The Honest Spy

By: Andreas Kollender, Steve Anderson - translator

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

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

WWII info. Awesome ! Engaging story.

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

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.

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.

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...

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.

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 .

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.

Beautifully written and narrated WWII story of...

...spy Fritz Kolbe (AKA George Wood). Kolbe was an employee of the Germany Foreign Office in Berlin who was the most important spy for the allies in WWII. The story is fictionalized to a relatively small degree and it is dramatized with detail that is uncertain.

Excellent story that keeps you engaged through wee hours of the night.

The story is so gripping you'd think it was fiction! The author included just enough historical context to anchor the drama. It is a book that I will read again!

A Peek into a Different Side of WW ll

Interesting story , unknown to me before. True facts with a bit of dramatic license. However, I did find it difficult to follow at times as it jumped around and I tried to remember who all the main players were.