Dark Star

By: Alan Furst

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 18 hrs

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed author and historian Alan Furst has written several historical fiction novels, such as Blood of Victory and Kingdom of Shadows. In Dark Star, André Szara is a Polish journalist who becomes a spy for the Soviet Union in the late 1930s. Through Szara’s character, the beginnings of World War II are revealed.

Some of the events Szara sees are harsh and unforgettable. While working in Austria, he sees Hitler and his army march into Vienna and drag Jews into the streets, humiliating and beating them—often to death. Szara turns to drinking to help numb much of his pain as he finds a reliable confidant in Germany who is willing to give him undisclosed information about the war.

Listen to Alan Furst discuss his craft with fellow writers Walter Mosley and Scott Turow at

©1991 Alan Furst (P)2004 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Intelligent, provocative, and gripping novel....Beautifully and compellingly told." (Publishers Weekly)
"A rich, deeply moving novel of suspense that is equal parts espionage thriller, European history, and love story." (The New York Times)
"Captures the murky allegiances and moral ambiguity of Europe on the brink of war....Nothing can be like watching Casablanca for the first time. But Furst comes closer than anyone has in years." (Time)

too complicated for audio (at least for me)?

I enjoyed this book. However, the story, the characters, and the embedded history are sufficiently complex that I would have liked to have the written version as a crutch. I needed to go back and reread sections, which is always challenging in the audio format.

Melancholy and romantic as October in Paris

Once again, Alan Furst immerses us in the drama of pre-WWII Europe, from glittering cafes in Paris to the backstreets of Izmir. George Guidell is a great narrator for Furst, carefully pronouncing names, giving hints of accents without being overly broad, and conveying the sadness and tenderness that are at the heart of Furst's stories.

A brilliant account of the lead up to war

First writes a superb account of the life and loves of a Jewish Russian journalist ,his striving to stay alive and a very realistic account of the intrigue lading to the second world

Definitely recommended

A complex but fascinating look at the last years before the full outbreak of WWII. The machinations of the NKVD in Russia and their Nazi opponents. A little difficult to follow at times, but well worth the effort. Brings the period to life in technicolor. If you know someone who lived through this period in Eastern Europe, you will have a much better understanding of what they experienced.

Historical fiction at its finest.

One of the finest historical fiction novels I ever read, expertly researched and a compelling period piece. Alan Furst's prose is beautifully crafted, and I think this is probably his best book. George Guidall takes some getting used to, but ultimately I think he was well cast for this book, and for Alan Furst's novels generally.

Historical suspense at its Finest

This is a novel that commands your attention. Every sentence is a flawless note in a symphony of espionage.
listen to this book when you have time and space to get lost in the world we once lived in.
A masterpiece.

Great Story. Great Narrator.

I love George Guidall. His voice brings the perfect timber to the melancholy jew protagonist of this great Alan Furst novel.

Omg

I really enjoyed everything about this book, not only the story but, Mr Guidall deserves High marks on his narration of this very interesting storyline. Alan Furst knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Prewar Luftmensch examines Loyalty, Truth & Love

Alan Furst's great historical espionage novel, Dark Star is a prewar epic of Europe's moral ambiguities and shifting loyalties. Told through the eyes of Pravda journalist and Luftmensch (and sometimes NKVD spy) André Szara, the story stretches from Paris to Berlin, Warsaw, and even down to Izmir. In this novel Furst examines ideas of trust and suspicion, love and hate, magnetism and repulsion.

It is a novel about the compromises good men make to survive, the power that a few evil men have over millions, and the sacrifices a few Luftmenschen make to save thousands. Ultimately, Dark Star is a story of the Russian and German nonaggression pact (Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact) at the beginning of WWII and how the Jewish members of Stalin's spy network were forced to make huge compromises to survive (most didn't survive) and how some were pushed into heroics because decency and the times demanded it.

The magic of this novel is that Furst is able to unweave the complicated nature of the prewar spy alliances and show all the different threads and colors and never lose the reader. His prose is amazing. His characters are nearly perfect. One of my favorite historical spy novels of all time.

Atmospheric espionage novel

I am mystified by some of the comments made by other reviewers. This is not a pleasant listen but a rather terrifying tale of survival in the midst of two brutal totalitarian regimes.

It is set in the late 1930s in Europe. Stalin has the Soviet Union in his iron grip. Millions, mostly Jewish intelligentsia, have been purged. Hitler has risen to power in Germany and is ratcheting up his plan to eliminate Jews from Germany. The protagonist, Andre Szara, is a Polish born Jew and a noted foreign correspondent for Pravda. Many of his friends and associates have been purged and he knows his days are probably limited. Now the NKVD have asked him to spy for the Soviet Union and he can hardly say no. Soon he is running spies in Germany. There's a lot more going on as this is just the beginning.

I found the book to be very intelligently written and atmospheric. I am not an espionage expert, but everything seemed very realistic. The reader was fine. I recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic historical novels about espionage.