Another book by Alan Furst that I have greatly enjoyed. This is the originating book for the series and it seems to me to be the most authentic of all. The scope is enormous and the ideas resonate for me. How war and conflict of ideology can corrupt. How loyalty can overcome brainwashing. What to do if you want to mobilise the disaffected. I felt for a young man trying to make sense of a world that was mad. Then doing what needed to be done to survive it… as one would.

I read this book after reading almost every other book in the series. In some ways I am glad I did because the scope of the book needs some context to ground your understanding of what is happening. As a first major writing effort, it has to be one of the best.