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)

Beautifully written, wonderfully narrated

I found Alan Furst by searching what George Guidall (all time favorite narrator) has narrated. What a great discovery it has been. First Dark Star, now Night Soldiers. Next The Polish Soldier. I highly recommend these books for anyone who is interested in the history of pre WW2 and loves espionage stories. Well written, moving, gripping books.

Great book

Very well researched but I can understand how some readers/listeners could find it intricate and thus tedious at times. It is a WW2 spy novel at its core but much more than that. This was the first Alan Furst book that I ever read when I was younger and at the time it seemed like another WW2 spy novel to me. When I listened to it 15 years later I noticed a lot more the focus on the main character’s coming-of-age journey as he is taken from a small Bulgarian hamlet to Moscow where he is trained in clandestine operations and then sent westward to Europe. This time it seemed to me to be more of a story about friendship, camaraderie, idealism, treachery that are borne out of politics and warfare. If you plan to read the rest of the Alan Furst books then you should read this because they all (or mostly all…it’s been a while) make references to events in this one.

Great story. Great reader/performer.

The essence of the era told through the experiences of the characters. So well done. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Film Noir in an Audio Book

Read and performed masterfully by George Guidall. A beautiful crafted espionage novel of pre World War II Europe. Perhaps a bit too broad of a story line but chock full of rich characters.

Best Alan Furst novel!

I've now read most of this series and I have to say this was without a doubt my favorite. Although it was lengthy, I didn't want it to end. Loved the history and the characters. I find myself pulling for Kristo and his BF comrades. I've listened to literally hundreds of audible books and this is the first time I've ever rated or reviewed. Thats how strongly I feel about this great piece of espionage literature. But, my main reason for submitting this is to heap praise--that's right - heap, on George Guidall. He's without a doubt the best narrator, especially for these works. Even his women characters sound believable, something I thought impossible. Amazing. His mastery of the various languages and dialects he employs is spot on and I've heard many others who could not pull this off. He and Patrick Tull are the best narrators. IMHO.

A GREAT, sweeping spy epic

One of those GREAT, sweeping spy epics. Furst stands right with le Carré (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold), Littell (the Company), and Mailer (Harlot's Ghost) in his ability to capture the ambiguity, color, temperature and texture of prewar Europe as well as the people and claustrophobia of War.

I'm glad I decided to crack this spy nut. While there are segments here and there I didn't think were fantastic, on the whole, the entire novel was worth the time, effort, and credit. Spy fiction doesn't get much better than this. I read/listened to an earlier novel of his a few months ago (Mission to Paris) while traveling in E. Europe and almost ended my Furst journey before it began. I'm glad I went back to the beginning. Just based on this ONE novel, I'm about ready to commit to the next three or four Night Soldier novels.

Extremely "Busy"

I am reader who loves detail. But there were just too many people and too many places. It was like a jigsaw puzzle with 1000 pieces. 6 chapters from the end I skipped to the last. It was a wonderful ending and I don't feel I missed anything. Favorite moment...when Sasha and Christo met at the church near the last portion of the book. I wonder if George Guidall could keep up with what he was reading!! 2nd thoughts about sequels....

Sprawling story, superb narration

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

George Guidall's narration is exceptional. I've heard him read a lot of thrillers, and he's good at all of them, but he is truly in his element with this Alan Furst novel. He switches seamlessly among southern, eastern and western European accents. Amazing.

What did you like best about this story?

The journey of Kristo from Bulgarian youth to NKVD agent in Madrid to renegade in Paris to Allied spy in Prague seems so unlikely on its face, but it could not make more sense in Furst's telling. Kristo somehow remains true to himself and to his brothers in BF825. Furst is a great storyteller, a scholar of prewar and wartime Europe and a wonderfully literate writer.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

Everything!

Any additional comments?

If you like spy novels, war novels and novels about people confronting cataclysmic change, listen to this.

Good First Novel

This is a very well written spy novel, and very well narrated. I could be mistaken, but I think this was Furst's first novel, which is quite an achievement. Everything felt very real and authentic. The only problem I had with it, and the reason I only give four stars, is that it didn't seem to be a cohesive story with a beginning, middle and end. I guess this is ok, as long as the book keeps you interested, which this book did. But, for a spy novel, usually I expect there to be a cohesive plot, whereas this book kind of wanders around, following the main character as he travels around, until at last it just kind of ends because the war is over. That said, I really enjoyed it, and will definitely read more by this author.

Prelude to the Cold War

Before there was a Cold War, there was a hot war in Europe. Before WW2 there was the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin. This book is a compelling look at how Stalin and his subordinates created the clandestine services of the USSR. It begins in the 1930s and carries through until the end of WW2. The level of detail and the author's knowledge of cultural and mevalues and viewpoints in the countries of the emerging Soviet Bloc are amazing. The characters are vivid and credible.
The book is also a timely reminder of what a totalitarian government looks like to those subject to it. Well conceived, meticulously researched and fluently written. George Guidall's narration, as always, is superlative.