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Autumn in Oxford
After being blacklisted for having communist sympathies as a student twenty years before, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Tom Wrought escapes America’s Cold War climate to teach at Oxford. There, he falls in love with Liz Spencer, a beautiful married woman. When Liz’s husband is pushed in front of a train in the London Underground, Tom is immediately arrested for the murder. Scotland Yard is convinced it has its man, as he had means, motive, and opportunity.
Certain of his innocence, Liz hires a young solicitor, Alice Silverstone, to defend Tom. But they discover that Tom’s former secret work as an American spy made him a number of powerful enemies. Russian intelligence, British counterespionage, and even the FBI all may have reason to frame him. If Liz and Alice can find out who is behind the murder, they stand a chance of freeing Tom, but doing so puts all their lives at risk.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2016
184 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Alex Rosenberg
45 books110 followersAlex Rosenberg's first novel, "The Girl From Krakow," is a thriller that explores how a young woman and her lover navigate the dangerous thirties, the firestorm of war in Europe, and how they make sense of their survival. Alex's second novel, "Autumn in Oxford" is a murder mystery set in Britain in the late 1950s. It takes the reader back to the second world war in the American south and England before D-day, France during the Liberation and New York in the late '40s. It will be published by Lake Union in August.
Before he became a novelist Alex wrote a large number of books about the philosophy of science, especially about economics and biology. These books were mainly addressed to other academics. But in 2011 Alex published a book that explores the answers that science gives to the big questions of philosophy that thinking people ask themselves--questions about the nature of reality, the meaning of life, moral values, free will, the relationship of the mind to the brain, and our human future. That book, "The Atheist's Guide to Reality," was widely reviewed and was quite controversial.
When he's not writing historical novels, Alex Rosenberg is a professor of philosophy at Duke University.
Before he became a novelist Alex wrote a large number of books about the philosophy of science, especially about economics and biology. These books were mainly addressed to other academics. But in 2011 Alex published a book that explores the answers that science gives to the big questions of philosophy that thinking people ask themselves--questions about the nature of reality, the meaning of life, moral values, free will, the relationship of the mind to the brain, and our human future. That book, "The Atheist's Guide to Reality," was widely reviewed and was quite controversial.
When he's not writing historical novels, Alex Rosenberg is a professor of philosophy at Duke University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 11, 2016
An odd mix of a book - part murder mystery, part spy thriller, part love story, part history of the 30's 40's and 50's all with a theme of anti racism spread throughout the story. There's a lot going on in this book which begins with murder on a London tube platform. An Oxford professor - exiled from the USA for his long ago Communist past - is framed and put in jail while his adulterous lover and a young lawyer - dying from cancer - join forces to take on the CIA, FBI, KGB, MI5 and MI6 in a bid to prove the professor's innocence. There's a lot of fascinating historical and political detail in the plot, but parts of it just got too fantastical - especially towards the end, when the 2 female heroines attempt to alter the actions of Scotland Yard detectives. If pushed, I might have given it 3 stars, but the story finally fell apart as the author tried to work out a plausible happy ending. Worth a look for anyone keen on conspiracy theories.
September 2, 2016
Got totally immersed in this novel and had to finish in one day. For anyone interested in the Cold War spooks and conspiracy and counter conspiracy in the higher echelons of power. American professor now teaching in Oxford, with a background in support of Left wing causes, Tom Wrought is being framed for murder in the 1950's. So many political cliques have a reason for wanting him discredited . His lover and her solicitor become a strong female double act in trying to save him.
The plot has so many twists, with even the most supposedly benign characters being potential betrayers. Power politics are shown as being brutal and amoral, with individuals being expendable .
The FBI, CIA, British intelligence, FBI, the wars that Finland was embroiled in from 1940- 1945, the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, racism and antisemitism in the USA, Mccarthyism, police enthusiasm for a quick conviction, Cambridge Spies,Michael Foot, all feature. There is sharp political comment at times concerning the history of the American Communist Party, the ill treatment of Black soldiers in the US army in World War 2, claims that Ethel Rosenberg was deliberately framed and sent to the electric chair in 1953, how 'Doctor Zhivago' 's publication fitted into the Cold War.
Not an easy read, complex and demanding, rarely predictable.
A couple of minor niggles. The author seems to confuse Dorset and Devon for the settings of one chapter. He also seems to think that racial discrimination was illegal in 1950's Britain. Annoying typos appear.
But overall an outstanding Cold War spy story. Heartily recommended.
The plot has so many twists, with even the most supposedly benign characters being potential betrayers. Power politics are shown as being brutal and amoral, with individuals being expendable .
The FBI, CIA, British intelligence, FBI, the wars that Finland was embroiled in from 1940- 1945, the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, racism and antisemitism in the USA, Mccarthyism, police enthusiasm for a quick conviction, Cambridge Spies,Michael Foot, all feature. There is sharp political comment at times concerning the history of the American Communist Party, the ill treatment of Black soldiers in the US army in World War 2, claims that Ethel Rosenberg was deliberately framed and sent to the electric chair in 1953, how 'Doctor Zhivago' 's publication fitted into the Cold War.
Not an easy read, complex and demanding, rarely predictable.
A couple of minor niggles. The author seems to confuse Dorset and Devon for the settings of one chapter. He also seems to think that racial discrimination was illegal in 1950's Britain. Annoying typos appear.
But overall an outstanding Cold War spy story. Heartily recommended.
September 13, 2016
Tom Wrought is being framed. Life hadn't been easy up to this point, but he never expected it to get this bad. A Pulitzer prize and colloquial respect as a historian did little to protect Tom from the hysteria of McCarthy's crusade against communism. Black-listed and humiliated, Tom relocated to Oxford where he found the love of his life Liz. The only problem. . . Liz is married.
As the affair of Tom and Liz progresses, the two become soulmates. But the bliss of love is soon interrupted by the sudden murder of Liz's husband. The poor man is pushed in front of a train on the London Underground, and Tom is the prime suspect. The authorities see the event as a cut and dry case of "the other man" killing the husband out of jealousy. Despite the clear motive, Tom adamantly proclaims his innocence.
Lucky for Tom, Liz believes him. She hires a young lawyer to defend him and to get to the bottom of who would frame him. As the story unfolds, we learn secrets of Toms past that have the potential to unearth an even larger conspiracy of global proportions.
In Autumn in Oxford, author Alex Rosenberg crafts a deliberately plotted thriller that is riveting from start to finish. I was reminded of the works of Joseph Kanon, especially The Good German, as I read this historical novel that was full of twists and turns that come with Cold War espionage. The characters are intricately drawn and help to keep the pages turning even when the action stalls. It was particularly refreshing to have two women, Liz and her solicitor, take the reigns of the investigation, especially given the time period of the story. Autumn in Oxford is a novel that could have benefited from one final editing pass, but ultimately the heart of the characters and intrigue of the plot elevate the book into a fascinating and engaging read.
As the affair of Tom and Liz progresses, the two become soulmates. But the bliss of love is soon interrupted by the sudden murder of Liz's husband. The poor man is pushed in front of a train on the London Underground, and Tom is the prime suspect. The authorities see the event as a cut and dry case of "the other man" killing the husband out of jealousy. Despite the clear motive, Tom adamantly proclaims his innocence.
Lucky for Tom, Liz believes him. She hires a young lawyer to defend him and to get to the bottom of who would frame him. As the story unfolds, we learn secrets of Toms past that have the potential to unearth an even larger conspiracy of global proportions.
In Autumn in Oxford, author Alex Rosenberg crafts a deliberately plotted thriller that is riveting from start to finish. I was reminded of the works of Joseph Kanon, especially The Good German, as I read this historical novel that was full of twists and turns that come with Cold War espionage. The characters are intricately drawn and help to keep the pages turning even when the action stalls. It was particularly refreshing to have two women, Liz and her solicitor, take the reigns of the investigation, especially given the time period of the story. Autumn in Oxford is a novel that could have benefited from one final editing pass, but ultimately the heart of the characters and intrigue of the plot elevate the book into a fascinating and engaging read.
September 11, 2016
For my full review on this novel, please follow: http://marelithalkink.blogspot.co.za/...
This novel was not bad at all, I just lacked the knowledge and the sentiment to appreciate its full potential.
I'm trying to browse through my reading history to see if I've read any spy novels. Apparently, this was the first one. Yes, I do know who James Bond was/is and I actually watched a couple of the movies with my husband (kind of). No, Tom Wrought is not like James Bond. Except perhaps for the steaming affair he's got going with a gorgeous and very bright lady. Her husband gets killed fairly early in the novel, so one shouldn't ponder to much on the fact that she was married. What you should rather ponder on is the fact that if she wasn't married, there wouldn't have been much of a story here. Come to think of it, one can almost say that her marriage licence provided the licence to kill. Yes, Tom is presumed to be the culprit. But did he do it? No.
All the pretty ladies shared that sentiment. Liz (the gorgeous not-grieving-at-al widow) hires a solicitor, Alice Silverstone, who harbor a secret of her own. Together they start to unravel Tom's past. Both of them are convinced that he is framed and they frantically search for all the puzzle pieces. Gathering those didn't proof to be half as difficult as getting all the pieces to fit together. As a matter of fact, I'm still a bit confused. The author's Notes at the end of the novel was insightful and I do believe it's time to sit down for a few history lessons. It might be advisable to read Mr Rosenberg's notes and google a few facts and characters before you start reading the actual story. It was a good story, but my lack of knowledge did hinder my reading progress and pleasure.
This novel was not bad at all, I just lacked the knowledge and the sentiment to appreciate its full potential.
I'm trying to browse through my reading history to see if I've read any spy novels. Apparently, this was the first one. Yes, I do know who James Bond was/is and I actually watched a couple of the movies with my husband (kind of). No, Tom Wrought is not like James Bond. Except perhaps for the steaming affair he's got going with a gorgeous and very bright lady. Her husband gets killed fairly early in the novel, so one shouldn't ponder to much on the fact that she was married. What you should rather ponder on is the fact that if she wasn't married, there wouldn't have been much of a story here. Come to think of it, one can almost say that her marriage licence provided the licence to kill. Yes, Tom is presumed to be the culprit. But did he do it? No.
All the pretty ladies shared that sentiment. Liz (the gorgeous not-grieving-at-al widow) hires a solicitor, Alice Silverstone, who harbor a secret of her own. Together they start to unravel Tom's past. Both of them are convinced that he is framed and they frantically search for all the puzzle pieces. Gathering those didn't proof to be half as difficult as getting all the pieces to fit together. As a matter of fact, I'm still a bit confused. The author's Notes at the end of the novel was insightful and I do believe it's time to sit down for a few history lessons. It might be advisable to read Mr Rosenberg's notes and google a few facts and characters before you start reading the actual story. It was a good story, but my lack of knowledge did hinder my reading progress and pleasure.
August 31, 2016
Tom Wrought is a frustrated Oxford Don, with a history of being shuffled here and there for various reasons. During his last time in England, he began an affair with Liz Spencer, his next door neighbor.
On a day like any other, Tom is on a platform waiting for the tube when he spies Liz's husband, Trevor. As Tom watches in horror, Trevor is pushed off the platform and under the wheels of the oncoming train. Tom gives chase, but loses the man in the crowd.
In a matter of a very few days, Tom is unjustly arrested and charged with Trevor's murder! Liz and a solicitor she has engaged to defend Tom, begin the process of unraveling Tom's background. They believe he is being framed, and what they discover will blow you away.
The twists and turns and red flags and red herrings in this thriller are artfully constructed by Alex Rosenberg. For every clue that the girls follow down a dead-end street, there's a hint that leads to a true discovery.
I read this courtesy of Lake Union and Edelweiss. Pub date 08/30/16
On a day like any other, Tom is on a platform waiting for the tube when he spies Liz's husband, Trevor. As Tom watches in horror, Trevor is pushed off the platform and under the wheels of the oncoming train. Tom gives chase, but loses the man in the crowd.
In a matter of a very few days, Tom is unjustly arrested and charged with Trevor's murder! Liz and a solicitor she has engaged to defend Tom, begin the process of unraveling Tom's background. They believe he is being framed, and what they discover will blow you away.
The twists and turns and red flags and red herrings in this thriller are artfully constructed by Alex Rosenberg. For every clue that the girls follow down a dead-end street, there's a hint that leads to a true discovery.
I read this courtesy of Lake Union and Edelweiss. Pub date 08/30/16
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December 7, 2016Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for a copy in exchange for a review!
DNF. Everything about this sounded like something right up my alley. Espionage, Britain, post-war life, professory types. However, I kept getting pulled away from the story by glaring (to me, a professory type) editorial issues. First and last names are used interchangeably, making it confusing for me to follow along with a wide cast of characters (and both husband and lover are T names?). Numbers are used numerically instead of written out. Maybe it's not the thing to read after grading student essays for structure and clarity, but I was hoping for a little espionage escapism.
DNF. Everything about this sounded like something right up my alley. Espionage, Britain, post-war life, professory types. However, I kept getting pulled away from the story by glaring (to me, a professory type) editorial issues. First and last names are used interchangeably, making it confusing for me to follow along with a wide cast of characters (and both husband and lover are T names?). Numbers are used numerically instead of written out. Maybe it's not the thing to read after grading student essays for structure and clarity, but I was hoping for a little espionage escapism.
April 22, 2018
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
There's not an awful lot I can say say about this novel except that it was a very enjoyable spy/love story. Written in a way that has you turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. The fact that the characters all existed makes it more enjoyable as it gives quite a good insight into how the various agencies stab each other in the back without a second thought for what they are actually achieving. I willl definitely be reading 'A Girl From Krakov' from Alex in the near future.
There's not an awful lot I can say say about this novel except that it was a very enjoyable spy/love story. Written in a way that has you turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. The fact that the characters all existed makes it more enjoyable as it gives quite a good insight into how the various agencies stab each other in the back without a second thought for what they are actually achieving. I willl definitely be reading 'A Girl From Krakov' from Alex in the near future.
December 22, 2025
Tom Wrought, an American teaching for a semester at Oxford falls in love with Liz Spencer, one of his neighbors. The problem is that both are married. They start an affair anyhow. Tom pretty easily sheds his marriage but Liz has children and supports her husband so it is more complicated for her. Before she can get herself free, her husband is pushed in front of a train and Tom, who was on his way to meet her, is arrested for the murder.
Tom has had a varied career. He is teaching history but has worked in the United States with the civil rights movement, has a military stint behind him and worked for the CIA for a short time. In addition to teaching, Tom reviews books and writes articles for the newspapers.
Liz finds a barrister that is as determined as she is to find the real killer and set Tom free. The two women soon determine that the plot against Tom goes back to his young student days when he was a member of the Communist party for a short while and some of his articles that hint at secrets the government wants kept hidden, both in England and in the United States. Can the three find a way to set Tom free?
Alex Rosenberg is a professor of philosophy at Duke University but he also makes contributions to economic and the philosophy of biology. He has written multiple novels that use history as a starting point. In this book, I thought too much time was spent at the beginning establishing Liz and Tom's affair but outside of that one quibble, I enjoyed learning more about the time after World War II and the various government agencies that were set up to protect us but often take actions that question that mandate. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.
Tom has had a varied career. He is teaching history but has worked in the United States with the civil rights movement, has a military stint behind him and worked for the CIA for a short time. In addition to teaching, Tom reviews books and writes articles for the newspapers.
Liz finds a barrister that is as determined as she is to find the real killer and set Tom free. The two women soon determine that the plot against Tom goes back to his young student days when he was a member of the Communist party for a short while and some of his articles that hint at secrets the government wants kept hidden, both in England and in the United States. Can the three find a way to set Tom free?
Alex Rosenberg is a professor of philosophy at Duke University but he also makes contributions to economic and the philosophy of biology. He has written multiple novels that use history as a starting point. In this book, I thought too much time was spent at the beginning establishing Liz and Tom's affair but outside of that one quibble, I enjoyed learning more about the time after World War II and the various government agencies that were set up to protect us but often take actions that question that mandate. This book is recommended for historical fiction readers.
November 20, 2017
Loved this book. He is framed for a crime he did not commit, which he watched happen. At first I thought the murder was committed by his jealous wife, but I was wrong. WOW.
October 31, 2016
The things people - in this case J. Edgar Hoover - do to enhance their tribe at the expense of the Nation are rebarbative. This one was a entertaining and informative read about a period of history that has been far from my focus. I recommend it. I confess that my selection of it was somehow influenced by in my interest in the totally unrelated work the author is doing at Duke University.
The process of settling into Durham goes on. Soon, perhaps this week, I will get back to my normal reading program. Still the forty-fifth book I have finished this year.
p. 32. No one ever talked about cancer. It was even more taboo than sex.
p. 47. . . . . anyone who marries for money earns it.
p. 74. Killed more than a thousand GIs.
p. 79. By contrast, the life of an American professor was a year-round holiday.
p. 95. Sex had kept their marriage a going concern for almost a dozen years. It had repeatedly and reliably expunged the bitterness . . . .
p. 115. It was the air of entitlement, the accent, the dress, class that secured deferrnce
p. 136. They'd learned enough about each other to be sure that they were a match, they need to be together, they completed each other.
See "The Symposium."
p. 340. Alas, the years abroad had ruined him with the truth. It was no longer the motherland to which he was loyal, . . . .
The process of settling into Durham goes on. Soon, perhaps this week, I will get back to my normal reading program. Still the forty-fifth book I have finished this year.
p. 32. No one ever talked about cancer. It was even more taboo than sex.
p. 47. . . . . anyone who marries for money earns it.
p. 74. Killed more than a thousand GIs.
p. 79. By contrast, the life of an American professor was a year-round holiday.
p. 95. Sex had kept their marriage a going concern for almost a dozen years. It had repeatedly and reliably expunged the bitterness . . . .
p. 115. It was the air of entitlement, the accent, the dress, class that secured deferrnce
p. 136. They'd learned enough about each other to be sure that they were a match, they need to be together, they completed each other.
See "The Symposium."
p. 340. Alas, the years abroad had ruined him with the truth. It was no longer the motherland to which he was loyal, . . . .
September 1, 2018
Oh, boy...Where to even begin with reviewing this book? It's part thriller, part mystery, part romance, and a good chunk of spy-stuff (this part was totally unexpected to me, by the way). The book did grab me from the very beginning. I mean, who could it not - the murder happened literally on page 2, so the action starts right away. Alas, it doesn't last. Towards the middle of the book I was kind of falling asleep. Then we get to the last part of the book. Here my eyeballs almost fell out of my skull from all the eye rolling I was doing. The whole idea of two women, who are thrown into a game of international spies and in the end are able to pull a fast one on MI5, MI6, FBI, KGB, and the CIA combined seemed a little way too outrageous and ridiculous.
August 21, 2018
I hated this book and I'm only writing this review because it was a Goodreads Giveaway and I feel obligated to write something.
The first part of the book was ok with the murder and the framing of the main character and I was ready to get into a thriller. But then it goes off topic to France, then to childhood memories, then to...I couldn't care less!
The first part of the book was ok with the murder and the framing of the main character and I was ready to get into a thriller. But then it goes off topic to France, then to childhood memories, then to...I couldn't care less!
January 10, 2018
3.5. History book disguised as a novel; fortunately I like history 😬 (Had to suspend belief for the terminal illness plot line, though.)
November 24, 2018
Tom Wrought, Amerykanin pochodzenia fińskiego, wykłada historię Ameryki w Oxfordzie i publikuje w brytyjskich lewicowych gazetach. Od zawsze był lewicowcem, zwalczającym segregację rasową, w młodości nawet przez krótki czas członkiem amerykańskiej partii koumunisycznej. W USA zrobił doktorat, a za swoją publicystykę otrzymał nagrodę Pulitzera. W czasach antykomunistycznej kampanii McCarthy’ego wyjechał do Anglii. Nawiązuje gorący romans z Liz Spencer. Kiedy na stacji metra ginie mąż Liz, Tom zostaje aresztowany pod zarzutem morderstwa. Dziwne okoliczności zatrzymania, a także wiara Liz, że kochanek nie może być zabójcą jej męża, przekonują prawniczkę Toma, Alice Silverstone, że został on wrobiony w morderstwo, że prawdopodobnie komuś przeszkadza jego przeszłość i głoszone przez niego poglądy.
Akcja powieści toczy się w latach 1958-1961, ale przygotowując swą obronę Tom opisuje swój udział w wydarzeniach sięgających końca lat 1930-ych. Nie tylko we wspomnieniach, także teraz, gdy Tom siedzi w więzieniu, a Alice i Liz starają się dociec prawdy, pojawia się cały szereg autentycznych postaci, dziś już utrwalonych na kartach historii tamtych czasów. Czasów niezmiernie ciekawych, najpierw zauroczenia, potem rozgoryczenia stalinowskim komunizmem, gorącej wojny, która przekształciła się w zimną, uaktywnienia tajnych służb na wschodzie i na zachodzie, ich wzajemnej penetracji, na czele z piątką sowieckich kretów z Cambridge, również walki wewnętrznej w służbach, na przykład między FBI Hoovera i CIA. Jednocześnie są to czasy nasilających się działań ruchów walczących z segregacją rasową w Ameryce, Jest zatem Jesień w Oxfordzie typową powieścią z gatunku historical fiction z elementami wątków szpiegowskich.
Moim zdaniem jest to fascynująca lektura, która umiejętnie łączy wpływ, jaki historia miała lub mogła mieć na losy ludzkie, z dużą liczbę faktów historycznych, lektura która nie stroni od mocnych tez, choć niektóre z nich do dziś wzbudzają kontrowersje. Narracja jest ciekawa, w logiczny sposób prowadzona przez autora, ale wymaga skupienia i choćby pobieżnej wiedzy na temat specyfiki tamtych lat. Niesamowite wrażenie wywiera obraz obyczajów i atmosfery epoki, szczególnie różnice między Oxfordem i Londynem z jednej strony, a Nowym Jorkiem i Waszyngtonem z drugiej. Alex Rosenberg (ur. 1946), filozof, sam ongiś wykładał w Oxfordzie. Nic więc dziwnego, że scenki z oxfordzkiego Trinity College są takie smakowite, a wyczucie brytyjskości w reakcjach ludzi naprawdę może zachwycić. Opis romansu Liz i Toma jest dość śmiały, ale uwzględnia konwencje i ograniczenia narzucone przez czas i miejsce akcji. Jedynie końcowe sceny wydają mi się trochę niedorobione, z lekka infantylne.
Po przetłumaczonej również na polski The Girl from Krakow, jest to druga powieść autora. Jego naukowe publikacje dotyczą głównie filozofii nauki. Chyba najwięcej kontrowersji wzbudziła praca pt. The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions. Obecnie Alex Rosenberg jest profesorem na Duke University w Północnej Karolinie.
Akcja powieści toczy się w latach 1958-1961, ale przygotowując swą obronę Tom opisuje swój udział w wydarzeniach sięgających końca lat 1930-ych. Nie tylko we wspomnieniach, także teraz, gdy Tom siedzi w więzieniu, a Alice i Liz starają się dociec prawdy, pojawia się cały szereg autentycznych postaci, dziś już utrwalonych na kartach historii tamtych czasów. Czasów niezmiernie ciekawych, najpierw zauroczenia, potem rozgoryczenia stalinowskim komunizmem, gorącej wojny, która przekształciła się w zimną, uaktywnienia tajnych służb na wschodzie i na zachodzie, ich wzajemnej penetracji, na czele z piątką sowieckich kretów z Cambridge, również walki wewnętrznej w służbach, na przykład między FBI Hoovera i CIA. Jednocześnie są to czasy nasilających się działań ruchów walczących z segregacją rasową w Ameryce, Jest zatem Jesień w Oxfordzie typową powieścią z gatunku historical fiction z elementami wątków szpiegowskich.
Moim zdaniem jest to fascynująca lektura, która umiejętnie łączy wpływ, jaki historia miała lub mogła mieć na losy ludzkie, z dużą liczbę faktów historycznych, lektura która nie stroni od mocnych tez, choć niektóre z nich do dziś wzbudzają kontrowersje. Narracja jest ciekawa, w logiczny sposób prowadzona przez autora, ale wymaga skupienia i choćby pobieżnej wiedzy na temat specyfiki tamtych lat. Niesamowite wrażenie wywiera obraz obyczajów i atmosfery epoki, szczególnie różnice między Oxfordem i Londynem z jednej strony, a Nowym Jorkiem i Waszyngtonem z drugiej. Alex Rosenberg (ur. 1946), filozof, sam ongiś wykładał w Oxfordzie. Nic więc dziwnego, że scenki z oxfordzkiego Trinity College są takie smakowite, a wyczucie brytyjskości w reakcjach ludzi naprawdę może zachwycić. Opis romansu Liz i Toma jest dość śmiały, ale uwzględnia konwencje i ograniczenia narzucone przez czas i miejsce akcji. Jedynie końcowe sceny wydają mi się trochę niedorobione, z lekka infantylne.
Po przetłumaczonej również na polski The Girl from Krakow, jest to druga powieść autora. Jego naukowe publikacje dotyczą głównie filozofii nauki. Chyba najwięcej kontrowersji wzbudziła praca pt. The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions. Obecnie Alex Rosenberg jest profesorem na Duke University w Północnej Karolinie.
November 30, 2017
What a great book. It is a combination of historical figures during World War II and through the early 1960's. It is a story about the Cold War, spies, and spies spying on spies, FBI, CIA, M5, M6, KGB....and anyone who had the misfortune to get into the way. It is tense and driving book and you will not be able to put it down.
The fact that some of the people in this book are real is just a bonus.
The fact that some of the people in this book are real is just a bonus.
December 11, 2018
Interesting historical perspective
A good part of this book reminded me of Girl on the Train, not in plot line as much as pace and type of mystery. I stayed similarly engaged, interested but not enthralled, and happily paced my way through the book which ended satisfactorily. I’m glad I read it and I learned some things.
A good part of this book reminded me of Girl on the Train, not in plot line as much as pace and type of mystery. I stayed similarly engaged, interested but not enthralled, and happily paced my way through the book which ended satisfactorily. I’m glad I read it and I learned some things.
August 13, 2017
Spy drama, racial bigotry and a love story
Real life and fiction come together for a gripping adventure and love story. I don't enjoy spy stories, so parts of it were hard for me to get through.
Real life and fiction come together for a gripping adventure and love story. I don't enjoy spy stories, so parts of it were hard for me to get through.
February 21, 2018
You're a successful writer, a former communist, a former OSS agent, a Professor and in love with a married woman. You watch as her husband is pushed under an oncoming train, you flee the scene and are arrested a few hours later for the murder. No questions are asked, so, what is going on and why?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2018
Sex and espionage
It is rather interesting, but somewhat difficult to follow all the characters. Use pencil and paper to keep track. As a 74 year old, I found the sex scenes way overboard.
It is rather interesting, but somewhat difficult to follow all the characters. Use pencil and paper to keep track. As a 74 year old, I found the sex scenes way overboard.
February 9, 2019
Interesting plot....but boring in the middle
I enjoyed Rosenbergs ' A Girl from Krakow' But this one tried my patience in the middle with repetitive retelling of the main guys history.
Weaving the story around real personalities made the book more interesting.
I enjoyed Rosenbergs ' A Girl from Krakow' But this one tried my patience in the middle with repetitive retelling of the main guys history.
Weaving the story around real personalities made the book more interesting.
January 20, 2018
British mystery.
Not a particularly well-written book.
Not a particularly well-written book.
June 29, 2018
Took a while to get into it, but really enjoyed the story.
November 12, 2018
Good piece of historical fiction including intrigue and drama.
February 19, 2019
Surprising and quite fascinating if you like spy thrillers based around fact and actual people. Research for this book must have taken some time, or the Author is an ex-spook?
January 23, 2020
Good book. Fun reading with a little history lesson in it also.
October 2, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
Autumn in Oxford is a conspiracy theorist’s dream of a novel, set during the period of one of the craziest conspiracies of all – the Red Scare of the late 1950s. It’s even presided over, in a rather perverse way, by the queen conspiracy theorist of all, J. Edgar Hoover.
And once the story gets going, it doesn’t let the reader go.
At first, this seems like a simple thriller. A man is pushed into an oncoming train by a mysterious assailant and is instantly killed. But of course it isn’t nearly that simple.
Tom Wrought witnesses Trevor Spencer being shoved off that train platform and knows that he is in deep, deep trouble. Tom was on his way to a rendezvous with Spencer’s wife. He knows that he has the obvious motive for killing the man, and that witnesses will eventually place him at the scene, especially since the real killer bears at least a passing resemblance to himself.
So Wrought pretty much does everything an innocent man shouldn’t do. He runs out of the station, chasing the real killer. He leaves the scene of the crime in a way that draws attention to himself. He stops to phone his lover to tell her that she should go home to meet the cops, who will inevitably come to give her the “bad” news.
He knows that he didn’t do it. So who did? And why?
And that’s where the fascinating part of this book begins. Not with the recitation of the beginning of Tom’s affair with Liz Spencer, but with what happens next. And with what happened in Tom’s life long before this little mess. All the events and chances that dropped Tom into the soup at this point in time, and why they have all come to a head now and not earlier. Or later.
And all the things that people in high places will do to get Tom both locked up and discredited. The collateral damage of a little murder isn’t even the worst act they commit. But watching Tom, Liz and their attorney unravel the conspiracy, piece by ugly piece, is one hell of a story.
Escape Rating A-: In the end, I absolutely loved this book. But it needs an editor. The affair between Tom and Liz is the least interesting part of the entire story. It’s only purpose is to provide the means and method for what follows. And frankly, the reader knows enough about their affair when Tom witnesses the murder that we don’t need the complete rehash. It’s what happens after the murder, and the story that Tom tells of his life before Oxford, that give this story its punch.
And what a punch it is. The Red Scare of the 1950s in the U.S. makes for very bizarre reading from the 21st century. Except where it resonates all too clearly.
Tom flirted with the Communist Party while he was in college. A lot of people did in the 1930s. Tom was also extremely anti-segregation long before integration became remotely accepted. And an awful lot of very important people in the 1930s believed that any challenge to the American status quo, including calls for integration, were automatically part of a Communist plot.
All of this makes Tom an obvious target for the powers-that-be. He’s had the fortune, or misfortune, to be in the right place at the right time to be a witness to history, and to be able to expose the lies and deceits of powerful people. J. Edgar Hoover, in particular, was not known for being merciful to those he perceived as his enemies – whether they saw themselves as his enemy or not.
The story of Tom’s life before the murder is what draws the reader in. And also what provides the motive for the murder. The ways in which Tom ran afoul of people in high places, and the underhanded means they used to strike at him without regard for either collateral damage or irreparable harm to U.S. relations with their post-war allies piles conspiracy on top of conspiracy into an unstable but absolutely compelling house of dirty little cards.
The thrill-a-minute chase at the end provides the perfect conclusion.
Autumn in Oxford is a conspiracy theorist’s dream of a novel, set during the period of one of the craziest conspiracies of all – the Red Scare of the late 1950s. It’s even presided over, in a rather perverse way, by the queen conspiracy theorist of all, J. Edgar Hoover.
And once the story gets going, it doesn’t let the reader go.
At first, this seems like a simple thriller. A man is pushed into an oncoming train by a mysterious assailant and is instantly killed. But of course it isn’t nearly that simple.
Tom Wrought witnesses Trevor Spencer being shoved off that train platform and knows that he is in deep, deep trouble. Tom was on his way to a rendezvous with Spencer’s wife. He knows that he has the obvious motive for killing the man, and that witnesses will eventually place him at the scene, especially since the real killer bears at least a passing resemblance to himself.
So Wrought pretty much does everything an innocent man shouldn’t do. He runs out of the station, chasing the real killer. He leaves the scene of the crime in a way that draws attention to himself. He stops to phone his lover to tell her that she should go home to meet the cops, who will inevitably come to give her the “bad” news.
He knows that he didn’t do it. So who did? And why?
And that’s where the fascinating part of this book begins. Not with the recitation of the beginning of Tom’s affair with Liz Spencer, but with what happens next. And with what happened in Tom’s life long before this little mess. All the events and chances that dropped Tom into the soup at this point in time, and why they have all come to a head now and not earlier. Or later.
And all the things that people in high places will do to get Tom both locked up and discredited. The collateral damage of a little murder isn’t even the worst act they commit. But watching Tom, Liz and their attorney unravel the conspiracy, piece by ugly piece, is one hell of a story.
Escape Rating A-: In the end, I absolutely loved this book. But it needs an editor. The affair between Tom and Liz is the least interesting part of the entire story. It’s only purpose is to provide the means and method for what follows. And frankly, the reader knows enough about their affair when Tom witnesses the murder that we don’t need the complete rehash. It’s what happens after the murder, and the story that Tom tells of his life before Oxford, that give this story its punch.
And what a punch it is. The Red Scare of the 1950s in the U.S. makes for very bizarre reading from the 21st century. Except where it resonates all too clearly.
Tom flirted with the Communist Party while he was in college. A lot of people did in the 1930s. Tom was also extremely anti-segregation long before integration became remotely accepted. And an awful lot of very important people in the 1930s believed that any challenge to the American status quo, including calls for integration, were automatically part of a Communist plot.
All of this makes Tom an obvious target for the powers-that-be. He’s had the fortune, or misfortune, to be in the right place at the right time to be a witness to history, and to be able to expose the lies and deceits of powerful people. J. Edgar Hoover, in particular, was not known for being merciful to those he perceived as his enemies – whether they saw themselves as his enemy or not.
The story of Tom’s life before the murder is what draws the reader in. And also what provides the motive for the murder. The ways in which Tom ran afoul of people in high places, and the underhanded means they used to strike at him without regard for either collateral damage or irreparable harm to U.S. relations with their post-war allies piles conspiracy on top of conspiracy into an unstable but absolutely compelling house of dirty little cards.
The thrill-a-minute chase at the end provides the perfect conclusion.
September 13, 2016
We’re offering up something different here at Thoughts on This ‘n That: A novel about murder, espionage and of course, love! Alex Rosenberg delivers a hard to put down “who done it,” in his new novel, AUTUMN IN OXFORD (Lake Union Publishing).
After being blacklisted for being a communist sympathizer, while he was a student twenty years before, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, Tom Wrought escapes America’s Cold War climate to teach at Oxford. There, he falls in love with Liz Spencer, a beautiful married woman. When Liz’s husband is pushed in front of a train in the London Underground, Tom is immediately arrested for the murder. Scotland Yard is convinced it has its man.
Certain of his innocence, Liz hires a young, attractive solicitor, Alice Silverstone, to defend Tom. But they discover that Tom’s former work as an American spy makes him a target for many powerful enemies; Russian intelligence, British counterespionage, and even the FBI all may have reasons to frame him. Liz and Alice are determined to find out who is behind the murder. They may have a chance of freeing Tom, but doing so puts all their lives on the line.
AUTUMN IN OXFORD is definitively British. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly is interesting and well-paced. I found myself flipping pages faster while reading the historical references to McCarthyism in 1950’s. I couldn’t help but find similarities to our current political environment. People who love politics, reading and watching the news may find a special fascination, or uneasiness reading, AUTUMN IN OXFORD. And of course, everyone “loves a love-triangle!”
After being blacklisted for being a communist sympathizer, while he was a student twenty years before, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, Tom Wrought escapes America’s Cold War climate to teach at Oxford. There, he falls in love with Liz Spencer, a beautiful married woman. When Liz’s husband is pushed in front of a train in the London Underground, Tom is immediately arrested for the murder. Scotland Yard is convinced it has its man.
Certain of his innocence, Liz hires a young, attractive solicitor, Alice Silverstone, to defend Tom. But they discover that Tom’s former work as an American spy makes him a target for many powerful enemies; Russian intelligence, British counterespionage, and even the FBI all may have reasons to frame him. Liz and Alice are determined to find out who is behind the murder. They may have a chance of freeing Tom, but doing so puts all their lives on the line.
AUTUMN IN OXFORD is definitively British. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly is interesting and well-paced. I found myself flipping pages faster while reading the historical references to McCarthyism in 1950’s. I couldn’t help but find similarities to our current political environment. People who love politics, reading and watching the news may find a special fascination, or uneasiness reading, AUTUMN IN OXFORD. And of course, everyone “loves a love-triangle!”
September 2, 2016
I'm pleasantly surprised by my reaction to Alex Rosenberg's Autumn in Oxford. I have mixed feelings, but it mainly boils down to the fact that I do find this book engaging in plot and in characters. The subterfuge behind the main character's arrest to his background and the political connections all makes Autumn in Oxford worthwhile. It doesn't have the adventure of James Bond, but it has the intrigue behind all conspiracy theories, along with the character developments of the three main characters to keep you reading. The back stories that revealed itself throughout the story were spot on most of the time, giving readers reasons and speculations that allows one to thrown in their own theories as well. Despite the fact that our main characters were adulterers, their love went through its ups and downs, and how it sparked the beginning of Autumn in Oxford, catches your attention early on. I enjoyed the theories thrown in, and personally find Alice's character rounds out this story nicely.
However, I do think it needs some editing work. I'm not sure why first and last names were used interchangeably, and some within the same paragraph. The general narration of the story is simple and straight to the point, but it can get monotonous at times, not giving enough differentiation between each character's stories.
In all, the plot itself interests me enough and even compels me to move forward until the end to see what happens to our characters. If you're a fan of historical fiction, particularly ones focused on political and conspiratorial fiction, Autumn in Oxford is one for you.
Scroll on down for your chance to win a copy. For my clean readers, there are mentions of intimacy, but not too overt.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through TLC Book Tours for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.
However, I do think it needs some editing work. I'm not sure why first and last names were used interchangeably, and some within the same paragraph. The general narration of the story is simple and straight to the point, but it can get monotonous at times, not giving enough differentiation between each character's stories.
In all, the plot itself interests me enough and even compels me to move forward until the end to see what happens to our characters. If you're a fan of historical fiction, particularly ones focused on political and conspiratorial fiction, Autumn in Oxford is one for you.
Scroll on down for your chance to win a copy. For my clean readers, there are mentions of intimacy, but not too overt.
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through TLC Book Tours for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.
January 12, 2017
A brilliant novel of post-WWII, cold-war paranoia and the chaotic aftermath of the espionage that took place during WWII among the US, Russia and Britain. There were so many double-agents that I don't even know if the spies knew whose side they were really on...they were probably just trying to stay alive. This story catches up with a former spy, Tom Wrought, who escaped the US after being blacklisted for having communist sympathies as a student twenty years before. Now Tom is a Pulitzer Prize winning historian who has secured a teaching position at Oxford and is trying to live a normal life. His marriage isn't great and he falls in love with his married neighbor, Liz. The affair is the normal story...but en route to a rendezvouz, Tom witnesses Liz's husband being pushed in front of a train in the London Underground. Within 24 hours, Tom has been arrested. This is where the story gets interested...we know Tom didn't commit the murder so who has enough reason to frame him for the murder. The story then unfolds, providing insight into Tom's introduction to the communist party, the major players, his time at University, leaving the party and then his actions in WWII as a defender of the black soldiers and eventually, a spy. So who wants him out of the way...the KGB, M15, M16, the FBI, the CIA...what secrets does Tom know??? In a race against time, Liz and a young soliciter, Alice, attempt to uncover the truth and save Tom and themselves before it's too late. This was a fascinating story, with many actual events and major players of the time. It was well-written, full of interesting historical events and kept me hooked to the final page. An excellent read for anyone interested in history.
I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 23, 2016
I won this E-book as a Goodreads Firstread. Tom Wrought is an Pulitzer Prize winner and author. Though married, he falls in love with Liz, also married with children. Thus the affair begins. So much time was spent on exploring this relationship that I almost set the book aside as I could not see where it was headed. Even when Liz's husband is murdered, and Tom is framed for the murder, it took awhile to get into Tom's background and to explain why he was being framed. The book does get more intersting as Tom's previous life as an employee of the group that was a precursor to M16 is explored. The conspiracy theories and tensions between agencies like the FBI, CIA, M15 and M16 as well as the KGB were interesting though at times a bit confusing. Each agency had their own motives and agendas for framing Tom or for helping him. The most likeable character in the book is Tom's lawyer Alice. She is dying of cancer and finds relief in doing what she loves the most and being part of this very complex case. Having nothing to lose, she takes risks in order to gain her client's freedom. I give this a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars as the latter 2/3rds of the book kept my attention and were based on actual historical characters and events of the Cold War and the years when J Edgar Hoover was on a mission gathering intelligence and acting as judge and jury on so many. A good read.
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