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Spies of the Balkans Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,987 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“Furst’s books are like Chopin’s nocturnes: timeless, transcendent, universal.
One does not so much read them as fall under their spell.”
—Los Angeles Times, on The Spies of Warsaw
Greece, 1940. Not sunny vacation Greece: northern Greece, Macedonian Greece, Balkan Greece—the city of Salonika. In that ancient port, with its wharves and brothels, dark alleys and Turkish mansions, a tense political drama is being played out. On the northern border, the Greek army has blocked Mussolini’s invasion, pushing his divisions back to Albania—the first defeat for an ally of the Nazis, who have conquered most of Europe. But Adolf Hitler will not tolerate such defiance: in the spring he will invade the Balkans, and the people of Salonika can only watch and wait.
At the center of this drama is Constantine “Costa” Zannis, a senior police official, head of an office that handles special “political” cases. As war approaches, the spies begin to circle, from the Turkish legation, from the German secret service, a travel writer sent by the British, and others—from Bulgaria? From Italy? Nobody knows. But Costa Zannis must deal with them all. And he is soon in the game, securing an escape route—from Berlin to Salonika, and then to a tenuous safety in Turkey, a route protected by German lawyers, Balkan detectives, and Hungarian gangsters. And hunted by the Gestapo.
With extraordinary authenticity, a superb cast of characters, and heart-stopping tension as it moves from Salonika to Paris to Berlin and back, Spies of the Balkans is a stunning novel about a man who risks everything to fight back against the world’s evil.
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"I really liked this Furst novel, especially the evocative settings and well drawn characters. It's still the same story, but, oh, he tells it so well. Every time, it is different, because the people don't know they are in over their heads; and the reader may think she knows how it will turn out, but is still sitting on the edge of her chair and holding her breath. See my review of Spies of Warsaw for my general views on Furst."
— Barbara (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Unfolds like a vivid dream—One couldn’t ask for a more engrossing novel.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Fans of Furst’s pitch-perfect mystery novels of Europe in World War II have savored Paris and Warsaw. They will delight in the changes of venue to Salonika and the Balkans.”
— New York Post -
“Sexy, episodic, and exciting—Furst is brilliant at choosing the right details that catch the brave, weary mood of life during wartime.”
— Oregonian -
“[Furst] weaves a wonderfully complicated plot…This is a book, written for adults, to sit down and read in one gulp.”
— Daily Beast
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Spies of the Balkans Listener Reviews
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William, 2/5/2023
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" The main character Costa Zannis is a horny guy. It's also highly improbable that one can fall in love as quickly as he did. The ending was flat; it was like someone tore out the ending pages. It just stopped. "
— Bunny, 2/16/2014 -
" Alan Furst has created another atmospheric WW11 novel. This one involves transporting Jews from Berlin to Salonika. Lots of tension is created by juxtaposing the escapees and the Nazis. "
— Eddie, 2/8/2014 -
" Great reading. A very appealing detective and a cast of interesting characters. Espionage in northern Greece during WW2. "
— Anne, 1/27/2014 -
" I inhaled this while on vacation this week. Another great fun Furst read. "
— Sara, 1/22/2014 -
" Not the best Alan Furst, but superior to just about anything else recently produced in the genre. Having visited Salonica 10 years ago, I enjoyed a trip back in time to 1940. "
— Alex, 1/17/2014 -
" Furst continues to capture the atmosphere of Europe during the second world war and weave it into intriguing tales. "
— Frank, 1/16/2014 -
" Not my favorite genre but i like a good spy book from time to time. I took a quick break from the Comanche's for some lighter reading. It's WWII (not really a "light" topic), but the story (intrigue and romance) was set in Greece against the backdrop of what was happening at the time of the first Italian attack on Greece and the pre-invasion of the Balkans and Greece by Germany. I think it's well written for this type of book and would recommend it if you like this kind of thing. The clerk at the local bookstore raved about the author when i bought it. He's written a few others that i might check out. "
— Jeanne, 1/13/2014 -
" Just like "Casablanca" in book form! And just as awesome as everything else he's written. "
— Liz, 1/12/2014 -
" Pretty decent WW2 spy novel. Kinda petered out after 3/4ths through though and ended very abruptly. "
— Tom, 12/30/2013 -
" And so I've made it through the Alan Furst oeuvre that's available in paperback. It's exciting stuff, I think, and occasionally pretty funny. "
— Larry, 12/28/2013 -
" I'm a real Alan Furst fan and thoroughly enjoyed being in Greece on the cusp of WWII. "
— Joanne, 10/31/2013 -
" My first foray with the author so I'm a novice to the genre. Perhaps war assembles a cast of fickly placed characters; however, I felt that so many of the personalities served as props for the geography. The author demonstrates a keen eye for detail and he is a teacher of the period. "
— Andrew, 10/23/2013 -
" Author's website: alanfurst.net/main.htm "
— Gary, 10/22/2013 -
" Enjoyed unique perspective on WWII and the many story lines and characters. It had the right amount of suspense. "
— Ginny, 8/7/2013 -
" Well written, concise historical novel. Interesting characters worked into informative situation of Greece awaiting German invasion in 1940's. "
— Barbara, 8/5/2013 -
" Started to read it and really wanted to like it, but just couldn't get into it and stopped reading about 1/3 of the way through. I have been told that he has written some wonderful books and may try one of them again in the future. "
— Scott, 5/18/2013 -
" Excellent WWII spy novel "
— Susan, 2/14/2013 -
" It's always a pleasure to listen to an Alan Furst novel, especially one ready by Daniel Gerroll. "
— Nancie, 5/16/2012 -
" Good story and learned about the Balkans and WWII action in that area. "
— Mom, 10/19/2011 -
" Liked this book, but didn't find the personal aspect of the story very compelling. Interesting to see WWII from a Greek perspective, but wish the characters had been better developed. "
— Rebekah, 9/30/2011 -
" Loved this book. It's not written like most books that tell a story with beginnings, middles and an end. It just transports you to another time and place where you experience all that these people went through and how life was lived. Very interesting. "
— Becca, 8/17/2011 -
" Another great Furst read if you like espionage during WWII. "
— Sandra, 7/25/2011 -
" My first Furst, but not my last!<br/>Well done. Although I believed it was starting slowly, there was a reason. To show how our lives and how something out of our control (or even our thoughts) can change you' re ife forever.<br/>Now in search for my second Furst. "
— Greensmith, 5/29/2011 -
" I am very fond of Alan Furst. However, this felt like only half a novel to me. I'm not ready to call him a hack yet but he aint what he use to be. "
— David, 5/24/2011 -
" I am somehow hooked on what Europe was like between "the wars". This spy novel takes place in Greece (Macedonia) just before Hitler begins to invade the Balkans. Interesting characters, intriguing history. "
— Sandy, 5/12/2011 -
" Furst is a reliable author of intelligent but stimulating and easy-to-read thrillers that often throw light on the historical period on which he concentrates. This is no exception. Read it - as I did - as the best antidote to a transatlantic flight. "
— John, 4/16/2011 -
" I like Alan Furst books - this one was pretty good. "
— Debbie, 4/9/2011 -
" A throwback thriller set in Salonika, Greece in 1940. Excellent! "
— Ken, 4/3/2011 -
" I enjoyed this very much. Easy to read but also insightful, gripping and compassionate. "
— Michelle, 4/1/2011
About Alan Furst
Alan Furst is widely recognized as the master of the historical spy novel. He is the author of Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, The World at Night, and others. He has written for a number of magazines and news publications, including Esquire and the International Herald Tribune. Before becoming a full-time novelist, he worked as a copy writer for ad agencies in Seattle; he has also lived in New York and France. Currently, Furst lives on Long Island, New York.
About Daniel Gerroll
Daniel Gerroll is an award-winning British actor who has many Broadway productions to his credit. He studied law and philosophy at Nottingham University and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and has won an Obie Award for sustained excellence in theater. He has also won five AudioFile Earphones Awards.