Winner Lose All

Cold War Trilogy #2

by William F. Brown

As WW II grinds to an end in the rubble of Nazi Germany, all eyes turn to the next ‘cold’ one. The Americans, the Russians, and the British all know that the future belongs to whomever can grab the new rockets, jet fighters, long-range bombers, synthetic fuels and other ‘wonder weapons’ that Adolph Hitler unleashed upon them, because they will shape the balance of world power for decades to come. Once-bitter enemies are tomorrow’s allies, old friends cannot to be trusted, and lies, double-dealing, action and adventure, spy versus spy, and treachery are the norm in this CIA versus KGB spy thriller. Caught in these, the seminal events of the mid-Twentieth Century, is the torrid but impossible romance between Ed Scanlon, a brilliant, young, American OSS agent and Hanni Steiner, the gritty, street-smart leader of the communist resistance cell in Leipzig. They now find themselves on opposite ends of an international tug of war over the plans for Germany’s revolutionary Me-262 jet fighter and the scientists who designed and built it. The new German jet is sweeping the skies of American B-17 bombers, and to succeed, Ed and Hanni must not only outwit each other, they must stay one-step ahead of Otto Dietrich, the sadistic Gestapo Chief of Leipzig, who has plans of his own, and Scanlon’s perfidious British handlers who suddenly have an agenda of their own. The stakes in this international military thriller about state of the art WW II aircraft could not be higher. Driven by the uncompromising dictates of historical characters such as Josef Stalin, Lavrenti Beria, Allen Dulles, Heinrich Himmler, and Winston Churchill, it is succeed or die, and the winner will indeed lose all. Combining the best of action romance and World War II historical fiction, this fast-paced espionage spy thriller will resonate.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Amazon, Military Fiction, Adventure

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

I live in Florida. As a Vice President of the real estate subsidiary of a Fortune 500 corporation, I traveled widely in the US and abroad. A native of Chicago, I earned a BA in History and Russian Area Studies and a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Illinois. (Go Illini!) I’ve been active in politics (I had the stupidity to run and the misfortune to win a -year seat on a County Board of Supervisors) (more hard time than you’d get for armed robbery, car theft, or embezzlement in most states!) and active in numerous civic organizations. I served in the US Army and was a company commander and drug counselor. (The only two places in the country that teach leadership and organizational management are the Boy Scouts and the Army) When I’m not writing, I like to play golf (usually poorly) paint landscapes in oil or acrylics and running 5Ks. (slower every year) .

My wife and I have traveled extensively in Germany, Russia, the Caribbean, England, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Egypt, and Israel.

Reviews

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spy novels don't get any better than this. Set at the end of of WWII, the story tells the tale of the efforts of various countries to obtain the German scientists who developed the jet plane and use them for their country. The author has done considerable research and cleverly intertwined the political situation at the time with both fictitious and real characters to make the entire story both plausible and believable. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nazi Germany. Captain Edward “Ed” Scanlon (American OSS agent, US Army), Captain Will Kenyon (Britannic Majesty’s Royal Horse Guards), Sergeant Major Rupert Carstairs, would more than likely remain friends forever.
They had a very important mission.

Johannes, Peter, Franz, & old Georg who had the German prison camp were enjoying their evening meal/brewsky’s.
Leipzig, Germany. Ed & Hanni Steiner (Max’s daughter, German communist resistance cell leader, NKVD officer, Leipzig), had met in/at Georg Horstmann’s boarded-up bookshop.
They soon fell in love.
Hanni, Isaac, Ed & Will mission did not get accomplished.
Ed was captured & taken to see Gestapo Chief Inspector Otto Dietrich.
Will, Hanni, & 4 others managed to rescue him.
Leipzig, Germany. Georg Horstmann could not believe it Hanni had escaped from Gestapo Chief Inspector Otto Dietrich holding cell.
What was Allen Dulles contemplating next?

Warning: This book contains graphic adult content, or violence, which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, & great font/writing style. A very well written WWII historical fiction book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great WWII movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Instafreebie; William F Brown; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Emotional Epic

I seldom finish a book with years running down my cheeks, but I did with this one. It is so well written and true to the human personality that it takes a heavy toll on the reader. I read all the WWII books I can get my hands on, and this is historically accurate and a great story. It is a long book but I will read it again.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been some time since I last read a book in this genre, and I’m glad I chose this one to break the fast. I enjoyed the experience, anticipate enjoying more from this author, and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good wartime espionage adventure.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

WWII setting with an American officer working with the OSS dropped into Germany to meet a resistance group in Leipzig. The leader is a young Jewish woman who is working with communist cell and despite strong differences between them they make a romantic connection. When the American is caught and is interrogated and tortured by the local Police before rescued by the cell and spirited back to England. Some time later he is convinced to return to Germany as the war is winding down to collect the engineers and scientists who are developing the new German Jet planes. He agrees, but is main goal is finding the German girl and getting her to leave Germany with him. Unknown to him she is now working with the Russians who have her father and require that she brings the same group of engineers back to Russia. Escapes and confrontations with German forces and finding and losses as the two meet and go their separate ways. Quite readable, with ups and downs and a not quite unexpected ending.

[Joan Barstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time at reading a war story. Boy, did I pick a doozy!

I had just finished The Undertaker, by William F. Brown, and this title caught my eye.

The story starts at the end of WWII. The intrigue! Anyone my age, well past 60 remembers the Cold War and the sirens during class at school and having to get under our desks with our hands over our heads.

This book gives us a glimpse of what the operatives had to go through.

Being a novice to war stories, I figured I'd give it a try, but probably not be able to understand what was going on. William F. Brown kept my interest, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great story.

[David Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you stumble across a book or story by accident, which is how I happened upon Winner Lose All. In this case, this was an accident that was highly entertaining taking me through Germany towards the end of WWII through the story of a fledgling OSS agent. I’ve always enjoyed stories in this genre and have found an author who rivals several of my favorite spy story authors in his story telling skills and character development. I can’t remember the last time I finished a book/story and had such feelings of distaste/dislike towards a few of the semi-key characters. Lee Alan’s narration was very enjoyable especially in the way he made each character come alive.

[James McMILLAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written WWII historical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is somewhat different to your average WWII story. There is interaction between conflicting allies and the action mostly occurs before and at the end of the war. The author has skillfully brought together an American agent, a Captain of the Royal Horse Guards, a Sergeant Major and a communist resistance fighter and developed the characters, including a love affair into an excellent spy story. I award the book four stars.

[Roger]

Winner Lose All: An Ed Scanlon Spy vs Spy CIA Thriller (Amongst My Enemies Book 2), my third read/listen from author William F. Brown and owning 15 other titles by Brown it will not be the last. An excellently written Cold War Thriller reminiscent of Len Deighton's best writing! Lee Alan’s narration is again excellent adding greatly to the book’s enjoyment. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of WWII with the different countries involved. An american pilot is interrogated. A young jewish woman who is working the communist cell. A romance between them. He now wants to go back to Germany and persuade her to join him in American. Good look at the after affects of War. The narration was good , given audio for my voluntary review.

[Scott Kalas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big disappointment. I was truly hoping to enjoy but it is simply boring. Very little dialogue, no suspense, just a bunch of blah. I'm frustrated that I spent so much time hoping it improve only to see the dribble of dribble continue. A more appropriate tile might be 'Reader Loose All'

[Mark Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several stories in one.

This is a bit of all sorts really, part war story, part spy thriller, part romance all mixed together with some factual history which all combines to make an interesting and captivating story.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is a good old spy thriller.

[John Mahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, relatively accurate depiction of the events surrounding this period of history.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story set in WWII Germany. It has it all romance, love, danger, and war. A really good read.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

War is hell, and this is a trip through the last weeks of World War II. Tragic, completely immersive, and superbly written.

[Jack Rilkoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. The story came together at the end to salvage a fourth star.

[albert martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read.

Grabbed me from page one and couldn't put it down.
It has all the intriguing plot portions as did Casablanca.
I always like stories that hint at truth.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Why is it that the next war always begins before the corpse of the last one is even cold?’

Florida author William F. Brown has penned eight suspense novels and four award-winning screenplays. His specialty is thriller stories that step into the arena of espionage – a very popular topic at this particular time. William is a native of Chicago, received undergraduate and graduate degrees from The University of Illinois, and served as a Company Commander in the US Army. He then raveled widely in the US and abroad as a Vice President of the real estate subsidiary of a Fortune 500 corporation. William is also a landscape artist.

William’s Cold War Trilogy began to appear in 2013 and now the three books are available as a boxed set. These books are among Brown’s finest historic action adventure thriller series and the trilogy is composed of WINNER LOSE ALL, AMONGST MY ENEMIES and THURSAY AT NOON. For those new to this series the thrills are a mile a minute and WINNER LOSE ALL sets that pace as Book 1.

William’s synopsis provides a roadmap for this complex and compelling drama: ‘This historical suspense thriller is set in the closing months of WWII, as one war grinds to an end, and all eyes quickly turn to the next ‘cold’ one. Caught in the cross-fire is the torrid but impossible romance between Ed Scanlon, a brilliant American OSS agent and Hanni Steiner, the gritty, street-smart leader of the communist resistance cell in Leipzig. They must not only outwit each other, they must stay one-step ahead of Otto Dietrich, the sadistic Gestapo Chief of Leipzig, who has plans of his own for the jet fighter plans, and Scanlon’s perfidious British handlers in London, and Scanlon’s own OSS chiefs. The stakes could not be higher. Driven by the uncompromising dictates of Josef Stalin, Lavrenti Beria, Allen Dulles, Heinrich Himmler, and Winston Churchill, they must succeed or die, and the winner will indeed lose all. Combining the best of World War II historical fiction, action adventure, and romance, this fast-paced spy thriller will resonate.’

Few writers in this spy on spy tensions in the Cold War can write as accurately and as rich in suspense and thrills as William Brown. This is a very fine opening to a trilogy that deserves a wide readership anew.

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Winner Lose All’ starts near the close of World War 2. The Allies were in a race to extricate military intelligence and German scientists before one of the others could spirit them away. Ed Scanlon came to Leipzig, Germany, an OSS agent working with the British. There he met the leader of the communist resistance, Hanni Steiner, and fell in love even though he knew better than to trust anyone. When Scanlon was taken by the Gestapo in Leipzig and tortured for information, he took longer than most, but he broke right before his friends rescued him. After his torture, he went back to England to heal, but he never gave up on Hanni and going back to rescue her. Scanlon’s sent back to Germany on what amounts to a suicide mission by his British handlers to extract a German scientist who could change the face of modern warfare forever. Yet Hanni had her own mission orders and she will stop at nothing to take the scientist back to Russia. No matter who wins, they still lose…

‘Winner Lose All’ is a story written about a very contentious time in history. I felt the author depicted not only the locales, but the people fighting on both sides so strongly it simply came to life before my eyes. This book combined war, political intrigue, spies, action, and a bittersweet romance. I’m usually not a fan of novels about World War 2, but the way the author handled the subject matter was both honest and respectful. I enjoyed the action and adventure of the story and how it truly lived up to its title – even if you win, you may just lose it all.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller taking place near the end of the war, when I'm sure it was true that no one wanted to be on the casualty list that close to going home. Ed Scanlon is not exactly hero material, but is thrust into the role of espionage agent in Leipzig where he meets Communist cell resistance leader, Hanni Steiner. Theirs is an impossible relationship, but seals shortly before he is captured and tortured by the local Gestapo chief. Rescued and sent back to England to recover devastating and debilitating injuries, he is haunted by his deep attachment to Hanni and is being consumed in a downward spiral. His local OSS office sends him back to Leipzig to retrieve German scientists who have engineered what will surely become the planes and weapons that will dominate the skies in the aftermath of this war. Hanni and Scanlon find themselves on opposite sides as they battle to gain the superior German engineers and their plans. Yanked like a puppet by their own superiors, it's impossible to trust anyone. I received this book through BookBub; thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm one to look for a happy-ever-after, and true to the title--our protagonists do not achieve that goal. For their sacrifices, however, the Western Allies are given a few strong rungs up on the Cold War ladder. Perhaps we did all come to within a few months of speaking German. This book reflects on just how events laid down our future--and it does seem that close. I'll be looking for more books by this author.

[Robert A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner Lose All is a terrific read. It is a suspense spy novel set at the end fo WWII, but it is also the story of a tortured love affair, an impossible affair between a Communist resistence fighter and an American OSS operative. But the heart does not listern to reason. Conflicting ideologies interplay in desperate attempts by each to obtain the secrets of the Nazi super weapons and capture the scientists that designed them. He who has them will be the global power.

This is a riviting, fast-moving story with superb, authentic characterization, believable and understandable.

This novel is more than a suspense story, however; it is also historical as it depicts through the characters the philosophy of the Communists, the Allies, and the Nazis. Only one smaller part is not believable but that does not detract from the story (I'll let the reader determine what that is). Reviewed by the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Winner Lose All" by William F. Brown is a historical thriller set during the end and in the aftermath of WWII. It focuses on the myth of super weapons that floated around that time and handles the controversial issue of those German scientists who after the war were given new identities by the Allies and used for their knowledge despite their Nazi past.
Using American spy Ed Scanlon as protagonist the story moves at a fast pace with great suspense. The plot is quite evolved and offers a lot of historical data and insight beyond what is commonly known.
There is also some romance between Scanlon and a resistance leader in Leipzig which adds to the rich feel of this book that is a clever blend of historical fiction, action spy suspense and political military thriller.
A gripping read for fans of either genre.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner Lose All is an entertaining and engrossing combination of suspense and cold war spy thriller set in a period of history that I don’t know much about. Figures and events, both real and imagined, form the story which is the essence of historical fiction. The historical aspect of the book set it apart from my typical reading fare. Both the different time and places (primarily Germany and Russia immediately before and in the aftermath of WWII) were new settings for me and added to the uniqueness of the story. All in all, a fun read.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Brown Excels at WWII Historical Fiction

My first read from this author was "Amongst My Enemies" and I was hooked. It was movie-worthy. "Winner Lose All" may be even better. Brown's characters are always well rounded, fully fleshed out and this time, he has given me TWO characters to absolutely detest! I also didn't like the leading male character at the beginning but the author is able to manipulate the reader's opinions. I love Brown's war fiction the best, even though some of his books are set in present time. My complaint is this: having now read all six books, when will there be a seventh?

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real gem, especially for a Book Bub freebie. I am not generally a huge fan of WWII era espionage thrillers, but this one kept my interest throughout and was a page-turner. The romance angle was well written, although I thought the set-up in Part One could have used a bit more work ( i.e. too much on the romance and not enough narrative on the activities that brought Scanlon to Leipzig in the first place. Other than that, and a few minor grammatical and typographical issues, bravo to the writer! I will be reading more of his work.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift. I am really glad that I did because I was hooked after the first couple of chapters. It is fast paced and extremely entertaining. When I finished this book I immediately went on to read the next two books in this trilogy. If you are into reading spy/thrillers this is a series for you. I felt as if I was actually in the middle of all the going ons. I have now added William F. Brown to my list of favorite authors. Try it you will be hooked as I was.
Carrie

[Random Hodgepodge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only the first few chapters in. Looks good but I'm not feeling WW2 right now. Will return later. So DNF for now.

EDIT (2024) Another DNF I'm starting over, trying to clear my DNF.

@75+%, bored! More than once I have wanted to give up and put it back on the DNF. I like the writing, the characters. The story puts me to sleep. Another book that would have been better if at least 1/3rd had been left on the drawing floor. Finishing tonight, wish me luck.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a good book. Not just another warmed over WWII story. This story takes a lot of twists and turns. Just when I think I see where the it's going, it takes off in another direction. Very well done.