LoveReading Says
Fascinating yet thrilling, stimulating yet shattering, this riveting read opens a path into the very nature of humankind. As the Second World War nears its end the defeated, vultures, and peace brokers continue using intelligence gathered by three very different men. The Spoils of War series is one of my favourites, its epic scale from the intimacy of the chosen few highlights the searing and hidden tragedy of conflict. If you’ve not yet met these books, do introduce yourself as this is a series not to be missed. The design and writing is such that you can step in at any point. I welcomed the main characters from Katastrophe back into my reading life, sitting opened mouthed at times as I witnessed the dark hidden depths of Russia and her people, the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, and the scrabble for position by the leaders of the UK, US, and Russia. Using the murky world of intelligence Graham Hurley successfully took me into the final months of the war. The mix of fact and fiction here is beautifully balanced, the focus and blend of real and fictional characters seamlessly fills the page and I felt as though I was watching behind the scenes footage. From the huge scale and the people in power, through to the most ordinary of lives, each page holds an intense weight. My thoughts and feelings were knocked off balance and sent scrabbling for understanding. If anything is going demonstrate the utterly senseless and vicious nature of war it’s this and yet it’s also a hugely exciting read. Chosen as a LoveReading Star Book, Katastrophe hits with immense impact, it is a true powerhouse of a novel and comes as highly recommended by me.
Liz Robinson
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Katastrophe Synopsis
The new blockbuster thriller from Graham Hurley set against the final stages of the Second World War.
Confidant of Goebbels. Instrument of Stalin. What's the worst that could happen?
January 1945. Wherever you look on the map, the Thousand Year Reich is shrinking. Even Goebbels has run out of lies to sweeten the reckoning to come. An Allied victory is inevitable, but who will reap the spoils of war?
Two years ago, Werner Nehmann's war came to an abrupt end in Stalingrad. With the city in ruins, the remains of General Paulus' Sixth Army surrendered to the Soviets, and Nehmann was taken captive. But now he's riding on the back of one of Marshal Zhukov's T-34 tanks, heading home with a message for the man who consigned him to the Stalingrad Cauldron.
With the Red Army about to fall on Berlin, Stalin fears his sometime allies are conspiring to deny him his prize. He needs to speak to Goebbels - and who better to broker the contact than Nehmann, Goebbels' one-time confidant?
Having swapped the ruins of Stalingrad for the wreckage of Berlin, the influence of Goebbels for the machinations of Stalin, and Gulag rags for a Red Army uniform, Nehmann's war has taken a turn for the worse. The Germans have a word for it:
Katastrophe.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781838938383 |
| Publication date: |
19th January 2023 |
| Author: |
Graham Hurley |
| Publisher: |
Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
448 pages |
| Series: |
Spoils of War |
| Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Graham Hurley Press Reviews
PRAISE FOR GRAHAM HURLEY:
'Tense, absorbing and faultlessly plotted, this thoughtful thriller weaves it all together' Sunday Times Crime Club (Star Pick).
'Liked this. Went someway to plugging the ginormous hole that Philip Kerr's sad passing has left in my life' Dermot O'Leary.
'Hurley brings an almost noirlike sensibility to the surprising finale' Booklist.
'So well-written you can smell the sweat and taste the fear' Peter May.
'Beautifully constructed, the result is compelling and richly entertaining' - Daily Mail
About Graham Hurley
Graham Hurley is the author of the acclaimed Faraday and Winter crime novels and an award-winning TV documentary maker. Two of the critically lauded series have been shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Award for Best Crime Novel. His thriller Finisterre, set in 1944, was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Follow Graham at grahamhurley.co.uk
Maxim Jakubowski's view on JOE FARADAY...
The investigations of a Portsmouth cop and a fascinating look into crime on the British coast. If you like Ian Rankin’s Rebus, this should be your next step. NO LOVELIER DEATH is the 9th book in the Faraday series.
A Q & A with Graham Hurley
Who’s your favourite author?
The Alan Furst of The Polish Officer and The World at Night.
Where do you live? And why?
Portsmouth. Because so many people ask me why.
What’s the greatest influence on your writing?
Lin Rowden.
What is your philosophy for life?
Check the tide tables and watch for eddies.
Have you had any formal tuition in creative writing? If so, where and what? Did you find it useful?
BA/MA Cambridge University (English – no help at all). No formal tuition in creative writing except a pathological nosiness and a fascination with story. Profound doubts about collective literary endeavour. Why? Because, in the end, writing is a solitary business.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you originally want to be and when and why did you change your mind?
Yes. And like most authors, I’m not sure why. But – emphatically – yes.
Who do you most admire and why?
My mum (seriously). Because she’s never failed to make the very best of an occasionally dodgy hand. Huge fortitude.
What jobs did you have before you started writing?
Ice cream salesman, deckchair attendant, lifeguard, prep school teacher (scripture and cricket), Radio Victory reporter, TV promotion scriptwriter, TV researcher, TV documentary director/producer, Oz TV cop series writer.
If your house was burning down what would you save?
Lin Rowden, the cats, a framed photo of the Otter estuary, me.
What do you do when you are not writing? How do you relax? What are your hobbies?
Sailing, cycling, nosing around, tussling with French, dreaming of the day Tony Blair resigns.
More About Graham Hurley
