Gardening Sale!
 
 

Special Offers see all

Enter to WIN!

Weekly drawing for $100 credit. Subscribe to our Specials newsletter for a chance to win.
Privacy Policy

More at Powell's

Recently Viewed clear list

Original Essays | April 29, 2013

Edward Lee: IMG How to Clarify Butter: A Writer's Tale

2 comments By Edward Lee

Chefs don't have time to write. While I was working on Smoke and Pickles, I was running a restaurant — a daily regimen of testing recipes,... Continue »
  1. $20.97 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen

    Edward Lee 9781579654924
spacer
Ships free on qualified orders.
$5.95
List price: $15.00
Used Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
1 Beaverton Mystery- A to Z
3 Hawthorne Popular Fiction- Contemporary Thrillers

This title in other editions

The Polish Officer

by

The Polish Officer Cover

ISBN13: 9780375758270
ISBN10: 0375758275
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

September 1939.

As Warsaw falls to Hitler?s Wehrmacht, Captain Alexander de Milja is recruited by the intelligence service of the Polish underground. His mission: to transport the national gold reserve to safety, hidden on a refugee train to Bucharest. Then, in the back alleys and black-market bistros of Paris, in the tenements of Warsaw, with partizan guerrillas in the frozen forests of the Ukraine, and at Calais Harbor during an attack by British bombers, de Milja fights in the war of the shadows in a world without rules, a world of danger, treachery, and betrayal.

Alan Furst, an acknowledged master of the European espionage thriller, has produced a stunning achievement in The Polish Officer: dark, evocative, authentic, and taut with suspense.

Review:

"Brilliantly imagined, vividly drawn, rich with incident and detail....The Polish Officer portrays ordinary men and women caught out on the sharp edge of military intelligence operations in wartime: the partisans, saboteurs, resistance fighters and idealistic volunteers risking their lives in causes that seem lost." Robert Chatain, Chicago Tribune

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:

"Beautifully written, powerfully imagined, and riveting as pure story....The book is a triumph." Charles McCarry, author of The Tears of Autumn

Review:

"Furst has shown that he can produce an espionage tale that sloughs off the coil of genre. But [The Polish Officer] — hugely ambitious and masterfully written — ups the ante....The author understands, with astounding breadth of vision...what WWII was all about....A truly splendid novel of the wartime experience." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

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

Review:

"With clear, reticent prose and his trademark mastery of historical detail, Furst brings vividly to life this WWII-era tale of espionage and bravery, chronicling the work of the Polish underground in Poland, France and the Ukraine....Furst's understated narrative is insightful and convincing. The unassuming de Milja — who considers himself merely 'unafraid to die, and lucky so far' — proves an engaging protagonist. His exploits and the courageous sacrifices of the ordinary patriots who help him are both thrilling and at times inspiring." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"One of the best novels of the year....Brilliant." Robert Harris, author of Fatherland

Review:

"[A] riveting ?pure? story...wonderfully exact...transcends the spy novel while delivering everything any fan of le Carré could ask for." Robin Winks, The Boston Globe

Synopsis:

September 1939. As Warsaw falls to Hitlers Wehrmacht, Captain Alexander de Milja is recruited by the intelligence service of the Polish underground. His mission: to transport the national gold reserve to safety, hidden on a refugee train to Bucharest. Then, in the back alleys and black-market bistros of Paris, in the tenements of Warsaw, with partizan guerrillas in the frozen forests of the Ukraine, and at Calais Harbor during an attack by British bombers, de Milja fights in the war of the shadows in a world without rules, a world of danger, treachery, and betrayal.
back to top

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, Kingdom of Shadows, and The World at Night. He lives on Long Island, New York.
back to top

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Edward Hahn, August 2, 2011 (view all comments by Edward Hahn)
This is my fourth Alan Furst book and the best so far. I got so caught up in the story that I finished it in two days. I literally could not put it down.

The struggles of Alexander de Milja, a Polish map maker, working for his government's intelligence services, to survive the German/Russian invasion of Poland in 1939 and the ongoing war, while maintaining his integrity and honor, is spellbinding.

The writing is so realistic that it would be easy to believe that Furst experienced the events himself. He says in a postscript that he relies heavily on journals. Still, he has a compelling way of making it all so personal. His characters are finely drawn and heroic in a way that uncovers all their fears and misgivings.

He avoids stereotyping the Germans, the Russians, the French and the Poles while still making use of what he sees as their national characteristics. In this story, the only truly evil people are the German leaders. Everyone else is caught up in the events of the time.

I also appreciate his drawing out the class differences which are sometimes greater than the national or ethnic differences. Even his minor characters are memorable, like the candy store owner, Mademoiselle Herault and the teen-aged radio operator, Janin.

This is not a thriller. It is not a "spy" story. It is not historical fiction. It is much more than all of that. It's literature in the best sense of the word.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
merle, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by merle)
Alan Furst creates the atmosphere of noir spy films. All of his novels are set in mostly eastern Europe as WWII is about to take over or is upon us. they are totally fascinating, and full of history. As good as Le Carre'.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
report this comment
Chris Johnson, June 2, 2008 (view all comments by Chris Johnson)
I have enjoyed all of the Alan Furst novels that I have read, and this was no exception. The descriptions of wartime Poland and pre-Anschluss Paris in this novel are wonderful. Furst is great at intuiting and describing the practicalities of everyday life in wartime and occupation. de Milja is a somewhat reluctant spy, and Furst does a nice job of describing his "learning curve." The storyline in this novel is straightforward compared to most of Furst's other novels, and I was not particularly moved by de Milja's relationship with his wife, nor did I really see its relevance to de Milja's character and actions. Still, worth every penny.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
View all 3 comments
back to top

Product Details

ISBN:
9780375758270
Author:
Furst, Alan
Publisher:
Random House Trade
Author:
Furst, Alan
Location:
New York, N.Y.
Subject:
Historical
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Espionage/Intrigue
Subject:
World war, 1939-1945
Subject:
War
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Poland
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
Spy stories
Subject:
War stories
Subject:
Military intelligence
Subject:
World War, 19
Subject:
War & Military
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Espionage
Subject:
Popular Fiction-Military
Copyright:
1995
Edition Number:
1st trade pbk. ed.
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Series Volume:
2136-2
Publication Date:
October 2001
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
320
Dimensions:
8 x 5.2 x .6 in .475 lb
back to top

Other books you might like

  1. Dark Star
    Used Trade Paper $6.95
  2. Night Soldiers Used Trade Paper $5.95
  3. The World at Night
    Used Trade Paper $5.95
  4. April in Paris Used Hardcover $3.50
  5. I Have a Dream - 40th Anniversary... Used Trade Paper $7.50
  6. 60 Super Simple More Science Experiments Used Trade Paper $5.95
back to top

Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Mystery » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Contemporary Thrillers
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Military
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Technothrillers

The Polish Officer Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$5.95 In Stock
Product details 320 pages Random House Trade - English 9780375758270 Reviews:
"Review" by , "Brilliantly imagined, vividly drawn, rich with incident and detail....The Polish Officer portrays ordinary men and women caught out on the sharp edge of military intelligence operations in wartime: the partisans, saboteurs, resistance fighters and idealistic volunteers risking their lives in causes that seem lost."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "Beautifully written, powerfully imagined, and riveting as pure story....The book is a triumph."
"Review" by , "Furst has shown that he can produce an espionage tale that sloughs off the coil of genre. But [The Polish Officer] — hugely ambitious and masterfully written — ups the ante....The author understands, with astounding breadth of vision...what WWII was all about....A truly splendid novel of the wartime experience."
"Review" by , "Furst?s writing has the seductive shimmer of an urbane black-and-white Hollywood classic."
"Review" by , "With clear, reticent prose and his trademark mastery of historical detail, Furst brings vividly to life this WWII-era tale of espionage and bravery, chronicling the work of the Polish underground in Poland, France and the Ukraine....Furst's understated narrative is insightful and convincing. The unassuming de Milja — who considers himself merely 'unafraid to die, and lucky so far' — proves an engaging protagonist. His exploits and the courageous sacrifices of the ordinary patriots who help him are both thrilling and at times inspiring."
"Review" by , "One of the best novels of the year....Brilliant."
"Review" by , "[A] riveting ?pure? story...wonderfully exact...transcends the spy novel while delivering everything any fan of le Carré could ask for."
"Synopsis" by , September 1939. As Warsaw falls to Hitlers Wehrmacht, Captain Alexander de Milja is recruited by the intelligence service of the Polish underground. His mission: to transport the national gold reserve to safety, hidden on a refugee train to Bucharest. Then, in the back alleys and black-market bistros of Paris, in the tenements of Warsaw, with partizan guerrillas in the frozen forests of the Ukraine, and at Calais Harbor during an attack by British bombers, de Milja fights in the war of the shadows in a world without rules, a world of danger, treachery, and betrayal.
spacer
spacer
  • back to top
Follow us on...




Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.