Spies of the Balkans

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Average Rating
Series
Night soldiers volume 11
Publisher
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language
English

Description

Greece, 1940. Not sunny vacation Greece: northern Greece, Macedonian Greece, Balkan Greece—the city of Salonika. In that ancient port, with its wharves and warehouses, dark lanes and Turkish mansions, brothels and tavernas, 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 suffered by the Nazis, who have conquered most of Europe. But Adolf Hitler cannot tolerate such freedom; the invasion is coming, it’s only a matter of time, and the people of Salonika can only watch and wait.At the center of this drama is Costa Zannis, a senior police official, head of an office that handles special “political” cases. As war approaches, the spies begin to circle, from the Turkish legation to the German secret service. There’s a British travel writer, a Bulgarian undertaker, and more. Costa Zannis must deal with them all. And he is soon in the game, securing an escape route—from Berlin to Salonika, and then to a tenuous safety in Turkey, a route protected by German lawyers, Balkan detectives, and Hungarian gangsters. And hunted by the Gestapo.Meanwhile, as war threatens, the erotic life of the city grows passionate. For Zannis, that means a British expatriate who owns the local ballet academy, a woman from the dark side of Salonika society, and the wife of a local shipping magnate. Declared “an incomparable expert at his game” by The New York Times, Alan Furst outdoes even his own finest novels in this thrilling new book. With extraordinary authenticity, a superb cast of characters, and heart-stopping tension as it moves from Salonika to Paris to Berlin and back, Spies of the Balkans is a stunning novel about a man who risks everything to right—in many small ways—the world’s evil.

More Details

Contributors
Furst, Alan Author
Gerroll, Daniel Narrator
ISBN
9781400066032
9781410428585
9781442306059
9780679603702
9781442306066
144230605

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Also in this Series

  • Night soldiers (Night soldiers Volume 1) Cover
  • Dark star: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 2) Cover
  • The Polish officer: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 3) Cover
  • The world at night: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 4) Cover
  • Red gold: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 5) Cover
  • Kingdom of shadows (Night soldiers Volume 6) Cover
  • Blood of victory: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 7) Cover
  • Dark voyage: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 8) Cover
  • The foreign correspondent: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 9) Cover
  • The spies of Warsaw: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 10) Cover
  • Spies of the Balkans (Night soldiers Volume 11) Cover
  • Mission to Paris: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 12) Cover
  • A hero of France: a novel (Night soldiers Volume 13) Cover

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Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These atmospheric, intricately plotted spy thriller series are both set in or around the time of World War II, and they will appeal to readers looking tautly written tales of intrepid agents and deadly missions inspired by historical events. -- Derek Keyser
These suspenseful, compelling espionage series vividly evoke historical spycraft, while also exploring the impact of complex, highly personal motivations. The more violent Night Soldiers are set during World War II, while the George Smiley novels depict the Cold War. -- Melissa Gray
These intricately plotted, richly detailed, and tensely atmospheric spy series are both set in Europe around the time of World War II, and feature crisp prose, quiet suspense, and endless twists involving betrayals and double crosses. -- Derek Keyser
Though the Bernhard Gunther Mysteries focus on a detective rather than on spies, the series will appeal to readers looking for tautly written, intricately plotted, and vividly atmospheric tales of danger and deception set in World War 2-era Europe. -- Derek Keyser
These series have the genres "spy fiction" and "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "world war ii" and "spies."
These series have the theme "wartime crime"; the genres "spy fiction" and "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "world war ii" and "spies."
These series have the genres "spy fiction" and "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "spies" and "international intrigue."
These series have the genres "spy fiction" and "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "world war ii," "spies," and "international intrigue."
These series have the appeal factors suspenseful and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "spy fiction" and "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "world war ii" and "spies."

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the subjects "resistance to military occupation," "nazis," and "spies."
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "historical fiction"; and the subjects "world war ii," "spies," and "european history."
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "world war ii," "resistance to military occupation," and "spies."
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "world war ii," "resistance to military occupation," and "spies."
NoveList recommends "Bernhard Gunther mysteries" for fans of "Night soldiers". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "conspiracies," and "international intrigue."
Where dead men meet - Mills, Mark
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "world war ii," "spies," and "conspiracies."
NoveList recommends "John Russell series" for fans of "Night soldiers". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the theme "inspired by real events"; the genre "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "world war ii," "resistance to military occupation," and "nazis."
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "historical mysteries"; and the subjects "world war ii," "spies," and "conspiracies."
These books have the theme "inspired by real events"; the genre "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "nazis," "spies," and "soldiers."
These books have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "refugees, jewish," and "jewish people."

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Readers who enjoy the bleak lyricism, fateful love affairs, and somber atmosphere of Furst's novels may want to try Sebastian Faulks' historical novels. To be fair, they're less action-packed, but Charlotte Gray in particular mixes high adventure with descriptive detail to create a vivid period piece and psychological portrait of people caught in the web of war. -- Shauna Griffin
Both Downing and Furst write intelligent mystery/thrillers set in Pre-World War II Europe. The books have strong period ambience and tension-filled plots that build quietly. The storylines reveal the troubled politics before the War through fully developed characters who live in an ambiguous world and must make difficult choices. -- Merle Jacob
No word better conveys Alan Furst's swift plotting and spare, realistic style than Ambleresque: Eric Ambler's vintage pre-war Thrillers are terse, fast-paced stories that feature pragmatic everymen struggling to survive in a world gone suddenly, desperately wrong, and Furst features similarly reluctant heroes in similarly historic settings and tense, dangerous situations. -- Shauna Griffin
Graham Greene's novels both inspired Alan Furst and provide reading options for Furst's fans. Evoking a convincing picture of a world at war, Greene's tightly plotted stories and his protagonists' psychological depth prefigure the great spy novels of the Cold War and offer a more personal focus than Furst's work. -- Shauna Griffin
Brimming with the kind of dark atmosphere and period detail that characterize Furst's novels, J. Robert Jane's hard-boiled Mysteries set in the grimy decadence of Nazi-occupied France feature more gruesome violence and methodical pacing than most espionage novels but are nevertheless a good choice for Furst's fans. -- Shauna Griffin
John Altman's affinity for the period, swift action, and lean, cinematic style should appeal to fans of Furst. Though with more convoluted plots-there are plenty of reversals and double-crossings-the pace never slows, and the style is suffused with the smoky decadence and tarnished romance of a bygone age. -- Shauna Griffin
Both Alan Furst and Daniel Silva write evocative, atmospheric spy thrillers that share elements like moods of bleak melancholy, complex plots, and solid research. However, Furst's are set in Europe during the 1930s and '40s, and Silva's in the present, though an awareness of the past suffuses his novels. -- Shauna Griffin
Both Alan Furst and Philip Kerr write historical noir novels set in Germany (and in other European settings) during the tense period between World Wars I and II. -- Shauna Griffin
Both Jonathan Rabb and Alan Furst write historical noir novels set in Germany (and in other European settings) during the tense period between World Wars I and II. -- Shauna Griffin
These authors' works have the subjects "nazis," "french resistance (world war ii)," and "resistance to military occupation."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "french resistance (world war ii)," and "resistance to military occupation."
These authors' works have the genre "historical thrillers"; and the subjects "spies," "world war ii," and "nazis."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Furst's early WWII espionage novels The World at Night (1996) and Red Gold (1999) took place in Paris during the Occupation, but lately he has moved earlier in time, to the war's beginnings, when spies of all stripes, official and unofficial, were gathering information and securing alliances for the conflagration to come. He has also moved to the edges of the European theater, to Poland in Spies of Warsaw (2008) and now to Greece and the Balkans. When this story begins, Greece is at war with Italy, and Costa Zannis, a policeman in the northern Greek port city of Salonika, recently injured in battle, has reported back for duty at his old job. Spies English, Turkish, Bulgarian are swarming the city, as everyone awaits the Nazi response to the Greek victories over the Italians. Inevitably, Zannis becomes involved in the intrigue, helping to ferry German Jews from Berlin through Greece to neutral Turkey. And, just as inevitably, he falls in love Furst has always excelled at portraying the way passion blooms while storms gather. There is nothing especially new about this entry in the Furst canon, but the Balkan setting adds another element of tension, as the oft-invaded region faces yet another onslaught. And, once again, Furst captures in brilliant high-definition the roiling, contradictory emotions that flare when in wartime. When somebody takes your country, you help them or you fight them, Zannis' friend, Pavlic, a patriot from Zagreb, says. Yes, but Zannis is equally driven by desires to protect his family and claim a separate peace for himself and his lover. On that delicate psychological fault line, Furst has carved a fabulous career.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in Greece in 1940, this powerful WWII thriller from Furst (The Spies of Warsaw) focuses on Costa Zannis, a senior Salonika police official known for his honesty and ability to settle matters "before they got out of hand." As the Nazis' intentions for Europe's Jews becomes clear, Zannis goes out of his way to aid refugees seeking to escape Germany. When Mussolini's troops invade Greece, Zannis joins the army, where he meets Capt. Marko Pavlic, who as a policeman in Zagreb investigated crimes committed by the Ustashi, Croatian fascists. With their similar politics, Zannis and Pavlic soon become friends and allies. Subtle details foreshadow the coming crimes perpetrated by the Nazis in the Balkans. For example, Zannis learns from a colleague that someone has been taking photos of the contents of a synagogue so that the Germans can more easily identify what to plunder. Furst fans will welcome seeing more books set in less familiar parts of Europe. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

Furst's strength is his consistency; the dude can really evoke an atmosphere, can describe-really intimately-a situation or an encounter that can only have happened, like, 60 years ago. I don't think of myself as a reader of historical fiction, but I like spy stories, a compelling narrative, World War II plots with the clear good guy/bad guy dynamic, and literate detail. So I like Furst, who makes it easy for me to consider the un-American view, and if there's anything I like, it's a little not-American now and then. These Night Soldiers books are populated with lots of not-Americans, from French cinematographers to Italian journalists to Hungarian ad men. Furst's oeuvre has enough of the familiar to keep me anchored, but enough of the unusual to keep me interested. Spies plunks readerdudes down in early-war Macedonia, a primitive place where a policeman works with undercover supersecret spy types against Benito Mussolini to devise a safe escape route from Germany. Hell, yeah. (See LJ's original review in the May 15, 2010 issue.)-Douglas Lord, "Books for Dudes," BookSmack! 7/1/10 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Furst's early WWII espionage novels—The World at Night (1996) and Red Gold (1999)—took place in Paris during the Occupation, but lately he has moved earlier in time, to the war's beginnings, when spies of all stripes, official and unofficial, were gathering information and securing alliances for the conflagration to come. He has also moved to the edges of the European theater, to Poland in Spies of Warsaw (2008) and now to Greece and the Balkans. When this story begins, Greece is at war with Italy, and Costa Zannis, a policeman in the northern Greek port city of Salonika, recently injured in battle, has reported back for duty at his old job. Spies—English, Turkish, Bulgarian—are swarming the city, as everyone awaits the Nazi response to the Greek victories over the Italians. Inevitably, Zannis becomes involved in the intrigue, helping to ferry German Jews from Berlin through Greece to neutral Turkey. And, just as inevitably, he falls in love—Furst has always excelled at portraying the way passion blooms while storms gather. There is nothing especially new about this entry in the Furst canon, but the Balkan setting adds another element of tension, as the oft-invaded region faces yet another onslaught. And, once again, Furst captures in brilliant high-definition the roiling, contradictory emotions that flare when in wartime. "When somebody takes your country, you help them or you fight them," Zannis' friend, Pavlic, a patriot from Zagreb, says. Yes, but Zannis is equally driven by desires to protect his family and claim a separate peace for himself and his lover. On that delicate psychological fault line, Furst has carved a fabulous career. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

In Salonika, Macedonia, just as World War II is erupting, senior police official Costa Zannis must help organize an escape route from Berlin through the Balkans to neutral Turkey. Sounds like classic Furst! With a six-city tour. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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Library Journal Reviews

In his intense yet subtle way, Furst (The Spies of Warsaw) takes readers to the Greek city of Salonika (now more commonly known as Thessaloniki) in October 1940, just months before the Germans hoist their occupying flag on the Acropolis the following April. Senior police official Costa Zannis, calm yet passionate in his lusty body and loyal soul, has insinuating ways that lead him to deep and sensitive knowledge that others covet. Just as Fascist Italy starts its attack on Greece, Zannis begins working with confederates in other Balkan cities to shepherd escaping German Jews to safety in Turkey until time runs out for them all. VERDICT With ten novels behind him, Furst has perfected a historical espionage genre that illuminates an ordinary man whom fate has picked for quiet heroism. Furst fans will argue about their favorite books, but the Balkan twists and turns in this masterly triumph of plotting, history, and character development will be a hit this summer. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/10.]—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

[Page 68]. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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Library Journal Reviews

Furst's strength is his consistency; the dude can really evoke an atmosphere, can describe-really intimately-a situation or an encounter that can only have happened, like, 60 years ago. I don't think of myself as a reader of historical fiction, but I like spy stories, a compelling narrative, World War II plots with the clear good guy/bad guy dynamic, and literate detail. So I like Furst, who makes it easy for me to consider the un-American view, and if there's anything I like, it's a little not-American now and then. These Night Soldiers books are populated with lots of not-Americans, from French cinematographers to Italian journalists to Hungarian ad men. Furst's oeuvre has enough of the familiar to keep me anchored, but enough of the unusual to keep me interested. Spies plunks readerdudes down in early-war Macedonia, a primitive place where a policeman works with undercover supersecret spy types against Benito Mussolini to devise a safe escape route from Germany. Hell, yeah. (See LJ's original review in the May 15, 2010 issue.)-Douglas Lord, "Books for Dudes," BookSmack! 7/1/10 Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Set in Greece in 1940, this powerful WWII thriller from Furst (The Spies of Warsaw) focuses on Costa Zannis, a senior Salonika police official known for his honesty and ability to settle matters "before they got out of hand." As the Nazis' intentions for Europe's Jews becomes clear, Zannis goes out of his way to aid refugees seeking to escape Germany. When Mussolini's troops invade Greece, Zannis joins the army, where he meets Capt. Marko Pavlic, who as a policeman in Zagreb investigated crimes committed by the Ustashi, Croatian fascists. With their similar politics, Zannis and Pavlic soon become friends and allies. Subtle details foreshadow the coming crimes perpetrated by the Nazis in the Balkans. For example, Zannis learns from a colleague that someone has been taking photos of the contents of a synagogue so that the Germans can more easily identify what to plunder. Furst fans will welcome seeing more books set in less familiar parts of Europe. (June)

[Page 30]. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

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