- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Soho Press (May 1 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1569474540
- ISBN-13: 978-1569474549
- Product Dimensions: 16 x 2.6 x 23.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 544 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #381,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Set in pre-WWII Berlin, Downing's fine new thriller introduces a clever and honorable hero, British journalist John Russell, who has spent 15 years working in Germany. Despite finding the Nazis despicable and war inevitable, Russell wants to remain in Germany to be near his girlfriend, beautiful actress Effi Koenen, and his son, Paul, from whose mother he's divorced. A mysterious Russian hires Russell to write a series of articles praising Nazi achievements, and though he finds this work odious, he figures out a way to make the job palatable by involving the British consulate and their chief intelligence officer. He's drawn increasingly deeper into the espionage web of not only the Russians and British but also the Germans. How he extricates himself from all three and gets revenge on the Nazis will have readers holding their breath. Fortunately, the satisfying ending suggests Downing (The Moscow Option) will bring Russell back in a sequel. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
As the pivotal year 1939 begins, John Russell, a British expatriate, is eking out an existence in Berlin as a freelance journalist. He is trying to keep his head down and play it safe so he can stay in Nazi Germany to be near his young son and his girlfriend--a glamorous yet cynical German movie actress. One afternoon, a Soviet agent approaches him with a business proposal for Russell to write articles putting a positive slant on Germany and to be published in Pravda--ostensibly to prepare the Soviets for a nonaggression pact with Hitler. But soon, both the Nazis and the British become interested in Russell's new business arrangement, and he quickly falls under their hardened scrutiny. After the alleged suicide of a fellow journalist, Russell finds himself in possession of perilous secrets that will tear his peaceful, safe little life apart. This is a quiet but suspenseful tale of an ordinary man living in a dangerous place during a dangerous time who finds within himself the strength to do heroic acts. Michael Gannon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zoo Station - worth a stop,
By
This review is from: Zoo Station (Paperback)
Historical fiction at it's finest. Often author's of this genre slow down the plot to throw in every bit of research. This book has breathless pacing and spot-on historical detail. I double checked facts several times and Downing was never off, never wrong. But what matters here is that this is a rip roaring read, it moves quickly, presents Nazi Germany from a new perspective (a difficult trick) and educates while it entertains. Well worth the time.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thriller with noble principles,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Zoo Station (Paperback)
The author must have consulted numerous maps and historical records meticulously in order to write this stimulating pre-WWII spy thriller with such convincing accuracy. It feels like being there and constantly looking over one's shoulder being pursued by the inevitable sinister unknown. The mind of Downing's hero, John Russell, is a complex machine, programmed to continuously consider the possibilities open to him. His priorities are several--and often in conflict--the first being (as I see it) is his own survival, the second getting some enjoyment out of life, the third caring for others--even self-sacrificially, and the fourth taking measured risks but attempting to be true to the noblest principles. Constantly he must weigh one risk against all the others. Significantly, the reader feels that Russell has a heart and is not in it for his own heroic glory.The story moves along at a good clip, from one phase to the next, with just enough time to for us to savour the details. The ending still offers a few surprises. Like me, other readers will probably want to follow Russell into the next book, Silesian Station.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews) 50 of 53 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
3 1/2 Stars - A Well-Written, Well-Researched "Quiet" Thriller!,
By bobbewig - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zoo Station (Hardcover)
As Europe is on the brink of war in 1939, Anglo-American journalist and longtime Berlin resident, John Russell, wants to stay in Germany to be near his German son and his actress-girlfriend. Russell can't resist an offer from an old acquaintance from his "communist" days do some work for the Soviets. Soon after, the Nazi and British intelligence services learn of Russell's involvement with the Soviets, and he is made to do some work for them as well. Downing is an excellent writer, with particular strength in the areas of character development, creating a highly realistic sense of atmosphere of what life was like in pre-WWII Nazi Germany and in weaving the extensive research he did into Zoo Station's storyline. I enjoyed reading Zoo Station for these reasons. However, as a book positioned as a thriller, Zoo Station succeeds in creating slow-building tension, but, for me, did not provide "thrills." That is, there were no action-oriented or suspenseful passages in the story that kept me on the edge of my seat or that made me to put everything else in my life aside in order to keep turning the pages in Zoo Station. If you decide to read Zoo Station -- and it IS worth reading -- be prepared for a more passive, "quiet" type of thriller.
67 of 73 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
ZOO STATION A WONDERFUL PRE- WWII SPY THRILLER BY AUTHOR DAVID DOWNING,
By Andrea Bowhill - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zoo Station (Hardcover)
Set in Germany Pre WWII, Englishman John Russell was working as a free lance journalist he had already been a long term resident for fifteen years and given that reason had been granted a full accreditation from the Ministry of Propaganda in Berlin. Unlike many of his press corp. colleagues who were now eager to get out, Russell wished to remain in Reich for as long as possible. Most importantly to be with his eleven year old son Paul by his German ex-wife; who lived else where in the city and secondly to stay near his current girlfriend Effi, a beautiful German actress.New Year's Day 1939 in the early hours, Russell had been approached by an Old Russian communist acquaintance named Shchepkin. He wished to hire Russell's writing skills and make him an offer for extra money with a plan guaranteed to let Russell remain as long as possible in Germany. But this plan of course had more a return favour attached, secret spy work for the Soviets; his cover would be to write positive aspect articles of Nazi achievements for the Russian Newspapers. Russell had doubts could he trust his old friend or had things changed between them as many years had passed. Russell already found Nazi lives despicable; Geobbles latest Speech on the vibrancy of modern German Culture could not cover the true Nazi reality, Russell already believed war was on its way. Then during early January 1939 the Nazis had brought out more anti-Jewish laws making it so hard now for any to leave. Being a spy didn't seem so unappealing a forced decision was finally made from threats and certain financial needs, but the web of espionage was bigger than he ever anticipated. Russell finds himself caught up in a plot to fight German tactics; a spy for the Russian's and then for the British as for Russell he was just trying to survive all dangers thrown his way these were uncertain times. This would be my first novel by David Downing and it's a wonderful piece of fiction a quiet spy thriller. Four stars; deducting one because I felt some things were a little bit to convenient for Russell in places. Overall it remains an incredibly well written piece and very well researched. Detailed news stories just months before the war which are mentioned in passing, giving it authenticity. Downing has also kept to the boundaries of historical possibility in writing this and successful shows the pre war glitter and darkness of Berlin on the eve of WWII. Characterisations are shown very strong throughout; Russell and Effi both characters are well written Russell is loaded to the brim cynically but remains likeable. What I thought was fantastic was the conversations between Russell and other Foreign Correspondents, full of insightfulness; with lots of witty comments thrown in. This first book was certainly written to lead you into the next, congratulations David Downing, I will be moving onto the second in the series Silesian Station. Highly Recommended. Andrea Bowhill 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
readable and atmospheric,
By Spitfire - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zoo Station (Paperback)
I found this to be a readable page-turner. Although it is not up there with the best of Furst, Silva, et.al., it is literate, full of interesting characters, and depicts the atmosphere of the Nazi period in Berlin. I thought the Russell character could have been better developed, especially the politics involved between father and son. The depiction of how young people were socialized in Hitler's Germany was fascinating but I thought that more could have been made of Russell's reactions to his son's education. That said, I very much enjoyed reading this and will read the sequel.
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