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The Honest Spy  By  cover art

The Honest Spy

By: Andreas Kollender, Steve Anderson - translator
Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
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Publisher's summary

During one of history's darkest chapters, one man is determined to make a difference.

In the tradition of Schindler's List comes a thrilling novel based on the heroic true story of Fritz Kolbe, a widowed civil servant in Adolf Hitler's foreign ministry. Recognizing that millions of lives are at stake, Kolbe uses his position to pass information to the Americans - risking himself and the people he holds most dear - and embarks on a dangerous double life as the Allies' most important spy.

Summoned from his South African post to return to Nazi Germany, Kolbe leaves behind his beloved fourteen-year-old daughter, a decision made for her safety that nonetheless torments him. And as he lives under the constant threat of arrest, he wrestles with the guilt of putting Marlene Wiese, a married nurse and the love of his life, in danger as they collaborate on Kolbe's clandestine work.

But no matter the personal cost, Kolbe will not be deterred. In scenes that pulse with suspense, he emerges as a towering figure who risked everything to save innocent lives - and Germany from itself.

©2015 Andreas Kollender (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2017 Steve Anderson

What listeners say about The Honest Spy

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

WWII info. Awesome ! Engaging story.

This is a wonderful story for a road trip, pay attention. There a lot of details.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting German spy for the Americans

While this was enjoyable, it makes me want to read the biography of the main character to see how accurate the story line is. I recommend this book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Historical spy novel

This story is the novelization of events and people during and shortly after World War II. It is an interesting story about person that should probably be better now. Fritz Kolbe a member of German Foreign Ministry who spied for the American OSS against the Nazi’s. This story is interesting and worth a read. It is not James Bond nor a Bourne type book. It is more akin to La Carrè. But if you like history and espionage then you might like this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

And man just a man

The thing I most got out of this story was how intense and outrageous, during war, is love. I don’t know why that is what hits me most about this story, but it was. I was also very aware of how few characters on the Nazi side are not even educated.
I am not one who likes war stories, in fact I rarely read them anymore. It was well written, but in the end the people are just people...and you can’t raise them out of that situation. They are just people...

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Riveting

I'd never heard of this man before. I'm amazed at his guts. to think that a middle-aged bureaucrat could have pulled this off is just amazing.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow, what a read.

My goodness. I have not been this captivated by a story in a very long time. More... More... Give me more .

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30 people found this helpful

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Amazing, as stories go

Everyone born in the 1940s can understand how a story like this could be fiction,but isn’t. These hard truths should never be forgotten, and I hope that they aren’t.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Suspenseful

Well written story and kept you guessing what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good spy story.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Just when you think you've read it all...

This story meshes with stories I've Heard from old friends who lived through the bombing of Berlin and escaped to the West, to the Americans.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great read, and a first hand account

first hand account of the spy that brought down the Reich. mixed with a love story never thought possible from war torn Germany.

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1 person found this helpful