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New York Times Bestseller
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Rich in atmosphere and noirish effects, Kershaw’s story centers on the harrowing experience of American-born doctor Sumner Jackson and his family, who undertook dangerous work for the French Resistance.
— Boston Globe
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From the opening pages, when Kershaw...drops us into the invasion of Paris, we know that we are in good hands. This is classic narrative nonfiction, constructed and written like a thriller.
— Chicago Tribune
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It's the least surprising thing in the world to discover that historian Alex Kershaw's latest book, Avenue of Spies, has already been optioned for development with Sony Pictures TV. Its circumstances — an American family in Paris aiding the French resistance from an apartment only a few doors down from the Paris headquarters of the SS — are too cinematic to ignore.
— NPR
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A true story that reads like a thriller.
— New York Post
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Avenue of Spies provides a lens into the life of a family’s extraordinary espionage efforts...Gripping...and inspiring. This is a powerful book to read anytime, but especially as we mark the 75th anniversary of the Nazi occupation of France.
— Missourian
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Brilliantly captures the deadly cat-and-mouse game between Charles de Gaulle's underground and the Nazis and Vichy fascists...Kershaw's sobering look at a family's heroism in one of the history's darkest hours vividly shows what war costs in human terms.
— Publishers Weekly
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Kershaw portrays the suspense and terror of this time in the plight of one well-intentioned American-French family caught up in the horror. A tenderly engaging saga of solid research and emotional connection.
— Kirkus Reviews
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An intense, moving account that also serves to vividly describe the life of ordinary Parisians under the occupation.
— Booklist [starred]
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Written with an engaging and expressive writing style, Kershaw's stirring tale of good and evil in the City of Light will have wide appeal.
— Library Journal
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[A] tense and compelling narrative.
— BookPage
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With a master storyteller's gift for character, pacing, and heart-stopping detail, Alex Kershaw transports us to wartime Paris, where one American family risked their lives to join the Resistance and defy Hitler. Avenue of Spies is a haunting, harrowing tale that reads like an elegant thriller, with the added benefit that every word is true. I was gripped by the first page to the last.
— Karen Abbott, bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
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Avenue of Spies is the best kind of spy story—a true one. Alex Kershaw has written a heart-rending thriller of espionage set in the darkest shadow of the Holocaust. A powerful story of quiet heroism.
— Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of American Prometheus and bestselling author of The Good Spy
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Alex Kershaw’s Avenue of Spies is a good book with a good story, but what I like especially about it is that it's an 'Americans abroad' story—Ex-pat Nation is loaded with brave, idealistic people and the Jackson family numbered high among them.
— Alan Furst, author of Midnight in Europe
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A spellbinding tale of triumph and tragedy. Intimate and terrifying, Avenue of Spies is impossible to put down. This is Alex Kershaw at his best.
— Annie Jacobsen, bestselling author of Operation Paperclip
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Avenue of Spies delivers a crisp, pulse-pounding narrative. Kershaw recreates the drama and suspense of war-torn occupied Paris. A taut thriller, the book is centered on an intrepid American family and is filled with a cast of unforgettable characters. Avenue of Spies is like sipping a fine wine: sublime!
— Patrick K. O'Donnell, bestselling author of First SEALs: the Untold Story of the Forging of America's Most Elite Unit
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Kershaw marries sterling research with first-rate storytelling to put readers on the occupied streets of Paris, looking back over our shoulders in fear. Avenue of Spies is a triumph, an outstanding addition to World War II history.
— Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500 and The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys
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“Kershaw is a master storyteller, and Avenue of Spies, like his previous books, reads like a thriller. From the opening scene…until the final desperate struggle that dominates the narrative’s conclusion, Kershaw has crafted a gripping, taut story that will keep readers turning pages long after they should have turned out the light.
— James Scott, Charleston Post and Courier
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"Avenue of Spies is the best kind of spy story—a true one. Alex Kershaw has written a heart-rending thriller of espionage set in the darkest shadow of the Holocaust. A powerful story of quiet heroism.”
— Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author
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“A spellbinding tale of triumph and tragedy. Intimate and terrifying, Avenue of Spies is impossible to put down. This is Alex Kershaw at his best.”
— Annie Jacobsen, New York Times bestselling author
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“Bbrings another overlooked hero of WWII to light in this compelling real-life story…An American doctor and his wife, Toquette, risked everything by secretly working for the French resistance. In the waning days of the occupation, their heroism would exact a heavy toll.”
— BookPage
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“Kershaw portrays the suspense and terror of this time in the plight of one well-intentioned American-French family caught up in the horror. A tenderly engaging saga of solid research and emotional connection.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“With a master storyteller’s gift for character, pacing, and heart-stopping detail, Alex Kershaw transports us to wartime Paris, where one American family risked their lives to join the Resistance and defy Hitler. Avenue of Spies is a haunting, harrowing tale that reads like an elegant thriller, with the added benefit that every word is true.”
— Karen Abbott, bestselling author of Sin in the Second City
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“Avenue of Spies is an unforgettable testament to the power of personal courage and conviction in the face of evil…This is a story of resistance and bravery that is profoundly uplifting.”
— David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy
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“Avenue of Spies delivers a crisp, pulse-pounding narrative. Kershaw recreates the drama and suspense of war-torn occupied Paris. A taut thriller, the book is centered on an intrepid American family and is filled with a cast of unforgettable characters.”
— Patrick K. O’Donnell, bestselling author of First SEALs
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“Kershaw marries sterling research with first-rate storytelling to put readers on the occupied streets of Paris, looking back over our shoulders in fear. Avenue of Spies is a triumph, an outstanding addition to World War II history.”
— Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500