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Kingdom of Shadows
by Alan Furst

Kingdom of Shadows Cover

Powells.com Staff Pick

Many Alan Furst fans ? and their numbers are growing rapidly ? are under the mistaken impression that he is English. This is due to the fact that Furst, a native New Yorker, established his initial reputation on the other side of the Atlantic. It's impossible to say why the English reading public was quicker to recognize that, as a writer of literary spy thrillers, Furst bears easy comparison to such greats as Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John le Carré. Perhaps the British are fonder of elegant prose, rigorous historical detail, or subtle moral meditation.

Whatever the case, Furst's native country has finally made the happy discovery. Furst's sixth novel, his first to hit the New York Times bestseller list, marked his American coming out. Like all his novels, Kingdom of Shadows takes place during the years immediately preceding the outbreak of the Second World War, when a fitful Europe teetered on the brink of catastrophe. Dashing former cavalry officer Nicholas Morath is living a privileged life of wine and women until his uncle solicits him to undertake a secret mission to undermine fascism. One mission leads to another, and before long Nicholas finds himself submerged in the darkening waters of a sinking Europe. Electrifying, informative, and just plain fun, Kingdom of Shadows is the latest triumph of one of our most interesting writers. Farley, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Paris, 1938.

As Europe edges toward war, Nicholas Morath, an urbane former cavalry officer, spends his days working at the small advertising agency he owns and his nights in the bohemian circles of his Argentine mistress. But Morath has been recuited by his uncle, Count Janos Polanyi, a diplomat in the Hungarian legation, for operations against Hitler's Germany. It is Morath who does Polanyi's clandestine work, moving between the beach cafes of Juan-les-Pins and the forests of Ruthenia, from Czech fortresses in the Sudetenland to the private gardens of the declasse royalty in Budapest. The web Polyani spins for Morath is deep and complex and pits him against German intelligence officers, NKVD renegades, and Croat assassins in a shadow war of treachery and uncertain loyalties, a war that Hungary cannot afford to lose.

Alan Furst is frequently compared with Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, and John le Carre, but Kingdom of Shadows is distinctive and entirely original. It is Furst at his very best.

Review:

"Furst?s writing has the seductive shimmer of an urbane black-and-white Hollywood classic." The New York Times

Review:

"Furst writes about the years from 1938 to 1941 as if they were recurring characters, and over the course of five books, he has laid permanent claim to that period as his own....What Furst does so convincingly — beyond the razor-sharp evocation of period and place — is capture the moral ambiguity at the heart of the lapsed cynics who are his heroes." Booklist

Review:

"Kingdom of Shadows is a masterpiece. Furst is here writing at the height of his powers, confident of his style, tone, and content." The Irish Times

Review:

"A great entertainer, Furst would probably be considered our finest practicing historical novelist if he weren't writing espionage novels. He's as good a historian as a novelist can afford to be....Driven by the missions and schemes of one central character more than by the events and institutions that dominate most espionage novels, Furst's books are full of shards of information, anecdotes, heartbreaking stories." Salon.com

Review:

"The sixth of Furst's wartime espionage novels is one of his best, offering a compelling mix of character study and historical fiction." The New Yorker

Review:

"[Kingdom of Shadows] is more than just a cloak-and-dagger thrill ride; it is a time machine, transporting readers directly into the dread period just before Europe plunged into its great Wagnerian gotterdammerung. This is Furst's best book since The Polish Officer, and in it he proves himself once again a master of literary espionage." Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Review:

"Imagine discovering an unscreened espionage thriller from the late 1930s, a classic black-and-white movie that 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." Walter Shapiro, Time

Synopsis:

In spymaster Alan Furst's most electrifying thriller to date, Hungarian aristocrat Nicholas Morath—a hugely charismatic hero—becomes embroiled in a daring and perilous effort to halt the Nazi war machine in eastern Europe.

From the Hardcover edition.

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About the Author

Often compared to Graham Greene and Eric Ambler, Alan Furst is a master of the spy thriller and one of the great war novelists of our time. He is the author of Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, and The World at Night. He lives on Long Island, New York.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780375758263
Author:
Furst, Alan
Publisher:
Random House Trade
Author:
Furst, Alan
Location:
New York, N.Y.
Subject:
General
Subject:
Espionage/Intrigue
Subject:
World war, 1939-1945
Subject:
War
Subject:
France
Subject:
Hungary
Subject:
Spy stories
Subject:
War stories
Subject:
Hungarians
Subject:
World War, 19
Subject:
War & Military
Copyright:
2000
Edition Number:
1st trade pbk. ed.
Edition Description:
Trade Pbk
Series Volume:
appendix VI
Publication Date:
October 2001
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
272
Dimensions:
8.20x5.08x.62 in. .45 lbs.
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