Sunday, February 18, 2018

SPIES OF THE BALKANS - Alan Furst

























Greece, 1940. Not sunny vacation Greece: Northern Greece, Macedonian Greece, Balkan Greece - the city of Salonika.  In that ancient port, with its wharves and brothels, dark alleys and Turkish mansions, a tense political drama is being played out.  On the northern border, the Greek army has blocked Mussolini's invasion, pushing his divisions back to Albania - the first defeat for an ally of the Nazi's, who have conquered most of Europe.  But Adolf Hitler will not tolerate such defiance: in the spring he will invade the Balkans and the people of Salonika can only watch and wait.

This story centres on Costa Zannis,a senior police official who finds himself surrounded by spies from all sides. And on the side he has found himself setting up an escape route for German Jews from Berlin, which sets the Gestapo onto him.

This is a good tight thriller with Furst's detail to history making it an all around interesting read.  As with all Furst's stories it shows what the ordinary people did during this time of war.

This is one theatre of the war that I've never even knew about let  alone read about.  Recommended.



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THE SECRET LIFE OF J.EDGAR HOOVER - Anthony Summers

  A man who abused his position like no other public servant in history.  A vile little man.