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Munich: The Man Who Said No!
Munich 1938
A foreign correspondent gatecrashes the pre-war Munich Conference to protest against British Premier Neville Chamberlain’s surrender to Hitler – more than 70 years later it’s like the incident never happened – hushed up, with the man disappeared, never seen again. Now his granddaughter, a Cambridge graduate, wants to know what really happened. The gatecrasher was an American radio reporter who recognised that signing up to an agreement giving Adolf Hitler everything he wanted in Czechoslovakia was a terrible mistake. He teamed up with a Czech to make a telling protest. His action was peaceful – but he didn’t know his Czech partner was armed. As the American made a loud declaration to the assembled national leaders – Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler - the Czech pulled a gun. pandemonium.
Britain 2015
Emma Drake, a history researcher at Cambridge, has always been puzzled that her grandfather simply disappeared without a trace. The infamous Munich agreement was signed; Chamberlain returned home to be a short-lived hero; Hitler emerged all-powerful to wage his war and her grandfather vanished from the pages of history. The Munich police reportedly searched for him but found nothing. For the family of Bradley C Wilkes, this appeared to be the end of the story. But on the 70th anniversary of Wilkes’s radio station, Emma is chosen to lead a conference to reassess the significance of the events in Munich. Hungry for success, Emma can now reopen the mystery of her missing grandfather – but there are obstacles in her rebuffed by powerful relatives, beset by an arms dealing conspiracy and hit by an Intelligence “sting”, she’s almost won...until her trail takes her in an unexpected direction, to a forest 50 miles 50 miles west of Auschwitz to trace partisan action against Hitler’s Final Solution.
A foreign correspondent gatecrashes the pre-war Munich Conference to protest against British Premier Neville Chamberlain’s surrender to Hitler – more than 70 years later it’s like the incident never happened – hushed up, with the man disappeared, never seen again. Now his granddaughter, a Cambridge graduate, wants to know what really happened. The gatecrasher was an American radio reporter who recognised that signing up to an agreement giving Adolf Hitler everything he wanted in Czechoslovakia was a terrible mistake. He teamed up with a Czech to make a telling protest. His action was peaceful – but he didn’t know his Czech partner was armed. As the American made a loud declaration to the assembled national leaders – Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler - the Czech pulled a gun. pandemonium.
Britain 2015
Emma Drake, a history researcher at Cambridge, has always been puzzled that her grandfather simply disappeared without a trace. The infamous Munich agreement was signed; Chamberlain returned home to be a short-lived hero; Hitler emerged all-powerful to wage his war and her grandfather vanished from the pages of history. The Munich police reportedly searched for him but found nothing. For the family of Bradley C Wilkes, this appeared to be the end of the story. But on the 70th anniversary of Wilkes’s radio station, Emma is chosen to lead a conference to reassess the significance of the events in Munich. Hungry for success, Emma can now reopen the mystery of her missing grandfather – but there are obstacles in her rebuffed by powerful relatives, beset by an arms dealing conspiracy and hit by an Intelligence “sting”, she’s almost won...until her trail takes her in an unexpected direction, to a forest 50 miles 50 miles west of Auschwitz to trace partisan action against Hitler’s Final Solution.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 30, 2017
3.5 stars
This was a nicely done historical fiction novel which presented two stories. One of the stories dealt with a radio correspondent Bradley Wilkes, working before the start of World War 2, while the other covered his granddaughter's search for the how and why of Bradley's disappearance in the present day.
Knowing what Bradley witnessed, he was opposed to the signing of the appeasement clause by Chamberlain, Mussolini, Hitler and Daladier. He decides to try to warn Chamberlain and accompanied by his friend who pulls a gun, Bradley is arrested and never heard from again.
His granddaughter, Emma, an historian, sets upon a mission to try and track down detail of her grandfathers disappearance. Years later, Emma arrives in Munich leading a conference about the appeasement clause and is immediately intertwined in the covering up of an arms deal using the conference as its cover. She incurs the anger of many powerful people and we follow her on her journey to both foil the arms deal and find out about her grandfather.
Mr Laws does a nice job of keeping the two story lines interesting as he jumps from the past to the present where we get to know Bradley and Emma. Emma is an academic, an intrepid modern woman who will let nothing stand in her way. Her mother's boyfriend is her protector and he too, is pretty much set in his ways. In the beginning both he and Emma clash.She is brazen, smart, and a woman on his mission. He is there to make sure she comes out of this alive. Eventually, they form a great team and as they find out more and more about the going ons in Munich and do eventually find out what happened to Bradley.
Thank you to David Laws, Troubador, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
This was a nicely done historical fiction novel which presented two stories. One of the stories dealt with a radio correspondent Bradley Wilkes, working before the start of World War 2, while the other covered his granddaughter's search for the how and why of Bradley's disappearance in the present day.
Knowing what Bradley witnessed, he was opposed to the signing of the appeasement clause by Chamberlain, Mussolini, Hitler and Daladier. He decides to try to warn Chamberlain and accompanied by his friend who pulls a gun, Bradley is arrested and never heard from again.
His granddaughter, Emma, an historian, sets upon a mission to try and track down detail of her grandfathers disappearance. Years later, Emma arrives in Munich leading a conference about the appeasement clause and is immediately intertwined in the covering up of an arms deal using the conference as its cover. She incurs the anger of many powerful people and we follow her on her journey to both foil the arms deal and find out about her grandfather.
Mr Laws does a nice job of keeping the two story lines interesting as he jumps from the past to the present where we get to know Bradley and Emma. Emma is an academic, an intrepid modern woman who will let nothing stand in her way. Her mother's boyfriend is her protector and he too, is pretty much set in his ways. In the beginning both he and Emma clash.She is brazen, smart, and a woman on his mission. He is there to make sure she comes out of this alive. Eventually, they form a great team and as they find out more and more about the going ons in Munich and do eventually find out what happened to Bradley.
Thank you to David Laws, Troubador, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
December 30, 2017
Don't be put off by the cover
This tale of international intrigue is set both in the present day and the 1930 & 40s. David Laws has obviously done his research but I did find this book a little overlong.
However, this is an entertaining read and better than its cover implies with a excellent twist at the end.
Not my favourite read of 2017, but not a wasted one either.
I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher and was not obligated to provide a positive review.
This tale of international intrigue is set both in the present day and the 1930 & 40s. David Laws has obviously done his research but I did find this book a little overlong.
However, this is an entertaining read and better than its cover implies with a excellent twist at the end.
Not my favourite read of 2017, but not a wasted one either.
I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher and was not obligated to provide a positive review.
December 9, 2017
Munich: The Man Who Said No! by David Laws is a historical fiction story which tells two connected stories, that of a man in Europe during World War II, and that of his granddaughter, a historian in 2015. Mr. Laws is a national newspaper journalist, this is his first novel.
Bradley C Wilkes, a radio correspondent covering the appeasement signing accords between Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler decides he needs to warn Chamberlain of his mistake before the accords become official. Bursting into the office, his partner pulls a gun and Mr. Wilkes is never heard from again.
Emma Drake, a historian and researcher, wants to find out what happened to her grandfather. Emma is leading a conference about the appeasement agreement in Munich, but is rebuffed by powerful people and arms dealers using her conference as a cover-up.
Munich: The Man Who Said No! by David Laws is a fascinating journey, very creative and fast paced. The book manages to weave just the right amount of history to make the fictional story seem believable and have the reader care about the characters.
I enjoyed how the author jumps from one time era to the other, giving our historian a clue, just enough to pick our curiosity, and then continues to elaborate in the form of a journal from the past. This was very well done and kept me reading.
When I started reading the book, about a quarter way in, I thought the author might have taken on too much. There are many characters to keep track of, at least two timelines, and several sub-plots. Somehow though they all managed to work together without interfering with one another.
I thought it was great that the academic conference in the book has just as much drama, dirty tricks, and backstabbing as any other subplot mentioned.
The two main characters are great, Emma is a modern bad-girl, a no nonsense academic who is not afraid to get her hand dirty. Emma’s “protector”, is a man of many “ex’s” (ex-cop, ex-con, etc.) who is also her mother’s boyfriend. The relationship starts out on the wrong foot, of course, just as any relationship with two hard-headed personalities is. During the book the two learn to rely on each other’s strengths and complement the weaknesses – in short: work as a team.
I enjoyed this book very much, it is smart, fast, and entertaining.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Bradley C Wilkes, a radio correspondent covering the appeasement signing accords between Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler decides he needs to warn Chamberlain of his mistake before the accords become official. Bursting into the office, his partner pulls a gun and Mr. Wilkes is never heard from again.
Emma Drake, a historian and researcher, wants to find out what happened to her grandfather. Emma is leading a conference about the appeasement agreement in Munich, but is rebuffed by powerful people and arms dealers using her conference as a cover-up.
Munich: The Man Who Said No! by David Laws is a fascinating journey, very creative and fast paced. The book manages to weave just the right amount of history to make the fictional story seem believable and have the reader care about the characters.
I enjoyed how the author jumps from one time era to the other, giving our historian a clue, just enough to pick our curiosity, and then continues to elaborate in the form of a journal from the past. This was very well done and kept me reading.
When I started reading the book, about a quarter way in, I thought the author might have taken on too much. There are many characters to keep track of, at least two timelines, and several sub-plots. Somehow though they all managed to work together without interfering with one another.
I thought it was great that the academic conference in the book has just as much drama, dirty tricks, and backstabbing as any other subplot mentioned.
The two main characters are great, Emma is a modern bad-girl, a no nonsense academic who is not afraid to get her hand dirty. Emma’s “protector”, is a man of many “ex’s” (ex-cop, ex-con, etc.) who is also her mother’s boyfriend. The relationship starts out on the wrong foot, of course, just as any relationship with two hard-headed personalities is. During the book the two learn to rely on each other’s strengths and complement the weaknesses – in short: work as a team.
I enjoyed this book very much, it is smart, fast, and entertaining.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
June 28, 2018
Unconvincing
I picked up this book with huge anticipation. I knew a fair bit about the era having written a dissertation about the rise of the Third Reich many, many years ago while at college. I had hoped that I would be treated to a detailed piece of research, albeit in fiction form, which would add to my knowledge and further stimulate my interest. I was to be sorely disappointed.
Bradley C Wilkes is an American correspondent in Munich. He has received information which he feels will change Neville Chamberlain’s mind about signing the Munich Pact. However, time is running out, and the only way to get the attention of the British Prime Minister is to barge into Hitler’s office itself where the four leaders are preparing to put pen to paper.
The plot continues in two separate timelines. The first concerns what subsequently happens to Brad and the second relates to the events in the life of his granddaughter, Emma, over 75 years later when she has the opportunity to investigate what really happened to her grandfather.
I think my concerns about the book can be summed up in one word – credibility – or rather, to be more precise, in three words – lack of credibility. I am happy, on occasions, to suspend belief but there are limits and so many times during the plot’s development I found myself crying foul. It’s difficult to be specific without introducing spoilers but let’s just say that two men (one with a gun) infiltrating Hitler’s office when all the leaders were present was the least of my concerns.
The present-day action centres around historian, Emma, and her “assistant” Roper. Emma is, in my opinion, a flighty, spoilt brat who would find it difficult to command the respect of her peers let alone a serious body of fellow historians who she gathers together in Munich. The plot then flies off totally into La-La land with one event leading into an even more incredible next episode. I lost count of the number of times I mentally screamed: “That would never, ever happen”.
By and large, the writing is crisp, and the action keeps going at a great pace. The author clearly knows his trade, so it’s a shame that, for me, this novel didn’t work on any level at all. I would also suggest that the proofreader is more alert as there is a spelling mistake on the rear cover and the German text quite early in the story is incorrect.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
I picked up this book with huge anticipation. I knew a fair bit about the era having written a dissertation about the rise of the Third Reich many, many years ago while at college. I had hoped that I would be treated to a detailed piece of research, albeit in fiction form, which would add to my knowledge and further stimulate my interest. I was to be sorely disappointed.
Bradley C Wilkes is an American correspondent in Munich. He has received information which he feels will change Neville Chamberlain’s mind about signing the Munich Pact. However, time is running out, and the only way to get the attention of the British Prime Minister is to barge into Hitler’s office itself where the four leaders are preparing to put pen to paper.
The plot continues in two separate timelines. The first concerns what subsequently happens to Brad and the second relates to the events in the life of his granddaughter, Emma, over 75 years later when she has the opportunity to investigate what really happened to her grandfather.
I think my concerns about the book can be summed up in one word – credibility – or rather, to be more precise, in three words – lack of credibility. I am happy, on occasions, to suspend belief but there are limits and so many times during the plot’s development I found myself crying foul. It’s difficult to be specific without introducing spoilers but let’s just say that two men (one with a gun) infiltrating Hitler’s office when all the leaders were present was the least of my concerns.
The present-day action centres around historian, Emma, and her “assistant” Roper. Emma is, in my opinion, a flighty, spoilt brat who would find it difficult to command the respect of her peers let alone a serious body of fellow historians who she gathers together in Munich. The plot then flies off totally into La-La land with one event leading into an even more incredible next episode. I lost count of the number of times I mentally screamed: “That would never, ever happen”.
By and large, the writing is crisp, and the action keeps going at a great pace. The author clearly knows his trade, so it’s a shame that, for me, this novel didn’t work on any level at all. I would also suggest that the proofreader is more alert as there is a spelling mistake on the rear cover and the German text quite early in the story is incorrect.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
March 7, 2018
A piece of pleasant escapism from this author, as unlikely academic procedures provide us with an unexpected plot.
Please feel free to see the full review at:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Please feel free to see the full review at:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
May 1, 2018
Mildly entertaining but too farfetched
Having read Philip Kerr books thought this might be similar but disappointed. Too many unexplained leaps and such a disorganised so called conference made it unbelievable.
Having read Philip Kerr books thought this might be similar but disappointed. Too many unexplained leaps and such a disorganised so called conference made it unbelievable.
January 22, 2023
A fascinating two timescale thriller bring together a classic story from World War II and a modern tale of international intrigue
January 11, 2018
Munich: The Man Who Said No! Is one of the most intriguing books I have read in a long time. It ticks all the boxes!
This fast paced Historical Fiction Thriller is absolutely captivating. I found it extremely hard to put this book down. It follows two different eras, the first being set in 1938 - written in first person, Bradley Wilkes, a foreign correspondent gatecrashes the pre-war Munich Conference to protest against the British Premier's surrender to Hitler. The second being set in 2015 - written in 3rd person, Emma Drake, a history researcher, intrigued by the mysterious disappearance of her grandfather (Bradley Wilkes) is provided the opportunity to lead a conference to reassess the significance of the events in Munich. This conference allows Emma to delve further into her own investigation into her grandfathers disappearance.
With unexpected twists and turns throughout the conference, there are many obstacles in the way. Extremely determined, Emma continues to find an answer to the troubling question.
I recommend anyone who loves ww2 based historical fiction novel to read this gem.
This fast paced Historical Fiction Thriller is absolutely captivating. I found it extremely hard to put this book down. It follows two different eras, the first being set in 1938 - written in first person, Bradley Wilkes, a foreign correspondent gatecrashes the pre-war Munich Conference to protest against the British Premier's surrender to Hitler. The second being set in 2015 - written in 3rd person, Emma Drake, a history researcher, intrigued by the mysterious disappearance of her grandfather (Bradley Wilkes) is provided the opportunity to lead a conference to reassess the significance of the events in Munich. This conference allows Emma to delve further into her own investigation into her grandfathers disappearance.
With unexpected twists and turns throughout the conference, there are many obstacles in the way. Extremely determined, Emma continues to find an answer to the troubling question.
I recommend anyone who loves ww2 based historical fiction novel to read this gem.
June 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Without giving away spoilers there is a subplot that runs along the main premise of the book and it is only at the end that everything makes sense! This would make a great film, if not a TV series and I really hope there will be more books featuring Emma Drake and/or Roper.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews