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    A Hero of France
    A Hero of France
    A Hero of France
    Audiobook8 hours

    A Hero of France

    Written by Alan Furst

    Narrated by Daniel Gerroll

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The latest war novel from the New York Times bestselling author and “modern-day master of the genre” (New York Newsday) Alan Furst.

    Alan Furst's latest novel takes place in the secret hotels, nightclubs, and cafes of occupied Paris and the villages of France during the spring of 1941, when Britain was losing the war. Many of the characters are resistance fighters who run an escape line for British airmen down to Spain, they include men and women, old and young, all strong, an aristocrat, a Jewish teacher, and the hero is a hero, has a gun and uses it. Some of Furst's former characters including S. Kolb the spy, and Max de Lyon, former arms dealer, now a nightclub owner, return. A Hero of France is sure to please existing Furst fans and attract new ones.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMay 31, 2016
    ISBN9781442399013
    A Hero of France
    Author

    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, Red Gold, Kingdom of Shadows, Blood of Victory, and Dark Voyage. Born in New York, he has lived for long periods in France, especially Paris. He now lives on Long Island, New York. Visit the author's website at AlanFurst.net.

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    Reviews for A Hero of France

    3.5/5

    178 ratings21 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This is not his best work. I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series. The early novels are very good.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I tried. The cardboardiest of characters, AND lifeless.
    • 3/5
      The book follows the resistance during WWII in France in the early part of the war.
    • 4/5
      A story of the early French resistance. Furst always delivers in these historical thrillers but this one surprised me in a new way: his principal characters all survive pursuit by various German police agencies, and he actually has a happy ending for the chief protagonist. Hope I haven't spoiled this for anyone.
    • 4/5
      Powerful writing about a resistance fighter and the small group that rescued Allied soldiers in 1940 Paris and Vichy. Its realistic, as if you were there.
    • 5/5
      With this book now read, I am caught up with Furst's series set during World War II and am eagerly awaiting another. This one focuses on the French Resistance in 1941 and the covert work done by the leader of a Resistance cell who is known as Mathieu. He and his team specialize in getting downed British fliers out of occupied France so they can be returned to England to fight again. A few familiar characters from previous books show up and I admire Furst's ability to juggle all the characters' timelines as his books are not written in strict chronological order. This attention to continuity and connections add realism to the series and while each book stands on its own, reading all of them gives the reader a real sense of the concurrent events of a Europe in the midst of war.There's plenty going on here: various missions, overtures from British intelligence to help and perhaps take over the running of the escape pipeline, and the German high command determined to break up the organized French resistance. But as usual, it's the characters who get under my skin more than the events. Furst bases his books on well-researched events and activities, bringing to life the simple bravery of people fighting for what they believe in. And in today's political climate, these books are a good reminder of how easy it is to lose one's freedoms. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I was surprised by the number of poor and mediocre reviews. I found it to be a good story and consistent with the history and circumstances of the French Resistance during the German occupation in World War II. I purchased the book and felt I had a good value for my money.
    • 5/5
      Hero In France – Brilliant Step Back In TimeAlan Furst has written yet another brilliant spy thriller set in the Second World War, and based in France and without saying as much points out not everyone acted honourably. This is about the very few heroes that were left in France after its fall in 1940 who helped the allied war effort by placing their lives in danger by running escape lines for downed airman from the RAF. While the majority did nothing but look the other way, while civil servants and police collaborated along with the Vichy Government, with the Nazis.It is spring 1941, Britain seems to be losing the war and Paris is occupied by the Nazis while Marshall Petin is running the Vichy Government that is collaborating with the Nazi invaders. Paris is under curfew and the blackout is in place so as not to help the British bombers on their way to bomb Germany. When night time arrives, the leader of a small resistance cell, Mattieu, begins his work with a few trusted colleagues.Smuggling airman along escape lines to Spain so that they can get back to Britain, needs a team that can be relied upon not to talk out of turn. The Vichy agents are not really trying to stop them but they will if the opportunity arises and make their German allies happy. Too many are escaping and the German’s are not happy, and they send one of their own to plan to capture and shut down these escape routes.Mattieu and his cell also work with the British SOE getting agents in to France so that they made things more difficult for the Germans. But when Mattieu is informed against and made the subject of a man hunt, he and his team know that they have to get away before they end up in the hands of the Germans and the Gestapo. It still does not stop their work, which they started, but the ineptness of the Nazi collaborators may just be the saving grace.A Hero in France is an excellent espionage thriller, which shows the excellence of Furst’s research and writing and getting under the skin of the very few that did work against the occupation. There are no wasted words no padding, Furst is short and straight to the point which makes for an enthralling read, that grips the reader from the beginning sentence to the last.
    • 5/5
      THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK I HAVE READ FROM THIS AUTHOR, BUT IT WILL NOT BE THE LAST.
    • 4/5
      A story told in four parts of a French resistence cell in occupied France, primarily in Paris, during WWII. The story begins March 10, 1941 and continues in intervals over a period of several months. I've read several of the author's novels before, and Furst is very good at this. This story follows a resistence leader, nom de guerre of Matthieu, and various operations rescuing downed RAF pilots and escorting them out of the country, usually by way of Spain. However, the resistance is changing, new operations are starting and the Germans are going after the resistance and the stakes are getting higher. The internal stories don't always let you know how things turn out, but the end of this book I found to be very satisfying.
    • 4/5
      I always enjoy Alan Furst’s books, and this one was no exception. The plot was fascinating and moved along at a fast pace. I was a little disappointed with the ending; I felt the story was wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly. Overall however, I really enjoyed this installment in the series.Furst’s knowledge of Paris and the other areas of France is very apparent in his writing. His descriptions of daily life in France, particularly Occupied Paris in 1941 and 1942, transported me straight to that time period. The main character of the novel goes by “Mathieu” when operating as the leader of a French Resistance cell that manages to extract a large number of downed British pilots and other Nazi enemies during World War 2. I found it fascinating to learn how the Resistance workers outsmarted the Nazis amid blackouts, curfews, informants and food shortages that taxed the French population. Danger literally could be found on any street corner, and the courage, sacrifice and strength of the Resistance workers, particularly Mathieu, was without limit.The politics of the time period are included as part of the story in such a manner that I gained a better understanding of the time period and the various forces at work during the middle parts of the war but in an interesting manner. I thoroughly savored this book and look forward to his next one!Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Reminiscent of Suite Francaise in that this thriller is very rich in the details of life in occupied Paris. It is the early 1940s. A small number of French men and women assist RAF pilots who are shot down, to make it back to England. Here are the daily dangers they must face, their successes and failures, their constant fear. These are not soldiers but decent men and women who hear a calling to do something about the evil that rules their lives. While Vichy is in charge of police work, the escapes arranged by the resistance are relatively easy. Then the Germans take over and the stakes are raised considerably. There is danger from both the Gestapo and amoral French--who, when piqued, will betray someone without considering the horrific consequences. The book is a little thin on backstory: we never learn very much about the hero of the book: there's no contrast between his pre-war life and his Resistance persona. Furst seeks to resolve this with a brief explanatory passage at the very end of the book, but it's too little too late. This is a thin book at 234 pages and it could have profited from more character development rather than solely concentrating on the activities of the Resistance cell. Of course, as with all Furst works, the setting is conveyed beautifully.
    • 4/5
      A new book by Alan Furst is always a cause for good cheer and his latest, A Hero of France is, indeed something to cheer about. In his latest book, Furst adandons his usual cast of mittle European characters for a portrayal the members of a cell of the French Resistance.The leader of the group is a Frenchman known as Mathieu, who, like most of Furst's heroes, is not quite young enough to be thought young, but still young enough to be attractive to any number of women. He and his compatriots help downed British airmen make their way through occupied an unoccupied France and then back to England. There is Lisette, a young teenage courier, Max DeLeon a nightclub owner and arms dealer, Chantal, an elegant woman of the haute bourgeoisie, Daniel a young Jew fueled by hatred of the Germans, Annemarie an aristocrat and Joelle who loves Mathieu.The novel moves forward through a series of vignettes between March and July, 1941 as Mathieu and his group move the airmen to safety and the German authorities begin to discover their activities and then to close in.Furst is known for his well-researched books that recreate the atmosphere of the times and this is especially true in this novel. Between the cinematic atmosphere and the tension of the plot I was quickly turning the pages of this book right up to its exciting conclusion.
    • 3/5
      I'm a huge admirer of Alan Furst's novels. No one is more adept at creating atmosphere and evoking time and place. That being said, 'A Hero of France' is not up to his previous standards.I don't think it's a typical Furst novel, and I wonder if that was intentional on his part. It's more a series of episodes tied together by the main character, the leader of a French Resistance cell responsible for smuggling downed British airmen out of occupied France. There is indeed a beginning and end, but not a whole lot tying the remainder of the plot together other than the cat & mouse games played with the German occupiers. It's an interesting look at a slice of the war that most Americans probably aren't familiar with, which is my favorite thing about Furst's novels. And again, his ability to make you feel like you're there is second to none. For me, any Furst novel starts out at 3 stars, simply due to the exquisite writing. Alas, 'A Hero of France' pretty much stops there, though, since the lack of a cohesive story line makes this one a fine historical read but not much of a novel. If you enjoy Furst's writing, I'd definitely recommend reading it, though, just to enjoy his characteristic writing.
    • 5/5
      I received this book for free, in exchange for an honest review, through a Goodreads giveaway, .I really enjoyed the book. You could feel the tension of the story while reading it; making it feel like the gestapo is actually after you and that you are part of the French Resistance during WWII. It moved with a good pace, the characters were well developed, and the setting seemed real.My only criticism of the book is the ending falls a little flat for me. However, despite this, I would still highly recommend this book; especially if you like war novels.I should also note, that I had not read any of the others in this series, but I had no problem with reading and following the storyline. I read it as a stand alone novel.
    • 3/5
      This is a book about the French Resistance during the early years of WWII. The story moves along at a good pace, drawing the reader/listener in deeper and deeper as the time goes by and the movement grows. In the earliest days, it was a small group of people from all walks of life, of all different ages and backgrounds that found each other and joined in the effort to defy the Germans by rescuing English pilots caught behind enemy lines in France, which had been occupied by Hitler. These were ordinary citizens, who wanted to do their part; they were not soldiers. The story takes the reader along with them as they place themselves in harm’s way for France. Returning those downed pilots to safety meant that they could return to fight another day. There was a shortage of trained pilots, and the French were counting on the English to keep fighting the Germans, hoping they would eventually be defeated. There were those who wanted to resist and those who wanted to collaborate, and the author paints a pretty clear picture of each group. On the one hand, you have a group of brave patriots willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause, and on the other, you have self serving individuals who are happy to sacrifice others to serve only themselves. The collaborators were portrayed as bitter people, miscreants, and unhappy, mean misfits. They were also the women who were forced to use their bodies to support themselves and their families, and sometimes, they were those who seemed to have no other choice but to serve the needs of the Germans. All of the characters seemed to fit neatly into the stereotypical picture that is so often drawn depicting those who experienced the war directly.This novel begins in March of 1941. Over the next few months, it follows a resistance group led by a man whose code name was Mathieu. Along with his bravery and concern for the safety of others, the author seemed to paint him as someone somewhat preoccupied by his sex drive. Not quite 40 years old, he was a dedicated Frenchman who recruited resisters and organized the effort to rescue the downed pilots before they were captured by the Germans. Safe houses, forged documents, volunteers, and cash were necessary for that effort. The recruits were brave even though scared. They were always aware of the fact that they might be betrayed, that they might be captured and questioned by the feared Gestapo. At first the fledgling organization pretty much operated on a wing and a prayer. Eventually, however, they joined forces with the British. In exchange, the Brits would provide men, help and additional resources and money. The English also escalated the resistance by attempting to stop the movement of supplies by the Germans with more violent methods.Although the book was interesting, I found the intrusion of what seemed like gratuitous scenes of a sexual nature to be distracting. I was far more interested in learning about the resistance than I was in Mathieu’s various sexual fantasies, in and out of the bedroom. Perhaps this was one of the ways the author chose to draw the contrast between those living ordinary lives, going about almost as if there was no war, except for the shortages, soldiers and restrictions, which not everyone experienced equally, and those with secret lives, who were fighting back but still had to present an ordinary image to the public. Perhaps it was to show that they were still very much human and very much aware that the next day might be their last, that the next day their clandestine life might be discovered, that the next day they might be in the hands of the Germans.Parts of the story stretched credibility, but for the most part, it was entertaining even if a bit thin in scope. The narrator did an admirable job of portraying each character distinctly.
    • 3/5
      This novel is a well-researched examination of the WW II French Resistance. It provides an understanding of life in occupied Paris and the French countryside. The focus is a small cell of resisters lead by Mathieu. He is the hero of the title. The group rescues downed British airmen and moves them to Spain where they return to Britain and the war. The resistance cell represents all classes in the French population. The action illustrates the threats dedicated resisters faced. These came from both the Germans and their own countrymen. Furst also evokes a setting of constant treat and coping with scarcity that existed at the time.The narrative suffers from its episodic structure. Furst’s approach is suspenseful. But the picaresque tale fails to build to one big climax— just many smaller ones. Also Furst’s writing style wants for pyrotechnics. Instead it has the feel of an analytical treatise rather than a thriller. Thus it is difficult to develop a strong sense of involvement with these characters.
    • 4/5
      In this edition of the author's historical espinonage novels the protagonist known by his nom de guerre of Mathieu runs a small cell of Resistance members who concentrate on the rescue and exfiltration of downed British crews out of occupied France.Furst is as always a master of character delineation and depiction of the shifting locales with a deft touch. There is just enough tension generated by the narrative detail and just enough erotic tension to keep the reader caring about the characters and their fates.Unusual for Furst, he provides a nice wrap-up in the end that let's the reader in on the outcome for the more prominent members of his cast. It is more often the case that his novels conclude without a true denouement and just stop in the middle of things at the end of an episode, in a sense incomplete, just like real life.Those who bring something to the table in the way of a familiarity with the history of Europe In the Thirties and Forties will profit a little more, perhaps, but in any event, I recommend it highly. As always his audience is both entertained and enlightened.
    • 4/5
      Another great book describing the troubling times of WW2. Furst does it best.
    • 5/5
      A tense, exciting story centred around Resistance fighters in Nazi occupied Paris.These courageous people are helping downed pilots make their way to safety, but there are even darker clouds on the horizon.I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Orion via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
    • 4/5
      This is not really a spy novel per se. Rather it is a period piece of occupied Paris and one resistance circle that helped shot down RAF pilots escape to Spain. It is a good piece on occupation and resistance in the spring of 1941. One of the key characters is actually the city of Paris itself. It was a fun read but not an especially great one. I quite enjoyed it but I am a fan of both the author and World War 2 period pieces. If neither of these categories fit you, you may find it less enjoyable than I did.