A Hero of France

By: Alan Furst

Narrated by: Daniel Gerroll

The latest war novel from the New York Times best-selling author and "modern-day master of the genre" (New York Newsday) Alan Furst.

Alan Furst's latest novel takes place in the secret hotels, nightclubs, and cafes of occupied Paris and the villages of France during the spring of 1941, when Britain was losing the war. Many of the characters are resistance fighters who run an escape line for British airmen down to Spain; they include men and women, old and young, all strong - an aristocrat, a Jewish teacher - and the hero is a hero, has a gun, and uses it. Some of Furst's former characters - including S. Kolb, the spy; and Max de Lyon, former arms dealer, now a nightclub owner - return.

A Hero of France is sure to please existing Furst fans and attract new ones.

©2016 Alan Furst (P)2016 Simon & Schuster Audio

Informartive, exciting

Would you listen to A Hero of France again? Why?

learned so much about France during the German occupation

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, the scenarios of the escape routes were riveting

Any additional comments?

The reader was excellent....voices & accents as well

Breezy Furst, a short form of all we know well

What did you like best about A Hero of France? What did you like least?

Alan Furst immerses you in wartime France, this time even better than all the others. No one knows better how to set a scene. This who complain that the story is short on plot forget that this is a quality of all his books. In this short book, he must get to the action, what passes for it, quickly. The result is somewhat more realistic, but on the whole a bit too upbeat. Almost everyone survives this ersatz Resistance, especially the sympathetic characters. I would have been disappointed if they had not, preferring Casablanca-lite to reality. But the confection shows.

Would you be willing to try another book from Alan Furst? Why or why not?

I have read many Furst books and I hope he keeps going a long time.

Which scene was your favorite?

The final scene in 1941, adding a touch of mystery, brought true life to the story.

Was A Hero of France worth the listening time?

The narrator did a fine job, but I still prefer George Guidall.

Any additional comments?

Good book, even if it bordered on being a short story. I like the Furst books that get their characters beyond Paris, into Germany, at least. But of course, the Fraech Resistance had to stay in France.

Typical Furst + the history of France

Any additional comments?

I lived in France for about 10 years in the late 60's and 70's and I am hungry for books that combine a feel for the country for the history. There haven't been many books or much fiction abut the resistance that I've stumbled on - and I really appreciated this story on multiple levels. Well written, well narrated - all together very very good.

Entertaining

A good story marred only by the conceit that with few exceptions all the Germans are bad and all the French are willing to help the resistance.

Phoned-in Resistance In Paris!

"Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first."
-- Charles de Gaulle

I've been reading/listening to Furst novels for years. 'A Hero of France' is #14 in Furst's 'Night Soldiers' series. 'A Hero of France' is basically the tale of a small cell of French Resistance fighters in Paris, France and the French countryside who operate to return downed RAF pilots back to England to continue their work in the war. This book takes place through the early stage of Barbarossa, just as Nazi Germany invades Russia and ends right around the time the Gestapo enter France to combat the rising activities of the French Resistance.

I view the whole series as a giant canvas that allows Furst to paint the struggles and quiet heroism of those who battled Fascism in a variety of minor and major ways. These aren't books too concerned with the battles of WWII. These look at how villages, villagers, citizens, and spies in the Balkans, France, Eastern Europe, etc., fought against the rising tide of Fascism.

I've read ALL of his 'Night Soldiers' series. I only say that because lately, I've been reading these novels with some trepidation. It isn't that they aren't good anymore. 'A Hero of France' is just fine. It has interesting characters, fantastic details, a clean story. But the last three of his novels, this one included just seem average (OK, so perhaps they are barely fine). They all feel a bit phoned-in. I remember I started Furst with book 12 (Mission to Paris), and felt a bit let down too. Perhaps, it all goes back to Furst getting a bit lazy with his Paris books. I don't know. All I can say is I wasn't thrilled with this one.

Good book

Good, not great. The books of Furst that I'm familiar with all deal with pre-war years and, while I liked them, after a few, I found they started sounding the same. I couldn't distinguish them. This book deals with the war, specifically the French resistance. It is fairly short, but in that time, Furst has solid characters and gives an interesting view of how the resistance operated.

Always wanting MORE ALAN FURST

Would you consider the audio edition of A Hero of France to be better than the print version?

only did the audio edition

Who was your favorite character and why?

Matteau. He is very likeable. But Max was 2nd.

Which scene was your favorite?

The caskets.

If you could take any character from A Hero of France out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Not sure. I'd like to be a "fly on the wall" and get courage from the women. In our own time, how much have I ignored. And as the U.S.A. is often the occupier country over the last 50 years, why is it un-American to speak out for those being occupied. Or do something. Anyway, Mr Furst is looking backward and sometimes individual history is prettier than it was in reality.

Any additional comments?

The tensions of the story are relieved by the humanity and love of the individual characters and of Paris itself , I always want more. And I love the narrator too.

I have read all the books by Alan Furst and loved them all. Thank you Mr. Alan Furst. Much appreciated.

Poor Alan

Mr. Furst is in a terrible bind. He is one of the best writers never to have a movie made, as far as I know. His last couple of books show an effort to convince the moguls with coy sex and happy endings. If you want to see rainy cobblestones and smell wet wool overcoats and the sweet steam of locomotives, and live with the complicated darkness of the late thirties, read his first books and send him a few bucks.

Thank goodness I gave Alan Furst another chance

I devoured Furst’s books until they became formulaic. The last one I read set in Greece had such a stupid romance I gave him up. Recently my sister was reading this book and promised me the author had gotten back on track. I am glad she urged me to try again.

An Excellent Vintage of a Fine Wine

For those who are familiar with Alan Furst's novels of espionage in Europe before and at the beginning of WWII, a review is superfluous, for everyone else, prepare yourself for an extraordinary artistic/historical/dramatic adventure. The audio recoding does full justice to the writing and will help you with the pronunciation of some less well-known Parisian place names to boot.