173rd out of 526 books
—
910 voters
Dark Star (Night Soldiers #2)
by
Alan Furst
Paris, Moscow, Berlin, and Prague, 1937. In the back alleys of nighttime Europe, war is already under way. André Szara, survivor of the Polish pogroms and the Russian civil wars and a foreign correspondent for Pravda, is co-opted by the NKVD, the Soviet secret intelligence service, and becomes a full-time spymaster in Paris. As deputy director of a Paris network, Szara fin...more
Paperback, 446 pages
Published
December 10th 2008
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 1991)
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This book is a sure fire winner for anyone who enjoys truly compelling story set against a lushly detailed historical back drop.
Alan Furst really has an incredible talent for bringing history alive and this book is a fine example.
Generalities aside for the moment, I particularly enjoyed the Russian/Eastern European bent of this story. Our protagonist is a Polish born Russified Jew who begins the tale as a fiery, empassioned writer for Pravda but is slowly sucked into the...more
Alan Furst really has an incredible talent for bringing history alive and this book is a fine example.
Generalities aside for the moment, I particularly enjoyed the Russian/Eastern European bent of this story. Our protagonist is a Polish born Russified Jew who begins the tale as a fiery, empassioned writer for Pravda but is slowly sucked into the...more
I learned more about Stalin and World War II from this book than I ever learned from any history class.
Andre Szara is a respected Russian journalist working for Pravda, occasionally doing a little favor for the State, when suddenly, he finds himself involved in a political killing. He is handed a luggage ticket retrieved from the body, and directed to redeem a piece of luggage stowed away in a Prague train station. Under a false bottom in an old suitcase, he finds a case file, detaili...more
Andre Szara is a respected Russian journalist working for Pravda, occasionally doing a little favor for the State, when suddenly, he finds himself involved in a political killing. He is handed a luggage ticket retrieved from the body, and directed to redeem a piece of luggage stowed away in a Prague train station. Under a false bottom in an old suitcase, he finds a case file, detaili...more
Alan Furst is better than John Le Carre. There I've said it.
Since I started the series, I've been living in 1939, wearing my rain coat and I'm thinking of sewing my passport into the lining of my briefcase. Is that too obvious?
It's true what everyone says about Furst. You're suddenly and shockingly plunged into this period in history. You'll learn to care deeply about all those eastern bloc countries that you barely know. You'll learn how to survive as a Russian ...more
Since I started the series, I've been living in 1939, wearing my rain coat and I'm thinking of sewing my passport into the lining of my briefcase. Is that too obvious?
It's true what everyone says about Furst. You're suddenly and shockingly plunged into this period in history. You'll learn to care deeply about all those eastern bloc countries that you barely know. You'll learn how to survive as a Russian ...more
The second in Alan Furst's loosely connected "Night Soldiers" series of novels, "Dark Star" follows Soviet journalist Andre Szara as he is ensnared by his country's espionage directorate, the NKVD, to do "a small favor, comrade journalist" in the years leading up to the second world war. Once hooked, Szara find himself increasingly entangle in events, plots and betrayals of which he wants no part. Somehow, he manages to survive, even as everyone beside him falls, ...more
‘Dark Star’ is my favorite Furst 1930s spy novel so far (I’ve read seven from eleven). It’s the second, and finds Furst yet to completely settle into the formula which serves him so well in the most recent, ‘Spies of the Balkans.’
Like that novel, ‘Dark Star’ features a shopworn veteran of his profession, in this case Russian journalism, who takes up spying to survive, and becomes a reluctant hero of sorts. André Szara comes off the most concretely of any of Furst’s marvelous lead c...more
Like that novel, ‘Dark Star’ features a shopworn veteran of his profession, in this case Russian journalism, who takes up spying to survive, and becomes a reluctant hero of sorts. André Szara comes off the most concretely of any of Furst’s marvelous lead c...more
Sometime in the early 90s I was driving at night from Santa Fe to Albuquerque in a barrowed car (thanks again, Erika) listening to NPR. Their book reviewer of the moment -- Elvis Whatshisname, as I recall -- was laying extravagant praise on a spy novel, saying it broke the constraints of its genre, and blah blah blah. I stopped the car and made a note. Some weeks later, back in London where I was then living, I bought the book.
Now, I don't ordinarily read trash. Not because I am ...more
Now, I don't ordinarily read trash. Not because I am ...more
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Alan Furst's novels are about people caught up in the momentous political events in Europe in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
The central character in this novel, André, is a Russian Jewish journalist whose immediate concern is to avoid extermination in Stalin's purges of 1937-38, and subsequently. Because André's profession requires him to travel widely and come into contact with influential figures in other countries, he receives a series of assignments, of which he has little unde...more
The central character in this novel, André, is a Russian Jewish journalist whose immediate concern is to avoid extermination in Stalin's purges of 1937-38, and subsequently. Because André's profession requires him to travel widely and come into contact with influential figures in other countries, he receives a series of assignments, of which he has little unde...more
It took a little time to get into this as I found the Russian and East European names and place names difficult to absorb. But it was an absorbing read once I got over this 'hitch'. Andre Szara is a Polish Jew who lived and studied in Russia from his teens. A journalist on Pravda he is assigned a story about a steel factory in Germany. From this 'chance' visit he is drawn into the world of espionage, running his own cell based in Paris.
The story covers the years 1937 to 1940, years o...more
The story covers the years 1937 to 1940, years o...more
If you want to get the feeling of what it was like to live in the years of the early 30s into WW II, and the terror of the rise of Hitler, this is the book. Furst writes a terrific spy novel based on sound historical research. Even the minor characters linger for days after you put the book away.
I am beginning to become a serious fan of Furst's work. [Dark Star:] is definitely a darker work than the last Furst I read The Polish Officer, and that really is saying something. I'm really not sure how accurately Furst portrays the thinking of a Soviet citizen living through Stalin's purges, but it is certainly believable. Furst proposes several theories for the purges as his main character, Andre Szara, tries to navigate the pitfalls of pre-war Europe. I wish I could measure the believab...more
This was my second read of this book, and I have come to the opinion that this is the best of the Alan Furst books. Full stop. The character of Andre Szara is compelling and complex, and the story is well-told. Furst always gives such an interesting viewpoint of the tumultuous times in which his stories are set. Furst characters always play the part of normal people who never particularly cared to be heroes, but ended up that way anyhow.
I recommend this book, and any Furst book, for that m...more
I recommend this book, and any Furst book, for that m...more
If you love Alan Furst you'll read whatever he writes. Also, if you love Alan Furst you know that there are a few tiers of quality in his body of work. A few are phoned-in and forgettable (The Foreign Correspondent, Spies of the Balkans.) There is a well-populated mid range, with some standouts (Night Voyage, The Blood Of Victory.) And there is the top level which are absolute classics that defy spy/thriller genre and are simply some of the finest inter-war historical novels ever written. The...more
Got to print my favorite quote, of several good ones, from book:
"Politicians were like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncommonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said." (pg 35 in trade paper)
Dark Star is another smart, swiftly running espionage thriller from Alan Furst, set in Europe (as are all his spy novels), during the doom-infested years immediately preceding WWII. The tale is the tangled adventures of An...more
"Politicians were like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncommonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said." (pg 35 in trade paper)
Dark Star is another smart, swiftly running espionage thriller from Alan Furst, set in Europe (as are all his spy novels), during the doom-infested years immediately preceding WWII. The tale is the tangled adventures of An...more
I feel like giving Dark Star four stars instead of five is like critics hating things just because they aren't smart enough to understand everything. In other words, I sometimes got lost in the shadows of Furst's espionage tale. I loved the book, but felt a little uninformed sometimes. I'd like to think it's Furst's fault, but it's also highly likely that his detail was so subtle that I missed key clues and plot elements. That said, I really enjoyed my second Night Soldiers tale. It's everything...more
I never thought of myself as someone being interested in spy novels, and I don't know if this book transcends the genre or if it just transcends my assumptions about the genre, but it's a very good novel. Lloosely connected to the previous book, Night Soldiers, it can also be read as a stand-alone. I was particularly impressed with its historicity and appreciated the almost virtual absence of Americans from the story. The protagonist is a Polish-born Jewish citizen of the USSR, and I trust in th...more
Furst is a master at creating the atmosphere of the period about which he writes, the period just before and during World War II in Europe. This book's main character is a Polish/Soviet Jew foreign correspondent for Pravda who is recruited into the eerie and totally confusing world of espionage as Germany threatens to consume Europe and perhaps the world.
The plot to the novel is so convoluted, there is so much misdirection, that I found myself not knowing what I had just read or whe...more
The plot to the novel is so convoluted, there is so much misdirection, that I found myself not knowing what I had just read or whe...more
Another triumph for the author whom I consider the finest current writer of spy/espionage fiction, partially because it's almost inaccurate to call hiw works spy novels. They are rather historical novels of a very definite period of time and place: Europe in the 1930's leading up to World War II and on into the early years of the war (roughly a 10-12 year period of time.
Furst's world as a writer is shadowed by two titans of evil in the 20th century: Hitler and Stalin, and their often...more
Furst's world as a writer is shadowed by two titans of evil in the 20th century: Hitler and Stalin, and their often...more
Last spring I tried on Dark Star and wound up pushing to the back of my nightstand. Then I buried under old newspapers and mail on my desk. Something about the way Furst leaves you with just enough spy-world name dropping to get a half-sense as to what's happening in the book.
About 7 months later, I came back to Dark Star when I could sleep. This time, the spy-jargon and Soviet NKVD navel gazing seemed to take. The history that Alan Furst flosses into this novel is impressive an...more
About 7 months later, I came back to Dark Star when I could sleep. This time, the spy-jargon and Soviet NKVD navel gazing seemed to take. The history that Alan Furst flosses into this novel is impressive an...more
Wow! A spy thriller with a load of early WWII history. This author was recommended to me by my neighbor who calls Alan Furst the "American John LeCarre" and I agree. I started with this early novel and plan to read more of him. I found the beginning complicated and a little slow, but it really picked up and I could hardly put it down. Szara, the protagonist, is a Jewish-Polish emigre to Russia who is enlisted in to the NKVD. Tons of character development, action and romance.
Furst is a fine author, a bit of LeCarre' deeply immersed in the period history in which he writes. The plot seems to slip away a defined linear movement into a series of random events the main character gets caught up in, but then it come roaring back and seemingly disparate scenes make sense together. I like Furst best for his ability to personally involve his characters in the sweeping moments of history that surround them, in this case the parrying between Hitler and Stalin in World War II...more
I'm only giving Dark Star four stars instead of five because there were a couple of points in the story where I felt like certain details were left out and I had to either go back and reread a passage for some clarity, or make assumptions. I didn't feel the plot flowed as easily as some of his other novels that I have read and enjoyed immensely. Having said that, Dark Star is impressive in its scope and historical knowledge.
Andre Androvich Szara is a Polish/Russian Jew who writes for Pravda but is drawn into the world of secret intelligence service. An intricate but very interesting book about the spy networks and the roll they played leading up and through the start of WW II.
Side note: My last name is Landwehr which I was told in my German Class meant "farmer". Furst describes "young men in Landwehr uniform". A google/bing search explains "Landwehr"
Side note: My last name is Landwehr which I was told in my German Class meant "farmer". Furst describes "young men in Landwehr uniform". A google/bing search explains "Landwehr"
While at times a bit murky, this is right up there with some of the best books I've ever read. One of the frontspiece blurbs says it all:
"Kafka, Dostoyevsky, and le Carre' sit up all night and talk to each other and this is what you get. It is absolutely wonderful"
I couldn't be more in agreement. I got nothing done all week, and now I have to rest. It's not merely entertaining, it's rigorous and educational.
"Kafka, Dostoyevsky, and le Carre' sit up all night and talk to each other and this is what you get. It is absolutely wonderful"
I couldn't be more in agreement. I got nothing done all week, and now I have to rest. It's not merely entertaining, it's rigorous and educational.
This is how spy thrillers should be written: tight, melancholy, well-researched and well-sourced, with characters who have serious inner lives. Furst is the master of spy novels set in the bleak years just before World War 2, in Auden's "low, dishonest decade", and "Dark Star", even more than his "Night Soldiers" shows off what can be done in the genre. Highly recommended.
I just found this book too complicated to follow. There were lots of complicated twists and turns, which ordinarily is great for a spy story. But many of the twists just had no obvious rationale or motivation, even after the fact. It was a great way to brush up on my pre-WWII history, but it required constant exits from the storyline to consult wikipedia for background.
Wanna know what Europe really felt like in the late 30's? Feel like those history books taught you less than nothing? Read Alan Furst's books and see things through the eyes of Russians, Bulgarians, Parisians, Poles and others resisting the nightmares of Hitler and Stalin. Dark Star is my favorite, but Night Soldiers and The Polish Officer blew me away as well.
Second in a series of eastern European, WW II espionage novels. I find the subject and time period interesting so I'll cut the book a little more slack than otherwise. The writing style is a little difficult to follow at times as it seems a little stream-of-consciousness. I could not get through this book despite trying twice. It never grabbed me.
This is the second volume in Furst's "Night Soldiers" series, although most of the series need not be read in the order published: only The World at Night and Red Gold relate directly as a sequential pair. For those that wish the read the books in sequence, Night Soldiers precedes this and The Polish Officer follows.
(In this story, the visit to Brasserie Heininger takes place starting on page 258.)
(In this story, the visit to Brasserie Heininger takes place starting on page 258.)
"Dark Star" is about a Pravda correspondent, Andre Szara, who is coerced by the KGB into spying for the Soviet government. The time is the late 30's, and Furst leads Szara through a number of historical events - some real, some imagined - that preceded World War II. This includes a fantastic scene in which Szara witnesses Kristallnacht.
Furst has made a name for himself writing historical spy thrillers based in pre-WWII Europe, and "Dark Star" is a good example of ...more
Furst has made a name for himself writing historical spy thrillers based in pre-WWII Europe, and "Dark Star" is a good example of ...more
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Alan 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)
...more
More about Alan Furst...
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)
...more
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