Then We Take Berlin: A Novel
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Lawton, John Author
Series
Published
Grove Atlantic , 2013.
Status
Available from Libby/OverDrive

Available Platforms

Libby/OverDrive
Titles may be read via Libby/OverDrive. Libby/OverDrive is a free app that allows users to borrow and read digital media from their local library, including ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Users can access Libby/OverDrive through the Libby/OverDrive app or online. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.
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Description

Joe Wilderness is a World War II orphan, a condition that he thinks excuses him from common morality. Cat burglar, card sharp, and Cockney wide boy, the last thing he wants is to get drafted. But in 1946 he finds himself in the Royal Air Force, facing a stretch in military prison . . . when along comes Lt Colonel Burne-Jones to tell him MI6 has better use for his talents.Posted to occupied Berlin, interrogating ex-Nazis, and burgling the odd apartment for MI6, Wilderness finds himself with time on his hands and the devil making work. He falls in with Frank, a US Army captain, with Eddie, a British artilleryman and with Yuri, a major in the NKVD and together they lift the black market scam to a new level. Coffee never tasted so sweet. And he falls for Nell Breakheart, a German girl who has witnessed the worst that Germany could do and is driven by all the scruples that Wilderness lacks.Fifteen years later, June 1963. Wilderness is free-lance and down on his luck. A gumshoe scraping by on divorce cases. Frank is a big shot on Madison Avenue, cooking up one last Berlin scam . . . for which he needs Wilderness once more. Only now they're not smuggling coffee, they're smuggling people. And Nell? Nell is on the staff of West Berlin's mayor Willy Brandt, planning for the state visit of the most powerful man in the world: "Ich bin ein Berliner!"Then We Take Berlin is a gripping, meticulously researched and richly detailed historical thriller – a moving story of espionage and war, and people caught up in the most tumultuous events of the twenty-first century.

More Details

Format
eBook, Kindle
Street Date
09/03/2013
Language
English
ISBN
9780802193087

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Also in this Series

  • Then we take Berlin (Joe Wilderness novels Volume 1) Cover
  • The unfortunate Englishman: a Joe Wilderness novel (Joe Wilderness novels Volume 2) Cover
  • Hammer to fall (Joe Wilderness novels Volume 3) Cover
  • Moscow exile (Joe Wilderness novels Volume 4) Cover

Author Notes

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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 intricately plotted spy thrillers feature complex former MI6 agents -- scapegoated (Thomas Kell) or criminally inclined (Joe Wilderness) -- who are recruited back to face off with Russian players. Kell is set in the 70s; Wilderness, in the 60s. -- Andrienne Cruz
These richly detailed and atmospheric historical thrillers will immerse readers looking for suspenseful spycraft missions set in the 1960s. Joe Wilderness is an MI6 agent; Alexander Vasin is KGB, and both operate from each side of the Iron Curtain. -- Andrienne Cruz
Set a decade apart, these suspenseful and atmospheric historical spy thrillers feature Cold War espionage starring MI6 (Joe Wilderness) and CIA (George Mueller) agents in richly detailed storylines involving real-life scenarios and political figures. -- Andrienne Cruz

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 appeal factors cinematic, richly detailed, and intricately plotted, and they have the subjects "men-women relations," "detectives," and "criminals."
These books have the appeal factors richly detailed, strong sense of place, and evocative.
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful and richly detailed, and they have the genres "historical fiction" and "crime fiction"; and the subject "conspiracies."
These books have the appeal factors stylistically complex, and they have the subjects "espionage," "spies," and "intelligence officers."
NoveList recommends "George Mueller novels" for fans of "Joe Wilderness novels". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors stylistically complex, strong sense of place, and unconventional, and they have the theme "caper novels"; the genres "historical fiction" and "crime fiction"; and the subjects "private investigators," "organized crime," and "former police."
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, and they have the subjects "espionage," "men-women relations," and "spies."
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful and strong sense of place, and they have the subjects "espionage," "cold war," and "spies."
These books have the appeal factors richly detailed, strong sense of place, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "hardboiled fiction"; and the subject "private investigators."
NoveList recommends "Thomas Kell novels" for fans of "Joe Wilderness novels". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, cinematic, and richly detailed, and they have the subjects "espionage," "organized crime," and "conspiracies."
NoveList recommends "Alexander Vasin novels" for fans of "Joe Wilderness novels". Check out the first book in the series.

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.
In their historical mysteries set in World War II London, David Davies and John Lawton write realistic depictions of the war-torn city. The stories feature fully realized characters along with swiftly moving, action-filled plots. The main sleuths are likeable young men who must deal with the war and crime. -- Merle Jacob
These authors' works have the appeal factors strong sense of place, and they have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "spies," "espionage," and "intelligence service."
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These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the appeal factors strong sense of place, and they have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genres "historical thrillers" and "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "international intrigue," "spies," and "espionage."
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These authors' works have the genre "spy fiction"; and the subjects "police," "international intrigue," and "spies."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Lawton's superb A Lily of the Field (2010) moved from the 1930s through the immediate postwar era, mainly in London. Here he focuses again on that richly atmospheric wake-of-the-war period, both in London and in Berlin. Joe Wilderness, an East End cat burglar who learned his trade from his grandfather, is drafted into the RAF in 1946 and then quickly taken under the wing of intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel Burne-Jones, who sees Joe's special talents as extremely handy in the coming Cold War. That's fine with Joe, but, meanwhile, Berlin appears to him as the ultimate candy store a black marketeer's wet dream and he sets out with another ­Englishman, an American officer, and a major in the Russian NKVD, to make an illicit fortune from the rubble of the once-grand German city. Their reach exceeds their grasp, of course, and after the scam comes crashing down, Joe is rescued by Burne-Jones but not before losing the love of his life, a German girl, Nell, whose weary idealism stands in sharp opposition to Joe's cheerful larceny. Bump forward 15 years: Joe is reunited with the American officer, who has another scheme: this time the plan involves smuggling people, not dry goods. Joe goes along, hoping mainly to reconnect with Nell, now a West German diplomat helping to plan President Kennedy's Berlin visit. Lawton captures both the immediate postwar and midcentury landscapes perfectly, stirring elements of Graham Greene, John le Carre, and the great Ross Thomas' too-little-known McCorkle and Padillo novels into a superbly well-built Cold War cocktail bracing, deliriously delicious, but carrying the slightly bitter aftertaste of dreams gone bad.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2010 Booklist

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

This intelligent first in a new series from Lawton (A Lily of the Field and six other Inspector Troy thrillers) opens on the eve of President Kennedy's 1963 Berlin visit, but the real meat lies in the compelling backstory of John Wilford Holderness, an East London Cockney who joins the RAF in 1946. Aircraftman Wilderness (or "Joe Wilderness," as he prefers to be called) is cheeky to the point of risking court-martial, but an RAF colonel spots Joe's potential, sends him to Cambridge, and makes him a spy. Joe is posted in 1947 to Berlin, where he tries to identify former Nazis (while making a packet in black market trading), and falls in love with Nell Burkhardt, a German woman who by 1963 is an aide to Mayor Willi Brandt. Despite a relatively weak subplot about the effort to smuggle a woman out of East Berlin, this is a wonderfully written and generally wise book that will thrill readers with an interest in WWII and the early Cold War era. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Kirkus Book Review

A dangerous assignment in East Berlin is fraught with complex memories from postwar Europe. London, 1963. John Holderness gets a late call from expansive Frank Spoleto, a big New York advertising exec, offering him a well-paying job. So close is their bond that Holderness, known as Wilderness due to his raucous past, agrees without further details. After reminiscing with Wilderness about their days together at MI6, Frank asks him to get his partner Steve's beloved Aunt Hannah out of East Berlin. A flashback to 1941 presents Holderness at 13. His mother, Lily, has just been killed in a pub by a Luftwaffe air raid. His violent father, Harry, is away in the service, so Wilderness moves in with his granddad Abner and his sexy, much younger wife, Merle. Abner and Wilderness make a decent living as burglars. When Abner dies after a big job, Merle helps Wilderness avoid prosecution. As the war draws to a close, Wilderness is called up to serve. Contemptuous of authority, he barely escapes court martial, rescued only by his impressive scores on intelligence tests. Fast tracked into the spy game, he uses his criminal skills to avenge himself on colleagues who irk him. Then he falls in love with Nell, a young German woman deeply scarred by the war. And when he undertakes Frank's caper nearly 20 years later, whom should he encounter but...? A wonderfully complex and nuanced thriller, first in a new series, by the creator of Inspector Troy (A Lily of the Field, 2010, etc.).]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Lawton's superb A Lily of the Field (2010) moved from the 1930s through the immediate postwar era, mainly in London. Here he focuses again on that richly atmospheric wake-of-the-war period, both in London and in Berlin. Joe Wilderness, an East End cat burglar who learned his trade from his grandfather, is drafted into the RAF in 1946 and then quickly taken under the wing of intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel Burne-Jones, who sees Joe's special talents as extremely handy in the coming Cold War. That's fine with Joe, but, meanwhile, Berlin appears to him as the ultimate candy store—a black marketeer's wet dream—and he sets out with another ­Englishman, an American officer, and a major in the Russian NKVD, to make an illicit fortune from the rubble of the once-grand German city. Their reach exceeds their grasp, of course, and after the scam comes crashing down, Joe is rescued by Burne-Jones but not before losing the love of his life, a German girl, Nell, whose weary idealism stands in sharp opposition to Joe's cheerful larceny. Bump forward 15 years: Joe is reunited with the American officer, who has another scheme: this time the plan involves smuggling people, not dry goods. Joe goes along, hoping mainly to reconnect with Nell, now a West German diplomat helping to plan President Kennedy's Berlin visit. Lawton captures both the immediate postwar and midcentury landscapes perfectly, stirring elements of Graham Greene, John le Carré, and the great Ross Thomas' too-little-known McCorkle and Padillo novels into a superbly well-built Cold War cocktail—bracing, deliriously delicious, but carrying the slightly bitter aftertaste of dreams gone bad. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

This intelligent first in a new series from Lawton (A Lily of the Field and six other Inspector Troy thrillers) opens on the eve of President Kennedy's 1963 Berlin visit, but the real meat lies in the compelling backstory of John Wilford Holderness, an East London Cockney who joins the RAF in 1946. Aircraftman Wilderness (or "Joe Wilderness," as he prefers to be called) is cheeky to the point of risking court-martial, but an RAF colonel spots Joe's potential, sends him to Cambridge, and makes him a spy. Joe is posted in 1947 to Berlin, where he tries to identify former Nazis (while making a packet in black market trading), and falls in love with Nell Burkhardt, a German woman who by 1963 is an aide to Mayor Willi Brandt. Despite a relatively weak subplot about the effort to smuggle a woman out of East Berlin, this is a wonderfully written and generally wise book that will thrill readers with an interest in WWII and the early Cold War era. (Sept.)

[Page ]. Copyright 2013 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2013 PWxyz LLC
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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Lawton, J. (2013). Then We Take Berlin: A Novel . Grove Atlantic.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Lawton, John. 2013. Then We Take Berlin: A Novel. Grove Atlantic.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Lawton, John. Then We Take Berlin: A Novel Grove Atlantic, 2013.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Lawton, J. (2013). Then we take berlin: a novel. Grove Atlantic.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Lawton, John. Then We Take Berlin: A Novel Grove Atlantic, 2013.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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