What do you think?
Rate this book
The German Agent: A World War One Thriller Set in Washington DC
February, 1917. A lone German agent is despatched to Washington to prevent the British delivering a devastating telegram to President Wilson, thereby bringing the USA into the First World War. But his mission will present him with a terrible choice: loyalty to his comrades in the trenches or the loss of the one woman he has ever truly loved.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
J. Sydney Jones
36 books65 followersJ. Sydney Jones is the author of twenty books, including the six installments of the critically acclaimed Viennese Mystery series, as well as stand-alone mysteries and thrillers, including TIME OF THE WOLF, THE GERMAN AGENT, RUIN VALUE, BASIC LAW, THE EDIT, THE CRY OF CICADAS, and others. His books have been translated into eight languages.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 25, 2019
The German Agent: A World War One Thriller Set in Washington DC is my first exposure to the writing of J. Sydney Jones. I have been looking for his Viennese Mystery series, but this was an excellent introduction to his work. This historical spy story is based on real events, the Zimmerman telegram. It is set in Feb 1917, with WWI moving along, Britain's supply lines being destroyed by German U-boats and Britain desperately trying to get the US into the war.
The British spies intercept a German telegram, the Zimmerman telegram, from German foreign minister Zimmerman to the Mexican government, encouraging the Mexicans to invade the US and offering assistance. The hope would be that this would occupy the US attention and keep it out of the European war.
The story follows a German spy and assassin who has been sent to Washington to murder the British envoy who wants to give the telegram to Woodrow Wilson. Wilson wants to keep out of the war and avoids this meeting and American congressman Fitzgerald must try to keep the British envoy safe from the assassin until the meeting takes place.
So there you go, that is the basic story and we follow Volkman, the German, Fitzgerald and his wife as one tries to perform his task successfully and Fitzgerald tries to keep him safe. It's an exciting action-filled story. You get an interesting perspective of Washington DC on the early 1900s and of the pressure on the US to make their momentous decision. I did see some of the events coming but it never took away from the overall story. I look forward to trying another of Jones's books. (3.5 stars)
The British spies intercept a German telegram, the Zimmerman telegram, from German foreign minister Zimmerman to the Mexican government, encouraging the Mexicans to invade the US and offering assistance. The hope would be that this would occupy the US attention and keep it out of the European war.
The story follows a German spy and assassin who has been sent to Washington to murder the British envoy who wants to give the telegram to Woodrow Wilson. Wilson wants to keep out of the war and avoids this meeting and American congressman Fitzgerald must try to keep the British envoy safe from the assassin until the meeting takes place.
So there you go, that is the basic story and we follow Volkman, the German, Fitzgerald and his wife as one tries to perform his task successfully and Fitzgerald tries to keep him safe. It's an exciting action-filled story. You get an interesting perspective of Washington DC on the early 1900s and of the pressure on the US to make their momentous decision. I did see some of the events coming but it never took away from the overall story. I look forward to trying another of Jones's books. (3.5 stars)
January 17, 2015
I know far less about World War I than I do about World War II. The subject matter in this book was very interesting to me. I did enjoy reading about this time period and the specific incident in history that this book is built around (the Zimmerman telegram). The characters including people from all walks of life and pointed up the differences in their lives and views. However I did have some problems with the book.
The characterization is very thin in this novel. The most convincing character is Max Volkman, the German spy dedicating himself to thwarting the delivery of the Zimmerman telegram to the President of the United States. I sympathized with Volkman; his motivation is to prevent the US from joining the war because he does not want to see many, many more people killed or injured if the war stretches out longer and longer.
His search leads him to a well-to-do, well-connected couple in Washington, D.C. The man, Edward Fitzgerald, is older; his much younger wife, Catherine, an amateur photographer, would like to be taken seriously by her husband. She is treated like a child and shielded from his problems. Coincidence brings Volkman and Catherine together more than once. Catherine's motivation and role was not developed enough to be convincing to me.
The pacing of the novel is very slow in the first half. It improved greatly in the second half, and if I was only reviewing that half of the book, I would be much more enthusiastic.
There are interesting elements along the way. I had the most sympathy with the police inspector in charge of the case. He knows he is in over his head and wants desperately to do a good job, but runs into roadblocks. The doubts and hopes of each of the characters related to the involvement of the US in the war and the horrors of war were described well.
The characterization is very thin in this novel. The most convincing character is Max Volkman, the German spy dedicating himself to thwarting the delivery of the Zimmerman telegram to the President of the United States. I sympathized with Volkman; his motivation is to prevent the US from joining the war because he does not want to see many, many more people killed or injured if the war stretches out longer and longer.
His search leads him to a well-to-do, well-connected couple in Washington, D.C. The man, Edward Fitzgerald, is older; his much younger wife, Catherine, an amateur photographer, would like to be taken seriously by her husband. She is treated like a child and shielded from his problems. Coincidence brings Volkman and Catherine together more than once. Catherine's motivation and role was not developed enough to be convincing to me.
The pacing of the novel is very slow in the first half. It improved greatly in the second half, and if I was only reviewing that half of the book, I would be much more enthusiastic.
There are interesting elements along the way. I had the most sympathy with the police inspector in charge of the case. He knows he is in over his head and wants desperately to do a good job, but runs into roadblocks. The doubts and hopes of each of the characters related to the involvement of the US in the war and the horrors of war were described well.
November 13, 2014
This is a beautifully written study of a moderately pivotal moment in the Great War. It succeeds in holding interest but does not completely succeed as a thriller.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/1...
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/1...
stopped-reading-unfinished
October 8, 2017Not one of Jones' better novels. Wanted to read it for the DC setting, but story was so bland (and "cheap"/unimaginative) that I stopped 1/3 of the way in.
January 14, 2019
Pretty good story, a little too many coincidences and melodrama for the more serious type of reader, but overall an enjoyable quick read. The plot and setting are well chosen - intrigue around the infamous (and possibly forged) "Zimmerman Telegram" that contributed to the US entry into World War I in 1917. I thought that the cameo of Woody Wilson and his wife Edith was quite well done.
November 2, 2014
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book made me reach for historical knowledge buried murkily in my brain- the Zimmerman telegram. This telegram did exist, and was largely responsible for the United States entering WWI. In the telegram, a German minister reached out to Mexico, proposing an alliance in which hopefully Mexico could gain territory in the United States in return for aiding Germany. Quite the proposition!
In this book, a British minister comes to the USA to present the telegram to Woodrow Wilson. He just can't seem to get a meeting quickly, and meanwhile the Germans have sent an assassin.
I just couldn't buy into the whole premise of the book. The idea that the British minister would just sit cooling his heels at the estate of a friend, while multiple assassination attempts are made upon him, seemed to stretch the bounds of credibility. In fact, he and his friend decide that they're going to catch the assassin themselves, and hatch all sorts of different plots. It felt kind of like a Wiley Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon at times. I confess, I skimmed the last half of the book. Also, the idea that a German spy would be sent in on his own, with no financial resources other than what he could scrounge and no back-up, in a mission of this stature, beggared belief.
The writing could be good, but also had some strange turns of phrase. At one point, a character holds a gun "like a cricket bat". How do you even...? Another odd one: "another puff, another appreciative glance at the cigar as if he were waiting for it to explode". How does one properly appreciate an exploding cigar?
This book made me reach for historical knowledge buried murkily in my brain- the Zimmerman telegram. This telegram did exist, and was largely responsible for the United States entering WWI. In the telegram, a German minister reached out to Mexico, proposing an alliance in which hopefully Mexico could gain territory in the United States in return for aiding Germany. Quite the proposition!
In this book, a British minister comes to the USA to present the telegram to Woodrow Wilson. He just can't seem to get a meeting quickly, and meanwhile the Germans have sent an assassin.
I just couldn't buy into the whole premise of the book. The idea that the British minister would just sit cooling his heels at the estate of a friend, while multiple assassination attempts are made upon him, seemed to stretch the bounds of credibility. In fact, he and his friend decide that they're going to catch the assassin themselves, and hatch all sorts of different plots. It felt kind of like a Wiley Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon at times. I confess, I skimmed the last half of the book. Also, the idea that a German spy would be sent in on his own, with no financial resources other than what he could scrounge and no back-up, in a mission of this stature, beggared belief.
The writing could be good, but also had some strange turns of phrase. At one point, a character holds a gun "like a cricket bat". How do you even...? Another odd one: "another puff, another appreciative glance at the cigar as if he were waiting for it to explode". How does one properly appreciate an exploding cigar?
August 18, 2015
Don't bother
June 29, 2015
about America being drawn into WWI
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews