Gerald Durrell was the first to claim that he was not a writer, he gave that honour up to his brother Lawerence. Gerald wrote first and foremost to pay for the Zoo in Jersey that was his life. Many of his books are hilarious accounts of his exploits in collecting the animals for his zoo. When he added an account of his youth in Corfu the book "My family and other animals" became a huge success, much to his surprise. It was some time before he wrote the absolutely hilarous "Rosie is my relative" which was his first work of true fiction. In this book I believe he reaches the pinnacle of his ability. Not as bellyachingly funny as "Rosie" this book is more poignant and very beautifully written. It is more poignant since it describes the rediscovery of the Mockery Bird which is a metaphor for the Dodo, that most famous of extinct species. Durrell fought all his life to save species from extinction and so I think that there is a special hope in his heart that emerges in this book. A hope for the future of animals.

I'm really sad that this book is no longer available as it is one of my faves, and one of Deighton's very best books. Do everyone a favor and order it so that the publisher will print more! :) If you like good books on colorful con artists, you'll enjoy this.

The first book of a series of three Deighton spy thrillers, Berlin Game is a gritty spy thriller. Moving between London and Berlin, the book portarays a bitter SIS agent trying to decide who is more dangerous, the KGB or the people back in London. Written in first person, with Deighton's own distinctive flair for detail and plot, Berlin Game is a must read for thriller enthusiasts.

This is a fine book and I look forward to reading the remaining two books of the trilogy. There is a slow build-up, but this is necesssary in order to introduce the cast of characters and to set the stage for a shattering conclusion. It is hard to put the book down when you are into the last100 pages. The dialogue is crisp and interesting.

I cannot give this book five stars, though. As fine as it is, Deighton is a step below Le Carre. The central story in "Berlin Game" is outstanding, but the character development and the scene setting are a little thin. I finished "Berlin Game" not having a real good feel for who Bernard Samson is. But, then again, he's a spy...

I definitely recommend this book to spy buffs or anyone looking for a good read.

Len Deighton is a fine writer. On every page you marvel at the humor and finesse with which he writes. The story pulls you in and you really know who these characters are. After this, my first Deighton read, I will go on to read all of his other works. He's just an excellent writer.

This book is as an admirable example of the good old rule in journalism: "Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable."

It's fitting. Much of the victory credit belongs to a Canadian newspaper publisher in England, Lord Beaverbrook. As Minister of Aircraft Production, he provided so many aircraft that the Royal Air Force ended the Battle of Britain with more aircraft than when it started. For both sides, the crucial elements were production and tactics -- German aircraft production didn't peak until 1944. As for tactics, the entire German war effort was based on "lightning victories" such as the defeat of Poland and France. The British relied on their old standby of being able to outlast any enemy.

Granted, everyone "knows" about the Battle of Britain. Deighton challenges the comfortable old myths about the war, and points out that a lot of "what we know" just isn't so. The Germans deny there ever was a "Battle of Britain;" later in the war, they'd lose more aircraft in a single day of combat than during the entire August-September 1940 campaign against England. The British victory is hailed as equal to the defeat of the Spanish Armada and Nelson's victory at Trafalgar, a myth Deighton neatly punctures.

A major element is the incredible blunders and mistakes by Germans and British. War is truly a case of victory going to whoever makes the least mistakes. These range from strategic and production decisions made in the mid-1930s, to Adolph Hitler's fatal hubris in the summer of 1940 that "the British have lost the war, but they don't know it; one must give them time, and they will come around." Hitler only understood lightning victories; the British relied on being able to outlast their enemies.

Without going into technical detail that would swamp the average reader, Deighton masterfully explains why choices such as a lighter breech-block on the Oerlikon MG FF was a handicap for German pilots, as was the British decision to use nitro-cordite ammunition after everyone else switched to nitro-cellulose. Such details, explained in clear and concise form, are the treasure of this book.

Add them up, and it becomes clear why Germany could not win World War II. The British, for all their stupidity, had a democratic system in which errors could be corrected. Germany had a dynamic leader, and the military knew it was better to procrastinate than to suggest corrections to his decisions.

In short, from the Battle of Britain to VE-Day, Churchill spent the war being sometimes wrong and often being corrected. Hitler spent the same time being sometimes right, without his errors ever being corrected. That may not seem like much, except this book ties it all together to clearly illustrate the inevitable outcome of democracy versus a closed society.

Deighton has done a masterful job. He explains the "when, where, who, when and how" of the Battle of Britain as do most histories. Most important, he explains "why" it was won. Those six words are the "six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew)" of Rudyard Kipling and all journalism, which Deighton employs as a master.

This is a very enlightening and easy to understand book on the history the RAF and the Luftwaffe in the time period between the end of WWI and the Battle of Britain. The book describes and compares the tactics, weapons and philosophies of both sides and also provides interesting biographies of the major players of the air war. The detailed descriptions and development histories of the various planes were very interesting and the numerous maps and diagrams help to make the text very understandable. There are many myths, such as the belief that the Germans did not have radar, that are dispelled in this excellent book. This was the first work by Len Deighton that I have read and upon completion I immediately bought Blitzkrieg and Blood Tears and Folly by the same author.

Deighton's "Fighter" is a comprehensive non-fiction historical account of the Battle of Britain based on a tremendous amount of research and fascinating in insight.

This is not my first book by Deighton. I've thoroughly enjoyed his fictional works including Bomber, and Goodbye Mickey Mouse because of their technical details overlayed on a stories of great dramatic tension. Fighter leaves the drama behind, and in doing so the end result in not diminished; for without the drama and story lines, facts and insights based on immense research are displayed with great clarity.

Make no mistake, the book is comprehensive and contains: 1) short biographies of the major figures of both sides including Churchill, Parks, Dowding, Goring, Milch, and Udet, 2) insights into the aircraft designers Messeschmitt, Junkers, Camm, and Mitchell, 3) insights into aircraft performance, 4) radar development, 5) radar/operations infrastructure, 5) the 4 stages of the Battle of Britain (Kanalkampf, Aldertag, the "critical period", and the 'blitz'), 6) famous pilots such as Malan and Galland, 7) day-by-day account of the battle, 8) in depth stop-action analysis of particular battles...

The research behind these details is amazing. Yet with all these details, Deighton makes it an easy read, not a laborious task. Deighton takes no sides in this battle, and seeks the truth, objectivity, and historical accuracy. And in this regard, the book is an unrivaled success.

If you want to know what really happened in the Battle of Britain, and why, then this is THE book to read.

Although 'Winter' is about the family of the same name and although it reads quite well as a stand alone novel, I appreciated it more having already read quite a few of the Bernard Samson stories. It puts Bernard in historical context and provides background for some of the central characters of the 'Samson series'- most notably Bret Rensselaer.

As a novel in it's own right Winter tells the tale of two German brothers - Peter and Pauli Winter. Starting from their childhood in 1899 we see them develop. Peter, the elder blossoming under the care of his father, while Pauli, easygoing and carefree is in his father's shadow - the second son complex - striving unsuccessfully to please his father. We end up liking Pauli more than the serious, staid Peter and this is surprising because Pauli becomes the chief legal advisor to Nazi Germany.

The strength of the story is in character development. Pauli is not weak, or evil. There is no basic character flaw here that led him to serve the Nazis. He's not A Nazi himself, nor is he anti-semitic.

The book is a good read because he is believable and plausible and is an interesting study of a good man gone wrong. It's a bit long for the story it tells though, and it's not because it details the historical events taking place - these are only mentioned in passing in conversations amongst the characters.

Len Deighton is one of the few writers who seems to be able to dance from one genre of writing to another with total ease.
Not only is he a great spy novel writer, but he is also an excellent historian and writes novels about war. Unlike most Deighton readers, I find his nonfiction history and his war novels to be the best. Deighton has spent his life researching history, and takes this encyclopedic knowledge and builds novels around three-dimensional characters that give that same history a very real and human flavor.
The book "Winter" is about an aristocratic Berlin family. The father is a German nobleman, the mother is American. The two Winter brothers grow up and take very different paths-the older ends up American, the younger ends up as a high official in Hitler's SS. The book follows the characters from the birth of the Winter brothers through the last desperate days of WWII when each must face the consequences of his individual life choices.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the motivations of Germans in Hitler's Germany, and the fact that German feelings about Hitler ran from adulation to hatred.
This is an easy read, very enjoyable, with believable characters, a fast-moving plot and lots of history.

Deighton's work, "Winter" was a masterpiece about a German family from 1900-1945. Through their eyes we watch the chaotic and destructive era of 1914-1945. The two brothers, Peter and Pauli were allegorical of the German people themselves. Pauli as a young boy fights in the trenches of the Western Front, he is unready, but he goes anyway and gives his all. Peter flies dirigibles for the Kaiser's Navy. Both are horribly scarred by the war and this affects their postwar and WWII lives.

The backdrop of the Berlin that Peter and Pauli live in is very rich in detail. Deighton seems to have an excellent understanding of German history and culture. He gives us a whirlwind tour of the suffering in the postwar economy, taking us right into the '30s. Deighton gives a human face to the Gray ranks of the Germans of World War II. Speaking of which, we see the humanity of his characters, as none are black and white, all falling into shades of gray. I read this book months ago, and I still sometimes ponder on the great good and the great evil within Pauli. I do highly recommend this book. It is a great literary work.

This was an interesting story. I have read a large number of World War Two historical fictions and this is the first time I have come across this topic. The detective is a good character, sure there are a lot of stereotypes with him but we all expect that and the author uses them to his advantage. The ending was a bit fast; a few more pages would have done the book justice. Overall a good effort that should not take you too much time to read. If you are a fan of this author then you defiantly should read the book

That's the setting for this novel. It's 1941 and Germany is victorious, at least in Western Europe. The US and Germany are not at War. Deighton mentions one of the characters in the book, Barbara Barga, a US journalist (and later the love interest of the main character) having come over to the UK on the inaugural London to New York Lufthansa flight. A flight he slyly mentions Himmler and Goring were on. What business these German power brokers had in the States and who they were meeting the author does not say, nor is it in the least bit important to the story's plot. It's just a neat way of providing information in passing, and to me, shows how attentive to detail and how much fun Deighton has with this 'alternative history' or 'What if' novel.

The story centers on Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer of Scotland Yard and his Sargeant, the elderly Harry Woods who make up the 'Yards murder team, and who are called in by their German superiors to investigate what looks like a simple murder case involving a blackmarketeer. The case quickly develops into something with a wider scope. The SS in Berlin shows interest and sends a senior officer, Standartenfuhrer Huth to supervise Archer. The underground movement, politicians, the German police, the SS, a small resort town in southern England, the King and finally US Marines all have a role to play in the unravelling of the plot.

Ambition, greed, love, jealousy, and political plotting are all motives that drive the characters along. The characters are not stereotypical. Huth, far from being evil SS is one of the more principled, sympathetic and even likable characters in the book.

The only complaint I have is the rather rapid tying up of loose ends in the last few pages, it feels forced. Also, Archer having proven how smart a detective he was throughout the book, suddenly seems rather naive and daft even, as Huth has to explain all the political machinations and subtleties of the plot to him.

I have enjoyed, as far back as I can remember, fiction dealing with a victorious Germany in WW2. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I read Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" when I was 8. SS-GB is one of the classics in this sub-genre of speculative fiction.

Britain invaded and under the heel of the Nazi jackboot...what does a career detective do? If he resigns, who will look out for the rights of the people and track down those who are truly guilty? There is still real crime in a conquered country, after all. Is there a time to sacrifice the duty of a policeman for the greater good of the country as a whole?

That's a good part of the appeal of the novel; that is, how does a man of virtue and honor deal with this situation? Especially when one is trying to get the King out of the clutches of the Jerries and on to the USA to give the British Empire a figurehead to rally round. Can it be done? Buy this novel and find out....

Though the title implies that this is the story of a single bomber, "Bomber" goes farther - much farther, only starting with the crew of the heavy bomber "Joe for King". Deighton then covers other aircrews and their families and superiors before cutting across the channel to the enemy - night-fighter pilots, their controllers in German air defense, various suspicious characters from across the spectrum of Germany's military - from "respectable" Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht personnel to shadowy types from the "Abwehr" and the SS. We also meet the civilian residents of Altgarten, a Ruhr-area town nobody would think of bombing, but which manages to get plastered all the same. It's mid-summer 1943, when "Joe for King" is sent into the Ruhr as part of a massive night-time raid against the industrial centers of Krefeld. Lacking night-vision goggles, RAF pilots of 1943 drop their bombs on targets marked by flares left by directing aircraft - in this case, specially equipped Mosquitoe night-fighters. When the marker plane for the Krefeld raid is shot down prematurely, its flares are released over Altgarten. This error is compounded by inherent flaws in RAF tactics (like targeting bombs in the center of cities, where bombs are more likely to hit civilian homes than factories and military installations), and the town becomes the unintended target for the massive strike. "Bomber" is to RAF's wartime bomber command what "Traffic" is to the DEA - a story of massive scale borne by wide cast if characters that never stops growing. Deighton plays no favorites, certainly not with nationality. The Germans are on the receiving end of the bombs here, but there are plenty of overt references to the Nazis' crimes. On the British side, we see officers acting less like gentlemen than soldiers. Political correctness is the rule (this is the country that gave us "1984"; "Joe for King"'s commander is suspected of incipient Bolshevism - it's very name hints at Stalin). Those who won't fall in line risk being labeled as LMF - Lacking Moral Fiber - officially branded as cowards. Though books with such a command of detail tend towards charitability (if not nostalgically) to those they depict, Deighton is uniformly negative on the subject, a tone reinforced by his many subplots. Lambert, "Joe for King's" rebel pilot, plays the best cricket in Bomber Command - leading his odious superior to compel his participation in an upcoming tournament on pain of getting LMF'd. (Worse - the commander pressures Mrs. Lambert after her husband has departed for the big raid). Previous owners of the land that became the RAF base at Warley Fen, a once verdant field, now stare at the airfield, mourning for what they know they will never have again. In Germany, ADF is managed by August Bach, an aged warrior preparing to marry his young son's nanny, not knowing how her youthful looks have made her the target of vicious rumors through Altgarten. The pilots of a night-fighter squadron (nichtjagdeschwader), preparing for a feared RAF attack on the Ruhr, are thrown into turmoil when Abwehr and Gestapo appear in search of a stolen classifed memo. The memo, it turns out, details hypothermia experiments on concentration camp prisoners (this may be same memo mentioned early in Robert Harriss' superb "Fatherland"). The corrupt assistant to Altgarten's Burgomeister arranges for the downgrading of the town's remaining Jews (from 1/3rd to 2/3rd "Jewishness" - though these jews are even more likely to face deportation and certain death, they will have greater freedom to marry other jews). Altgarten itself is flooded with profiteers funneling goods looted from conquered parts of Russia and the Netherlands. Deighton hints at the underlying corruption of humanity actually tamed by war - it seems that war is the only thing keeping the world safe because it occupies all the amoral types who have to fight it. The only morally just adults are the TENO - the civil safety personnel who dig people out of bombed buildings. Because they are stationed in Altgarten, they get the biggest break: when the raid comes, they have the shortest commute. With so much going on, you just know you're bound to miss something. This is the sort of book that speed-readers hate. You'll probably lose count of all the characters that Deighton throws at you, though this doesn't hurt the plot as much as make the book one you'll want to re-read. Be warned - once you pick up bomber, you'll probably be spoiled for any other novel on the war in the skies over Europe.

Len Deighton has written a fascinating novel of a tragically bungled night bombing raid by the RAF in 1943. The book is full of information about the men and machines which took part on both sides. Readers knowledgeable about the air war will appreciate the technical details which Deighton lavishly provides but the casual reader will also be caught up by his talented storytelling. Folly piles upon folly in revealing the tragic and often unintended ramifications of making war.

The ironic tone which infuses the novel is reflected in the subtitle. As the author points out in the disclaimer, there was no June 31st in 1943 or any other year. A book to read and reread.

This book can standalone as a good spy story, but only reaches excellence when read as part of the trilogy - Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match. The tension ebbs and flows throughout the trilogy, but it isn't until the climax of London Match that we see the full scope. Highly recommended!

...as yet undecided, in this the second book in the 'Berlin Game', 'Mexico Set' and 'London Match' spy trilogy featuring Bernard Samson. And what a contest this is - Bernard's wife - Fiona stunned most of us in the first book by being exposed as the long serving KGB mole inside MI6. She won that 'game' by defecting East, having done her damage and leaving more behind. Bernard is shattered. He exposed Fiona but is now under suspicion himself (MI6 is wondering - can you be married to a 'mole' for over a decade and not know? or is he one himself?).

Bernard has a chance to redeem himself by bringing in Erich Stinnes, Fiona's KGB assistant who is supposedly defecting. Off he goes to Mexico to debrief Stinnes, but soon questions arise and Bernard is again in a fix. Is Stinnes a Fiona 'plant' designed to further discredit Bernard and convince London that he is KGB? or is he genuine? Poor Bernard. Amidst all this he has to contend with political infighting in MI6, unwanted advances from his sister in law, Tessa and deal with self doubt and guilt over Fiona. He often wonders whether the collapse of their marriage and Fiona's betrayal was all her own doing or did he have something to do with it.

Suffice it to say the plot unfolds suitably and all the above questions are satisfactorily answered.

Bernard Sampson is back and dealing with the tragedy he experienced in the last novel. Bernard Sampson is a character who puts James Bond to shame because he is simply more realistic. Don't read this novel if you haven't read Berlin Game.

"Blood, Tears, and Folly" is simply one of the best books on World War II ever published. For those already familiar with the basic dimensions of the war, Deighton's book magnifies key elements which shaped the conflict and defined the times. For instance, Deighton explains how Germany's lack of a strategic bomber force was a major contribution to the Luftwaffe's defeat in the battle of Britain. Deighton also tears down the myths surrounding Erwin Rommel and explains in detail the breakdown of the German offensive in Russia. Rarely has an author made detailed history so easy to read and understand. If your looking for a simple study of the overall war look elsewhere, but if you wish to learn more about key moments, men, weapons and strategies of all the major powers, Deighton's book will amaze and delight.

Len Deighton does an excellent job in looking at nearly all aspects of the Second World War. One of its strongpoint is that he provides a lot of background in addressing the problems and events of the Second World War. In order to understand why the Battle of France was fought the way it was, he takes you back to the First World War, the lessons "learned," and events in the various armies between the war. To shed light on the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, he brings you the bombings of London in WWI, and what was thought of that at the time. In many cases, in order to understand why generals and admirals commanded their troops to do certain things, and why certain types of equipment were or were not available, you had to understand the mind set of the time, and the history they were drawing upon.

Another strength of the book is its look at the personalities of the people involved, which as much as anything else helped determine who won or lost. From Churchill to Rommel to Zhukov, you have to understand to an extent their personal motivations, how they interacted with their subordinates and superiors, and the lessons they had learned earlier in life. Churchill for instance was shaped by early life experiences in Cuba prior to the Spanish-American War and during the Boer War, and by his serving as the civilian head of the Royal Navy.

The book is pretty harsh on the British. While clearly liking the British (he is British himself), and greatly impressed by the courage of many of her warriors, again and again he lays into them for shortsightedness, petty infighting, turf wars, and failure to learn from battle.

All and all a good book. Less good for an overall history of the war, but better to understand some of the background of the war, some of the personalites involved, and why the two sides did not do better than they did.

A generation of self-congratulatory propaganda about the Crusade in Europe was rudely jolted by two books written by hard-minded historians. The first, A.J.P. Taylor's The Origins of the Second World War, scythed away the view that Hitler was solely responsible for western Europe's greatest political error. The second is this result of Len Deighton's extensive research on the politics, diplomacy and mechanics of that conflict.

Blood, Tears and Folly may be considered an off-shoot of his other works, both fiction and non-fiction, on the years prior to the war and of the actual fighting. He rightly subtitles this book "An Objective Look" in response to the many years of laudatory histories and memoirs deluging both the reading public and history classrooms. Deighton has a realistic view of history, dealing carefully and dispassionately with the issues at all levels. He knows that success in war is often due to chance decisions. He also knows, and tells us clearly, that the decision-makers must reach their conclusions from an informed and dispassionate foundation. This isn't a common feature among military "leaders" and probably even more rare among politicians dealing in foreign affairs.

This book is more than a journalist's account of an historical period. It's a clarion call to keep a watchful eye on your leaders. Too often, and certainly in the period of this book, long-term policies remain unconsidered while striving to accomplish immediate gains. Prejudices abound, guiding men into foolish decisions for which many will pay the ultimate price.

Deighton appears to be whacking the British here. However, keep in mind that the Empire of Victoria Regina remained the dominant force in the world and the British never tired of saying so. That attitude was the pivotal folly of British politicians, although America's buying into the idea was just as foolish. If anything made World War II inevitable instead of the aberration logic suggests it should be, it's this outlook. The world, particularly Western European nations, resented Britain's arrogance. It had led in large part to World War I. Unable to learn anything from the causes of that conflict, British policies simply repeated old mistakes in new ways, a misplaced pride leading to a new fall.

Deighton manages to carefully balance Britain's short sighted attitude about European affairs with various other elements that will impact the course of the war. He has an exceptional ability to make what ought to be the most mundane topics, machines and technologies, into fascinating elements of the story. Familiar to us now, things like radar and rockets were innovations then and their successes were due to the people working with them. Deighton's ability to delve into the personal viewpoint adds significantly to the enjoyment of this book.

I first read this book as a teenager in the 1960s, graduating from James Bond. After Fleming's action-based thrillers, Deighton was bound to come across as a little elliptical, and my response then was a mixture of bafflement and admiration. I had to read the three subsequent books in the series before I realized that it's a waste of time looking for logical plots in Deighton's work. Perfect plotters are authors who are never diverted by inconsequential things. But Deighton's writing is fuelled by the inconsequential and the peculiar.

George Orwell once noted that Dickens's books are always packed with purposeless detail. Cheeses can't be just "cheeses": they have to be "Gloucester cheeses". His fictional world is very particular, very specific. In the same way, when you get to know Deighton, you are not surprised when his hero stops off at a delicatessen to buy a pound of - no, not just "butter", but "Normandy butter" - and when it goes soft in his pocket before he makes it home, we realize that this hero is a million miles from James Bond.

Departing from the usual profile, Deighton's novels are character-based rather than action-based, and that's both a strength and a weakness. There are any number of slick, factory-produced thrillers around, but a Len Deighton thriller is a hand-made product. The edges are not quite straight, it wobbles when you try to stand it upright, and the doors don't quite fit.

Those who look for a perfect solution to a clearly-stated puzzle should look elsewhere. What we get from Len Deighton is the kind of character-drawing that is traditionally the weakest element in popular thrillers. His descriptions are always arresting and invariably witty. Colonel Ross is described as having "the complexion of a Hovis loaf", and those who have seen a Hovis loaf will recognize the aptness of the image: that of a florid military type who is a little too fond of the bottle. He is also described as a gentleman - which Deighton defines as someone who never drinks gin before 7.30 p.m. and wouldn't hit a lady without first taking his hat off.

If you like that sort of thing, you'll like Len Deighton. He is the Charles Dickens of thriller writers, with the same faults and the same virtues. And The Ipcress File is replete with both. Deighton's shaky and approximate plotting is more than offset by his observant eye for the endless varieties of human strangeness.

Just one thing, though. Deighton is someone who doesn't just write, he re-writes. The care with which he crafts his prose is somehow evident on the page in the look of the sentences and paragraphs. He is a writer, and you should be a reader. So, my advice: forget the cassette. Go for the book.

I couldn't disagree more with the review here that states that this is a terrible book. Len Deighton is quite rightly considered one of the masters of the espionage novel. This is the first of his first series of books, which also included 'Funeral in Berlin', 'Billion Dollar Brain', 'Horse Under Water', and 'An Expensive Place to Die'. Deighton's mastery of dialogue is apparent, along with his ability to make the reader feel a part of the story and era. Deighton's research into contemporary Cold War espionage practices and bureaucracy is superb, as in all his books. Very believable, crisp, and gripping. Highly recommended (if you can find a copy!

Another dissent from the "1" rating below; Len Deighton's first four books (this one, Funeral in Berlin, The Billion Dollar Brain, An Expensive Place to Die) are all very enjoyable. It's true that Deighton appears to draw about equally from Raymond Chandler and Graham Greene, but those are great places to steal from. (Unfortunately, I think Deighton went steeply downhill after these books.)