Night Soldiers [Hardcover]

Mr Furst is a good writer, his characterisations are entertaining, the book is well researched with convincing descriptions of various European locales and regions and the plot is coherent and plausible, at least for three-quarters of the novel. The part of the story set in Paris for me is the best, the passages involving Khristo and Alexandra, a woman he becomes involved with I particularly liked. You get a real sense of what Paris must have been like in those nervous, decadent pre-war years.

After that though, I thought the book lost focus. There is a lengthy diversion involving an American OSS operative in France which comes out of nowhere and doesn't seem to hang properly with the rest of the story. Up until then you felt you were reading more of a character study, how average individuals such as Khristo would get swept up and carried away by the brutal forces at work in Europe in the era. However the second half of the book seemed to try to assume the mantle of the epic, sweeping historical novel, with characters, events and locations rushing past you. I felt that if the focus had been kept on Khristo the book would have been far more rewarding. The ending is also a little too easy. Nonetheless, the merits of the book raise it above the average run-of-the-mill spy story in many ways, yet Mr Furst does enough here and there to make me feel it could have been better.

Much is written about the historical accuracy of the author's work, there is no issue with making such a claim as long as it is valid. Mr. Furst even goes to the point of suggesting historical reading that he uses for his readers to also enjoy, which also reinforces the idea that he is concerned with historical accuracy. Unless the reader has traveled to the cities and countries his books cover, we all must rely on what he tells us as fact. Major historical events can always be checked independently, but the details of day to day living, architecture, and countless other details we must take on faith. In his book, "Red Gold", he made a variety of errors that would not be noticed by most of his readers, and they were largely missed by me as well. Another reviewer shared his thoughts about the book with me, and my faith in Mr. Furst's accuracy was diminished. I don't speak French but those who do will note how poorly he represents the language in the book I mention. Again, in most issues the faults slide by, and some details would probably not be considered worthwhile by many to even note. However when an author places a historical event in the wrong year, there is no excuse, no defense, and credibility is damaged. This damage extends beyond the author to everyone participating in the chain of production of the book.

I enjoyed the tale shared in, "Night Soldiers". I am again at the author's mercy for I have never been to most of the countries he has his characters visit prior to and through the end of World War II. Nonetheless it is the most complete work I have read by Mr. Furst as he follows the career of a disillusioned young man, his recruitment by the Russians and the subsequent changes in his sponsors and to varying extent his loyalties. He tends to morph much as the map of the Europe he inhabits changed in a very short number of years. Much of the main characters life is destroyed during the war and he too appears to represent the chaos that much of Eastern Europe survived only to be thrown under another brutal regime, the USSR, when the war came to a close.

This work is more complex, in terms of the number of players the author presents, as well as their experiences and relationships. His work is not spy thriller, explosions one moment, and women the next. The cadence of his books are measured and more relaxed in their pace. I do not believe he is the author that John Le Care is, but if you like Le Care's method and manner of unrolling his longer stories I believe you will enjoy this man's as well. As to the accuracy that is continually touted about his work, I would suggest enjoying the work first, if like me you are unfamiliar with the settings and language. If you do find factual error share it with others, for the faith we place in the writers we invest our time and money in should not be taken for granted by giving us reading that is lacking in the very accuracy that is used to promote their work.