940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, its people starving, while the Germans continue their relentless march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war. Into this uncertain world comes Harry Brett: a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned reluctant spy for the British Secret Service. Sent to gain the confidence of old schoolfriend Sandy Forsyth, now a shady Madrid businessman, Harry finds himself involved in a dangerous game - ...
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940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, its people starving, while the Germans continue their relentless march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war. Into this uncertain world comes Harry Brett: a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned reluctant spy for the British Secret Service. Sent to gain the confidence of old schoolfriend Sandy Forsyth, now a shady Madrid businessman, Harry finds himself involved in a dangerous game - and surrounded by memories. Meanwhile Sandy's girlfriend, ex-Red Cross nurse Barbara Clare, is engaged on a secret mission of her own - to find her former lover Bernie Piper, a passionate Communist in the International Brigades, who vanished on the bloody battlefields of the Jarama. In a vivid and haunting depiction of wartime Spain, Winter in Madrid is an intimate and compelling tale which offers a remarkable sense of history unfolding, and the profound impact of impossible choices. `Sansom adroitly draws the disparate strands of his ambitious saga together. His non-pareil evocations of time and place anchor his characters with satisfying precision' Independent
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Add this copy of Winter in Madrid to cart. $4.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Pan Books.
Add this copy of Winter in Madrid to cart. $4.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Pan Books.
Add this copy of Winter in Madrid to cart. $32.68, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Pan Books.
The Spanish Civil War has never been a topic that interested me - so I postponed reading the book for a time. Yet I was gripped by the story from the outset and found myself concerned about the fate of all the characters. The historical background was well done: I was left with some confusion about the various political factions but cleverly, Sansom concentrated on the characters' relationships with these factions which focussed the reader on their relevant aspects. The principle character - Harry - could at times feel too 'undeveloped' for the tasks he faced, but that might reflect expectations of espionage drawn from le Carre, rather than what must have been a more chaotic reality. The romantic element was drawn with great tenderness and the bleak wasteland of a Spain destroyed by war was exceptionally moving and effective. A well told story and a gripping read.
TravelReader
May 18, 2007
Terrific Read
This is a wonderful book with lots of nice surprises. Fiction with historical content is one of my favorite genre and this is an excellent example - set in Franco Spain. I strongly recommend this book if you like historical fiction. A satisfying read!
