Product Description
At the pinnacle of success in Hollywood, international stage and film star Marshall Stone fears that the secret twist of fate that brought him fame and fortune could bring his idyllic world crashing down around him. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Close up and personal
this wasnt one of Deightons best books, a little of of date and not worth the read. ... Read more

Product Description
For nine months Britain has been occupied - a blitzed, depressed and dingy country. However, it’s ‘business as usual’ at Scotland Yard run by the SS when Detective Inspector Archer is assigned to a routine murder case. Life must go on.But when SS Standartenfuhrer Huth arrives from Berlin with orders from the great Himmler himself to supervise the investigation, the resourceful Archer finds himself caught up in a high level, all action, espionage battle. This is a spy story quite different from any other. Only Deighton, with his flair for historical research and his narrative genius, could have written it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Archer of the Yard
SS-GB has been described by many as "Alternate History"; while this is certainly the case in terms of the setting (Britain occupied by the Germans in late 1942), this is less a novel about the historical impact ofsuch an event than it is a character-study of the protagonist, DouglasArcher.A British police Superintendent working for an SS Gruppenfuhrer,Archer struggles throughout the novel to remain apolitical in the face ofBritish resistance groups and their pressure on him to join.Several otherinteresting characters appear, including Archer's assistant, his new'supervisor' from Berlin, Oskar Huth, the American reporter Barbara, andeven Archer's 'landlady'.The story, however, was not terribly compelling,and the ending very unsatisfactory. Still, as a character study and a'setting' piece of Britain under the Reich, this is interesting andenjoyable, if not particularly brilliant.Comparable to _Fatherland_, butfar inferior to Turtledove's "Worldwar" series. ... Read more

Product Description
As a group of Marxist revolutionaries in Spanish Guiana prepare to unseat their country's leader, a group of high-powered men in Washington prepare to keep the current government intact and capitalize on the small country's newfound oil. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Dreary
I am quite a fan of Lenny's work, but this was a Barry of the highest order. It goes nowhere, slowly, without a climax. The characters are interesting, but don't do much. Too many unanswered questions. Must say that I really like John Curl.

If you want Deighton go Winter

childish
Len Deighton is 3 different writers. His first books (1962-82) are directionless, pointless, storyless, boring.

His Bernard Samson books are good.

After that (mamist, city of gold) he goes into his second childhood with simpleton, stupid, unbelievable plots and characters.

Not recommended

Morality and Spycraft
Comparing Len Deighton to Tom Clancy works only in that both authors choose from time to time to operate in the shadow world of espoinage.In a Clancy novel there is never any doubt who wears the white hat; it is this distinction that separates Deighton from Clancy.A generation back the comparison between Deighton and Clancy would have been Graham Greene and Ian Fleming.Which you choose says more about the types of novels you read than which story you preferred.

MAMista is a story written by an author quite comfortable examining the moral ambiguities presented, with good detail to his fictional surroundings, direct in his presentation, and very agile in his story-telling abilities.The characters always come alive with the story, including some minor ones you'd rather not have done so.The only complaint; in setting the mood so well, Deighton can go on a bit more than necessary. This is a minor flaw in an otherwise graceful novel.

Is a good story and moves quickly, but.....
I read this book right after a Tom Clancy novel, and well, it's hard to compete with the master, Tom Clancy.I would probably have enjoyed this more if I had read it first.The plot just wasn't near as exciting as the the Clancy book, and I think that did play a part in my opinion of this book. All in all though, it was a good book and well written ... Read more

Product Description
Revised and updated edition of the celebrated cookery classic, featuring 50 cookstrips that will solve the mysteries of French cuisine and unlock the key to 500 memorable dishes. Includes a new introduction by the author.No one has more logically or appealingly cracked the code to French cookery than Len Deighton. Now, in this redesigned and updated edition, his culinary classic is looking better than ever.Through the minefield of menus and cartes des vins he steers a reassuring course, outlining:/ 50 celebrated cookstrips that ingeniously reveal techniques and vital food facts at a glance/ a lexique of French/English culinary terms plus a guide to the French menu and wine list/ a comprehensive and easy-to-follow chart of sauces/ French cheese, charcuterie, butchery and ways with the vegetable!Len Deighton's French Cooking for Men solves the mysteries of French cuisine, while retaining its mystique. Here is everything you want to know about French home cooking presented in a form so usable and appealing you will wonder how you ever got along without it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A well crafted spy thriller
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy (also published under the title Catch a Falling Spy) is a well crafted spy thriller that incorporates elements of dark comedy with gritty action, suspense, and a noir atmosphere. The characters lack the depth of Bernard Sampson, the star of many of Deighton's later novels, but they are nonetheless intriguing. British agent Harry Palmer teams with CIA agent Mickey Mann to help Bekuv, a Russian scientist, defect. Bekuv refuses to cooperate unless his beautiful young wife, Katerina, joins him. Added to the mix are a U.S. senator and his aide, and a failed CIA operative, Harry Dean, who may or may not be a traitor--but the loyalty of nearly every principle character is in doubt through much of the novel. Deighton takes the reader on a wild ride, mixing credible action scenes with atmospheric intrigue. Fans of spy fiction shouldn't miss this one.

The Spy with No Name (aka "Harry Palmer") is back!
Here's the short of it: This is a fast paced tale of international espionage. It was issued in the US under the title of "Catch a Falling Spy". Look for reviews there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Update needed
Mr Milward-Oliver's books are a precious source of references for any reader of Deighton's books: they are like a compass in a maze of characters, situation and historical or fictional times. I only wish hecould write an updated edition of both his books, this one and"Companion". At least 2 more Bernard Samson trilogies and the"Blood, Sweat and Tears" trilogy have appeared in the last 14years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

God Save the King!
I have enjoyed, as far back as I can remember, fiction dealing with a victorious Germany in WW2.Maybe it has to do with the fact that I read Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" when I was 8.SS-GB is one of the classics in this sub-genre of speculative fiction.

Britain invaded and under the heel of the Nazi jackboot...what does a career detective do?If he resigns, who will look out for the rights of the people and track down those who are truly guilty?There is still real crime in a conquered country, after all.Is there a time to sacrifice the duty of a policeman for the greater good of the country as a whole?

That's a good part of the appeal of the novel; that is, how does a man of virtue and honor deal with this situation? Especially when one is trying to get the King out of the clutches of the Jerries and on to the USA to give the British Empire a figurehead to rally round.Can it be done?Buy this novel and find out....

Interesting Story
This was an interesting story.I have read a large number of World War Two historical fictions and this is the first time I have come across this topic.The detective is a good character, sure there are a lot of stereotypes with him but we all expect that and the author uses them to his advantage.The ending was a bit fast; a few more pages would have done the book justice.Overall a good effort that should not take you too much time to read.If you are a fan of this author then you defiantly should read the book

Churchill dead, the King in Prison and Germans in London
That's the setting for this novel. It's 1941 and Germany is victorious, at least in Western Europe. The US and Germany are not at War. Deighton mentions one of the characters in the book, Barbara Barga, a US journalist (and later the love interest of the main character) having come over to the UK on the inaugural London to New York Lufthansa flight. A flight he slyly mentions Himmler and Goring were on. What business these German power brokers had in the States and who they were meeting the author does not say, nor is it in the least bit important to the story's plot. It's just a neat way of providing information in passing, and to me, shows how attentive to detail and how much fun Deighton has with this 'alternative history' or 'What if' novel.

The story centers on Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer of Scotland Yard and his Sargeant, the elderly Harry Woods who make up the 'Yards murder team, and who are called in by their German superiors to investigate what looks like a simple murder case involving a blackmarketeer. The case quickly develops into something with a wider scope. The SS in Berlin shows interest and sends a senior officer, Standartenfuhrer Huth to supervise Archer. The underground movement, politicians, the German police, the SS, a small resort town in southern England, the King and finally US Marines all have a role to play in the unravelling of the plot.

Ambition, greed, love, jealousy, and political plotting are all motives that drive the characters along. The characters are not stereotypical. Huth, far from being evil SS is one of the more principled, sympathetic and even likable characters in the book.

The only complaint I have is the rather rapid tying up of loose ends in the last few pages, it feels forced. Also, Archer having proven how smart a detective he was throughout the book, suddenly seems rather naive and daft even, as Huth has to explain all the political machinations and subtleties of the plot to him.

Len Deighton's Masterpiece of 'What If'
SS-GB is undoubtedly Deighton's best work of fiction.The basic premise presupposes a Nazi victory over Great Britain sometime in early 1941, (Presumably after a failed evacuation from Dunkirk and a disasterous Battleof Britain.)The story itself takes place later that year and earilyaccounts a Nazi occupation of England.While the protagonist falls alittle too often into the 'cop on the edge' cliche, the fast paced plot,centering around the rivaly between the S.S. and Wehrmacht, will keep thereader riveted.Must reading for all fans of 'What If' history and morethan enough tension for readers of international suspence.

A depressing tale of alternative history
By far the best of Len Deighton's works, SS-Gb works so well because Deighton focuses upon the ordeal of an "everyman" character. In this instance, a detective who becomes caught up in events that are out ofhis control. A must read for anyone interested in alternative historytales. ... Read more