Silesian Station

Additional Silesian Station Information

Praise for David Downing:

"[Downing]'s excellent at building suspense . . . and shows a keen eye for describing people and places."-Sacramento Bee

"An extraordinary evocation of Nazi Germany on the eve of war, the smell of cruelty seeping through the clean modern surface."-C. J. Sansom, author of Sovereign

Summer, 1939. British journalist John Russell has just been granted American citizenship in exchange for agreeing to work for American intelligence when his girlfriend Effi is arrested by the Gestapo. Russell hoped his new nationality would let him safely stay in Berlin with Effi and his son, but now he's being blackmailed. To free Effi, he must agree to work for the Nazis. They know he has Soviet connections and want him to pass them false intelligence. Russell consents, but secretly offers his services to the Soviets instead-not for anything too dangerous, though, and only if they'll sneak him and Effi out of Germany if necessary.

It's a good plan, but soon things become complicated. A Jewish girl has vanished, and Russell feels compelled to search for her. A woman from his past, a communist, reappears, insisting he help her reconnect with the Soviets, who turn out to demand more than Russell hoped. Meanwhile, Europe lurches toward war, and he must follow the latest stories-to places where American espionage assignments await him.

David Downing is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, including Zoo Station, the first novel featuring John Russell. He lives in Guildford, England.

What Customers Say About Silesian Station:

There's a richness of detail in David Downing's books that's all too rare in other books about this period, and a nuanced, subtle tension that builds page by page. Silesian Station is a worthy successor to Zoo Station, and I can't wait for the next in this series. The characters are real and sympathetic - they actually have hearts and souls - swept along by the historical events that are sweeping across pre-World War II Europe. I hope this series continues well into, and even beyond, World War II. This is superb writing.

I really wanted the pace to pick up though because I want to see how the story truly ends. Really enjoyed the second book in this series (I am assuming). It was a good read and I really enjoyed the background details of the nazi governmental bureaucracy. The way this book ended there will obviously be more. Based on the time frame this book covers it may be a 10 year process.

There is a certain black humor through out the book; the mood of the German people is nicely captured, and the picture of Germany on the brink of war is brought to life. This was a great read - a fine example of historical fiction. The central character is a journalist who ends up trying to help people escape some of the horrors of the Nazis, and in doing so becomes a double agent. I lambasted a book by the same author a few weeks ago (The Moscow Option), but this is what David Downing should be doing. This is the second book in a series that takes place in Nazi Germany - largely Berlin - at the cusp of WW II. Perhaps a bit contrived, but it is a great mechanism for doing what historical fiction should do - bring to life a time and era and give words and actions to people you do not ordinarily meet in academic histories. I also recommend his pervious book in this series, Zoo Station

There are fascinating details about the Silesian border areas where the German invasion of Poland eventually takes place--including credible descriptions of how local Nazi party offiicials dominated social life down to the village level. Author David Downing's protagonist, John Russell, is an Anglo-American journalist who winds up with a foot in every political camp as he tries to protect his German family from being swept up in the coming onslaught. "Silesian Station" is a fast-paced account of the Third Reich's march toward all out war in the summer and fall of 1939. This inevitably involves the state-sponsored bullying and eventual destruction of Jewish communities and individuals. The plot line in this book is driven forward with an almost breathless narrative that includes many intriguing details of how ordinary Germans were living and coping in the pre-war years of Hitler's Reich. A lot of first-rate research had to have been done by author Downing to put together the exciting and persuasive story that runs from page one. That persecution and the many other forms of it practiced by the Nazi is threaded carefully throughout account of espionage and international duplicity by the various governments that employ protagonist Russell in this story."Silesian Station" is right up there with the writing of Alan Furst, Philip Kerr and, at times, even William Shirer. An excellent read with few false notes by a gifted writer.

The espionage segues serve more to bring out life in Nazi Germany's police state whereas the search for Miriam is the exhilarating suspenseful subplot. When she fails to arrive, Thomas visits his former brother-in-law, Russell asking him to find her as the police refuse to look for a Jew.

However, the Gestapo arrests his girlfriend, actress Effi Koenen, accusing her of spying. In 1939, British journalist John Russell hopes to remain in Berlin if war breaks out between his homeland and the Nazis.

They send her to live with her Uncle Thomas in Berlin where many more Jews reside; safety in numbers being their theory. They use her as a pawn to get Russell to work for them passing misinformation to the Russians.

He already has a deal with the Americans to spy for them in exchange for a passport and offers a deal with the Soviet if they help him flee the Nazis if he needs to escape suddenly.While he is wheeling and dealing, the parents of Jewish Miriam Rosenfeld worry about the safety of their daughter in Silesia. John agrees.Though well written and exciting, SILESIAN STATION is more a historical tale rather than a suspense thriller.

Fans will enjoy the return of Russell (see ZOO STATION) as he navigates life as a journalist covering the Third Reich.Harriet Klausner