“Nothing can be like watching Casablanca for the first time, but Furst comes closer than anyone has in years.”—TimeAutumn 1941: In a shabby hotel off the place Clichy, the course of the war is about to change. German tanks are rolling toward Moscow. Stalin has issued a decree: All partisan operatives are to strike behind enemy lines—from Kiev to Brittany. Set in the back streets of Paris and deep … streets of Paris and deep in occupied France, Red Gold moves with quiet menace as predators from the dark edge of war—arms dealers, lawyers, spies, and assassins—emerge from the shadows of the Parisian underworld. In their midst is Jean Casson, once a well-to-do film producer, now a target of the Gestapo living on a few francs a day. As the occupation tightens, Casson is drawn into an ill-fated mission: running guns to combat units of the French Communist Party. Reprisals are brutal. At last the real resistance has begun. Red Gold masterfully re-creates the shadow world of French resistance in the darkest days of World War II.
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If you love well-written historical thrillers, “Red Gold” will be a perfect choice for you. It’s a bit noir, brooding, dark and haunting – just like Occupied Paris itself, in which the action takes place. Casson himself – a former film producer on the run – is grim and forlorn, hiding from the Gestapo under a false name and seeing no future for …
No one does atmosphere & character of the WWII era in Europe like Alan Furst. Most highly recommended.
I am an Alan Furst fan and have read all of his novels. I enjoy period pieces, especially of the years surrounding WWII in Europe. His spy novels, except Night Soldiers, which is a more “epic” story, are stories about an “everyman” who is called upon by events to resist and oppose the Nazis – the missions are small events in the overall panoply …
Alan Furst is a remarkable wordsmith and should be thought of as a World War II observer in the same context as John LeCarre with Spy and Counter Spy.
His characters are richly observed; the plots are engaging and the settings; back alleys and crawlspace of World War II Espionage are drawn thoughtfully. Red Gold fits right into the Furst …
Furst does a great job capturing the feel of WWII in Europe. Very realistic and engrossing story, with a lot of truth.
realistic; gives you a good sense of time and place
Furst’s wriing is always elegant and engaging. There is great atmosphere and history, too.
Excellent use of place and events to create a believable and highly entertaining story
An excellent tale of occupied Paris and the heroic struggle between good and evil.
Interesting view of resistance in WWII France
First is the best at creating a sense of the realities of life before and during WW II. Excellent research.
I have read all of the author’s works. Big fan.
This was, I believe, a realistic look at life in Paris and Vichy France during WWII. Some lived as though war didn’t exist, others engaged in espionage against the German captors. The ending was a spoiler: I like closure, not wonderment.
Fantastic book for a new author. What a great story with believable characters and outstanding dialog. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I believe that the 1930’s and 40’s were the most interesting and colorful years of my 80 year existence. I love authentic western literature and historical novels on many subjects but there is a special place in my heart for excellent WW2 and Cold War spy stories. This author is one of the very best. His stories of this genre and time period have …
I like Furst’s realistic characters in a espionage setting. I look forward to his every book…except….this one was not up to his usual work in my opinion.
I would read anything by Alan Furst. His novels are engrossing and always shed a light on the intimate lives of people behind the scenes in WWII and the days before. Characters often reappear in another context in subsequent books. There needs to be an “engrossing” choice offered!
Fascinating account of espionage leading up to WWII with an entirely European perspective. Thrilling, sophisticated and intelligent.
Alan Furst is master of the pre-WW2, and WW2 spy genre. His characters are vivid. Pick up and read any of his novels, and you’ll be hooked!
Alan Furst gives excellent insight into Europe and the underground resistance networks during WW II. The reading experience is heightened by knowledge of Europe and, as in my cases, having experienced WW II as a child under Nazi rule.