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    Mission to Paris
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    Mission to Paris
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    Mission to Paris
    Audiobook9 hours

    Mission to Paris

    Written by Alan Furst

    Narrated by Daniel Gerroll

    3.5/5

    ()

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    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Autumn 1939, war has been declared, and though bullets and bombs are yet to fly, Frederic Stahl's decision to shoot a film in Paris seems ill-advised. Soon after his arrival, Stahl is drawn into a clandestine world of foreign correspondents, and spies of every sort. As a celebrity from neutral America - who can travel across the continent freely - Stahl could be very useful indeed ...
    'Ideally complex, intelligent, hugely intriguing, Furst is in a class of his own' WILLIAM BOYD on Night Soldiers
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateJan 9, 2014
    ISBN9781471252754
    Unavailable
    Mission to Paris
    Author

    Alan Furst

    Alan Furst is widely recognized as the master of the historical spy novel. He is the author of Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, The World at Night, Red Gold, Kingdom of Shadows, Blood of Victory, and Dark Voyage. Born in New York, he has lived for long periods in France, especially Paris. He now lives on Long Island, New York. Visit the author's website at AlanFurst.net.

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    Reviews for Mission to Paris

    3.5/5

    319 ratings58 reviews

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    • 4/5
      1938 France walks on a high-tension wire. Germany has re-armed and is on the march. Austria has become part of the glorious Reich, the Sudetenland and Danzig are being vociferously claimed and the French wait to see what Hitler plans next.Some French have already succumbed, willingly, to what they see as inevitable. Businessmen openly admire the new Germany and use their connections with certain newspapers to propagandize in favor of authoritarianism, falsely positing that anything to the left of that is equivalent to the menace of bolshevism. Too many politicians and bureaucrats are also ready to accept Germany's domination of Europe.Many of France's refugees, on the other hand, are too well acquainted with the Third Reich to be anything but frightened for the future of France and themselves. Embassy and intelligence personnel from other countries, stationed in Paris, anxiously monitor develops and prepare for the worst.Into this seething atmosphere comes Frederic Stahl, an American movie star who has arrived in Paris to make a movie. Stahl was born in Austria under the name Franz Stalka, then lived in Paris for several years. No admirer of the Nazis, Stahl is surprised to find many Germans and German-friendly French in Paris's high society---and just as surprised to find himself assiduously courted by them.When courting is followed by pressure and threats by Germany's agents to get Stahl to act, essentially, as a celebrity supporter of the Reich, Stahl decides to become a player on the other side of the intelligence and influence war being waged.Though I read a lot of World War II-era fiction, I have not been a fan of Alan Furst in the past, largely because I haven't been engaged by his characters. But I'm very much an admirer of this book--even if I'd still say characterization isn't Furst's strong suit. You might think that a pre-war espionage story can't be compelling, but Furst masterfully evokes feelings of tension and frustration as we see the inevitable cataclysm building and Stahl's efforts to hold back the storm. He also seems to effortlessly put the reader into the scenes he's created, so that we are there on the Paris streets, at the glittering parties, in the cafés, on the movie set.In some ways, this book reminded me of William Boyd's Restless: A Novel, which also tells the tale of an agent engaged in pre-war intelligence; in that case a female agent working in the U.S. for Britain, hoping to move the U.S. away from isolationism. I would recommend that book and this one for fascinating views at how war works before the shots are fired.DISCLOSURE: I received a free review copy of this book.
    • 5/5
      A very clever story about an actor becoming a secret agent in the middle of making a movie in France. You feel the imminent cloud of the Nazi threat hanging over everything! Great book and beautifully narrated.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed reading Alan Furst's new novel, Mission to Paris. It is the story of a successful Hollywood character actor who travels to Europe from Los Angeles in 1938 for location filming of a French adventure movie. Frederic Stahl arrives in Paris and makes contact with a number of Warner's studio representatives. Stahl has had a stellar career, and has earned the VIP treatment in terms of the provisions of hotel, food, drink, and transportation. He also is the focus of the European press and Germans living in Paris who are sympathetic to the Nazi Party. Members of the press interview him about his political views and the Nazi sympathizers court him hoping to bring positive publicity to Hitler's movement.When the Nazis invite Stahl to join a panel of film experts in Berlin to judge movies presented in a German mountain film festival, Stahl at first declines. His excuse is not language-related since he was born and raised in Austria. He has been warned by Warner's studio people to stay out of European politics. He is contacted by an official in the US foreign service who talks Stahl into going to the festival with the purpose of performing some low level spy activity. Frederic is an intelligent actor and a bit of a risk taker so he travels to Berlin with a bundle of US money and a secret mission.Frederic Stahl is a very likable and handsome person much like the popular US actor, George Clooney. He enjoys life in all of its finer aspects, and he has earned this high standard of living over the years through hard work as an actor. He would rather not be involved in pre-war politics, but he is the right person in the wrong time in history and decides to risk his comfortable life by committing time and effort to resisting social evil.Alan Furst is a great stylist, and his narrative matches perfectly the point of view of Frederic Stahl. It is sophisticated, low key, suave, and knowledgeable in the descriptions of the high life and adventure. Readers share Stahl's enjoyment of fine hotels, vintage wines, delicious food, and stimulating sexual relationships. They also share the tension of his risky amateur spy activity. And through it all, Stahl continues to work hard as an actor maintaining the intermittent filming schedule of the film's director.Within the category of "Fiction - Thrillers" designation given by Random House, this is a top notch novel. I give it 5/5 stars and highly recommend the book to devotees of this literary category.
    • 4/5
      A well told story featuring a number of interesting characters and providing a glimpse of life and politics in Europe in the lead up to WWII.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoy Alan Furst's novels. He has a unique take on historical fiction where he creates a character that is in Europe during the World War II era and takes us through their story. This book looks at an American movie star who was born in Vienna and travels to Paris (and beyond) to film a movie in the years leading up to the start of the War. He actions involve him a bit with both sides of the spy world, and I liked those experiences in this book.

      The reason for three stars is that this particular story never really took off. I kept waiting for some real action or for one of the characters to fully commit to one side of the pending conflict or the other, but nothing like that ever really happened.

      To close, not a bad read, but not as good as his previous books (that I have read).
    • 3/5
      This is my first introduction (other than by reputation) to Alan Furst, and while the novel was interesting and well-researched from a historical perspective it just wasn't a great spy thriller. Perhaps, I was hoping Mission to Paris would be grittier, but it seems like Furst was more interested in telling this pre-WWII spy novel in the tone and style of a Cary Grant/Gary Cooper movie script. Stahl is a pawn in a political/spy/war game between big power; a lover of a lot of attractive and dangerous women; a reluctant hero, a smoldering spy. Yeesh. It wasn't THAT over-the-top, but it just wasn't what I expected. Predicable, and almost throw-away, but still enjoyable. Mission to Paris is a good vacation or beach read, just not a spectacular spy nove
    • 5/5
      As far as I am concerned, Alan Furst owns espionage fiction from the date of the Munich Agreement to Pearl Harbor. Nobody conveys the sense of dread and the inevitability of World War II. His characters are typically antifascists from Balkan countries, Greece, Poland or the Baltic states. The protagonist this time is Fredric Stahl an Austrian-born actor who has lived in the United States for eight years. He has come to Paris in the Fall of 1938 to star in a movie. Stahl has come to the attention of the Ribbentropburo after an agent has read in Variety that he is enroute to Paris. The Ribbentropburo engages in political warfare, what we would call today psychological operations, or psyops. The Nazis did this in every country in Europe that stood in the path of Blitzkreig. In France they have formed Franco-German friendship groups and business alliances. They hammered away on the futility of war and attack as war mongers those who want to build up French defenses and lessen dependence on the Maginot Line. They funded sympathetic politicians, journalists, and intellectuals. Stahl falls in the sights of the psyops. He is interviewed and finds that they are slanted to make him seem in favor of the coming new order. Angered, he tries to fight back and finds himself threatened. Stahl has made contact with an intelligence officer in the Paris embassy. He agrees to judge a German mountain film festival and brings in a large quantity of Swiss Francs to pay an intelligence asset in Berlin. Eventually he must flee France and return to the United States.
    • 5/5
      Synopsis/blurb........Frederic Stahl, a Hollywood film star, travels from Beverly Hills to the boulevards of Paris. It is a dangerous, difficult, seductive time: Europe is about to explode, and the Parisians are living every night as though it were their last. As filming progresses, Stahl is drawn into a clandestine world of foreign correspondents, embassy officials, and spies of every sort. His engagements take him from the bistros of Paris to the back alleys of Morocco; from a Hungarian castle to Kristallnacht, and the chilling heart of the Third Reich. But can he survive as German operatives track him across Paris? Gripping, haunting, and deeply passionate, Mission to Paris is the ultimate portrait of a people at war and Alan Furst's most panoramic, lovingly described, and finest book to date.My first Alan Furst book and it was an absolute cracker. I have a lot of his earlier work sat around at home unread, but on the basis of this offering, hopefully for not too much longer. Furst’s Mission To Paris is set – guess where? Paris in 1938. Our hero, Fredrik Stahl, an Austrian by birth and a successful actor in LA is making a film in Europe. Returning to Paris, after some years away, he becomes immersed in the manipulations and machinations of Parisian society. His presence in the city is seized upon by none too subtle Nazi elements that seek to use him to advance their cause. Stahl, unsympathetic to their aims, tries to avoid becoming a stooge for the Germans in the war being fought in the press about the French government’s preferred stance towards Hitler. Opt for appeasement and hope he leaves them be? Or stand up to the playground bully in the near certain knowledge that French resistance on its own would be easily overcome by the German military machine.This is where I struggle with my reviews generally, how much detail do I put in, how much do I leave out?Furst masterfully portrays a conflicted society and city; factions embracing the impending era of Nazi dominance and endeavouring to speed its ascent, factions fearful of the changes to come and the ever-invasive dread of what Nazism will mean for their families and friends, many of them having departed Germany previously in terror at the growing right-wing menace.Furst’s Stahl was a realistic and compelling hero. Overcoming his initial reservations, he is increasingly drawn into a shadowy world of espionage, trying to provide a conduit for information between Americans anxious to influence the President at home regarding the German menace and practical support for agents on the ground in Berlin, at the risk to his public persona. Before too long the stakes are raised and Stahl is sucked into not just a battle to preserve his career, but his life and that of the woman he has fallen for. Intelligent and educational, gripping, exciting and scary; this was one of the best books I’ve read in the past year or so, let alone this month.5 from 5 I borrowed my copy form my local library in Leighton Buzzard.
    • 3/5
      OK spy story just before war with Nazis. A bit racy in spots.
    • 3/5
      3.5
      It was good, but it felt like something was missing. History and espionage but dry-ish.
    • 5/5
      I'm addicted to Alan Furst's Europe-in-World War II novels.They're all connected, even if the protagonists and other main characters are different, and this book has many references to characters and incidents in other of his novels. The setting, as it often is in his books, is Paris in 1938-39, on the brink of war. An American movie star, but European by birth, is in Paris to film a movie, where he becomes a subject of interest to influential members of a group advocating for peace and cooperation with Germany, aka appeasement. If they can get the American actor, Fredric Stahl, to appear to be a friend of Germany and an advocate for peace, it will be quite a coup for the Nazi propaganda machine. And those attempts bring Stahl to the American embassy in Paris, where he becomes an informal spy, one of many, being run out of the embassy to spy on Germans. Stahl's role is mostly as a courier, but it is a dangerous one.At so many points in this novel, it felt like more than the usual work of historical fiction. It felt like a primer for today, especially when a journalist explains to him how the Nazis are trying to use him and how they manipulate the media, behind the scenes, to shape the public's perceptions and influence their opinions. How smear campaigns were used to destroy anyone trying to warn France of the Nazi danger and the need to re-arm France for war. So much of what Hitler's minions and wealthy and influential French people did echoes what is going on today. Control the media, control the message, and you can control enough of the population. And as we now know, it mostly worked for Germany, because when they did invade France, they met with weak military resistance. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, but the invasion these days doesn't necessarily come from without, but from within to slowly erode democracy.I read a lot of historical fiction and a lot of science fiction and I realized they have one thing in common: They both point out human behavior, with lessons for us to learn, lessons too many people never learn, and so, we keep making the same mistakes. This book is one of Furst's best, a good blend of intrigue, suspense, characters to root for, and a history lesson that shouldn't be ignored.
    • 3/5
      Europe on the brink of war and an American movie star travels to Paris to make a french movie. He gets caught up in The German Reich Foreign ministry web as someone to help in publicity for their cause. They want Paris to surrender to Germany before war comes. Fredric Stahl is one of many interesting characters in this novel filled with German bad guys and french aristocrats and emigres.The plot is okay but lacks great plot twists or surprises. What I enjoyed very much was the time in Paris, the heart and soul of Europe in this novel. It's restaurants and cafes, hotels, and streets scapes arebrought to life at this dark time in history.
    • 4/5
      Alan Furst never disappoints me.This time the hero is Frederic Stahl an Austrian born Hollywood movie star who is in Paris in 1938 to star in movie called Après la Guerre. The city is crawling with Nazis and he is covertly approached by several who want to have him work on their side. Stahl wants nothing to do with them and finds refuge with the American attaché, Wilkinson who connects him with a Russian actress and spy Olga Orlova who has deep contacts with Hitler's henchmen.Lots of intrigue, filming in Paris, Morocco and Hungary and a daring escape from Hungary. Good spy novel.
    • 3/5
      I'm a huge Alan Furst fan and this is his first novel that disappointed me. The story line was OK for the most part, but the dialogue and the atmosphere created by his narrative didn't exactly ring true. The dialogue in particular bothered me, especially early on in the story. Very "mannered" sounding, which along with the narrative attempted to create a glamorous milieu for the lead character, a famous American actor of Viennese descent.

      In his previous books, you (or at least I) could sort of close my eyes and imagine the scene and the action taking place. Not so much in this one. It was still a decent read, but not one to savor. If you're just starting to read Furst, please start elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      Good read. Blew through the details of movie making and I would have liked to see more interaction w Stahl and the Germans. Also would have like more description of Constanta to Lisbon but he probably wanted to end the book.
    • 5/5
      As an off-and-on fan of spy novels and movies, I am both chagrined and pleased to have learned about Alan Furst a few days ago. Mission to Paris is not his latest novel, but I was attracted by the title and its reference to Paris.The novel takes place in 1938 and 1939, when pre-World War II tension was at its peak. Hollywood movie star Fredric Stahl — through a series of intra-studio machinations involving trading the services of one star for another — ends up being assigned to do a movie in Paris for the European market. Fredric is an émigré to the United States from Vienna and, because he does not have the protection U.S. citizenship would have afforded him, he is targeted by the Nazi propaganda machine to entice him into contributing to pro-Nazi cultural causes. Fredric resists, and the Nazis do not take no for an answer, so a game of cat and mouse ensues as he finds himself more and more threatened by the course of events.In addition to the intrigue that carries the story along, one receives several subtle lessons in WWII history that one is unlikely to have read about in the history books. Mission to Paris brought to the forefront the vulnerability in those years of émigrés to France from lands under Nazi influence or control. In the immediate lead-up to the war, Nazi agents operating in France sub rosa treated the émigrés almost as escaped criminals, and many of them, having no papers, were living in a constant state of fear of deportation or worse. The film Casablanca touches on this to some extent, but Furst manages to demonstrate how subtly the Nazis operated in this sphere even before the war had begun.The Nazis were also behind a so-called peace movement that fostered improved relations between France and Germany but really had as its motive to bring France under German hegemony without the necessity of an invasion. They had recruited émigré aristocrats and businessmen to their cause, trying to take advantage of the level of fear of a war with Germany that gripped all of Europe at the time. Mission to Paris weaves these issues into the action so you come away feeling doubly compensated for time invested in the book. Not only is it the fast-paced action that carries the reader along, but the book delivers an interesting historical perspective as well, and you come away with a better understanding of what it felt like to be in Paris at that crucial period. Alan Furst's writing is unexpectedly graceful and even lyrical at times. Here is how the novel opens:In Paris, the evenings of September are sometimes warm, excessively gentle, and, in the magic particular to that city, irresistibly seductive. The autumn of the year 1938 began in just such weather and on the terraces of the best cafés, in the famous restaurants, at the dinner parties one wished to attend, the conversation was, of necessity, lively and smart: fashion, cinema, love affaires, politics, and, yes, the possibility of war — that too had its moment.I find it hard to resist such evocative writing and will definitely look forward to reading more of Furst's books in the near future.
    • 4/5
      Typical Alan Furst, which means exquisite historical detail, slow building tension with violence and menace lurking in the background. Here the background is Paris in late 1938 as the city panics over the Munich crisis and then slowly resigns itslef to more tension. The Germans are busy pulling strings in the French media to get what they want, even if that means the occasional murder is necessary. Furst's hero is an American screen actor who is seemingly sent to Paris to make a movie but who becomes part of an informal spy network run out of the American embassy. The actor himself is not aware of all the forces combining to influence him until the Nazis overplay their hand. Then he agrees to run an errand for the embassy that involves passing money to a beautiful but ruthless Russian spy.
    • 4/5
      This was such a satisfying book! Interestingly enough, I found that it had a very slow start, so much so that had my commute been 10 minutes instead of 60, I quite possibly would have abandoned my introduction to Alan Furst and his teetering-on-the-edge-of-war Paris. Thank Bob my office moved to Bumfluck, Louisiana. And this is truly the only good thing about the move.I don't have much experience with spy novels, much less books about World War II. Actually, I don't think I have any experience at all. Aside from the Mrs. Pollifax novels by Dorothy Gilman, that's about it. (and daring to compare Gilman and Furst is like comparing Bram Stoker and Charlaine Harris) But Alan Furst has changed that. This wonderfully tense tale about an actor unwittingly drawn into Hitler's world was I really want to experience more of his dark late 30's Europe. I listened to an audio version and the narration was spot on. The accents were well delineated and the characters were each given a distinct voice. This was most enjoyable and I would recommend Mission to Paris to thriller fans everywhere.
    • 4/5
      Not sure why this was offered under the Goodreads ARC program(it was published 2 years ago) but, as always, I enjoy Alan Furst novels and Mission to Paris was no exception. Furst is a master at building pre-war atmosphere of Paris in the late 30's.
    • 2/5
      Sounds like an interesting plot – It is 1938 when a Hollywood movie star travels to Paris to make a film and the Nazis want to use him for their own propaganda. Although a very descriptive Paris of that time but it becomes tedious as does the characters and the filmmaking. It just didn’t seem to flow, nor entice me to know or feel for the characters. It was an okay read from an author who has done better.
    • 3/5
      Mission to Paris is an atmospheric and intriguing look into World War II Paris. We follow our hero, actor Frederick Stahl through a troubled film shoot, unofficial spy craft, romances, and not-so-subtle enemy influence. Furst gives the reader a noir filled adventure that will linger on in your memories. Free review copy.
    • 3/5
      Set in 1938, Hitler has just invaded Czechoslovakia, is on the verge of doing the same to Poland, and has his eye on France. Into this cauldron comes Fredrich Stahl, a Hollywood actor of Austrian origins, who arrives in Paris on an invitation to make a movie ironically titled 'Apres La Guerre', which, in his opinion, highlights the futility of war. The German secret service are aware of his arrival and seek to make use of his fame for their own cause, first attempting to woo and trick him into making a statement to the journalist recommending the French keep peace with Germany instead of arming themselves for war with them, and then to cajole and finally threaten him into attending a Berlin film festival. Unbeknownst to them, his personal opinion of Nazi Germany is far from flattering, but his attempts to stay out of politics is futile and eventually he has no choice but to get involved ... as an untrained spy for his contact at the American Embassy, putting his own life in danger on multiple occasions. As far as spy thrillers go, this is a rather gently written one. The tension mounts gradually, escalating only in the last chapter of the book. There are 2 gems in this book, in my opinion. The first is the character development of Fredrich Stahl. His character is given a multi-layered coat and as each layer is peeled off, he discards his shallow exterior to expose a brave and determined man of integrity and honor. The second gem is the manner in which the author paints a picture of cities of Berlin, Paris, Morocco and Hungary, putting a spotlight on the contrasts between the people and the atmosphere in each of these cities at the time.
    • 5/5
      Alan Furst may be my favorite author these days. I love history and his books delve into one of my favorite eras; the inter-war period of 1920's and 1930's Europe. Readers who have read other Furst masterpieces will find this one just another gem in a series. For those who have not, what you get with a Furst novel is a lovingly crafted description of a place, in this case Paris, back in the day. The ambiance of the place and period are superbly described. The characters are also invariably interesting and many repeat time and again in each novel. The main character in this novel may be a minor but significant character in the next. All in all, as many other critics say, Alan Furst is the foremost author creating "film noir" in books. You will finish the book in day or two; it's that good.
    • 4/5
      I won this book via a GoodReads giveaway.This is the first book I've read by Alan Furst and it certainly won't be the last. His writing is smooth as silk and readily conveys the lurking menace of pre-WW2 France and Germany as the Nazis enlist a subversive PR campaign dedicated to undermining French resistance to German expansion.Mission to Paris follows Fredric Stahl, a mid-level Hollywood actor of Austrian origins, as he makes a movie in Paris, France and brief shoots in Morocco and Hungary. This allows Furst to explore popular culture in 1938 France and illustrate the political complexities that developed before World War 2. Using a in-demand handsome actor as the focus allows Furst to explore different levels of society as well as giving romantic overtones to the novel. Furst's deft hand resounds throughout the book and brings a very personal touch to WW2 era Europe. The feeling of danger and intrigue is overwhelming at times.
    • 4/5
      Why, in late 1938, when tens of thousands of people are fleeing from Europe, is Frederic Stahl headed to Paris? For a film star like Stahl, working for Warner Brothers Studios, all it that matters is that Jack Warner wants him in France for a movie. What Jack Warner wants, Jack Warner gets. In the face of threats and bullying from Germany's Hitler, France and all of Europe is in turmoil. Many Parisians think it would be better to just give in and unify under Germany rather than fight another devastating war. Others would rather fight to the death than submit to the atrocities they already see spreading under Hitler's regime. Corruption and outside influence are quickly dividing an already shaky French government. Stahl, born in Austria and educated in Europe before finding his new name in American films, has always had a love for Paris. He looks forward to returning, but while the streets and sites are the same, the people and the political atmosphere have changed. Stahl is quickly swooped up by the provocateurs infesting Paris. He is pressured by German aristocrats and diplomats living in Paris, who see him as a possible sympathizer or perhaps a pawn to be used in this most dangerous game. The French also put pressure on him to join on one side or the other of the chasm dividing Paris. Stahl has to do his best to complete his movie while trying to decide whether to stay neutral like his new homeland America, or take sides, as his once beloved Paris changes around him. This flows like a well made early 1940's espionage film. You can just see picture it on a screen in black and white with a cast of international stars from one of the major film studio's list of contract players. It would be great to film it as an homage to the magnificent movies Hollywood used to make.
    • 4/5
      Mission to Paris is so evocative of that city in 1938 that readers will feel as if they've time-travelled to that significant time in the history of both Paris and the world. Alan Furst's descriptions of the intrigue that hung over the city like a dense fog of mingled fear and obliviousness paint a bittersweet portrait of a time where every action needed to be scrutinized for double meaning. Only Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise, written about Paris as the Nazis entered in 1940, can compare in so richly portraying the atmosphere of dread overtaking even the smallest moments. That Furst's protagonist, Fredric Stahl, is an actor swept up by chance into espionage makes it clear how no one could escape the growing threat of Nazi Germany.
    • 5/5
      Furst is an old pro and he makes the creation of this compelling tale look easy. Readers are drawn to things almost everyone loves--great food, champagne, Paris, movie stars--and things they hate: the Nazis, who, after nearly 75 years are despicable as ever. Pre-war Europe is the author's chosen period, and he has mined the black and white moral choices of his characters in many works. Here a European film star who has made it big in Hollywood returns to France to make a movie. We learn about pre-production, casting, and other technical aspects of film making as the star enjoys first-class life in the world's first-class city. Beautiful people though have agendas too, and some are seeking to undermine France as Germany prepares for war. Suddenly the star discovers he is being played by everyone, and he is forced to make decisions which test his heart, his courage, and his moral compass. This complexity unfolds with the practiced ease of a good waiter serving a stunning feast. The tension runs to the last page and my only regret is that Mission to Paris is so short.
    • 3/5
      The situation, an Austrian born American movie actor in Paris in 1939, is excellent, It reveals the internal conflicts and the weakness of the French. the characters are one dimensional and the plot is unimaginative.
    • 4/5
      1938 France walks on a high-tension wire. Germany has re-armed and is on the march. Austria has become part of the glorious Reich, the Sudetenland and Danzig are being vociferously claimed and the French wait to see what Hitler plans next.Some French have already succumbed, willingly, to what they see as inevitable. Businessmen openly admire the new Germany and use their connections with certain newspapers to propagandize in favor of authoritarianism, falsely positing that anything to the left of that is equivalent to the menace of bolshevism. Too many politicians and bureaucrats are also ready to accept Germany's domination of Europe.Many of France's refugees, on the other hand, are too well acquainted with the Third Reich to be anything but frightened for the future of France and themselves. Embassy and intelligence personnel from other countries, stationed in Paris, anxiously monitor develops and prepare for the worst.Into this seething atmosphere comes Frederic Stahl, an American movie star who has arrived in Paris to make a movie. Stahl was born in Austria under the name Franz Stalka, then lived in Paris for several years. No admirer of the Nazis, Stahl is surprised to find many Germans and German-friendly French in Paris's high society---and just as surprised to find himself assiduously courted by them.When courting is followed by pressure and threats by Germany's agents to get Stahl to act, essentially, as a celebrity supporter of the Reich, Stahl decides to become a player on the other side of the intelligence and influence war being waged.Though I read a lot of World War II-era fiction, I have not been a fan of Alan Furst in the past, largely because I haven't been engaged by his characters. But I'm very much an admirer of this book--even if I'd still say characterization isn't Furst's strong suit. You might think that a pre-war espionage story can't be compelling, but Furst masterfully evokes feelings of tension and frustration as we see the inevitable cataclysm building and Stahl's efforts to hold back the storm. He also seems to effortlessly put the reader into the scenes he's created, so that we are there on the Paris streets, at the glittering parties, in the cafés, on the movie set.In some ways, this book reminded me of William Boyd's Restless: A Novel, which also tells the tale of an agent engaged in pre-war intelligence; in that case a female agent working in the U.S. for Britain, hoping to move the U.S. away from isolationism. I would recommend that book and this one for fascinating views at how war works before the shots are fired.DISCLOSURE: I received a free review copy of this book.
    • 2/5
      I choose this title because of the rave reviews about the author and was disappointed - the writing was dry and lackluster, the plot predictable and not gripping - think I may try some of his earlier works as his reputation was built on them.