Night Soldiers was the first of Alan Furst's historical espionage novels, of which there are currently fifteen. It is probably a good place to start with this author: it introduces his trademark style –– a Central European protagonist gets entangled with anti-Nazi espionage in the years just before World War II, and their realistic spy business is told with a convincing evocation of the time and place –– and includes enough story for two or three books.
The hero in this case is Bulgarian. In 1934 the Germans are approaching his hometown on the Danube River, and his younger brother is killed by the emboldened local fascists. This event drives him into the arms of the local Russian recruiter who sends him downriver to train for the Soviet security forces. He eventually fights in the Spanish Civil War, supports French partisans, and reports on factory output in Prague before returning to the Danube for a final mission.
Night Soldiers differs from later Furst novels in a few ways. It is more epic, spanning more than a decade in locations all over Europe; the main character is trained as an agent rather than falling into the role by happenstance; and the overarching purpose of the espionage operations is more explicit.
The best thing about Furst's novels is the atmosphere, which is best described by one of his titles: Kingdom of Shadows. But here's an interesting question from the Reader's Guide at the back of Night Soldiers:
Critics praise Furst's ability to re-create the atmosphere of World War II-era Europe. ... How can you account for the fact that the settings seem authentic even though you probably have no first-hand knowledge of the times and places he writes about?
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