Second Midnight

Blaines #1

by Andrew Taylor

From the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author comes a World War Two tale of one boy’s fight for survival in Nazi EuropeA secret mission…1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover.A terrible choice…When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Espionage, 20th Century, Thriller

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1987

About the author

Andrew Taylor (b. 1951) is a British author of mysteries. Born in East Anglia, he attended university at Cambridge before getting an MA in library sciences from University College London. His first novel, Caroline Miniscule (1982), a modern-day treasure hunt starring history student William Dougal, began an eight-book series and won Taylor wide critical acclaim. He has written several other thriller series, most notably the eight Lydmouthbooks, which begin with An Air That Kills (1994).

His other novels include The Office of the Dead (2000) and The American Boy (2003), both of which won the Crime Writers’ Association of Britain’s Ellis Peters Historical Dagger award, making Taylor the only author to receive the prize twice. His Roth trilogy, which has been published in omnibus form as Requiem for an Angel (2002), was adapted by the UK’s ITV for its television show Fallen Angel. Taylor’s most recent novel is the historical thriller The Scent of Death (2013).

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this World War II / Historical Fiction read that deals with a father son relationship, espionage, allegiances, and relationships. This book was originally published in 1987 and reissued on Jan 28, 2020, and is a part of a trilogy, but is essentially a standalone.

In ‘The Second Midnight’, it tells the story of a young boy, Hugh Kendall who is in a fractured relationship with his father, Captain Kendall, who works with the British Intelligence. The book is set in the midst of the second World War, 1939 Europe. From London, the Kendall’s travel to Prague on an assignment. However, Hugh was left behind with the Resistance as Hitler invades the city. Learning to fend for himself, Hugh learns to survive on his own and even learns to speak the language, both Czech and German. Hugh saves the life of Nazi Colonel, Scholl who in gratitude takes him in and treats him as part of the family, and live alongside the Scholl children, Magda and Heinz. Though Hugh eventually returns to England, his past will continue to follow and haunt him.

Through Taylor’s writing, we see the events of the war through a boy’s eyes. Hugh’s need to survive taught him how to adapt and blend in. I loved the story line and the complex characters in this multi layered story lines surrounding the war and the Kendall family. I enjoyed the writing and the espionage element of the story. It was an enjoyable read. Taylor is a new author to me and I found his writing to be intelligent and complex. I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy a HF read focusing on the Nazi and WWII time period.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

Hugh is the failing son of an envoy. When the envoy is given an important mission after Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, he has to take Hugh with him. Hugh catches the eye of a Nazi Colonel and the Colonel's daughter.

Not too bad, but My attention wandered.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark historical novel that begins with an arrogant Englishman going to Prague on a minor mission, accompanied by his son, just prior to WWII. When things get unexpectedly dangerous, he flees, leaving his adolescent son as a hostage. Unbelievably, Hugh survives, taken in as the gardener's assistant in a Nazi home, where he falls in love with the daughter of the family. Surrounded by danger and secrets, can their relationship survive?

Here is a link to my review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb for Andrew Taylor’s The Second Midnight promises a thrilling story of war and survival. When I read it, however, I got an awkwardly paced story lacking any true thrill. I felt incredibly bored as I waited for Hugh to actually get to Czechoslovakia. Then, when he is left behind, Taylor shares a few more (boring) scenes, fast-forwards through the next few years, and suddenly, it is time for Hugh to go back to England—with half of the book still left!

Maybe I would have enjoyed The Second Midnight had the blurb not led me to expect a certain type of story. Maybe the author’s style of storytelling kept me disengaged for what could have been an exciting story. Or maybe the World War II-drama just is not working for me right now (considering I really did not like A Sister’s Courage a couple weeks ago). I do not know, but whatever the case, this book has not been a bad read for everyone. Check out some better reviews—it could be a good book for you.

This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale of Andrew Taylor's hasn't yet been reissued like other of his earlier works. I tracked down a secondhand copy to give it a try. I can see why it hasn't made a reissue as it's not as mystery based as his other work. I enjoyed it all the same.

Hugh is a young teenager in London, somewhere before the start of the second world war and he's just been expelled from school. His bullying father is recruited to do some kind of Secret Service mission to Prague and ends up taking Hugh with him. The mission is never going to succeed and Hugh ends up stuck in Prague with a false identity while his awful father goes home happily without him. It's a good start to a story and I thought it was going to be more of a children's book for a while, but it isn't.

The story does go a bit all over the place, it doesn't fit as a mystery, or as a spy story but nor is it not one of those. I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone as Taylor's written lots of good books that you should read first, but I did enjoy this one all the same.

Purchased on 1st December 2009.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfred Kendall is asked by the Secret Services to carry out a small mission in pre-War Prague. He takes his son Hugh along but is forced to abandon him when war is declared. Hugh is stranded in a hostile country but his papers and knack for languages enable him to survive, eventually working for a German officer. The Officer's son doesn't trust Hugh and many years later, after the war this leads to further tragedy.
I found this a very interesting tale both in terms of content and also in terms of the style of writing. What begins as a fairly gently tale about a dysfunctional family develops into more of a family sage with a touch of forbidden romance and then ends as spy thriller. There are subtle hints about John Buchan through out and this is a good model to take. The story itself jumps from pre-War to the end of the War to post-War to Cold War but the characters are engaging and the plot is entertaining. Taylor never disappoints this reader.

[Jody Reads Smut · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Second Midnight did not hold my attention whatsoever, very slow-moving in some parts of the story. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, so I have never read anything by this author. I was not impressed with his writing style at all.

[Lindsey D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off great. Then fizzled out about half way through until the end. I had a hard time getting through it. It’s unfortunate because I felt the story had great potential, I also felt the book could have been about 100 pages shorter.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of The Second Midnight (Blaine’s #1) by Andrew Taylor in a goodread’s giveaway. This was the first book I have read by Andrew Taylor. Initially, I was drawn to this book because it took place during World War II and I enjoy reading about that time in history. Once I began reading The Second Midnight it became evident that it was a very well written book with lots of depth. It was full of episodes of spying and espionage that led to reveal relationships, allegiances and even innocent love during a most oppressive time. I learned that it was originally published in 1987 but that it was being reissued this year. It was written as the first book of a trilogy but I felt that it could be read as a stand alone book. I found that I really enjoyed reading some parts of The Second Midnight more than others. There were parts that were a bit slow and even confusing at times. The chapters themselves were long. It took almost to the end of the book to connect all the characters. For those reasons I debated between giving this book 3.5 stars or 4 stars but ultimately settled on 4stars.

The story itself alternated between London and Nazi ruled Prague and Czechoslovakia. Hugh Kendall was a twelve year old boy who could do nothing right according to his father, Alfred or Captain Kendall as he liked to be called. Captain Kendall saw Hugh as an embarrassment to him and his family. Hugh was recently blamed by the headmaster of his school of stealing a ten-shilling note from a classmate. It had been found in the pocket of his overcoat. Hugh had been falsely accused but no one seemed to want to listen to him. The headmaster expelled Hugh from the school and his father believed the headmaster over his son. Captain Kendall told Hugh that he was an embarrassment to the whole family. Captain Kendall often brought up his eldest son as a comparison to Hugh. It was evident that Captain Kendall favored Stephan, his older son, to Hugh. Hugh suffered a severe beating by his father’s hand that day. He received some sympathy from his sister Meg and mother,Muriel. His father ran a glass importing business, Kendall and Son, that did a lot of business with Czech companies. His business was feeling the affects of the coming war.

Captain Kendall was commissioned by the Z Organization, a secret service organization, to travel to Prague to help them carry out a small mission. Since Alfred Kendall often traveled to Prague and did business with Czech companies, Michael Stanhope-Smith recruited him for the mission. The agent that was supposed to carry out this mission, George Farrar, was believed to have been killed by the Gestapo. Captain Kendall was being asked to act as a courier and take a small package to someone in Prague and bring something else back to London. They needed him to be in Prague by the weekend so there was no time to think this over. He was offered payment for all his expenses and a small compensation after. Kendall had one problem, though. His wife had left that morning to tend to her sick aunt. If he left, Hugh would be left on his own. Since Hugh had been expelled from school this was not an option. Kendall was afraid of what Hugh might do if he was left alone. He did not trust or like his younger son. Kendall was about to decline the offer when Michael Stanhope-Smith offered him permission to take the boy with him. Thus, Hugh accompanied his father to pre-war Prague.

Once in Prague, Captain Kendall met up with members of the resistance. He met with Madame Hase but nothing was going according to plan. They sent Hugh out on his own so they would be afforded privacy. Hugh was enjoying the freedom and the sights. He bought some chestnuts and was led by a man to the back of his van where they started to share a chestnut. To Hugh’s dismay, this had all been orchestrated. He had been kidnapped. Hugh had been kidnapped by two violent members of the resistance. His father and Madame Hase were able to get him back. Hugh’s father continued to berate him even after he had been rescued. Madame Hase found a tutor for Hugh as his father continued to try and do what he had been sent to do. Dr. Spiegel began to teach Hugh Czech and German. Hugh wanted to become fluent in both languages. Then Slovakia declared itself to be an independent state and Hitler took over and crossed the border into Bohemia and Moravia. The next day Hitler envaded Prague. Hugh’s father was able to escape but as part of getting him out he had to leave Hugh behind as collateral. Hugh would be sent to live with his tutor Dr. Spiegel. He lived with Dr. Spiegel until Dr. Spiegle was shot on the street by German officers. Hugh was able to find his way to Madame Hase’s house. Then one night the Gestapo found their way to Madame Hase’s house but Hugh was able to escape again through a series of manholes that led him into a sewer of deluge. When Hugh finally awoke from this nightmare he was in a bed and Bela was nursing him back to health, one of the two men who had kidnapped him. Jan, the other man involved in the kiddnapping had found him. Hugh had had a fever and was quite confused. Hugh was now in Bubenec. Jan was a specialist pork butcher and Hugh began to work for him and Bela. Their business was not not all what it appeared to be. Then on day Bela was away and Jan had been drinking with a friend. Jan was hurting Hugh so he called out. A German Wehrmacht officer rushed in after hearing Hugh’s cries. As Jan charged the officer Hugh was able to save the officer’s life by lunging at the butcher’s legs. Hugh’s tackle diverted Jan’s aim and the cleaver missed the officer’s head but it did cut him below his knee. Upon impact, Jan stumbled backwards and hit the wall. The officer regained his composue and shot Jan in his ear. The officer was so thankful to Hugh for saving his life that he brought him to his home where he would work as an assistant to their gardener. That was about the time when Hugh became Rudi Meissner. Hugh or Rudi was taken under the wing of Helmuth Scholl. Oberst Scholl treated Rudi well and fair. Oberst Scholl lived at a villa with his wife, daughter, Magda and son, Heinz. Magda and Hugh ultimately fell in love. Hugh finally with Scholl’s help got back to London as the war was turning to favor the allies. As Hugh prepared to leave, he and Magda promised to find each other after the war was over. Circumstances, the war and then the Cold War separated them for eleven long years.

Hugh had been left in Nazi ruled Europe for 10 long years. He always persevered and found a will to survive. Hugh was twelve years old when his father left him in Prague. What father would do that? The Second Midnight was a story about one boy’s experiences, navigating his way and trying with all he had to survive living through a war. He had no one to rely on. All he had was himself, his wit and his gumption to survive. He grew up fast and learned a lot of lessons. If you enjoy reading historical spy novels that span the years of World War II, through the Cold War into the 1950’s then I think you would enjoy The Second Midnight by Andrew Taylor. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you Goodreads, Harper Collins Publishers and Andrew Taylor for giving me the opportunity to read The Second Midnight.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling story set from the beginning of the second world war through to the cold war. It follows, among other characters, the life of Hugh Kendall, a young boy abandoned in Prague in rather bizarre circumstances.
It is a multi-layered story with the characters' lives intertwining and colliding. It is a spy story, a war story, an interesting history lesson and a story of families, fathers and sons.
As with all Andrew Taylor's books it is immensely well written. Characters are well drawn, some you love, some you hate. A joy to read.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

In ‘The Second Midnight’, Andrew Taylor unpicks the connections between a group of people – a dysfunctional family, spies, ordinary people – before, during and after World War Two in England and Czechoslovakia. Essentially it is a novel of relationships wrapped up in the parcel of wartime spying, lies and romance. In its scope it reminds me of Robert Goddard’s Wide World trilogy, except Taylor covers the subject in one book rather than three.
It is 1939 and twelve year old Hugh Kendall is bullied by his father, sighed over by his harried mother, ignored by his older brother and manipulated by his older sister. Hugh retreats into imaginative games with his toy soldiers. His father, failing glass importer Alfred Kendall, is recruited by the Secret Services as a courier on a glass-buying trip to Czechoslovakia. In tow is Hugh, recently expelled from school, a nuisance to his father. Alfred is not a natural spy, though he thinks he is. When things get sticky and Alfred must return to England, the Czech Resistance keeps Hugh as collateral to ensure his father’s quick return. But Hugh finds himself alone in Prague after the German invasion, unsure who to trust, unsure if he will be rescued. He quickly learns to live on his wits. This for me was the best section of the book.
The thing that makes this story stand apart for me is Hugh. He makes an uncanny narrator, giving us a view of life in an occupied country, stranded from everything that is safe and familiar. Adept at languages, Hugh quickly becomes familiar with Czech and German allowing him to assume a false identity as Rudi Messner, a Czech-Hungarian boy. Cared for by a German officer, Colonel Helmut Scholl, Hugh works as the gardener’s boy at Scholl’s mansion in Prague and meets the colonel’s children, Heinz and Magda. These relationships weave across the years and the pages into the post-war years and the fight against communism.
The significance of the title left me wondering if I had missed something. It is set up with an intriguing connection between two characters, then abandoned. The connection with the Prologue was also lost on me as it is only mentioned again at the end and I had forgotten what happened; ends neatly tied without adding understanding. Taylor knows how to tell a page turning story, I read this quickly. This is a fascinating read over a complex time period, but an enormous subject; I wish it had been given the space of three books to explore fully.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugh Kendall is a young boy in England, 1939. Hugh is seen as a burden by his father and after Hugh is kicked out of school, Hugh's father is offered a mission through the British Intelligence Service. Alfred Kendall or Captain Kendall, as he prefers to be called is sent to Prague on a simple exchange mission and takes Hugh as a cover. While in Prague, Hitler invades and Hugh is left behind. Hugh is taken in by one of the Resistance contacts and is given a new identity as Rudi. Hugh is eager to learn the language and picks up Czeh and German. As the war progresses, Hugh's caretakers fall victim to the violence and Hugh ends up with Bela Juriga, a violent member of the resistance until Nazi Colonel Scholl come into Bela's shop and Hugh saves his life. Scholl thanks Hugh with a place in his household. Hugh quickly adjusts to life at the Scholl's as a gardener. The Scholl children, Magda and Heinz see Hugh in different ways, Magda is entranced while Heinz is filled with contempt. When Hugh finally makes it back to England 10 years later, he is changed and wants to leave his ordeal in the past, except for Magda, that is. Although, it seems that the past will continue to haunt him.


The Second Midnight is a historical spy thriller that begins at the start of World War II and continues throughout the 1950's. There is a lot going on in the story with secret missions in England, Germany and Czechoslovakia, the political spread of Nazi's and Communism and changing allegiances. At the heart of the story, however, is Hugh and his will for survival as well as his knack for continuously being able to adapt to new situations. Through ten years in a strange place, Hugh was able to learn the languages and customs, maintain his cover as Rudi and earn the trust and friendship of Colonel Scholl and Magda. Hugh's is story the driving force in the book. Through Hugh, I was able to see many faces of Nazi Germany and the Resistance. However, the writing bounces back and forth between Hugh and his family in England. The point of the focus on the rest of Hugh's family does not become apparent until the end of the book. After Hugh escapes back to England, the pacing slowed down for me and I was just wondering when and how he would reconnect with Magda. While I didn't quite know where all of the background espionage was leading, it was interesting to see all of the different players, their impact on the War and how Hugh fit into it all.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kendell family is a typical family in pre-WWII England. Alfred Kendall is struggling to keep his family business of importing glass afloat through the tough economic times. When he is given the opportunity by the British government to go on a minor mission to Czechoslovakia, he jumps at the change to serve his country and to also hopefully earn some much-needed money. Intelligence tells him to take his young son Hugh with him for cover. After Hitler invades, Alfred has to make a choice. The Czech resistance will get him out, but he must leave Hugh behind to ensure his return. When Alfred cannot return what will happen to Hugh?

Hugh’s disappearance rips his family apart as they try to survive WWII. Hugh himself goes through much adventure trying to survive. Hugh learns that the enemy is not always apparent. His brother Stephen goes into intelligence during and after the war, and his sister Meg searches for love and stability.

I liked that the story was very unique. About half of the book was set in WWII and then the last half was set in post WWII England and it focused on espionage. I loved the East European setting for much of the book. I also loved the love story between teenage Hugh and Magda, the daughter of a high official off the Nazis. I thought the story had a good overall look at German people. Some were fanatical supporters of the Nazi regime, and others were just trying to survive.

I had a hard time with the flow of the story at times. There were a lot of minor characters with missing pieces in their story. As the book went along, the missing pieces were mostly filled and everything tied together at the end. One item I seriously disliked was the incest between Hugh and his sister Meg at the start of the story (involved inappropriate touching). It’s not something I want to read about and it did not add to the story at all.

Overall, The Second Midnight was an interesting WWII thriller and post WWII espionage novel. It was a unique story that was full of action.

Book Source: Review Copy from Harper Collins as a part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!

This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2020...

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book. Andrew Taylor absolutely one of my favourite writers. Also as historical fiction goes I love WW2 stories as well. So this should have been a match made in heaven. Sadly not. Compared to his other novels this seemed amateurish. It was only towards the end of the book I found out this was published in 1987. Well he's certainly improved with age! The premise is solid. Alfred Kendall is given a minor task by the British Intelligence Service and takes his son Hugh with him to Czechoslovakia. He considers Hugh to be a troublemaker. He's not. He's just surrounded by asses. His dad been one of them. Hitler invades while they are there and Alfred is "persuaded" by the Czech rebellion to leave Hugh as collateral, promising he will be returned safely. Alfred is more than happy to leave him behind and when his son becomes stranded gives little thought to his sons fate. Which is to be taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel who, for a Nazi, is an extremely nice chap with a slightly psychotic son whose own fate will be inextricably linked to Hughs.

It progresses from there through to the beginning of the Cold War. I say progresses, more meanders. It's really very slow. Also I'm not one of those that see misogyny, I'm a bit dim like that, normally I just enjoy the story. But in this women seem to be a device rather than proper characters. Hughs sister is portrayed as a nymphomaniac for liking sex (she's also properly dodgy in her behaviour to her younger brother), gang rape seems a slight inconvenience. I could go on but it would be full of spoilers. But my advice would be to skip this and go straight to An American Boy or The Roth Trilogy. My only consolation is I read these before this as I would never have read them otherwise.

[Pam Hutley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex and winding tale spanning the Second World War , Cold War and ending in the 60’s. It is based primarily in Prague and in London- and its complexity comes from the secrecy of the secret services - which get more and more warped as the novel progresses. As well as being a story of war, it concerns the survival of Hugh ( or Rudi as he is for the middle section) this was the bit I liked the most- the tales of his lone life , abandoned aged 12 in a foreign city by his brute of a father… his remarkable survival, his skills in languages and in reading people ( getting out of the way, endearing himself to those who can help etc), his affection for his ‘German family’ especially Magda is skilfully written, sensitive and believable. Post war the reappearance and convolutions of Heinz, Madga’s brother; Stephen, Hugh’s brother - are hard to follow- east vs west , spies vs secret services- who knows- it got a little hard to remember who the good guys were. Still, the triumph of the love between M +H and the surprise of little Paul ( their son) at least made for a happy end.

[Linda Galella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much of a good thing is still too much and it made “The Second Midnight” a laborious read. Chapters 1-8 were great - lots of strategy, character development, unique historical elements and tension. Then the plot plot begins to bog down.

Author, Andrew Taylor, revisits too many points and elaborates unnecessarily. It’s as if he’s trying to purposely build the page count but not support the storyline. Unfortunately, that creates a slog thru chapters 9 - most of 14 where the writing becomes mostly tell and no show. It-is-boring.

Once the characters I cared about come together again in late chapter 14 thru the epilogue, the storyline and pace improves as does the style. Taylor shows rather than tells, his prose is more descriptive and the dialogue is more animated. It’s a good ending but not enough to earn an enthusiastic recommendation.

This book is best suited for those who appreciate slow burners with highly detailed plots, lots of characters and a decidedly British flare📚

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read Andrew Taylor before with much enjoyment. Great historical mysteries. The Second Midnight is another historical mystery, set in WW2 in Czechoslovakia as the Nazis are moving in to take over. A teenaged English boy is abandoned by his father and must survive the war years in this foreign land. Disguising himself as a Czech, becomes the gardener's helper for a Nazi colonel and befriends the colonel's daughter Magda. The war ends and the boy finds his way back to England but he is scarred by his war experiences. His older brother is a member of the British secret service in charge of the Middle East. And so the story moves into the struggles of the Cold War. There are many characters and sometimes the tapestry seems just too big for the story. Some of the secondary characters either need more definition or none at all.

[Janet Wymyslo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going to give the book 3 stars, although I was tempted to give it only 2. The extra star is for the author's extensive research, which is very obvious throughout the book. Unfortunately, it seems like the author gets too caught up in details and forgets to make the story interesting.

I got very lost in the politics, various side stories, characters and their positions (in German, no less!). Perhaps they were pertinent to the main theme, but it was extremely hard to follow, so I lost interest.

After reading some reviews, I had hopes of finding this to be good historical fiction. The fiction part got lost, and it turned into another history book... lots of names and dates. Yawn!

[Keith Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost in Prague

An incompetent businessman is recruited by British Intelligence to make a delivery in Prague immediately before the German invasion in 1938. Because he cannot get a babysitter, he takes his twelve year old son with him. Upon the German takeover, the father is spirited out of the country, but the son is left behind. How is he to survive? Cue an adventure tale, full of twists and turns, culminating in the 1950s in a shoot out in cold war London.

The novel has a Dickensian, episodic quality. There is enough plot here for two novels and the story seems at times rushed and does not quite gel. Nevertheless it is an entertaining enough read.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a different take on a world war ll novel which helped its rating, i'd probably give it a 3-1/2. although the jacket says the story is about a boy left behind in prewar poland by his father, it is much more than that. to me it was about an extremely dysfunctional family and the repercussions of being raised by a cold, abusive father. it follows a slew of characters which occasionally gets confusing, but overall it is a look at london's secret service, some decent german soldiers, and the aftermath of the war on several countries including those in the arab world. it covers a lot of territory without becoming tiresome.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tries too hard to cover too much. It starts before WWII, goes through it, and ends in the Cold War. If it had been a book and a sequel, perhaps the story would have had time to move beyond the cliches of the survival stories of the times. The first part is, indeed, about a boy's survival in Nazi Germany. The rest is a hurried story of what happened later and does not really enhance the first part.

This is an attempt at a retelling of a story with a bit os a twist (the abandonment), but it really doesn't live up to its potential.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the storyline of Hugh who is left behind in Prague by his British father right at the time of Hitlers rise and that of the Russians. He finally ends up in the employ of a decent German and falls in love with the daughter. He needs to get out of the German empire with the help of the German Colonel who is killed in the process, thus setting into motion events coming under the scope of the secret agencies of England, Germany and the Communists.

[H G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthralled with this book. Andrew Taylor has written other books that show he is so good at seeing things from a child's point of view. Hugh's father is brutal and seems to think nothing of leaving his son behind in Europe when it is obvious that a war is about to start. Hugh stays alive more by accident than design and survives the war. The ending is a bit sentimental for an Andrew Taylot book but I still give it full marks.

[Larmie Fahrendorff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting periodic fiction story

All in all, I liked this book very much. The story flowed well throughout, I thought the author did well in his description of the fragmented cohesion of the Kendall family. Certain parts pressed the limits of reality ( the younger Kendall assimilating 2-3 languages in a couple years) but as a whole it was an entertaining read. The ending was a bit crowded, and to this reader, rather predictable. I recommend this book as a nice escape.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this book had stayed with the cover's tag line of a boy trying to find his way in war torn Europe, it would have been much better off. The trouble is, after war's end, Hugh goes back to England and his messed up family and country. The book wanders off into an uneven hodgepodge of his brother's spy job and the return of the people of Hugh's past from Czech of 20 years past. The first third of the book was just fine, the last 2/3, total blah.

[Nadine Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book of fiction about a young boy abandoned by his father in Nazi occupied Europe. The premise sounded interesting but the writing and character profiles were disappointing and not likeable. About half way through the book I found myself skimming through the pages to get to sections with likeable characters and their experiences. Then even that was not enough to keep my interest. I “read” to the end just to say I finished it.

[Augusta Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pageturner

This WWII story was impossible to put down. Hugh and Magda falling in love as young teenagers along with intrigue, character development. Magdas father, Colonel Scholl, a good German who hates what Hitler is doing. I highly recommend this book. In addition, I will look for other works by Andrew Taylor.

[Diogenes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Something of everything and all done exceptionally well: espionage (WWII and after), Nazi occupation, a partial family epic wrapped in a thriller and a love story. Events in actual history lend a high level of verisimilitude. The characters are adeptly drawn, interesting, alive and believable.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-released in 2020; originally published 1987. One of Andrew Taylor's early works and although I found the premise intriguing, I wonder if it was written later in his literary career would Mr. Taylor re-write the book. I did enjoy it but I could see plenty of holes in the delivery and execution of the plot.

[Bonnie Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrific book from being early 20th century. Focusing around World War I and World War II throughout Europe and the United States. It follows the life of one family in particular and many others who they have encountered throughout the years. A historical fictional novel very well written. I couldn't put it down.