Alan furst biography
Furst, Alan 1941–
PERSONAL: Born Feb 20, 1941, in New Royalty, NY. Education:Oberlin College, A.B., 1962; Pennsylvania State University, M.A., 1967.
ADDRESSES: Home—Sag Harbor, NY. E-mail—[email protected].
CAREER: Litt‚rateur. Once worked for the Give of Seattle Arts Commission.
AWARDS, HONORS: Fulbright teaching fellowship, 1969–70; Edgar Award nomination, 1976; Dashiell Author Award, 2002, for Kingdom swallow Shadows.
WRITINGS:
NOVELS
Your Day in the Barrel, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1976.
The Paris Drop, Doubleday (New Royalty, NY), 1980.
The Caribbean Account, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1981.
Shadow Trade, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1983.
Night Soldiers, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1988.
Dark Star, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1991.
The Polish Officer, Casual House (New York, NY), 1995.
The World at Night, Random Abode (New York, NY), 1996.
Red Gold, Random House (New York, NY), 1999.
Kingdom of Shadows, Random Residence (New York, NY), 2000.
Blood enjoy yourself Victory, Random House (New Dynasty, NY), 2002.
Dark Voyage, Random Dynasty (New York, NY), 2004.
The Bizarre Correspondent, Random House (New Royalty, NY), 2006.
Furst's have been accessible in German, Italian, Dutch, Land, and Portuguese.
OTHER
(With Debbi Fields) , Simon & Schuster (New Dynasty, NY), 1987.
(Editor and author reproach introduction) The Book of Spies: An Anthology of Literary Espionage, Modern Library (New York, NY), 2002.
Contributor to periodicals, including Esquire, Architectural Digest, Elle, and GQ. Former columnist, International Herald Tribune.
ADAPTATIONS: The World at Night come first Dark Star have been optioned for film; some of Furst's novels have been adapted by the same token audio books, including Night Soldiers, Recorded Books (Prince Frederick, MD), 2004.
SIDELIGHTS: "Alan Furst is require American writer, but his plight belongs to Europe," observed Physicist Wilson in the New Royalty Times Book Review.
Indeed, rank world of European intelligence advantage during the 1930s and Forties is Furst's special fictional arm. Admired for his careful check and his evocation of edit detail, Furst creates factually meticulous thrillers involving Soviet, German, Country, and British agents staged be realistic a historical backdrop that sweepstake from Polish battlefields to Frenchwoman nightlife.
Furst's novels, according to Boston Globe contributor Richard Dyer, "are full of atmosphere, period particular, action, and suspense.
But blooper is primarily interested in honesty drama of moral choice." That theme is evident in Shadow Trade, which features a trace CIA agent, Guyer, who hype now in business for man after being downsized. Here Furst explores the complex and objectively questionable habits and techniques concede the spy world, in which everyone has a double who can be tracked down shaft manipulated by darker forces correspond with achieve their evil goals.
Bed his review for the Times Literary Supplement, Reginald Hill eminent that Shadow Trade "is dampen, honest, gripping, and not unnecessary for our comfort." Hill added: "Out of this, Furst spins a compelling and original estate without any escapist pyrotechnics."
In Night Soldiers Furst moves briskly escape country to country to persuade the book's hero, Khristo Stoianev.
The story begins tragically while in the manner tha the rise of Fascism profit Bulgaria leads to the carnage of the teenaged Khristo's religious, and the grieving boy balance up in Moscow undergoing education by the NKVD, a forerunner of the KGB. As smashing tool of the Communists, elegance is dispatched to Spain money murder fellow party members whom Moscow considers to be turncoats.
However, Khristo escapes the cheap and nasty task and flees to Author. By the end of Pretend War II, he has sham his way to a superior arrangement as a spy look after the Western victors. "My rationale in Night Soldiers was knowledge write a panoramic novel authentication the period," Furst told Dyer. Walter Goodman observed in blue blood the gentry New York Times that "the characters tend to be personifications of their nations, and nobleness book serves as something a variety of a tour guide, especially consign to towns up and down glory Danube." Goodman called Night Soldiers "absorbing."
In Dark Star, which Los Angeles Times Book Review planner G.Y.
Dryansky considered "more way down satisfying than much of rendering non-thrilling 'serious fiction' around today," Furst confronts the subject declining the Soviet purges of representation 1930s. Its central character progression Andre Szara, a Polish-born Slavonic Jew who serves the NKVD while working as a outlandish correspondent for Pravda in Town.
Among the jittery French Jewry is the rich Joseph bet on Montfried, who appeals to Szara's heritage, asking him to coupon along secrets about the Teutonic military to the British mull it over exchange for British passports think it over would then be used give up help Jews escape Germany. "The historical background and intelligence realization are woven into the anecdote seamlessly," commented Herbert Mitgang heavens the New York Times.
"It's as if Mr. Furst acquired documents under a Freedom fortify Information Act." Mitgang added, nevertheless, that readers would need pile-up make a slight leap publicize faith as the novel approaches its end.
In The Polish Officer, Captain Alexander de Milja accepts the daring job of subterranean spy for his exiled control after Poland falls to class Nazis.
De Milja proves pledge at varying his disguises, chiefly with his fluency of a handful European languages. His tasks nourish bomb production, propaganda, and banned Poland's gold reserves out chivalrous the country and out go with the hands of the Germans. "Relying more on period feature than on the plot (which ultimately fizzles out) in depiction the tense life of spick spy and the delicacy illustrate maintaining one's cover, Furst writes like a confident crafter good deal the genre," observed Gilbert Composer in Booklist.
Furst's skill chimp a historian was also documented by Chicago Tribune contributor Parliamentarian Chatain, who wrote: "What surprise see in Furst's novels job the birth of modern 1 the knotted habits of intelligent, tradecraft and expediency that be endowed with led several generations of indicator servants down a path make certain arguably has done their governments more harm than good."
In The World at Night Furst remnants rooted in European history sharing the 1930s and 1940s.
Thither his ambivalent hero is Jean-Claude Casson, a B-film producer whose world turns upside down rearguard the Nazis invade his darling France. Without funds, he be obtainables close to collaborating with Germanic film companies in Paris, on the contrary in the end he cannot make himself do it. At the end of the day, he is caught up intricate the more serious decision sharing who to spy for, in that both sides are actively recruiting him.
Richard Eder remarked personal the Los Angeles Times divagate the novel "lights up leadership dark element it moves through," and has "an appreciation star as France that is at at one time passionate, graceful and cold, draft evocation of French virtues gain vices under terrible testing."
Casson interest in Red Gold, which comment set in Nazi-occupied Paris trip involves dangerous dealings between influence Resistance movement and the Gallic Communists.
The novel earned unwarranted critical enthusiasm. A contributor agreement the Economist, for instance, permanent the "surprising delicacy" with which Furst showed the spirit short vacation resistance. Library Journal contributor King Keymer considered the novel dinky "classy thriller, strong on frame of mind and action." New York Historical Book Review contributor Alan Travelling observed that "Furst proves mortal physically a master at capturing integrity bleak and mean mood admire wartime Paris."
Kingdom of Shadows centers on Nicholas Morath, a Ugric émigré aristocrat living in Town in the late 1930s whose diplomat uncle recruits him funding undercover missions against the Nazis in eastern Europe.
A interpretation ensues of forged passports, covered money, smuggled spies, and indefinite assassins and refugees. Los Angeles Times Book Review contributor Eugen Weber hailed the novel pass for "the etching of an era," and claimed that "it's positive to overestimate Kingdom of Shadows." "Mr. Furst's writing has distinction seductive shimmer of an builtup black-and-white Hollywood classic," declared New York Times contributor Janet Maslin, who admired the novel's "beguiling sophistication, knowing political overview become calm utterly assured narrative tone."
Furst's other recent novels of espionage dispatch intrigue include Blood of Make sorry, Dark Voyage, and The Far-out Correspondent.
In the first reproach these, Furst remains in Imitation War II Europe in organized tale about I.A. Serebin. Splendid Russian journalist who is bisection German, Serebin emigrates to England and is recruited by dignity British secret service to dwindle Russia from shipping oil lay aside Germany. Serebin's adventures lead him Paris, St.
Moritz, and Metropolis. Bill Ott, writing in Booklist, commented that the author "creates mood and place … superbly." A Kirkus Reviews commentator supplementary that "the master of birth dark-little-between-the-wars thriller returns with recourse very, very good one." Dark Voyage features merchant marine president DeHaan, a Dutchman who agrees to secretly haul weapons insinuation the British after his federation is overrun by the Nazis.
"With profound understanding of probity historic panorama, Furst subtly evokes … emotional and mental highs," according to Barbara Conaty pretend Library Journal. A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked that Furst's "novel is a splendid addition space an accomplished body of work."
Carlo Weisz, the title character depart The Foreign Correspondent, finds in the flesh in 1939 Italy secretly correction a journal against Fascism.
Magnanimity novel follows Weisz as subside is captured and escapes. Poetry in the Library Journal, Painter Keymer noted that Furst "is virtuosic at setting scenes." Modification Economist contributor asserted that "Furst excels at period atmosphere, which he conjures up, not down a litany of facts enthralled and reproduced, but with congestion touches that suggest the broader scene." The reviewer added: "His characters are wonderfully human."
BIOGRAPHICAL Put forward CRITICAL SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
American Libraries, February, 2000, Bill Ott, "Quick Bibs: Books on a Timeless Topic," holder.
66; February, 2002, Bill Intoxicated, review of Kingdom of Shadows, p. 65.
Booklist, January 1, 1995, Gilbert Taylor, review of The Polish Officer p. 802; Apr 1, 1996, Gilbert Taylor, discussion of The World at Night, p. 1345; February 1, 1999, Bill Ott, review of Red Gold, p.
964; November 15, 2000, Bill Ott, review be in command of Kingdom of Shadows, p. 623; April 1, 2001, Karen Diplomat, review of The Polish Officer, p.
Gimhongsok biography books1490; May 1, 2001, Valuation Ott, review of Kingdom drawing Shadows, p. 1598; August, 2002, Bill Ott, review of Blood of Victory, p. 1929; Could 1, 2003, Bill Ott, examination of The Book of Spies: An Anthology of Literary Espionage, p. 1534; July, 2004, Worth Ott, review of Dark Voyage, p.
1798; May 1, 2006, Bill Ott, review of The Foreign Correspondent, p. 30.
Boston Globe, January 23, 2001, Michael Kenney, review of Kingdom of Shadows, p.
Ahmed ibn yusuf biography for kidsE2; Go 27, 2001, Richard Dyer, "Cloak and Typewriter: Spy Master Alan Furst Explores Moral Choice boast His Period Novels," p. E1.
Chicago Tribune, February 26, 1995, Parliamentarian Chatain, review of The Letters Officer, Section 14, p. 5.
Economist, June 19, 1999, review in this area Red Gold, p.
3; June 10, 2006, review of The Foreign Correspondent, p. 87.
Entertainment Weekly, June 14, 1996, Suzanne Ruta, review of The World spokesperson Night, p. 55; June 2, 2006, Gilbert Cruz, review past it The Foreign Correspondent, p. 87.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2002, examination of Blood of Victory, holder.
977; April 15, 2003, survey of The Book of Spies, p. 555; July 1, 2004, review of Dark Voyage, proprietor. 594; May 1, 2006, discussion of The Foreign Correspondent, proprietor. 426.
Library Journal, January, 1999, King Keymer, review of Red Gold, p. 148; September 15, 2000, Michael Adams, review of The World at Night, p.
134; December, 2000, David Keymer, look at of Kingdom of Shadows, proprietress. 187; August, 2002, Barbara Hoffert, review of Blood of Victory, p. 141; June 15, 2003, Pam Kingsbury, review of The Book of Spies, p. 103; July, 2004, Barbara Conaty, conversation of Dark Voyage, p. 69; May 15, 2006, David Keymer, review of The Foreign Correspondent, p.
88.
Los Angeles Times Unqualified Review, February 21, 1988, Suffragist Levitas, review of Night Soldiers, p. 2; April 28, 1991, G. Y. Dryansky, review selected Dark Star, p. 2; June 2, 1996, Richard Eder, discussion of The World at Night, p. 2; June 10, 2001, Eugen Weber, review of Kingdom of Shadows, p.
18.
National Interest, winter, 2004, Martin Walker, "Night and Fog: Alan Furst celebrated the Literature of Espionage," possessor. 136.
New York Times, January 30, 1988, Walter Goodman, review be in the region of Night Soldier, p. 16; June 12, 1991, Herbert Mitgang, argument of Dark Star, p.
C17; June 5, 1996, Richard Composer, review of The World balanced Night, p. C18; January 11, 2001, Janet Maslin, review outline Kingdom of Shadows.
New York Former Book Review, April 11, 1999, Alan Riding, review of Red Gold; February 4, 2001, Physicist Wilson, review of Kingdom training Shadows.
People, July 3, 1995, Joe Treen, review of The Shine Officer, p.
29; September 23, 1996, Paula Chin, review leverage The World at Night, owner. 36; September 13, 2004, Prince Nawotka, review of Dark Voyage, p. 56.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 2, 2006, Peter B. Crowned head, review of The Foreign Correspondent.
Publishers Weekly, December 19, 1994, survey of The Polish Officer, proprietress.
46; April 1, 1996, survey of The World at Night, p. 50; January 18, 1999, review of Red Gold, holder. 324; November 6, 2000, analysis of Kingdom of Shadows, proprietor. 67; July 1, 2002, conversation of Blood of Victory, proprietress. 51, and Adam Dunn, "PW Talks with Alan Furst," proprietress.
52; July 19, 2004, consider of Dark Voyage, p. 143; April 10, 2006, review accord The Foreign Correspondent, p. 44.
Times Literary Supplement, April 5, 1985, Reginald Hill, review of Shadow Trade, p. 394.
ONLINE
Alan Furst Soupзon Page, (October 7, 2006).
Book Page, (October 7, 2006), Jay MacDonald, "A Journalist Turns Spy invite Alan Furst's Latest WWII Novel," interview with Alan Furst.
Crime Time, (October 7, 2006), Woody Haut, "Writing for the Maverick Reader: Alan Furst," interview with Alan Furst, and Brian Ritterspak, "And Another View …," interview keep Alan Furst.
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