“In the first nineteen months of European war, from September 1939 to March of 1941, the island nation of Britain and her allies lost, to U-boat, air, and sea attack, to mines and maritime disaster, one thousand five hundred and ninety-six merchant vessels. It was the job of the Intelligence Division of the Royal Navy to stop it, and so, on the last day of April 1941 . . .”May 1941. At four in … 1941. At four in the morning, a rust-streaked tramp freighter steams up the Tagus River to dock at the port of Lisbon. She is the Santa Rosa, she flies the flag of neutral Spain and is in Lisbon to load cork oak, tinned sardines, and drums of cooking oil bound for the Baltic port of Malmö.
But she is not the Santa Rosa. She is the Noordendam, a Dutch freighter. Under the command of Captain Eric DeHaan, she sails for the Intelligence Division of the British Royal Navy, and she will load detection equipment for a clandestine operation on the Swedish coast–a secret mission, a dark voyage.
A desperate voyage. One more battle in the spy wars that rage through the back alleys of the ports, from elegant hotels to abandoned piers, in lonely desert outposts, and in the souks and cafés of North Africa. A battle for survival, as the merchant ships die at sea and Britain–the last opposition to Nazi German–slowly begins to starve.
A voyage of flight, a voyage of fugitives–for every soul aboard the Noordendam. The Polish engineer, the Greek stowaway, the Jewish medical officer, the British spy, the Spaniards who fought Franco, the Germans who fought Hitler, the Dutch crew itself. There is no place for them in occupied France; they cannot go home.
From Alan Furst–whom The New York Times calls America’s preeminent spy novelist–here is an epic tale of war and espionage, of spies and fugitives, of love in secret hotel rooms, of courage in the face of impossible odds. Dark Voyage is taut with suspense and pounding with battle scenes; it is authentic, powerful, and brilliant.
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Alan Furst writes novels about ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. The time period can be anytime between 1933 and 1945. He’s fascinated by Europe during these 12 years and the situations people found themselves in and the actions they took either to survive or to fight back. In Dark Voyage, the main character is a Dutch …
Loved it. Felt like I was travelling on board the ship with the crew.
By 1941 the Dutch have capitulated to the Nazis, but Captain DeHaan of the Dutch merchant steamer Noordendam has not. DeHaan undertakes missions for the Dutch resistance, which has by now acquiesced to British intelligence. Whether he must deliver British commandos to Tunisia, ammunition to Crete, or spyware to the Baltic, danger lurks in and out …
Furst at his best. No one does a better job of capturing the mood of pre & early-WWII Europe. His formula is pretty straight-forward: an “everyman” is recruited for or simply falls into a plot to strike a blow against the Axis powers. The mission is, generally speaking, a small affair; one that contributes to effort but is not of a magnitude to …
My favorite author
Furst’s early books were better, not so much now. I read Furst because I enjoyed “Night Soldiers” so much and am hoping to find that level again.
Furst just continues to write the best historical spy novels. His books are pure escape.
I have enjoyed previous Alan Furst books. This was good, but not my favorite.
Not up to what i expect from Alan Furst. I didn’t look at the publication ate but suspect it is an early attempt.
Very well written with realistic characters. Tells a story that may well be historically factual – I found it fascinating and completely believable, filled with realistic characters grappling with real issues. WWII was a time where many people found unexpected depths in themselves – this is a story about ordinary people doing extraordinary …
A little interesting about Dutch frieghter used to carry armor and munitions under Spanish flag. Furst tries to sexy it up but it doesn’t work to make this as good as most of his other works.
I’ve read the entire series. Really believable characters and gripping drama.
Furst captures the sights and sounds and transports you to the world at war.
A classic Alan first book, once you start, you can’t put it down!