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Then We Take Berlin

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Then We Take Berlin

By: John Lawton
Narrated by: Lewis Hancock
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Summary

John Holderness, known to the women in his life as ‘Wilderness’, comes of age during World War II in Stepney, breaking into houses with his grandfather. After the war, Wilderness is recruited as MI5’s resident ‘cat burglar’ and finds himself in Berlin, involved with schemes in the booming black market that put both him and his relationships in danger.

In 1963 it is a most unusual and lucrative request that persuades Wilderness to return - to smuggle someone under the Berlin Wall and out of East Germany. But this final scheme may prove to be one challenge too far....

©2014 John Lawton (P)2014 Oakhill Publishing Crime Fiction Espionage Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Political Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense War & Military World Literature War Military Suspense
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Critic reviews

"A superbly well-built Cold War cocktail - bracing, deliriously delicious, but carrying the slightly bitter aftertaste of dreams gone bad." (Booklist)
"John Lawton finds himself in the same boat as the late Patrick O'Brian - a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack but overlooked by too many readers for too long." (Daily Telegraph on A Lily of the Field)
All stars
Most relevant
Thank you to Rory Stewart for recommending this on The Rest is Politics. I really enjoyed everything about this gripping story. Every character is convincing and the settings are fascinating especially the descriptions of Post-War Berlin and Vienna. the narration is excellent and each character comes to life. I can forgive the pronunciation of a lot of the German as he gets the general tone right. I will definitely move on to the next in the series.

Gripping

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Although the story of chancer Joe is deftly written and narrated, the Cold War really only appears in the final hour of this talking book. However it is a very detailed and finally observed history of the end of World War II and its aftermath. I kept expecting something to happen, but it never really did.

Not really a Cold War thriller at all

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Great performance. They story starts in one direction, ends somewhere that is confusing. The character of Wilderness has great potential but I feel Lawton missed an opportunity. Working class lad, off the scale IQ but still confined by his formative years as a thief. It could have gone wider. Interesting to see how the other novels develop

Episodic - not too successful

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I've long been a fan of John Lawton and I think this is one of his best books. Wilderness is a really likeable, roguish anti-hero, whose personality is brought out well through the story. I also like the attention which the author pays to developing the other characters, particularly Nell. As with other John Lawton books you learn a lot about the time, place and events within which the story is placed and I found the detail absolutely fascinating. He really does evoke the chaos, the grimness, horror, and the ludicrous, sometimes funny, events that characterised Germany, particularly Berlin, at the end of the war. He also draws out the different reactions of the survivors - those who will survive at any cost (who will do anything at any cost) and those who cannot continue to carry the burden of what they have experienced. I can't agree with others who criticise the ending. It stands up well alongside other endings which leave the reader to use their imagination - it made me think of the classic ending to the Italian Job and Michael Cain saying "Just wait while I think of something" (apologies if I have got the quote wrong) as the coach teeters on the edge of the precipice.

Atmospheric story of post-war Berlin

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There’s something Zelig-like about the way Lawton’s characters slot, slide and sometimes fall into world events and yet he gets away with it. Set in the same world as the Troy series, this book features the same kind of chancers and scumbags and very good it is.

Fascinating take on modern history

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