Product Description
With 1942 Cairo under siege and at the mercy of General Erwin Rommel, British Captain Albert Cutler enters the city to locate the spy that his government is certain Rommel has placed there. 150,000 first printing. $150,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent service
Good book and excellent service by the seller. Book was in top condition and arrived promptly. Would buy from this seller again.

Unfulfilled Promise
This book had promise, and for the first third of it, I thought it was going to be a really good read.But it floundered in the middle, and the ending was rushed.It is almost as if Deighton ran out of time.

The setting is early 1942 in Cairo.Rommel is advancing on the city.Egypt is neutral, but the government is a British puppet and the the Army is the law.The plot centers around the search for a spy that is giving Rommel detailed information regarding British positions and movements.Several interesting characters are introduced, and the author does a wonderful job of describing both the setting and the what life was like there for the natives, the Army, British civilians, and other foreign nationals.

The historical background is rich and well presented.The characters are interesting.The plot has some novel twists.It could have been a really good book.But about halfway through, time became compressed, what was a well paced flow became rushed, and it felt like I had somehow skipped a chapter here and there.I was left wanting to have better known the key characters.

Foreign Military Spy story
...It is clear that he reigns supreme of the war spy thrillers. I must admit that this topic does not particularly interest me, however, I wanted to see if this "king" of war spy thriller could reach the disenchanted.Well, he was not so gifted.I really could not get with this book.Itried as I wanted to expand my subject interest.

After reading the first 20 pages, the author still had not reached any interest in me, therefore, I had to put the book down, never to pick it up again.I am willing to admit that I contributed the largest part to my disinterest, but, the author has to accept some of the blame also.I hope that sometime in the near future (next 5 years) I will be able to pick this book up again and read it in its entirity as I would have grown some....

Not His Best, Far From It
I wish the book had as much luster as the gold it talks about in the title.Bland, dull and obvious, all that in the first chapter.Based on the outline of the story I thought this would be an interesting book, and I have read some of his World War Two based books before which were ok.Unfortunately, the best writing was on the dust jacket. I got the feeling he just put this together to give him more time to get another of his famous spy novels completed.I would skip this one.

A Different Len Deighton
CITY OF GOLD is a different kind of Len Deighton book.There is no cold war Berlin here.No Bernard Sampson risking his life to make one more dangerous border crossing.No Fiona, the non-traitor traitor, nor any ofthe rest of Deighton's usual cast of spies, counter spies, andstay-at-homes.Deighton, to his credit, has tried something differenthere.

Far from the cold war in both time and place, we find ourselves in1942 Cairo in the presence of one Bert Cutler who isn't Bert Cutler at all. He is really Jimmy Ross who doesn't want to be Bert Cutler but can'tafford to be Jimmy Ross.We first meet Ross on a train on the way to Cairoin the Custody of Cutler.Ross is being taken to Cairo to be tried formurder when Cutler suffers a fatal heart attack.The quick thinking Rossmanages to switch identities with the deceased and shortly finds himself inCairo charged with finding the identity of a spy who is leaking informationon British troop movements to Rommel, the Chief of the German Tank Corps. Ross doesn't want to stay Cutler.He doesn't want to hunt for a spy.Allhe wants to do is to escape before his true identity is discovered.Anescape opportunity never presents itself.

This is not a spy story.Itis, however, a pretty good adventure set in Cairo and the surroundingdesert.As Cutler, Ross's life is further complicated by the murder of aBritish soldier that he is expected to investigate.In investigating thismurder, he runs across a group of "special assignment" BritishSoldiers who aren't really soldiers at all, but armed marauders who stealBritish Munitions and sell them to the highest bidder.To furthercomplicate matters, the second in command of this group isn't even British. He's really German, but none of the other members of his "Unit"have been able to figure that out.In the final analysis, this man is thekey to solving both mysteries, the intelligence leak and themurder.

Ross, along with some real British Soldiers and the profiteeringphonies are all caught in the desert in a major raid by Rommel.All butRoss die, but not before he has solved both questions.In the aftermath,Ross, whose true identity is discovered. is set free and never tried on themurder charge against him, but to get the answer to the key question:whowas leaking the strategic information, I'm afraid that you will have toread CITY OF GOLD.That is what this review is about isn't it? ... Read more

Product Description
An account of Hitler's rise to power in a defeated, demoralized Germany analyzes the German blitzkrieg campaign that led to the nearly fatal encirclement of British and French forces at Dunkirk. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Exact story of Blitzkrieg
This is the most brilliant fine story about Blitzkrieg among all books I have read.

Interesting and insightful
Len Deighton is one of my favorite fiction writers; he is particularly at home writing novels about Germany in World War Two.Thus, when I came across a scholarly work by him on the same subject, I snapped it up and read it with great interest.

This is a very interesting book.It appears to be well-researched, although some reviewers have been critical of numerous details in the book.I am not in a position to judge how valid these criticisms are.

That aside, there is no doubt that this book takes a hard look at its subject: the Blitzkrieg method of warfare.I came away from the book with the conclusion that Blitzkrieg, at least in the 1940s, really only works when one side has a far greater degree of preparedness for war.In France, perhaps the purest example of the Blitzkrieg, the French were bereft of elan or enthusiasm for the war, and its Army was infected with defeatism, bad tactical doctrine (strictly defensive, with no thought of attack), and bad leadership (the elderly General Gamelin, the Commander-in-Chief, was holed up at a luxurious chateau that did not even have radio or landline contact with the rest of the Army!).The German Blitz succeeded because the Germans took chances such as wildly extending their flanks and supply lines--these chances worked against an enemy who was slow to react and burdened with bad tactics, intelligence, and leadership.In short-they worked against the French.It took the Russians, and later the Anglo-Americans, to show the Germans how to fight tank battles.

Deighton also makes a convincing case that the Wehrmacht, although inferior to the French as regards equipment, carried the day due in part to inspired tactical leadership by Guderian and other German commanders (Rommel was one) and much sounder tactical doctrine.No surprise here.

Overall, an interesting look at the early portion of World War Two on the Western front.

Very sloppy research
The chapter on the opening campaign of WWII in September 1939, had me asking whether I was reading one of Deighton's works of fiction.In just 2-3 pages he made several ridiculous statements that defy logic. He repeats the fairy tale that Poland's airforce was destroyed on the ground. This is a mistake many authors who churn out books without regard to check facts make. All Polish air force planes were moved to secret war time fields on Aug 30, 31 ,1939. A second unforgiveable error was the repetition of the Nazi slander that Polish cavalry attacked tanks. My father was in the Polish cavalry and he told me this assertion was Nazis propaganda designed to make the Poles appear to be of low intelligence and thus less human.If Deighton were not lazy andwould've consulted various works in English on the Polish Campaign of 1939,he would have stumbled on the truth. A third false assertion was that the reason the Polish army was caught in the middle of mobilization, was because they did not believe the Nazis would actually attack. The Poles were caught in the middle of mobilization because the British and the spineless French,made them delay mobilization in the hope they would "provoke" Hitler.
British writers tend to portray other nation's militaries as incompetent to hide the fact the British Army in WWII was second rate.I have news for Deighton ,the Polish soldiers up to the noncoms outfought the Germans in the 1939 campaign. I can prove this statiscally. There are several books which use statiscal models to give the average soldier of each opposing army a rating based on how many casualties were inflicted on the opposing army.
"Sir" John Keegan doesn't like these models because they show the British inflicted .65 casualties on the Germans for every casualty the British suffered in selected battles.

Really good
This is a well-written, well-researched, "quick read," chock full of interesting details, many of which I was unaware of, despite 40 years of reading World War II history.Deighton, author of many engrossing spy novels, uses his considerable story-telling technique to carry the reader along in a story in which its history is well-known, and the end familiar to all.Nevertheless, the book will hold your interest and add greatly to your knowledge of the subject.Imagine the satisfaction you will receive at cocktail parties when you put that smug know-it-all in his place when you correct him and state that the Wehrmacht was actually INCREASING the use of horse-drawn artillery, rather than motorized carriers.You can just sense that comely blonde off to the side of the room begin looking at you with growing interest!

The Book Moves as Fast as the Battles it Covers
I found this book very enjoyable. It was full of interesting facts and moved as smoothly as the fiction the author writes.It starts with a good overview into what took place in Germany to lead them up to the 1939 attacks.It provided an easy to grasp view of the tactics that the German armor forces used to such devastating effect.I also think this work shows the benefit of training and strong leadership, many times the Germans did not have the type of numbers that are generally thought of as needed to attack fixed forces.The additional drawings and diagrams make the test easy easier to understand. This book moves as fast as the battle it describes, it is well worth the purchase price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

WOW!Blockbuster novel of RAF Bomber Command
Fictional account of fictional mass bombing attack on a small city in the industrial Ruhr Valley of Germany on the night of June 31, 1943. If you think that death in the air is nice and clean, then you must read this book. Plenty of technical detail about the British Lancaster heavy bombers as well as the Luftwaffe night fighters, flak ships, air controllers and flak batteries that oppose them. Characters on both sides are developed in the book before the big raid which sends a stream of over 700 RAF bombers to carpet bomb the wrong target.You will get a good look at what it is like to make a raid in the big bombers as well as what it is like to be a German civilian on the receiving end of tons and tons of bombs.Could possibly be considered by some to be an anti-war book since it shows the folly of the fictitious raid and the horrible cost in human sacrifice - to what end?Definitely a testament to the bravery of the RAF bomber crews who relentlessly push on night after night against all odds as well as the German night fighter interceptors who try to destroy them.A good read and a great book.

War in the skies, on land, at sea, and all points in between
Though the title implies that this is the story of a single bomber, "Bomber" goes farther - much farther, only starting with the crew of the heavy bomber "Joe for King". Deighton then covers other aircrews and their families and superiors before cutting across the channel to the enemy - night-fighter pilots, their controllers in German air defense, various suspicious characters from across the spectrum of Germany's military - from "respectable" Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht personnel to shadowy types from the "Abwehr" and the SS. We also meet the civilian residents of Altgarten, a Ruhr-area town nobody would think of bombing, but which manages to get plastered all the same. It's mid-summer 1943, when "Joe for King" is sent into the Ruhr as part of a massive night-time raid against the industrial centers of Krefeld. Lacking night-vision goggles, RAF pilots of 1943 drop their bombs on targets marked by flares left by directing aircraft - in this case, specially equipped Mosquitoe night-fighters. When the marker plane for the Krefeld raid is shot down prematurely, its flares are released over Altgarten. This error is compounded by inherent flaws in RAF tactics (like targeting bombs in the center of cities, where bombs are more likely to hit civilian homes than factories and military installations), and the town becomes the unintended target for the massive strike. "Bomber" is to RAF's wartime bomber command what "Traffic" is to the DEA - a story of massive scale borne by wide cast if characters that never stops growing. Deighton plays no favorites, certainly not with nationality.The Germans are on the receiving end of the bombs here, but there are plenty of overt references to the Nazis' crimes. On the British side, we see officers acting less like gentlemen than soldiers. Political correctness is the rule (this is the country that gave us "1984"; "Joe for King"'s commander is suspected of incipient Bolshevism - it's very name hints at Stalin). Those who won't fall in line risk being labeled as LMF - Lacking Moral Fiber - officially branded as cowards. Though books with such a command of detail tend towards charitability (if not nostalgically) to those they depict, Deighton is uniformly negative on the subject, a tone reinforced by his many subplots. Lambert, "Joe for King's" rebel pilot, plays the best cricket in Bomber Command - leading his odious superior to compel his participation in an upcoming tournament on pain of getting LMF'd. (Worse - the commander pressures Mrs. Lambert after her husband has departed for the big raid). Previous owners of the land that became the RAF base at Warley Fen, a once verdant field, now stare at the airfield, mourning for what they know they will never have again. In Germany, ADF is managed by August Bach, an aged warrior preparing to marry his young son's nanny, not knowing how her youthful looks have made her the target of vicious rumors through Altgarten. The pilots of a night-fighter squadron (nichtjagdeschwader), preparing for a feared RAF attack on the Ruhr, are thrown into turmoil when Abwehr and Gestapo appear in search of a stolen classifed memo. The memo, it turns out, details hypothermia experiments on concentration camp prisoners (this may be same memo mentioned early in Robert Harriss' superb "Fatherland"). The corrupt assistant to Altgarten's Burgomeister arranges for the downgrading of the town's remaining Jews (from 1/3rd to 2/3rd "Jewishness" - though these jews are even more likely to face deportation and certain death, they will have greater freedom to marry other jews). Altgarten itself is flooded with profiteers funneling goods looted from conquered parts of Russia and the Netherlands. Deighton hints at the underlying corruption of humanity actually tamed by war - it seems that war is the only thing keeping the world safe because it occupies all the amoral types who have to fight it. The only morally just adults are the TENO - the civil safety personnel who dig people out of bombed buildings. Because they are stationed in Altgarten, they get the biggest break: when the raid comes, they have the shortest commute. With so much going on, you just know you're bound to miss something. This is the sort of book that speed-readers hate. You'll probably lose count of all the characters that Deighton throws at you, though this doesn't hurt the plot as much as make the book one you'll want to re-read. Be warned - once you pick up bomber, you'll probably be spoiled for any other novel on the war in the skies over Europe.

A fascinating account of a fictional WWII RAF bombing raid
Len Deighton has written a fascinating novel of a tragically bungled (fictional) night bombing raid by the RAF in 1943. The book is full of information about the men and machines which took part on both sides. Readers knowledgeable aboutthe air war will appreciate the technical details which Deighton lavishlyprovides but the casual reader will also be caught up by his talentedstorytelling. Folly piles upon folly in revealing the tragic and oftenunintended ramifications of making war.

The ironic tone which suffuses thenovel is reflected in the subtitle. As the author points out in thedisclaimer, there was no June 31st in 1943 or any other year. A book toread and reread. ... Read more

Product Description
An attempted murder, the defection of a highly placed KGB official, and an explosive nuclear submarine chase beneath the Arctic Ocean seem to have little connection to one another. But they are the sparks that propel Pat Armstrong -- also known as Harry Palmer -- into the heart of a brutal East-West power play.
And when Armstrong returns to his own apartment -- where someone who looks and dresses just like him has taken up his identity -- we are drawn into the world of spies and counterspies, plots and counterplots, that is Len Deighton's unbeatable trademark.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

High Noon on the North Pole
Two civilians leave as soon as their submarine anchors at a remote, secret Scottish Navy base. They are Patrick Armstrong and Ferdy Foxwell(PA;FF). They have spent 43 days without alcohol and tobacco under water and under the North Pole's thick and uneven icecap, esp. when seen from below: time for a drink or two in the first pub in this barren, cliff-ridden region, before moving on. They survive an attempt to tip their vehicle over the edge by another car, whose occupants are already settled in the pub when they arrive. Is it a warning?
PA and FF take all this in their stride, staying cooler than you or I would. Attentive readers may suspect at this stage that we are mere spectators in a long-planned drama and that PA and FF are mere pawns or larger pieces in some Cold War chess game.
More incidents occur, esp. to PA, such as a brutal armed burglary of his new flat by Soviet intelligence officers led by KGB Colonel Stok (who reappears as an adept of the Scottish poet Burns in "Billion Dollar Brain"). Another warning to desist? Earlier, upon arrival from Scotland, PA used his abandoned flat to call for a taxi and finds it curiously changed and extended, with medical equipment added to and a passage made to the flat next door. What alarms him most is evidence that his identity has been stolen to benefit another man...
At work (PA and FF both work at a War Office institute devoted to studying historical conflicts with the aid of computers) a new broom has been appointed, the abrasive retired Colonel Chuck Schlegel (USMC). His task is to merge the institute with similar war games institutions in NATO-land. He orders a naval war game between the Red Room (commanded by Ferdy) and the Blue Room (visiting top US admirals) to secure more funding and legitimacy for the institute. Or what? PA is referee Schlegel's Personal Assistant and able to move between Red and Blue. It gives him a crash course in decision-making and playing foul to obtain higher objectives.
"Spy Story" is about a carefully-planned defection of a key Soviet submarine commander. Len Deighton must remain in print. "Spy Story" is not for claustrophobics. His knowledge in 1974 of the intelligence capabilities of submarines and computers is awesome. Colonel Schlegel makes a comeback in "Yesterday's Spy". Authentic, convincing and with a chilling finale.

Vintage Cold War Espionage
I've read probably 100s of Cold War spy novels.In my opinion John Lecarre and Len Deighton are the best writers in this genre.I liked Deighton's "Spy Story" when I first read it about 20 years ago. On re-reading it I'm glad to see that it holds up very well.

The elements of the plot are all familiar:retired spy reluctantly drawn back into the game, infighting among the various intelligence agencies, opportunity for an intelligence coup or it is really a Soviet trick?, public school Brits vs hardnosed American military types, double agents & double crosses, etc.Len Deighton weaves all these near-cliches into a well-written, fast-paced, action & detection narrative.

I never thought I'd use the word nostalgia with regard to the Cold War, but that was my reaction to "Spy Story".As the opening of the Lone Ranger show used to say "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear".

Who Can You Trust...
Since Marlowe was considered a spy in Britain, this book about Pat Armstrong was tempting as his identity had been stolen by someone who looked and dressed like him, Harry Palmer. Regardless of what I may seem like over the radio, or through my words, I'm just a young man trying to make his way through this world the best way he can. I'd like to think that I'm a good guy, and that I do things that are extraordinary, at times. But, over all, I'm as normal as most. The music began on the radio:Noel Coward on the piano.Not MYL but British, so could he be a spy.He wrote, You are a dear friend to me. Even though we are both miles away, and very much different in age - I think we have a special friendship, though we have never met. And we can relate to so many things that are similar.It's well known that radio people are seldom who they claim to be, using another name and identity.They are the modern version of spies.The first Politburo shake-out since the ousting of Nikita Khrushchev was announced at the end of a two-day meeting of the Central Committee.According to observers, the new line-up means the end of all hopes for the German treaty of federalization.

There is a real spy story about John Richardson who had been a US double agent in the 1930s in military intelligence.He learned about Communist insurgencies and how Lenin had created the Communist International of the show "purge" trials of the 1930s.It was called the golden age of spying from 1950 to 1960.

Len Deighton is a historian who has written several such stories about spies, counterspies, plots, and counterplots, like 'Berlin Game' and 'Funeral in Berlin.'Marx had designed his theories around the belief that Germany would be the first socialist land, and that Communism is the 'opiate of the intellectuals.'As a historian, he also wrote 'The True Story of the Battle of Britain, and 'Blood, Tears, and Folly (WWII) in 1993 which has been re-released in 2005. ... Read more

Product Description
An analysis of the aerial battle between the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940 provides a full account of the tactics and artillery on both sides, including descriptions of the Hurricane, Spitfire, and Bf 109 aircraft. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Good, but not the whole story
I've read a lot of books on the Battle of Britain, probably way too many. I've been reading and re-reading Len Deighton's book Fighter since it was first published in 1977. He's one of the original "revisionist" historians of the Battle and as such he makes a number of points which are valid and should be taken seriously: 1. Germany really wasn't ready to invade England; 2. Goring promised far more than he could deliver; 3. The British government greatly exaggerated the claims of their pilots; 4. Things weren't as one sided in the Luftwaffe's favor as history has often made them out to be. All true enough, and yet not really the whole story.

There were real heroes in the British isles in the summer of 1940. An error revisionist histories often make is that they often view the events of the past against what we know now. Hugh Dowding (head of RAF's Fighter Command), Keith Park (head of 11 Group), even Winston Churchill didn't KNOW how much of Germany's military might was overblown at the time. What they had seen is victory after victory by the German Army and Air Force, and they had no good reasons to believe that they weren't next. Lord knows Hitler made it very clear that he expected them to be next, and at the time his predictions along those lines had tended to become true. Certainly Germany put up a heck of fight for the next five years, so it wasn't all bluster! Also, as A.J.P. Taylor says in his Introduction to this very book, the British and German public had been hearing for years that "the bomber will always get through", and had no reason to disbelieve that based on their limited experience. Of course the British and German pilots who would fight the Battle had been part of those publics, growing up with that phrase ringing in their ears. Anyone who has been in the military or read military history knows that expectations and confidence going into a battle are huge players in the outcome, and the Germans had those things on their side in 1940.

It's important to recognize the technological advantages the British had, and Deighton does a good job of pointing those things out. But he, like many historians who delight in poking holes in "received" history, tends to discount the less solid factors. Hitler, Goring and the Germans had a whole lot of momentum going for them in June of 1940. They expected to win, and the rest of the world expected it too. Hugh Dowding, Keith Park, and a relative handful of British airmen disagreed with those predictions, and Winston Churchill - a drunken has-been politician who had just barely become Prime Minister - gave them voice and gave the British public hope. Without their determination that the huge majority of the world was wrong, how many of us would really be here today, enjoying our ability to spout off like this?

Deighton and other writers can miss that element. History has to be seen as a whole, not as pieces viewed from the vantage point of hindsight. Read this book, but read others as well. And frankly, if you want a good solid technical and overall view of the truly ground-shifting event that was the Battle of Britain, read Stephen Bungay's The Most Dangerous Enemy: The Definitive History of the Battle of Britain, a really great book that looks at the whole picture.

Oh, and by the way, the "fact" that the Germans like to say now that the Battle of Britain didn't happen is no indication that it didn't. In the end, let's face it, THEY LOST! The war in the west could have ended in the summer of 1940 with the swastika over Whitehall. Hitler wanted it, despite later protestations that he didn't care (really, now we believe what HITLER said?!). But the war didn't end. The British stayed in, making larger and larger inroads into Germany's war making abilities and doing more than their part to save humanity from the scourge of Nazism. Thank the heroes of 1940 for that. Thank Winston Churchill. And take those, such as Deighton, who deride that with a grain of salt.

More Technology than Intimacy
Having previously read "With Wings of Eagle" and "The Few", I found this classic more of a revelation of the technical fine points of the Battle of Britain than the romantic side (if one dare call lethal aerial dogfighting romantic). Through his extensive research, Deighton does bring to light certain facts regarding personalities that were masked during that phase of the conflict; however, greater emphasis is placed weaponary and tactics than on any in depth analyses of the major players on both sides of the continent.

If one is more interested in the airplanes, gunnery, use of radar, the flow charts of command, and the important phases of the Battle of Britain, then this is a must read. It forms the foundation of all subsequent writing on this topic.

Fighter:The true story of the Battle of Britain
For the time it was written this was a very complete work and it is still
a viable reference work.At times it can be too detailed and ponderous,
but with some patience will provide an excellent overview of some of the
mystique that surrounds the Battle of Britain.I would reccomend that this work be read with; "Duel of Eagles" by Peter Townsend, "The Hardest Day" by Alfred Price and "The Few" by Alex Kershaw.These will give the reader a better understanding of the times, methods, personalities and
politics that made the Battle of Britain so unique.

Thank you

Jack W. Ostrom

The Decisive Battle of Britain
This is Len Deighton's story of the Battle of Britain, the war in the sky against bombers. Deighton thanks the many who discussed the details and brought documents and other material ('Acknowledgments'). The 'Introduction' by A. J. P. Taylor explains that the belief in the invincibility of bombers was a dogma shared by many. In 1937 a British Minister recommended defense by a greater number of fighters (p.xvii). Sir Hugh Dowding chose to concentrate his fighters on defeating enemy bombers. Lord Beaverbrook trampled over all obstacles to produce as many fighters as possible. Fighter Command had more aircraft at the end of the Battle of Britain than it had at the start. Producing trained pilots was another problem (p.xviii). Operation "Sea-Lion" was not possible unless the British surrendered (p.xix). Bombing alone could not win a war (p.xx). Dowding had a superior strategy, the men and their machines implemented it and prevailed (p.xxi).

The Battle of Britain was small in scale but was one of the decisive battles of WW II. The German mark was pegged higher that other currencies in order to transfer wealth by stealth (p.6). Germany was the leader in world aviation in the 1930s (p.16). The Curtiss F8C was the inspiration for the Stuka (pp.19-20). The Spanish Civil War provided experience (pp.23-25). The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was superior, Heinkel built bombers (p.22). The Luftwaffe adopted these aircraft as the standard. Their faster bombers would not need fighter escort. Douhet's theory that a war could be won by bombing civilians was in vogue (p.32). After Sir Hugh Dowding was put in charge of Supply and Research he ruled that only metal would be used in combat aircraft. Then he planned for a control system using radar (pp.39-40).

Part 3 discusses the development of metal monoplanes and radar, and the engineering and technical details. All-metal airplanes made radar practical (p.86). The Observer Corps was most important (p.99). Part 4 discusses the tactics and personalities. Lord Beaverbrook expanded production of Spitfires (pp.144-145). Deighton lists the policy errors made by each side (pp.162-164). To minimize losses the RAF would avoid fighter-to-fighter combat to concentrate on shooting down bombers (pp.179-180). Page 191 describes a radar-controlled method for bombing. The bombing of Berlin at night by the RAF was followed by the German bombing of London. This reduced the raids on airfields and airplane factories. Germany failed to command the air and could not invade Britain. Night bombing would continue.

Part 5 discusses the results. Night bombing of London did not win the war. Residents coped by sleeping in an air-raid shelter; this increased the rate of TB (p.224). Dowding and Clark, after winning the Battle of Britain, were removed by the "big-wing" proponents (p.225). In retrospect their policy of only attacking bombers was correct (p.229). Propaganda policies controlled the number of losses (p.229)! The rest of this chapter compares the practices of each side and their effects. Personal politics kept the Bf 109 in production instead of the better FW 190 (p.244)! [No mention of who benefitted from the royalties.] Quantity was preferred over quality. [Was this unique?] This book is valuable in giving a behind the scenes view of this decisive battle.

good history
The book describes and compares the tactics, weapons and philosophies of both sides and also provides interesting biographies of the major players of the air war. The detailed descriptions and development histories of the various planes were very interesting and the numerous maps and diagrams help to make the text very understandable. There are many myths, such as the belief that the Germans did not have radar, that are dispelled in this excellent book. ... Read more

Product Description
In this text, Deighton and Hastings look at how the "few" defended Britain in the Battle of Britain. They depict the reality of the battle and how it was enacted by those who took part, whether in the air, on the ground, in the planning rooms or at home in towns and villages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

GREAT COMPANION VOLUME TO FIGHTER


This 1980 book from Len Deighton is quite a volume concerning The Battle of Britain, the only other of equal stature for me was the one published by Salamander books in Summer, 2000, for the 60th anniversary of the battle, entitled THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN by author Richard Bickers.

Other reviewers have summed up many of the salient qualities of Deighton's book but one element for me is that a few years earlier, May, 1978, he had issued a volume entitled FIGHTER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN and those two books make ideal companion volumes for one another.

As with the other volumes Len Deighton has issued on WWII, not enough for my liking though, this book on the battle in 1940 will be one you will return to again and again.Whether to read or use as reference it is a book many interested history buffs will want on their home library shelves. I know I am glad I do.

Semper Fi.

Good overview & pictorial
This book provides an excellent overview of the the Battle of Britain. One gets the impression that this book was intended to be the pictorial compliment to the author's more in depth account of the battle 'Fighter'. Included are many photographs, drawings, charts and maps which help explain the battle on a day by day basis. The book also looks at air power and technology from 1918-1939, the rise of the Luftwaffe, aircraft designs and radar and some of the personalities involved with the battle. Included are many personal accounts from the combatants themselves that along with the pictorial content bring the battle to life. Some brief analysis is provided on where the RAF got it right and where the Luftwaffe got it wrong. Overall a delightful book which is an easy read and an excellent starting point of reference.

Easy read
This is a great first book on the Battle of Britain.I have enjoyed many Max Hastings and Len Deighton history books because of their ability to make these subjects very readable.The book includes sections on the equipment of both sides of the Battle and keeps the book personal and interesting.The die hard history buffs will probably not care for this book as much as some because it lacks the thoroughness of an in-depth account.This book is excellent as an introduction to the Battle or military history in general. ... Read more

Product Description
A master storyteller uncovers the world of men in battle with a collection of twentieth-century war stories presented from the perspectives of individual men in combat situations. (Adventure & Suspense). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"WAR AS A SERIES OF EVENTS"


This book by Deighton was released in 1971 and has been rather difficult to find, at least for me.I stumbled on to my copy at a library withdrawal sale back in 1987.Haven't seen a copy at any book sale I've attended since.

Anyway, since Amazon cannot or will not offer what the dustjacket looks like I will say that Len Deighton is in large read letters, with the title ELEVEN DECLARATIONS OF WAR beneath in black letters.The word WAR in the title shows a group of men advancing on a combat front, the picture is credited to Robert Capa-Magnum.The rear of the jacket has blurbs and praise from his other works: The Ipcress File, Horse Under Water, Funeral in Berlin, Billion Dollar Brain, An Expensive Place to Die, Bomber, and Spy Story.For readers of Len Deighton, count me one, we have all these books in hard cover too.

The list of eleven articles or stories are as follows:

Winter's Morning
Discipline
Paper Casualty
Bonus for a Salesman
Action
Twelve Good Men and True
First Base
Adagio
Lord Nick Flies Again
Brent's Deus Ex Machina
It Must Have Been Two Other Fellows

Probably doesn't help much but then it is more than Amazon offered.These stories 'see war as a series of events', having their locales as Italy, France, Britain, Vietnam and English Channel among others. "These and other soldiers make their own declarations of war in this collection of stories fierce in their hatred of war, and fierce in their love of life."

Book originally sold for $6.95 but look at the price of some of those offered.Makes me glad back in '87 I got mine for a quarter.

Semper Fi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Not Free SF Reader
Moles abound.


The last book in this trilogy is probably not quite as good as the other two, you could call it a 3.75 if you like, but there is some entertaining commentary on what goes on in the spook office with the whole clueless management versus the footslogging hardworking spy in the field.

MI6 is still a bit worried about Benard because of his traitorous spouse, so when he finds out about what he thinks is yet another mole, he isn't looked on too favourably, particularly as it might just be one of the higher-ups.

People who like the others should still enjoy this.

Best of the trilogy
The best of the game, set and match trilogy. Exciting, lean and suspenseful.

Double fault . . . .Russians
This is the third of the Bernard Samson trilogy set in London, Berlin, Mexico and East Germany. I think that Mr. Deighton possibly felt that the first of the series was meant as a solo effort. Perhaps not. Both Berlin Game and Mexico Set stand on their own and could have been solo efforts; London Match is possibly the weaker of the three, but leaves us with that gritty taste in our mouths that recalls the anti-Bond stories of Harry Palmer, Bernard and the others.

The office wit characterized by working with management types unfamiliar with the "field" is not uncommon to many of us who spent time in the military or big corporations. We toil for those who have never experienced what they ask us to do. Hence Dickie Cruyer and Bret Rennselear. Of course for most all of us the result of the inequity of working for management is several antacid tablets; Bernard is quick to point out for him it may be death.

Len Deighton writes wonderful stories about the Cold War a long time ago. Or was it? 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

Game, Set, Match!
This book can standalone as a good spy story, as can the others in this trilogy, but the storyline attains excellence when read in series - Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match. The tension ebbs and flows throughout the trilogy, but it isn't until the climax of London Match that we see the full scope. I honestly think this is the best book of the three, but maybe that's just because all the threads finally come together. Highly recommended!

Mole hunting
It's one of those hall-of-mirrors British spy stories in which the puzzle is to figure out who is working for whom, and who is double-crossing whom.
I was rereading my Len Deightons, partly to see how much impact they still have post-cold war, and I picked this one up out of order. After the first few pages I remembered that this was third in the Bernard Samson series, set in the 1970's and 80's, but it has close affinities to the Harry Palmer series of the 60's, especially Funeral in Berlin. (This has a 1985 publication date). If you're completely new to Len Deighton I'd start with those, and of course you should read Berlin Game and Mexico Set before this.
Some people think Deighton deteriorated in the later spy books. They contain fewer wisecracks and less descriptive scene- setting. In compensation there's a lot of subtle humor in the portrayal of the Dilbert-like atmosphere of office politics, and the plots are more sharply focussed and draw naturally to a climax. The earlier books tend to jump from episode to episode with a tidying up of plot in the last chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Who could've thought Nazi Britain could be so boring?
SPOILERS

SS-GB is such a legendary alternative history novel that I was very anxious to try it. Unfortunately, for a book set in an alternative history where Nazi Germany has occupied Britain, it's not terribly exciting.

It is November 1941; the British have been invaded by German armoured units and have surrendered. France and the Low Countries have also fallen; however, the Germans are still friends with the USSR. The USA, for some reason, is at war with Japan but is in full diplomatic relations with Hitler.

In Britain, Scotland Yard is effectively a branch of the SS, and former bobbies work for the Black Order with very little break in continuity from their old jobs. King George VI is an embarrassing, drooling lunatic locked in the Tower of London, Churchill has been shot and the British Jews wear a yellow star.

Deighton focuses on an excessively complicated plot by the British resistance to kill King George, give the USA the bomb, and bring the USA into the war. The few Nazis there are are faceless bureaucrats mostly involved in administration and plotting against each other in an inane way. For a story about a Nazi occupation there is shockingly little arbitrary violence. The main character, a policeman, wanders from mindless support of the Nazi regime to half-hearted support for the British resistance.

There is something fundamentally wrong when an alternate history novel about Nazi victory is so desperately dull. Maybe occupied Britain would have been like this, but if so, why write about it? There are no evil people or actions in the entire novel. Nor is anyone particularly strongly motivated by anything. It's like being a public servant.

Nice alt history book
I enjoy WW2 history and alternative history novels so this was enjoyable. The premise being that Germany conquered England in WW2. Most of it was believable, a few parts made me pause and suspend disbelief a little. But no alt history book is really perfect.

A suspenseful mystery set in Nazi-occupied Britain
What happens when one's commitment to their duty conflicts with the loyalty to their country?That is the dilemma facing Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer in Len Deighton's alternate history thriller.A leading member of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, he finds himself working for the German occupation in the aftermath of their conquest of Great Britain.This tension becomes unavoidable when Archer is called upon to investigate the murder of a man found in an apartment in Shepherd Market.Though initially unremarkable, the case quickly draws attention from the highest circles of the German government, as Archer finds himself pulled into a dangerous world of political intrigue that forces him to resolve his priorities and take a side - no matter what the cost.

Deighton's book is an dramatic story of intrigue in a world that might have been.He does not explain up front how Britain was defeated or what the point of divergence was, leaving details to trickle out naturally as they would in a normal conversation, without any of the clunky exposition too many writers adopt when explaining the worlds they have constructed.Instead his focus is on the plot and characters, as he constructs a grim yet plausible world in which a depressed population is still coming to terms with their defeat.The mystery itself unfolds gradually, and while some readers may figure out the particulars fairly quickly Deighton still puts together an ending that is difficult to forecast before getting there.Taken together, it makes for one of the best alternate history novels ever written, as well as a suspenseful tale that readers who are not familiar with the genre will enjoy nonetheless.

A classic of "What If" fiction
I owned a paperback copy of this, my favorite Deighton novel, back in the 70's, and I was glad to find a replacement copy for a low price.I highly recommend this book for history buffs; the period details are well done.My book arrived exactly as represented, and I am very pleased with all my amazon purchases.

Excellent read
I have had the opportunity to read this book many years ago and I enjoyed the book then.I was looking for another book when I saw this title, I ordered the book again to re-read the bok and enjoyed the book all over again.For the WWII buff, this is a great read! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very nice read
I am a big fan of deighton, and since the collaspe of the cold war this will now read as historical fiction, but still well worth the read.XPD: "EXPEDIENT DEMISE". A stunning and memorable "What if" story, based on many documented occurrences during the time of the Second World War. all deighton fans should pick up a copy.

Written by Fleming, would have made a great Bond title.
Winston Churchill the trator?

The events of the times that this story is created certainly leaves you wondering did he?...

Only our childern will find out when they are in their 70s, as the documents that have been seized from the so called German mines and caves are finally opened.

This story is based on the idea that American GIs accidently stumbled across the famous Hitler Minutes that reveiled the idea of an early peace offer that would have seen Germany become a superpower that would take on Russia with total confidence.

MI6 is left with the job of making sure that secerts remain secrets.So when an unknown Hollywood movie producer announces that a movie based on those uncertain days is to be made, MI6 takes notice and takes notice even more when the true nature of the storyline shows a more sinister plot.To discredit Winston Churchill.

Full of intrigue, murder and skulduggery, it is a popular read with a chilling ending.

Len Deighton has used this interesting topic for a great, if sometimes distracting, story.
One day all will be revealed.

e(X)tremely (P)oor (D)ialogue
The usual Deighton staples are here - intriguing and involved plot and deep, well developed characters. The plot centers on the so called 'Hitler Minutes'. Documents uncovered in California after the war which tell of a secret meeting between Hitler and Churchill in 1940. What was discussed, what was promised and what became of the meeting are the subject of the novel. British Intelligence, the Russians and the CIA are all involved and the intricacies of the plot are sufficient to keep us guessing up to the conclusion. The only problem with the book is the dialogue between the characters. It's a big problem though as it's simplicity and banality is distracting. 'Winter', a Deighton novel I recently re-read suffers a little from the same shallow conversations; so similar in fact that I looked to see if they were written at the same time. They're seven years apart. Even good mystery writers can have recurringdry spells I guess.

A timeless classic
Deighton has surpassed even his normally high quality work with this post-World War IIthriller.Weaving a compelling tale of finance, intrigue and history, he draws the reader intothe story with subtle proficiency.This departure from his established run of 'spy' novels wasan inspired decision.It's a shame this book isn't on the active inventory here.

The story recalls the recovery of hidden Nazi gold, art and documents by American soldiersat the end of World War II in Europe.Some of the soldiers seize the opportunity to filch someof the treasure, setting up a Swiss bank.The real prize, however, resides in the documents -they possess a secret from the early days of the war.The pivotal point of the story, the secretis sought by many, each with their own focus.It's a compelling idea, given impetus by the'discovery' of a set of 'Hitler's Journals' a few years ago.The bogus Journals don't detractfrom Deighton's quite credible suggestion hidden in the documents' pages.

Without taking anything away from the plot, it is Deighton's characters that remain his strongpoint.In this book he conveys unalloyed identity to a diverse cast of participants from theUS, Germany, the UK and Russia.None of them fails to convince the reader of theirauthenticity.You come to know them intimately, even the unpleasant ones.Strangely, theweakest character is the British Intelligence agent, Boyd Stuart.Remoulding Bernard Samsoninto Stuart would have been transparent, leaving Stuart slightly inconsistent.The real star ofDeighton's cast in this book is Charlie Stein.Deighton displays his finest talent in paintingthis American war veteran in perfect colours.Tom Clancy couldn't have bettered Deighton'sdepiction of this sergeant running an Army Company with absolute confidence.Officers aremerely decorative and built into the organization by default.The sergeants are the realmanagers, and Stein typically carries the ability through to today.Not having had a braintransplant from an American, Deighton's descriptive presentation of all of the Americans ismore than just impressive.

Deighton's prodigious research underlying this book is clearly brought into view through hisadept writing skills.You will learn much from this book, while enjoying the story he weaves. Surprises abound, but nothing is out of place.A fine addition to any collection of Deighton,historical speculation, or just plain captivating reading. Why wasn't this story put on film?

Stunning! A Sleeper ..!
I didn't know what I was getting into when I first picked up Len Deighton's "XPD" to read.But if you've ever entered the pages of a book for the first time and had certain words leap out at you as ifprinted with fire, you will understand what I mean when I say that"Kaiseroda", "Merkers", and "Thuringia"burned themselves into my mind and have never faded.Almost from thestory's very beginning, the evil shadow of the Nazi Eagle looms over sunnyCalifornia, involving the present generation with secrets so powerful as tobe certain death to those who know too much.Whether they be agingself-made men such as Charles Stein, or his charming, all-American son--or even certain German nationals now living in or operating out of theUnited States -- the fact is that there is no one who even possiblyposseses certain deadly knowledge that is safe from the dread directive,XPD:"EXPEDIENT DEMISE".A stunning and memorable "Whatif" story, based on many documented occurrences during the time of theSecond World War. ... Read more

Product Description
"In this well-researched and balanced history of World War II, Deighton analyzes the weapons, manpower, and nuts-and-bolts tactics of each power, and the personalities that the war generated. . . . A comprehensive and absorbing look at the century's major conflict."Booklist ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Odd book, but worth the read
I wouldn't recommend this as a first book on WWII.There are chronological narrative histories more suitable for someone just beginning to tackle this broad subject.However, if you've read Shirer, Keegan, Weinberg, etc. this might be a good supplement as Deighton has some strong, contrary opinions about some of the strategies and personalities of the war.To name just a few, he thinks Rommel was a poor army commander and should never have been promoted above divisional command.He describes how the "man who won the Battle of Britain," Hugh Dowding, was out-maneuvered politically by subordinates Leigh-Mallory and Sholto Douglas, who used their connections to have Dowding sacked from Fighter Command.And he rightly finds fault with USN Chief Admiral King for his negligence in preparing the US fleet for submarine warfare in the Atlantic after the US entered the war.If you read S.E. Morrison, Ernest King practically walks on water.
But to Deighton's credit he backs up everything he writes with copious footnotes and references to other writers.I found his candor refreshing.The book really jumps around and really only attempts to address the first 3 years of the war.The last chapters deal with the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Southwest Pacific.The section on the War in Russia end with the December, 1941 battle in front of Moscow, where we are lead to believe the turning point occurred....with nary a mention of Stalingrad or Kursk.But all-in-all it was an enjoyable read.

Nice Read
I was hesitant to pick up the book when I did, because at 600+ pages, I wasn't sure I'd have the time based on other constraintsin my life.However, when I started to dig in, I found the book an extremely rapid read and well worth it.I find that although I'm fairly well read with regard to the topic of World War II, Deighton did not fail to bring forth a fact I did not know, or a perspective from which I had not viewed those facts.I see, in some of the other reviews of this book, that Deighton may have messed up a bit with history; if so, my other readings will put those bits back in the correct place for my mind's mosaic.What I find most enjoyable is Deighton's writing style which allows the eyes and brain to keep up and quickly absorb what he has to say.I am not usually given to reading popular overviews of World War II, but in this text he went into enough detail to satisfy my need for learning something new.If one is an absolute die hard expert on WWII, I might steer clear of this; you probably know all of this already and you'll need more charts and graphs than are presented here.He does go into some weaponry comparisons that are worth knowing and he makes interesting conclusions about why battles and the war was won, and often they are based on weapon performance and economics (makes more sense than does 'the will to win.').

History as it should be written!
Very readable like all his other stuff, "Blood, Tears and Folly" is a terrific book by Len Deighton on the conditions prevailing in Europe and Asia leading up to World War II.It sums up the first two-plus years of the war, covering the war in all three dimensions, air, sea and land. As an Englishman he devotes quite a bit of space to the decline of Britain, but also to the rise of the Axis powers and indicates how these states could rise from the ashes of defeat once they got rid of their militarism in 1945, while Britain atrophied once victory was won. If you've read Deighton's "Blitzkrieg" or "Fighter" you'll be familiar with the kind of book this is---if you haven't, you should definitely pick those books up as well.This should be on everyone's bookshelf, it's that good.

Deighton, Chesterton and the Nature of War
Every so often, unscrupulous pacifists and their kin, bent on protecting some totalitarian government (North Vietnam) or murderous dictatorship (Saddam's Iraq), will play upon popular ignorance about the nature of war. Well-intentioned people can be turned against a necessary and good war by those who place a one-sided emphasis on the confusion, folly, and horror that are a feature of all wars.

Len Deighton's book is a good counter to that manipulation. It subtitle's itself, "An Objective Look at World War II," and for the most part that's true. Americans might like to believe that we had the best tanks in World War II. Anyone who reads Deighton will discover that, if you had to fight in a tank-to-tank encounter, you'd be better off in a Russian T-34 than in a Sherman. In similar fashion, he demolishes any illusions readers might have that Allied strategy was always as wise as we might hope or that Axis strategy was always as foolish as Hitler sometimes made it.

G. K. Chesterton warned of the dangers of this sort of ignorance. Noting that we need to stretch "our imagination to the scale of the war," avoiding the twin evils of exultation and depression, he added, "To be elated when a village is captured in the morning, and cast down again in the afternoon -- this is not to follow the course of a war. It is simply to be ignorant of the very nature of a war." Both the defenders and critics of the Iraqi war would do well to heed his advice.

Although no war as complex as WWII can be covered in a single book, this book will stretch your imagination, allowing you view war realistically for what it is and without being deceived by the distortions of either jingoists or pacifists.

--Michael W. Perry, editor of Chesterton on War and Peace: Battling the Ideas and Movements that Led to Nazism and World War II

Deighton, Chesterton and the Nature of War
Every so often, unscrupulous pacifists and their kin, bent on protecting some totalitarian government (North Vietnam) or murderous dictatorship (Saddam's Iraq), will play upon popular ignorance about the nature of war. Well-intentioned people can be turned against a necessary and good war by those who place a one-sided emphasis on the confusion, folly, and horror that are a feature of all wars.

Len Deighton's book is a good counter to that manipulation. It subtitle's itself, "An Objective Look at World War II," and for the most part that's true. Americans might like to believe that we had the best tanks in World War II. Anyone who reads Deighton will discover that, if you had to fight in a tank-to-tank encounter, you'd be better off in a Russian T-34 than in a Sherman. In similar fashion, he demolishes any illusions readers might have that Allied strategy was always as wise as we might hope or that Axis strategy was always as foolish as Hitler sometimes made it.

G. K. Chesterton warned of the dangers of this sort of ignorance. Noting that we need to stretch "our imagination to the scale of the war," avoiding the twin evils of exultation and depression, he added, "To be elated when a village is captured in the morning, and cast down again in the afternoon -- this is not to follow the course of a war. It is simply to be ignorant of the very nature of a war." Both the defenders and critics of the Iraqi war would do well to heed his advice.

Although no war as complex as WWII can be covered in a single book, this book will stretch your imagination, allowing you view war realistically for what it is and without being deceived by the distortions of either jingoists or pacifists.

--Michael W. Perry, editor of Chesterton on War and Peace: Battling the Ideas and Movements that Led to Nazism and World War II ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pure Genius!
I'm really sad that this book is no longer available as it is one of my faves, and one of Deighton's very best books. Do everyone a favor and order it so that the publisher will print more! :) If you like good books on colorful con artists, you'll enjoy this. ... Read more

Product Description
Len Deighton's only collection of shorter fiction, this dazzling array of stories spans twenty-three centuries of warfare.From Hannibal's march on Rome – when strange, moving objects terrorise the troops of one of the toughest and most skilful armies in history – to the efforts of a belittled Civil War general to get his men to face the Confederate army; to the dawn skies above an artillery-blasted French battle-line where a dogfight unfolds, to Vietnam; where two lost American soldiers stumble across an abandoned military airfield.Each story in Declarations of War explores the effects of war upon man's character, how it pushes him to act in a dehumanized, machine-like way, often leading to extraordinary deeds, both good and ill. It portrays human conflict through a series of devastating experiences and shows how great deeds are often but the smallest thread in the large fabric of war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

War Stories by a War Expert
Len Deighton (LD)'s late debut and worldwide success with The Ipcress File in 1962 inspired him to write some 40 more books. Most of them dealt with espionage, incl. three trilogies with the same protagonist/hero, and some on French cooking. A number of highly-acclaimed books of LD have focussed on WW II: Bomber describes the terrifying risks accepted by hastily-trained flying personnel trained and primed to disable wartime-Germany; Winter is a warm, convincing history of a German family from 1899 to 1945; SS/GB is a plausible account of what life would have been like in the UK if Hitler Germany had won the Battle of Britain, and the resistance it would have provoked.
Comparing LD with John Le Carre (JLC) and Ian Fleming (IF), creator of James Bond, all highly-successful British spy writers in the 1960's and 70s, would require many pages. They are very different writers, but all three played intelligence roles in real life. Leaving aside IF, LD is a compulsive and fast writer, turning every idea into a chapter or a story. His early heroes are often nameless and versions of himself, writing in the I-form, turning readers into helpless creatures galloping after the hero to keep up with the twists and turns of the plot. The plots of LD's early novels appear more improvised and more infused with irony and flippancy than JLC's. His early preoccupation with promising forms of technology and the impact of WW II more than compensate for these weaknesses, if they are weaknesses.
In contrast, all of JLC's novels appear carefully plotted in advance, and show little interest in the technological advances made in earlier years and decades. Also, his attitudes towards the British ruling stratum are different from LD's. Whilst LD's heroes are flippant about authority and the upper class, JLC's often sad, past-their-prime protagonists are either part of, or married into this cast. JLC is British, LD is mid-Atlantic as regards foreign allegiance and sympathies.
Collections of short stories are hard to review in a few hundred words. Declarations of War is a brief collection of 13 stories, outburst of LD's desire and urge, during his most creative years, to provide the reader with more material to make informed judgments on warfare and espionage.

A different look at wars
In a wonderfully written book of short stories, Len Deighton looks at wars from a different angle. There is no heroics, no hero braving enemy fire and single handedly thwarting the oppositions plans. This book is about the real truth. About soldiers in despair, fearing their lives everytime they go out. It is about how wars change people. Wars are about danger and death, and not about medals and awards. For every single person receiving a bravery award, countless unknown soldiers have laid down their lives. A lovely book. Read it and be transported into the battlefield. On guard! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Len Deighton is a master.
These are the first 3 of the 9 books with Bernard Samson as the major character. Game, Set and Match;Hook, Line and Sinker;Faith, Hope and Charity.Samson works for British intelligence during the cold war era.Samdon, although British, was raised in post WWII Berlin when his father was the Berlin chief of British Intelligence.There is a constant thread with Samson through each book, yet each book stands alone.All are good reads. Deighton is an historian and doesn't skimp on historical details.Deighton's explanation of Berliners reaction to President Kennedy's famous "Ich bin Berliner" speach alone is worth the read.The series, 9 books, gets a 5 star rating.

Great series
These are the first three of nine in the total series, all great reads and able to stand alone, definitely the best trilogy of the nine.

An outstanding series to challenge your mind!
I would first like to say that this review is not only for "Game, Set and Match", but also for the other two trilogies, "Hook, Line and Sinker", and "Faith, Hope and Charity". I believe that all nine works must be spoken of here, or the mood that the author creates will have been lost.
From the first sentence in "Berlin Match" to the last paragraph of "Charity", Len Deighton has created a masterpiece of intrigue, double-dealing and the cloak and dagger mentality that is peculiar to the British Secret Service. Looking at Bernard Samson and his family, friends, enemies and detractors has made for an extremely interesting read: I believe that I read all nine in about a month and a half.
In a style similar to John LeCarre, Deighton takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride that starts out with trepidation, builds to a almost certain climax, only to finish with an entirely different ending than anticipated. I disagreed with the author's statement that each novel can stand alone and be read in any sequence. I believe that each book laid a groundwork that the following novel picked up and developed further.
I highly recommend this nine volume series and would welcome Mr. Deighton to write a final Bernard Samson work. Enjoy, and good readuing! ... Read more

Product Description
A hard-boiled Los Angeles criminal lawyer copes with a son in trouble, a passion for his biggest client's wife, and cops who want to pin a murder on him. By the author of City of Gold. 100,000 first printing. $125,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

How did I miss this gem before?
Len Deighton is one of my all-time favorite authors, which is why I
can't believe I hadn't found this novel sooner. He is a master of the
espionage thriller, but this one is a good old fashioned mystery. Our
hero is not a detective, though, but a lawyer. Yep, a lawyer.

I love the character of Mickey Murphy - he is so adorable! His office is
in a bad LA neighborhood, his partner is into some shady deals, his law
practice is being bought out by a multi-millionaire who also happens to
be married to Murphy's old high school sweetheart for whom he still
carries a serious torch. When his ex-wife isn't pretending she's going
to throw herself off his ledge, she's sending her astrologer round to
threaten him for more money, his son is living with a fem-nazi and his
German secretary barely speaks English. His friend the movie star wants
to buy a gun, his friend the cop suspects him of murder and his friend
the body guard keeps threatening to kill him.

The take over of his law practice is not so innocent as it seems and
there is something more going on, but Murphy is having a hard time
figuring out what the deal is. He happens to be the only honest party
involved, so chances are, he'll end up screwed. The whole thing comes to
a head as the city goes up in flames during a huge riot.

A must read!

This is a great book!
I really liked this story and it had some really funny lines in it too.I will read some more books by this author if they are anything like this.This is about an attorney, his ex, his kid, an old girlfriend and her husband, riots, money, murder.A really interesting novel.

A dud from Deighton!?
A clumsy story by one of my favorite authors.Pitchers, quarterbacks, and point guards all lose their extraordinary skills, or at least have bad days, so why not writers? Any "Rockford Files" script gives us a better exasperated L.A. anti-hero than this Mickey Murphy stereotype.The minor characters in _Violent Ward_ are almost as cartoonish.(And what's with the title?It's pretty bad when the blurb has to try to explain it.)

Deighton's over-detailed descriptions of clothing remind me of a Nancy Drew novel.But the worst part of reading _Ward_ is the feeling I get that this is a British writer pretending he's a lifelong American.Britishisms such as "rang off" instead of hung up and "ramp" instead of driveway reinforce this irritating dent to the story's credibility.

Other critics ask, Well, what's a spy novelist to do now that the Cold War is over?Hello-oh. . . China, Iraq, Japanese industrial espionage?I'll ring off now. ... Read more