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Then We Take Berlin

By John Lawton
Series: Joe Wilderness series
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Then We Take Berlin by John Lawton is a gripping crime and thriller novel that centres on Joe Wilderness, a talented thief and charismatic character who is pulled into the shadowy world of Berlin during the Cold War. The story weaves through tense political intrigue and backroom deals, painting a vivid picture of espionage and survival in a city divided by ideology. Lawton masterfully captures the atmosphere of mid-century Berlin while building a complex narrative of deception and ambition.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this gripping tale by John Lawton if you appreciate a blend of historical intrigue and crime, set against the tense backdrop of post-World War II Berlin. The narrative follows a captivating protagonist navigating the complexities of espionage and deception, offering twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Fans of richly detailed settings and intricate plots will find this novel particularly appealing.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

An historical thriller from the author of the Inspector Troy series, moving from London during the Blitz, to divided post-war Berlin - and introducing Joe Wilderness.

A new historical thriller from the author of the Inspector Troy series, moving from London during the Blitz, to divided post-war Berlin.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

John Holderness, known to the women in his life as 'Wilderness', comes of age during World War II in Stepney, East London, 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 returnβ€”to smuggle someone under the Berlin Wall and out of East Germany. But this final scheme may prove to be one challenge too far.

Then We Take Berlin is a gripping, meticulously researched and richly detailed historical thrillerβ€”a moving story of espionage and war, and people caught up in the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century.

Series: Joe Wilderness series

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  • The Unfortunate Englishman
    A thrilling portrait of 1960s Berlin and Khrushchev's Moscow, centring around the exchange of two spiesβ€” a Russian working for the KGB, and an unfortunate Englishman. Having shot someone in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law, Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    $2300
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    $2499
    In Stock
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  • Moscow Exile
    Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren't the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte,...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Then We Take Berlin
    John Holderness, known to the women in his life as 'Wilderness', comes of age during World War II in Stepney, East London, 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...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Hammer to Fall
    It's London, the swinging sixties, and by rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, in the wake of an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness has been posted to remote northern Finland in a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reviews of Then We Take Berlin praise John Lawton's convincing depiction and his skillful blend of crude vernacular with black humour. The novel is regarded as a stylish and engaging spy thriller that offers more depth than its individual elements might suggest. It's noted for its remarkable authority and enjoyable narrative, positioning Lawton alongside renowned authors in the genre.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781611855654

Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 August 2014

Country: United States

Imprint: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 298g

Pages: 432

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction John Lawton Series: Joe Wilderness series Spy & Espionage Thriller

About the Author

John Lawton is the director of over forty television programs, author of a dozen screenplays, several children's books, seven Inspector Troy novels and two standalones. Lawton's work has earned him comparisons to John le Carre and Alan Furst. Lawton lives in a remote hilltop village in Derbyshire.

Also by John Lawton

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  • The Unfortunate Englishman
    A thrilling portrait of 1960s Berlin and Khrushchev's Moscow, centring around the exchange of two spiesβ€” a Russian working for the KGB, and an unfortunate Englishman. Having shot someone in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law, Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Moscow Exile
    Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren't the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte,...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Smoke and Embers
    1950. Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz's second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps, yet lacks any identification beyond...
    By John Lawton
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Moscow Exile
    From "quite possibly the best historical novelist we have" (Philadelphia Inquirer), the fourth Joe Wilderness spy thriller, moving from Red Scare-era Washington, D.C. to a KGB prison near Moscow's Kremlin. In Moscow Exile, John Lawton departs from his usual stomping grounds of England and Germany to jump across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C., in the fragile postwar period where the...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Smoke and Embers
    Smoke and Embers
    1950. Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz's second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps, yet lacks any identification beyond...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Hammer to Fall
    It's London, the swinging sixties, and by rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, in the wake of an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness has been posted to remote northern Finland in a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness...
    By John Lawton
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • A Little White Death
    A Little White Death is set in an England on the verge of explosion, while Inspector Troy is engaged in a personal battle against ill-health. During his medical leave, Scotland Yard files charges against an acquaintance of hisβ€”a hedonistic doctor with a penchant for voyeurism and young women. These women are entangled in affairs with a senior official at the...
    By John Lawton
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