Night Soldiers

By: Alan Furst

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Alan Furst is widely recognized as master of the historical spy novel. Furst’s works are vivid evocations of long-forgotten heroes and feature plots that unfold to the inexorable cadence of history. Night Soldiers is a simultaneously thrilling and illuminating tale of espionage set in 1934.

In Vidin, Bulgaria, where the flow of the river Danube has always brought thieves and conquerors, Khristo Stoianev witnesses his younger brother kicked to death by fascist militia. These are simple men of a backwater town, costumed in fresh uniforms emblazoned with a flaming cross insignia. But behind their barbaric actions stands the swastika.

From the terror-plagued Balkans, Khristo, a virgin in the ways of the outside world, is drawn east, toward Moscow and a new life as a Soviet spy.

©1988 Alan Furst (P)2004 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Furst shows a remarkable talent in his fifth novel, integrating details about the cultures of Spain, France and Eastern Europe with a fascinating story." (Publishers Weekly)
"Night Soldiers has everything the best thrillers offer, excitement, intrigue, romance, plus grown-up writing, characters that matter, and a crisp, carefully researched portrait of the period in which our own postwar world was shaped." (USA Today)
"Intelligent, ambitious, absorbing....The history is deftly incorporated; the viewpoint civilized; the characters and the settings picturesque; the adventures exciting; the writing pungent." (The New York Times)

The Don of Historical Espionage

This is an outstanding book read by an outstanding reader. Alan Furst is almost certainly the best espionage fiction writer in the post-cold war era. Though his closest comparison would be the John le Carre of the 1970s, don't look for tightly knit, organized plots. Furst writes episodically. But also beautifully.

Fascinating story winding through WWII

What made the experience of listening to Night Soldiers the most enjoyable?

The interconnections of the stories as characters cross over.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Night Soldiers?

In the beginning when his brother is killed

Which scene was your favorite?

shooting down the Messerschmitt in Spain.

Too Slow and Boring for Me

Would you try another book from Alan Furst and/or George Guidall?

Not from Alan Furst but George Guidall is always good.

What was most disappointing about Alan Furst’s story?

Too slow to develop with details far beyond reasonable interest - lumbering.

Which scene was your favorite?

The escape from the burning house.

Could you see Night Soldiers being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, because they would omit the unnessary details.

Don't get distracted.....

you will be totally lost. A veritable litany of characters and aliases and locations, it can be very difficult to put the pieces together if you do. Really demands your complete attention. Always. Got to the point where book 3 was pretty much background noise for me - enjoyed it while i understood what was happening.....probably a very good book.....but dont get distracted.

BF825

I am ruined for all other authors. Having read the spies of the Balkans first and out of order, I decided to begin the night soldier series in order. How in the world a book can paint such a mental picture of the location people and circumstances before and and during world war two, I can’t imagine. The rock courage, the desperation, and the bonds of brotherhood formed during trials is so clearly detailed in this book.They deep sadness experienced by the characters and the motivations surrounding their survival are a story worth telling. And a story worth reading however difficult that may be.

Can’t Be Distracted While Listening

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. I believe it was my first book by Furst that I’ve read or listened to; surely it won’t be my last.

It was an excellent Spy novel, providing lessons in history, an understanding of what some of the people in this period endured, and how they felt and coped. It was a bit complicated in that the various characters would pop in and out of chapters. But all were important in the big picture. Furst interweaves these characters and subplots really nicely. It was a long book but I believe that was necessary in order to support characters’ motives and actions, thus making the story very realistic.

I have to admit at one point I grabbed a scrap of paper to jot down names of characters and link with a couple of words so I’d remember who was who to who and what their roles were, mostly because I couldn’t remember these Polish, Russian, and other names.

Great book, but there are a number of inaccuracies

This is a very good listen as it provides a good insight into the inner workings of the operation of the Russian state security agency (NKVD) and intriguingly describes events of the the prewar and wartime Europe through the eyes of Soviet, British and American spies. The book does have several inaccuracies. One small example is the author's reference to the NKVD personnel driving Pobeda (or Victory) cars in prewar Moscow. That is not possible as the car was first built in 1946 in honor of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. I like Russian and WWII history and pay attention to details. Because of some of these inaccuracies I rated the book only 4 stars.

struggled

I could not hardly get through this one. I tried and tried to get into the book and couldn't. Through determination I finally finished.

Interesting but far from entertaining

I am not sure why this book is so highly rated. It does capture a interesting period in history but I found it a little long winded and the character development is a little weak.

Up all night with Night Soldiers

Once I got halfway, couldn't put it down. Hearing this book felt like living it. Only minor flaw: Narrator's Spanish, though very good, is accented, not native.