casson, the protagnist of the preceding two biooks who was a French film maker pressed into espionage by circumstance - and is cut from the same cloth as Alexander de Milja, the eponymous hero of the author's outsanding "The Polish Officer".
"Kingdom of Shadows" is another fine example of Furst's command of time and place, but it is also perhaps one of his least tense novels. The circles in which Morath moves are murky and dangerous, but there never seems to be a question that he will survive the peril. The book is still well worth reading - especially for fans of the loosely connected Night Soldiers series, but it is not the author's best work. On the other hand, Alan Furst has set an exceptionally high bar for himself, and that means it's still better than 95% of the spy novels available today.
Polyani's intrigues are aimed at keeping Hungary safe, but also out of fascist hands, and he often requires an adept man in the field. Soon, Morath is working not only in Paris, but his native country, Czech territory and Austria as well. Over the course of 18 months we watch as the continent slowly starts to unravel, and things become more and more complicated for those living there and hoping they will not be pulled into another bloodbath only 20 years after the horrors of the last great war.
As usual, Furst delivers atmosphere in spades, as well as well-rounded characters we come to know well as they navigate the shadows in pursuit of aims both clear and mysterious. Morath is a strong, capable professional - a counterpoint to Jean Casson, the protagnist of the preceding two biooks who was a French film maker pressed into espionage by circumstance - and is cut from the same cloth as Alexander de Milja, the eponymous hero of the author's outsanding "The Polish Officer".
"Kingdom of Shadows" is another fine example of Furst's command of time and place, but it is also perhaps one of his least tense novels. The circles in which Morath moves are murky and dangerous, but there never seems to be a question that he will survive the peril. The book is still well worth reading - especially for fans of the loosely connected Night Soldiers series, but it is not the author's best work. On the other hand, Alan Furst has set an exceptionally high bar for himself, and that means it's still better than 95% of the spy novels available today.
October 1, 2014
I have read a few Alan Furst novels before, so I knew how he likes to tell his stories. I have a word of advice for those trying to read this or any other Furst-- Read it as fast as you can, not letting much time elapse between reading sessions. If you put it down and then pick it up days or weeks later, you will probably have forgotten some vital clues that he drops into the story. Until there is a guide to Alan Furst spy novels where you can look up characters and plot points quickly, you will have to rely on your memory to keep the plot straight. In addition, characters from other Furst novels make an appearance in the book. It would also be a good idea to have a working knowledge of the lead-up to World War II as it affected central Europe. This is the territory that Furst works so well.
Nicky Morath, Hungarian emigre and part-owner of an advertising agency in Paris, has a very comfortable life going to parties, dining in fine restaurants and making love to his young mistress Cara. He occasionally acts for his uncle, a Hungarian count and diplomat in Paris, making contacts with shady characters and delivering papers and money to possible opponents to Hitler.
As the days and months pass and the situation in Europe becomes ever more dire, especially for the Czechs and the Poles, Nicky finds his life endangered. He is not sure exactly who is actin for since his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, may be playing a double game and then mysteriously disappears. He has finally found a woman whom he truly loves, but he could lose it all if the secret police and the SS finally catch up with him.
Although Nicky is a rather generic handsome hero, Furst fills the story with colorful minor characters. How all the threads are pulled together in the last adventure is very satisfying.
Nicky Morath, Hungarian emigre and part-owner of an advertising agency in Paris, has a very comfortable life going to parties, dining in fine restaurants and making love to his young mistress Cara. He occasionally acts for his uncle, a Hungarian count and diplomat in Paris, making contacts with shady characters and delivering papers and money to possible opponents to Hitler.
As the days and months pass and the situation in Europe becomes ever more dire, especially for the Czechs and the Poles, Nicky finds his life endangered. He is not sure exactly who is actin for since his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, may be playing a double game and then mysteriously disappears. He has finally found a woman whom he truly loves, but he could lose it all if the secret police and the SS finally catch up with him.
Although Nicky is a rather generic handsome hero, Furst fills the story with colorful minor characters. How all the threads are pulled together in the last adventure is very satisfying.
January 3, 2015
Nicholas Morath was a soldier in the first world war, a cavalry officer who almost lost his legs and bears the scars from it, and as the story opens, he is a Hungarian ex-pat living the relative good life in Paris with an Argentine love interest. He is owner of an advertising business through his uncle Count Polyni, a Hungarian diplomat in Paris, and will eventually receive an inheritance from him. He apparently has enough money to live very well if not extremely well. Their former homelands were partitioned up from the old Austro-Hungarian empire after WWI. His mother and sister still live in Budapest, Hungary. The story opens in 1938 and Hitler and his war machine have already been making the opening moves of WWII and getting worse. Morath aids his Uncle and things get increasingly "scary" for lack of a more descriptive term as Hitler and Nazi aggression escalate.
The novel is like a series of short stories, loosely connected. The plus side of this is an array of interesting characters, intrigue and situations and "atmosphere". The downside is meeting somewhat interesting characters and then they are gone, as if they were the guest star of the week in a TV series. The chapter titles themselves clue you into this structure, although I didn't realize that at first. "In the Garden of the Baroness Frei," "Von Schleban's Whore," "Night Train to Budapest," and "Intermarium" are the parts, and there are side stories within those. This story structure ended up working very well and things do get tidied up by the end. The history in here is very good and was really worth the read. I had grown quite fond of Nicholas Morath by the end of the story. This was my first Furst. groan. I'll certainly read more by him in the future. Interesting time in history that I'm not terribly familiar with. Overall, a very good book.
The novel is like a series of short stories, loosely connected. The plus side of this is an array of interesting characters, intrigue and situations and "atmosphere". The downside is meeting somewhat interesting characters and then they are gone, as if they were the guest star of the week in a TV series. The chapter titles themselves clue you into this structure, although I didn't realize that at first. "In the Garden of the Baroness Frei," "Von Schleban's Whore," "Night Train to Budapest," and "Intermarium" are the parts, and there are side stories within those. This story structure ended up working very well and things do get tidied up by the end. The history in here is very good and was really worth the read. I had grown quite fond of Nicholas Morath by the end of the story. This was my first Furst. groan. I'll certainly read more by him in the future. Interesting time in history that I'm not terribly familiar with. Overall, a very good book.
August 23, 2015
This is the second of the dozen-plus "Night Soldiers" novels I've read. I enjoyed the plot, the historical background that Alan Furst so copiously provides, and most of the characterizations of the characters, major and minor, in his stories. I will probably read more of them, but I am concerned with two things that may cause me to change my mind:
1) In each the books I read, the protagonist is a petit aristocrat of surprisingly generous and liberal outlook (surprising for a petit aristocrat, anyway), who is vastly informed on all things cultural, and can yet can easily move about in circles far below his station (because he's generous and liberal, get it?). He is also a marvelous lover (in a refined and understated way). Think of James Bond with old-world high-culture class. This is fine once, and possibly even twice, but could get boring very quickly.
2) The author has a comprehensive knowledge of every nook and cranny of the great city of Paris. Since I've never been, and have no particular interest in going, this is already boring and doesn't really contribute much to moving the books forward. His descriptions of the other locations his protagonists' activities take them is more measured, to the point, and more enjoyable.
One final, if minor problem, is both books started out seriously slow, but redeemed themselves by finally getting on with what has happening. It isn't a big deal, because the books aren't that long.
1) In each the books I read, the protagonist is a petit aristocrat of surprisingly generous and liberal outlook (surprising for a petit aristocrat, anyway), who is vastly informed on all things cultural, and can yet can easily move about in circles far below his station (because he's generous and liberal, get it?). He is also a marvelous lover (in a refined and understated way). Think of James Bond with old-world high-culture class. This is fine once, and possibly even twice, but could get boring very quickly.
2) The author has a comprehensive knowledge of every nook and cranny of the great city of Paris. Since I've never been, and have no particular interest in going, this is already boring and doesn't really contribute much to moving the books forward. His descriptions of the other locations his protagonists' activities take them is more measured, to the point, and more enjoyable.
One final, if minor problem, is both books started out seriously slow, but redeemed themselves by finally getting on with what has happening. It isn't a big deal, because the books aren't that long.
April 18, 2015
It’s 1938 in Paris where Nicholas Morath works at his advertising agency. His clandestine spy activities are on behalf of his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, a diplomat in the Hungarian legation. In September, when Parisians return to the city from their August vacations, Hitler is screaming at them from every newspaper stand. The people are sick and tired of it. But when November’s rain appears, they are content in their warm bistros with their new and exciting love affairs. Then it all changes during the night of November 9th, Kristallnacht, when shimmering tons of Jewish glass could be read more clearly than anything.
Morath manages to spend evenings with Cara, his Argentine mistress. But when she must satisfy family obligations and return to her native country, Morath is not heartbroken for long. Enter Mary Day, writer of novels about Suzette and her various sexual adventures.
Morath travels frequently to various Southeastern European countries on behalf of his uncle, handily staying one step ahead of local police or the ever-present German spies. A good map of this area during 1938-1939 is provided at the book’s front. However, Morath’s adventures read like business-as-usual and don’t inspire the excitement and tension of other Furst novels. It’s all very interesting but not one of his better efforts.
Morath manages to spend evenings with Cara, his Argentine mistress. But when she must satisfy family obligations and return to her native country, Morath is not heartbroken for long. Enter Mary Day, writer of novels about Suzette and her various sexual adventures.
Morath travels frequently to various Southeastern European countries on behalf of his uncle, handily staying one step ahead of local police or the ever-present German spies. A good map of this area during 1938-1939 is provided at the book’s front. However, Morath’s adventures read like business-as-usual and don’t inspire the excitement and tension of other Furst novels. It’s all very interesting but not one of his better efforts.
February 18, 2017
A compelling "thriller" set just as the Nazis are about to overrun Eastern Europe. One thing I like about Furst's novels is that they are not one tightly controlled narrative arc. Instead they are almost like a series of loosely connected episodes. You can never guess what the "big" conflict will be; you usually can't even guess from where it will spring. The reader is swept away enjoying the atmosphere, the arcane details that Furst somehow knows (or invents convincingly) of that era, and all of a sudden the protagonist is getting shot at or burning a building down. And since Furst loves to "show, not tell," you often don't realize the import of what is about to transpire. This surely alludes to the mystery of that time, how most of Europe had no idea what would come next. But Furst's protagonists are always on the right side of things, willing to make a sacrifice, for the "sake of the cause."
March 24, 2016
I found this hard to read. The style was stilted and there were numerous diversions. For most of the biik I thought I was reading a series of short stories featuring the hero and his mysterious uncle as I could not see too many links between the various story lines.
The plot, if there was one, was convoluted and I did not care what happened to the hero or any of the other characters.
The "hero" is a Hungarian living in Paris in the lead up to WWII. The historical references of the various political, religious and business interests of the Hungarian, Czech, Slovaks, Romanians was interesting and there could have been more of this.
The plot, if there was one, was convoluted and I did not care what happened to the hero or any of the other characters.
The "hero" is a Hungarian living in Paris in the lead up to WWII. The historical references of the various political, religious and business interests of the Hungarian, Czech, Slovaks, Romanians was interesting and there could have been more of this.
June 10, 2016
Another fine entry in Furst's group of books set mostly in Europe on the eve of World War II. (Some of the books also take place after war has begun.) Nicolas Morath, Hungarian nobleman and advertising man, lives an enjoyable life in Paris in 1938. He does worry a bit about his native land, where home-grown Fascists would love to make common cause with Hitler, but he remains uninvolved until his uncle, who works in the Embassy, asks him for help. Throughout the book, the shadow of war grows darker and Morath's involvement in anti-Fascist activities grows. Highly recommended. I listened to the audiobook and George Guidall, as usual, did a great job reading it.
July 25, 2015
This is the story, of Nicholas, a Hungarian of noble family, caught up in the intrigue of WWII. He first goes to Paris, then back to Hungary, all the time avoiding the Nazi movement which has yet to come to Hungary and he wants to ensure they never do. He has lost his wife, is involved with an Argentine woman, and is just your average Joe. This is prior to Austria's Anschluss so no one is actually sure what path Hitler is going to take. His work exposes him to danger as he travels around Europe, and this is a good portrait of what went on prior to WWII.
January 1, 2014
Furst chooses a sometimes reluctant Hungarian spy (Nicholas Morath) living in Paris to explore the difficulties of life in late 1930s Europe. A variety of situations arise where Morath deals with both fictional and historical characters who Furst uses to bring the locations and the time period to life. If you enjoy historical novels you should like this book. My next Furst read will be Night Soldiers which is the first of this series of twelve books.
August 14, 2016
Bailamos porque lo terminé.
Pronto la reseña.
Pronto la reseña.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Kingdom of Shadows (Night Soldiers, #6) - Nevisande : Alan Furst - ISBN : 375758267 - ISBN13 : 9780375758263 - Dar 288 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2000
August 30, 2021
If two words define this novel, they are “doom” and “opaque.” Following a Hungarian playboy living and working in Paris—but who also serves as an unofficial, amateur agent of powers seeking to avert a second world war—it begins just prior to the Anschluss, the Nazi annexation of Austria in March 1938, and ends as Wehrmacht tanks are massing on the Polish border. In the intervening ~18 months, from Budapest, to Vienna, to Sussex, to Paris, and points between, Furst describes an inescapable foreboding, that try as some might, Europe is again about to be thrust into a continental conflict. That sense of doom is palpable on the page.
But in our protagonist’s adventures and private life, there is also opacity. This is a defining characteristic of Furst’s writing, which is opaque in the very mechanics of his prose, but also in his plots, and that is especially the case in this book. I suppose that should not be surprising given the title. But even as the reader is left scratching his head at some points—who was this person? Why did this occur? When was this connection made? Who was really responsible for this event?—Furst still is able to surprise the reader with how he slowly reveals a story. He is a trusting writer, and trusts that the reader will be able to put it all together with some surreptitious hints here and there. No Furst novel (so far) is purely of the spy genre, but this perhaps comes the closest. And it is in that spying, in that secret battle, where Furst’s opaque plotting comes into play, as it captures the competing internal and external politics and moods of the French, German, Austrian, Czech, Romanian, Hungarian, and Russian governments, all seeking to stay alive and reach some advantage in the face of Hitler.
A final point: in the face of the events of this story—Anschluss, Munich, the conquest of Czechoslovakia, fascist governments aligning with Hitler—as is often the case in Furst’s works, there are private victories, smaller victories. This is one of the most endearing qualities of Furst, who is, despite the dark, violent environments of his novels, a romantic and an optimist. So we see individuals and small bands working in the shadows, sacrificing, fighting for good, and working to do what they can as the world comes crashing down. There is perhaps a lesson here.
But in our protagonist’s adventures and private life, there is also opacity. This is a defining characteristic of Furst’s writing, which is opaque in the very mechanics of his prose, but also in his plots, and that is especially the case in this book. I suppose that should not be surprising given the title. But even as the reader is left scratching his head at some points—who was this person? Why did this occur? When was this connection made? Who was really responsible for this event?—Furst still is able to surprise the reader with how he slowly reveals a story. He is a trusting writer, and trusts that the reader will be able to put it all together with some surreptitious hints here and there. No Furst novel (so far) is purely of the spy genre, but this perhaps comes the closest. And it is in that spying, in that secret battle, where Furst’s opaque plotting comes into play, as it captures the competing internal and external politics and moods of the French, German, Austrian, Czech, Romanian, Hungarian, and Russian governments, all seeking to stay alive and reach some advantage in the face of Hitler.
A final point: in the face of the events of this story—Anschluss, Munich, the conquest of Czechoslovakia, fascist governments aligning with Hitler—as is often the case in Furst’s works, there are private victories, smaller victories. This is one of the most endearing qualities of Furst, who is, despite the dark, violent environments of his novels, a romantic and an optimist. So we see individuals and small bands working in the shadows, sacrificing, fighting for good, and working to do what they can as the world comes crashing down. There is perhaps a lesson here.
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