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מינכן
ועידת מינכן, ספטמבר 1938. יו ליגט הוא כוכב עולה בשירות הדיפלומטי הבריטי, המשרת ברחוב דאונינג 10 כעוזר אישי של ראש הממשלה נוויל צ'מברליין. פאול הרטמן עובד במשרד החוץ הגרמני, ובחשאי הנו אחד מאנשי תנועת ההתנגדות להיטלר. ליגט והרטמן היו חברים באוקספורד בשנות העשרים של המאה הקודמת, אך לא שמרו על קשר. עכשיו, כשליגט טס עם צ'מברליין מלונדון למינכן, והרטמן נוסע מברלין למינכן ברכבת של היטלר, נתיביהם נמצאים במסלול התנגשות הרה אסון.
רוברט האריס שוב משבץ אירועים אמיתיים בעלי חשיבות היסטורית � הפעם בהשתתפותם של היטלר, צ'מברליין, מוסוליני ודלדיה � בלב מותחן משלהב שאי־אפשר להניח מהיד.
רוברט האריס שוב משבץ אירועים אמיתיים בעלי חשיבות היסטורית � הפעם בהשתתפותם של היטלר, צ'מברליין, מוסוליני ודלדיה � בלב מותחן משלהב שאי־אפשר להניח מהיד.
303 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2017
2,495 people are currently reading
13.6k people want to read
About the author
Robert Harris
55books8,031followersROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,281 reviews
September 21, 2019
”Everyone said---by everyone I mean people like me--we all said, ‘Oh, he’s a terrible fellow, Hitler; but he’s not necessarily all bad. Look at his achievements. Put aside this awful medieval anti-Jew stuff: it will pass.� But the point is, it won’t pass. You can’t isolate it from the rest. It’s there in the mix. And if the anti-Semitism is evil, it’s all evil. Because if they’re capable of that, they’re capable of anything.�
Neville Chamberlain, waving the Munich Agreement in the air, proclaimed that it meant “peace for our time.� Unfortunately, he was wrong.
In September of 1938, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Neville Chamberlain, flew to Munich, Germany, to meet with Adolf Hitler to discuss the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia. There were several million people of German extraction living in that region, and Hitler wanted to annex the area to Germany, as he had Austria. Chamberlain hoped to fulfill a Shakespeare quote from Henry IV: ”Out of the nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.� He was for appeasement, and Winston Churchill was against appeasement, believing that Hitler could never be appeased. Hitler would always want more.
What is interesting about this book is Robert Harris gave me a more sympathetic view of Chamberlain. I have always thought of him as a naive, blundering fool, which was really way too harsh of an assessment. He was wrong about being able to make Hitler content with a slice of Czechoslovakia, but he was not naive or blundering. He was simply trying everything he could to keep war from breaking out. Something I didn’t realize, until I did some more research after reading this book, was that Czechoslovakia had built up some major defenses in the Sudetenland, probably because they knew the most likely threat to their country would come from Germany. When Britain, France, Germany, and Italy came to the agreement to hand that area over to Hitler, they seriously diminished Czechoslovakia's ability to defend themselves. Hitler, while touring the installations after acquiring the Sudetenland, determined that taking this piece of land would have had a high cost in German blood.
The really crappy thing about the Munich Agreement conference was that Czechoslovakia was not even allowed at the table. Four European countries decided to give away Czech land in an attempt at appeasement without allowing them a voice at the table. The Czech’s did not refer to this decision as the Munich Agreement. They called it the Munich Diktat (Betrayal), and how can anyone blame them for feeling differently? Especially given how things turn out.
Robert Harris built the story around two young men who were friends at Oxford. Paul Hartmann was a German diplomat, who was also a member of the anti-Hitler resistance. Hugh Legat was one of Chamberlain’s private secretaries. Both were involved with translating documents and conversations between leaders. Paul was desperate to get information to Hugh that might keep Chamberlain from signing the Agreement. Both men were watched very carefully by their own diplomatic corps, so exchanging information was not only nearly impossible, but also very dangerous if either was caught. Chances were slim for success, but very likely for failure. Paul was a nationalist who loved his country, but at the moment he was trying to determine if he could be the ultimate traitor.
”He imagined feeling for it in his inside pocket, quickly withdrawing it, pointing the barrel, a moment of eye contact perhaps before he squeezed the trigger, a final look and then the explosion of blood and tissue. He would have been reviled until the end of of time, and he realised he could never have done it. The insight into his own weakness appalled him.�
That’s always the great time machine question. If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you? Could you? What world would you return to?
Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Mussolini’s son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano.
Robert Harris is the master at ratcheting up the tension as Paul and Hugh become more and more entwined in the deadly game of espionage. Who are you willing to betray? Your friends, your country, yourself? Harris has become a grandmaster of the intelligent, exhilarating thriller. It is always an event for me when a new Harris book is published. I know I’m going to be thoroughly entertained. I will be enriched with new historical perspectives. I will have an expanded knowledge of whatever subject he has decided to write about. It is always a pleasure, Mr. Harris.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
Neville Chamberlain, waving the Munich Agreement in the air, proclaimed that it meant “peace for our time.� Unfortunately, he was wrong.
In September of 1938, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Neville Chamberlain, flew to Munich, Germany, to meet with Adolf Hitler to discuss the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia. There were several million people of German extraction living in that region, and Hitler wanted to annex the area to Germany, as he had Austria. Chamberlain hoped to fulfill a Shakespeare quote from Henry IV: ”Out of the nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.� He was for appeasement, and Winston Churchill was against appeasement, believing that Hitler could never be appeased. Hitler would always want more.
What is interesting about this book is Robert Harris gave me a more sympathetic view of Chamberlain. I have always thought of him as a naive, blundering fool, which was really way too harsh of an assessment. He was wrong about being able to make Hitler content with a slice of Czechoslovakia, but he was not naive or blundering. He was simply trying everything he could to keep war from breaking out. Something I didn’t realize, until I did some more research after reading this book, was that Czechoslovakia had built up some major defenses in the Sudetenland, probably because they knew the most likely threat to their country would come from Germany. When Britain, France, Germany, and Italy came to the agreement to hand that area over to Hitler, they seriously diminished Czechoslovakia's ability to defend themselves. Hitler, while touring the installations after acquiring the Sudetenland, determined that taking this piece of land would have had a high cost in German blood.
The really crappy thing about the Munich Agreement conference was that Czechoslovakia was not even allowed at the table. Four European countries decided to give away Czech land in an attempt at appeasement without allowing them a voice at the table. The Czech’s did not refer to this decision as the Munich Agreement. They called it the Munich Diktat (Betrayal), and how can anyone blame them for feeling differently? Especially given how things turn out.
Robert Harris built the story around two young men who were friends at Oxford. Paul Hartmann was a German diplomat, who was also a member of the anti-Hitler resistance. Hugh Legat was one of Chamberlain’s private secretaries. Both were involved with translating documents and conversations between leaders. Paul was desperate to get information to Hugh that might keep Chamberlain from signing the Agreement. Both men were watched very carefully by their own diplomatic corps, so exchanging information was not only nearly impossible, but also very dangerous if either was caught. Chances were slim for success, but very likely for failure. Paul was a nationalist who loved his country, but at the moment he was trying to determine if he could be the ultimate traitor.
”He imagined feeling for it in his inside pocket, quickly withdrawing it, pointing the barrel, a moment of eye contact perhaps before he squeezed the trigger, a final look and then the explosion of blood and tissue. He would have been reviled until the end of of time, and he realised he could never have done it. The insight into his own weakness appalled him.�
That’s always the great time machine question. If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you? Could you? What world would you return to?
Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Mussolini’s son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano.
Robert Harris is the master at ratcheting up the tension as Paul and Hugh become more and more entwined in the deadly game of espionage. Who are you willing to betray? Your friends, your country, yourself? Harris has become a grandmaster of the intelligent, exhilarating thriller. It is always an event for me when a new Harris book is published. I know I’m going to be thoroughly entertained. I will be enriched with new historical perspectives. I will have an expanded knowledge of whatever subject he has decided to write about. It is always a pleasure, Mr. Harris.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:
January 29, 2018
Robert Harris is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction, and he has another winner on his hands with Munich. It tells the story of two men, one German and one English, who play roles in the final meeting between Chamberlain and Hitler in 1938, when peace was still a possibility. The book is wonderfully written and researched and, as always with this author's books, I came away from it feeling I had learned something new. The characters are intriguing and the plot clever and well-paced. The only downside is that, of course, I knew all the while the outcome of the story. It is difficult to read about a meeting that could have changed history so monumentally, if Hitler had been a man with whom one could have reasoned. I don't know what could have been done to prevent Hitler and his madness at this stage, when he had the support of so many people behind him even though he made no secret of his intentions. There is a moment in the book when one of the characters is alone with Hitler just for a moment and the thought crosses his mind that he could kill him, but of course he doesn't in the end. He is afraid for himself and for the future, and in the end he doesn't act. I am never one to advocate violence, but I found myself wishing he would just do it, knowing my wishes would not be answered, that history cannot so easily be rewritten. It is chilling and horrible, and as a German, I find it really difficult to read about this time, though I do so often since it is so important to remember.
Reading Munich, I also could not help but think of our current political climate, not only in the US but around the world. The extremist right has been gaining ground in recent years (I think of Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, the AfD...) and polarization is rending societies apart. The alt-right feels justified in openly pronouncing their credo of hatred and divisiveness. At the same time, I have to remind myself that this has caused me to be more politically aware than ever before and has roused so many to be engaged and active to fight the aforementioned. I suppose where I am going with this is that we have to keep remembering and we have to keep reading telling stories like Munich, because disaster can be averted when people are brave and vigilant and willing to act. Initially, this review was meant to be a few complimentary lines, but I guess it provoked more in me than that. Munich isn't the best book about the Second World War or Hitler, but it is among the best I have read about the window of time just before the horror began. It serves as a powerful reminder that we need to be aware and willing to act when we see injustice on any scale about to happen.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at
Reading Munich, I also could not help but think of our current political climate, not only in the US but around the world. The extremist right has been gaining ground in recent years (I think of Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, the AfD...) and polarization is rending societies apart. The alt-right feels justified in openly pronouncing their credo of hatred and divisiveness. At the same time, I have to remind myself that this has caused me to be more politically aware than ever before and has roused so many to be engaged and active to fight the aforementioned. I suppose where I am going with this is that we have to keep remembering and we have to keep reading telling stories like Munich, because disaster can be averted when people are brave and vigilant and willing to act. Initially, this review was meant to be a few complimentary lines, but I guess it provoked more in me than that. Munich isn't the best book about the Second World War or Hitler, but it is among the best I have read about the window of time just before the horror began. It serves as a powerful reminder that we need to be aware and willing to act when we see injustice on any scale about to happen.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at
October 23, 2017
Robert Harris offers up another wonderful novel that weaves together the events of history with some background fiction that only serves to accentuate the dramatic effect. It is 1938 and Europe is on the precipice of another war. Adolf Hitler has begun acquiring areas of neighbouring countries, citing their Germanic history, in order to build a stronger homeland. All the while, the world looks on, centred in London, where U.K. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is weighing his options. Surrounded by policy makers and some sycophants, Chamberlain has Hugh Legat as one of his private secretaries. Legat can see that the PM wants nothing more than peace, though may be blinded by the diplomatic approach many leaders take to problem solving. On the other side, Paul Hartmann is deeply embedded into the Nazi regime, though he is less than pleased with the way things are going. Hartmann knows that his Fuhrer wants nothing more than war and will connive to ensure that he gets it. These two men, Legat and Hartmann, share a pre-war history as friends in Oxford, though neither makes a great deal of that to their peers. With a last-ditch peace conference to save Czechoslovakia from the German carving board, Legat and Hartmann find themselves in Munich, ready to do whatever they can. The British have their allies France at the table, while Hitler has his devoted Italian fascist Mussolini to stroke his ego. Words are exchanged and a document is signed. However, before the ink is dry, Legat learns of Germany’s true intentions. Pulled in numerous directions, Legat must not only decipher where the truth ends and propaganda begins, but how to convince Europe’s preeminent leader what is actually going on. Harris balances the world opinion that Neville Chamberlain scored political points by bringing home the peace accord with the naiveté that both sides would adhere to it once hindsight could be applied. A strong piece that fleshes out some of the ‘what if� and ‘if only� aspects of this final salvo before Europe (and the world) turned back to the bloodbath that defined them. History buffs and those with a penchant for fast-paced thrillers will enjoy this story in equal measure.
I have read some of Harris’s work in the past and never been disappointed. He is clear to use a perspective and stick to it throughout, though always offers a strong foundation on which the entire story can rest. Hugh Legat is a highly likeable character as he tries to sift through all the information that has been presented to him, in an attempt to choose what needs selling up the line. The perspective is strong and the struggles to parse through the news is not lost on the attentive reader. Paul Hartmann, on the other hand, is quite mysterious and knows what he wants, though is caught up in such a deceptive political situation that there is little hope of anything clear and forthright coming from the German camp. Hindered with an anti-Nazi sentiment, Hartmann much choose how to fight against his own countrymen without being caught, sure that any deception would mean a trip to the concentration camps, or worse. As Harris adds numerous other characters, both fictitious and historical, to the mix, the plot thickens and the depths to which both sides are pushing for their own outcome becomes a little clearer. The plot of the story is one torn from the history books, but by adding dialogue and some ‘behind the curtain� backstory enriches the reader’s experience. Told in a four-day narrative that compartmentalises the events and shows just how intense things got in short order. While the world applauded Chamberlain for his peace treaty with Hitler, it was hindsight (and perhaps some of this narrative) that helped to show just how blind the British were and what the world would accept at face value. Hitler was not a strong leader with a few odd tendencies, but rather a megalomaniacal being who had nothing but his own interests in mind. Harris provides the reader with one of the more intriguing and interesting accounts of that 1938 build-up to war, particularly with a quote at the beginning of the book, where Hitler admits that they ought to have gone to war in 1938. Brilliant in its telling and quite on point, Robert Harris is surely an author on whom many readers can rely to be educated and entertained in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Harris, for another novel that pulled me in from the opening pages. I will have to make a point of investing more time to follow your work and make sure I take much away from the experience.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
I have read some of Harris’s work in the past and never been disappointed. He is clear to use a perspective and stick to it throughout, though always offers a strong foundation on which the entire story can rest. Hugh Legat is a highly likeable character as he tries to sift through all the information that has been presented to him, in an attempt to choose what needs selling up the line. The perspective is strong and the struggles to parse through the news is not lost on the attentive reader. Paul Hartmann, on the other hand, is quite mysterious and knows what he wants, though is caught up in such a deceptive political situation that there is little hope of anything clear and forthright coming from the German camp. Hindered with an anti-Nazi sentiment, Hartmann much choose how to fight against his own countrymen without being caught, sure that any deception would mean a trip to the concentration camps, or worse. As Harris adds numerous other characters, both fictitious and historical, to the mix, the plot thickens and the depths to which both sides are pushing for their own outcome becomes a little clearer. The plot of the story is one torn from the history books, but by adding dialogue and some ‘behind the curtain� backstory enriches the reader’s experience. Told in a four-day narrative that compartmentalises the events and shows just how intense things got in short order. While the world applauded Chamberlain for his peace treaty with Hitler, it was hindsight (and perhaps some of this narrative) that helped to show just how blind the British were and what the world would accept at face value. Hitler was not a strong leader with a few odd tendencies, but rather a megalomaniacal being who had nothing but his own interests in mind. Harris provides the reader with one of the more intriguing and interesting accounts of that 1938 build-up to war, particularly with a quote at the beginning of the book, where Hitler admits that they ought to have gone to war in 1938. Brilliant in its telling and quite on point, Robert Harris is surely an author on whom many readers can rely to be educated and entertained in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Harris, for another novel that pulled me in from the opening pages. I will have to make a point of investing more time to follow your work and make sure I take much away from the experience.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: /group/show/...
October 19, 2020
MUNICH, by Robert Harris, takes place in September of 1938 and uses the Munich Agreement and the brink of war prior to the Agreement as the landscape for the book. The Agreement concerned the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia and was a document signed by the United Kingdom, Nazi Germany, the French Third Republic and the Kingdom of Italy, on September 30, 1938, to assuage Hitler and forestall a world war.
The pace of the book through the events is fast-moving and both sides are seen through the eyes of Hugh Legat, Third Private Secretary to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and Paul von Hartmann, a member of the German Foreign Ministry.
Legat relates the mood of the British people vis-à-vis the issuance of gas masks and the bulking up of sandbags around #10 Downing Street. The frenzied work behind the scenes of the government is aptly described with the encounters of those working in the government. Hartmann is representative of those within the German Party that are nationalistic towards their country and accepting of the moves Hitler is taking to bolster the country; however, Hartmann and some of his colleagues are unhappy with some of the methods employed by Hitler and his generals to achieve those goals.
The chess game played among the countries directly involved leads Chamberlain to meet with Hitler, Dadalier of France and Mussolini in Munich to come to a formal agreement that will pull back Hitler from his intended invasion of Czechoslovakia (interestingly, Czechoslovakia is not included in the decision-making that affects its country nor is the Soviet Union who is an ally of both Czechoslovakia and France). Within this high-stakes game, Harris weaves a conspiracy to overthrow the German high command.
This is definitely a book that history buffs will enjoy as well as those who love a suspense-filled story. I give MUNICH 5 stars and eagerly recommend to readers!
The pace of the book through the events is fast-moving and both sides are seen through the eyes of Hugh Legat, Third Private Secretary to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and Paul von Hartmann, a member of the German Foreign Ministry.
Legat relates the mood of the British people vis-à-vis the issuance of gas masks and the bulking up of sandbags around #10 Downing Street. The frenzied work behind the scenes of the government is aptly described with the encounters of those working in the government. Hartmann is representative of those within the German Party that are nationalistic towards their country and accepting of the moves Hitler is taking to bolster the country; however, Hartmann and some of his colleagues are unhappy with some of the methods employed by Hitler and his generals to achieve those goals.
The chess game played among the countries directly involved leads Chamberlain to meet with Hitler, Dadalier of France and Mussolini in Munich to come to a formal agreement that will pull back Hitler from his intended invasion of Czechoslovakia (interestingly, Czechoslovakia is not included in the decision-making that affects its country nor is the Soviet Union who is an ally of both Czechoslovakia and France). Within this high-stakes game, Harris weaves a conspiracy to overthrow the German high command.
This is definitely a book that history buffs will enjoy as well as those who love a suspense-filled story. I give MUNICH 5 stars and eagerly recommend to readers!
December 11, 2017
I was looking forward to reading this new book by Robert Harris because he does a such a great job with historical thrillers. Based on the Oster conspiracy and the Munich Conference, two fictional friends from Oxford during the 1920’s end up on opposites sides of the negotiating table in an effort to prevent the war that is inevitable.
I was surprised that the first half of this book was so slow. Everyone runs around to and fro delivering this message and that telegram with the requisite meetings sprinkled here and there. The backdrop is historically accurate and important and thank the stars that the book picks up momentum at about the midway point. I’m a big fan of vivid specific detail but I truly don’t need to know how a man shaves his face. This information did nothing to move the story forward but I quibble. If you can get through the first half it isn’t half bad.
I was surprised that the first half of this book was so slow. Everyone runs around to and fro delivering this message and that telegram with the requisite meetings sprinkled here and there. The backdrop is historically accurate and important and thank the stars that the book picks up momentum at about the midway point. I’m a big fan of vivid specific detail but I truly don’t need to know how a man shaves his face. This information did nothing to move the story forward but I quibble. If you can get through the first half it isn’t half bad.
February 10, 2018
3.5 Found this one to be hard to rate and review. The Munich agreement signed by Chamberlain and Hitler, was another part of history of which I had no knowledge. We hear from two men who had been friends in Oxford,one now serving as a newly minted secretary under Chamberlain, the other part of those with access to Hitler. A p!ot that was planned, but obviously never succeeded, for if it had the world would have been a much better place.
Needless to say in politically placed books such as these, that identify with a particular time and place, there are many characters involved, in England and in Germany. At times it dry, at times confusing, and at times suspenseful. Not sure how realistic his characterization of Chamberlain is, as I have never read much about that subject. As with all this authors works, it is intelligently written. Yet, I had a harder time connecting with this effort than with others of his I have read. I think for me there was just too darn much talking, planning and not enough action. Also, felt the tone varied little throughout, but this may be my perception. It was, however, interesting to read about the beginning, or nearly so, of his early biases and plans.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Needless to say in politically placed books such as these, that identify with a particular time and place, there are many characters involved, in England and in Germany. At times it dry, at times confusing, and at times suspenseful. Not sure how realistic his characterization of Chamberlain is, as I have never read much about that subject. As with all this authors works, it is intelligently written. Yet, I had a harder time connecting with this effort than with others of his I have read. I think for me there was just too darn much talking, planning and not enough action. Also, felt the tone varied little throughout, but this may be my perception. It was, however, interesting to read about the beginning, or nearly so, of his early biases and plans.
ARC from Edelweiss.
July 22, 2018
With the recent movies on Winston Churchill it’s refreshing to see someone focus instead on his overlooked predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, and his significant role in the lead-up to World War 2. In Munich, Robert Harris takes us back to 1938, the year before the war started, and the crisis in Czechoslovakia: Hitler wants to unite the German-speaking peoples in the Czech Sudetenland to the Fatherland, and will use force if he has to. Should he invade, France will be bound, by treaty, into fighting Germany, which will bring in Britain as well due to a treaty with France. Chamberlain leads the delegation for appeasement to stop the war at the Munich conference.
Having studied this period of history, the impression I’ve always had of Chamberlain was of a weak old man blinded by impractical ideals and that his strategy of appeasement gave Hitler the upper hand and almost the entire war. Harris� portrayal is much more sympathetic and altogether positive, showing Chamberlain as a strong-willed and thoughtful leader and a skilled diplomat whose decisions instead gave Britain the time it needed to rearm properly and face down the Nazi threat when war inevitably broke out.
Harris� characterisations are the strongest parts of this novel and we get compelling and convincing portrayals of all the major players, especially Hitler and Chamberlain’s staff. You also get a good sense of the period.
As for the actual story� not so much. Harris is hamstrung by the history he adheres to. The two main characters are fictional diplomatic counterparts who were university friends long ago, Legat the Brit and Hartmann the German, who try to get Chamberlain to stand up to Hitler by force, call his bluff, and the German army, staring both British and French armies in the face, will lead an insurrection against Hitler and thus war is avoided.
Because we know that Hitler was never deposed, Harris has to try to make the potential of that plan thrilling and he didn’t really do that. It’s questionable too whether or not such a plan would’ve worked had it been implemented in the first place. Perhaps if they’d tried it and Hitler hadn’t been toppled, Britain’s unprepared forces would’ve collapsed against the Luftwaffe and we’d all be speaking German now?
The story is actually quite thrilling here and there in the lead up to Chamberlain trying to delay Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland, prior to Munich - the problem is that the book essentially climaxes at the halfway mark! The remaining 200 pages fail to regain the momentum of the preceding 200, and, ironically, the remaining story at Munich is very dry. It’s basically stuffy men in stuffy rooms negotiating stuffy terms, and it’s very dull to read.
Munich is an informative novel but definitely not a thrilling one as advertised. The story is intermittently exciting up to the halfway mark, the characterisation is good and the writing is fine but the vast majority of it is much too boring for my taste. Robert Harris can write excellent thrillers like The Ghost and The Fear Index but Munich, like his other historical dramas, is weighed down far too much by his extensive research and dogged faithfulness to accuracy which makes for plodding, tedious reading.
Having studied this period of history, the impression I’ve always had of Chamberlain was of a weak old man blinded by impractical ideals and that his strategy of appeasement gave Hitler the upper hand and almost the entire war. Harris� portrayal is much more sympathetic and altogether positive, showing Chamberlain as a strong-willed and thoughtful leader and a skilled diplomat whose decisions instead gave Britain the time it needed to rearm properly and face down the Nazi threat when war inevitably broke out.
Harris� characterisations are the strongest parts of this novel and we get compelling and convincing portrayals of all the major players, especially Hitler and Chamberlain’s staff. You also get a good sense of the period.
As for the actual story� not so much. Harris is hamstrung by the history he adheres to. The two main characters are fictional diplomatic counterparts who were university friends long ago, Legat the Brit and Hartmann the German, who try to get Chamberlain to stand up to Hitler by force, call his bluff, and the German army, staring both British and French armies in the face, will lead an insurrection against Hitler and thus war is avoided.
Because we know that Hitler was never deposed, Harris has to try to make the potential of that plan thrilling and he didn’t really do that. It’s questionable too whether or not such a plan would’ve worked had it been implemented in the first place. Perhaps if they’d tried it and Hitler hadn’t been toppled, Britain’s unprepared forces would’ve collapsed against the Luftwaffe and we’d all be speaking German now?
The story is actually quite thrilling here and there in the lead up to Chamberlain trying to delay Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland, prior to Munich - the problem is that the book essentially climaxes at the halfway mark! The remaining 200 pages fail to regain the momentum of the preceding 200, and, ironically, the remaining story at Munich is very dry. It’s basically stuffy men in stuffy rooms negotiating stuffy terms, and it’s very dull to read.
Munich is an informative novel but definitely not a thrilling one as advertised. The story is intermittently exciting up to the halfway mark, the characterisation is good and the writing is fine but the vast majority of it is much too boring for my taste. Robert Harris can write excellent thrillers like The Ghost and The Fear Index but Munich, like his other historical dramas, is weighed down far too much by his extensive research and dogged faithfulness to accuracy which makes for plodding, tedious reading.
April 19, 2021
Sementes de Guerra
Já ouviram falar nos Sudetas?
Sim?! Não?! Talvez?!... “Googlar� é batota!...
Os Sudetas são uma região da Checoslováquia onde, antes da segunda grande guerra, coabitavam cerca de 3,2 milhões de alemães.
Hitler, que antes da guerra já se entretinha a roubar terras aos outros, encontrou nisso um pretexto para uma anexação territorial. Pois se os alemães já lá estavam, se já existia uma união de facto entre os habitantes e a terra, nada mais legítimo que legalizá-la, não é assim?! Embora fossem outros os motivos alegados por Hitler, pergunto-me se não foi essa a “lógica� que o moveu?! 😜
A Inglaterra, temendo um conflito armado, procurou, conjuntamente com a França e Itália, encontrar uma solução apaziguadora:
Foi então realizada uma conferência em Munique, onde as 4 potências europeias assinaram um Pacto que cedia a região dos Sudetas à Alemanha, com a garantia de que essa seria a sua última reivindicação territorial...
Ironicamente, a Checoslováquia não foi convidada para o evento! Não teve voz na decisão tomada, e daí ter rebatizado o dito Tratado como “A Traição de Munique�...
Uma vez concluída a conferência, Chamberlain (o 1º ministro britânico de então) regressou a Inglaterra como o herói do momento � aquele que conquistara a almejada paz para a Europa.
Porém, foi um herói de pouca dura, pois... não muito tempo depois, Hitler, desrespeitando o tratado de Munique, invade a Polónia, e... o resto da História já todos bem conhecemos...
Obviamente que esta resenha não passa dum breve apanhado dos factos � os pormenores, a ação e emoção, irão encontrá-los nas páginas do livro!
Lendo e aprendendo ... 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
Já ouviram falar nos Sudetas?
Sim?! Não?! Talvez?!... “Googlar� é batota!...
Os Sudetas são uma região da Checoslováquia onde, antes da segunda grande guerra, coabitavam cerca de 3,2 milhões de alemães.
Hitler, que antes da guerra já se entretinha a roubar terras aos outros, encontrou nisso um pretexto para uma anexação territorial. Pois se os alemães já lá estavam, se já existia uma união de facto entre os habitantes e a terra, nada mais legítimo que legalizá-la, não é assim?! Embora fossem outros os motivos alegados por Hitler, pergunto-me se não foi essa a “lógica� que o moveu?! 😜
A Inglaterra, temendo um conflito armado, procurou, conjuntamente com a França e Itália, encontrar uma solução apaziguadora:
Foi então realizada uma conferência em Munique, onde as 4 potências europeias assinaram um Pacto que cedia a região dos Sudetas à Alemanha, com a garantia de que essa seria a sua última reivindicação territorial...
Ironicamente, a Checoslováquia não foi convidada para o evento! Não teve voz na decisão tomada, e daí ter rebatizado o dito Tratado como “A Traição de Munique�...
Uma vez concluída a conferência, Chamberlain (o 1º ministro britânico de então) regressou a Inglaterra como o herói do momento � aquele que conquistara a almejada paz para a Europa.
Porém, foi um herói de pouca dura, pois... não muito tempo depois, Hitler, desrespeitando o tratado de Munique, invade a Polónia, e... o resto da História já todos bem conhecemos...
Obviamente que esta resenha não passa dum breve apanhado dos factos � os pormenores, a ação e emoção, irão encontrá-los nas páginas do livro!
Lendo e aprendendo ... 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
January 14, 2021
History is so compelling and gives the reader insight into why the world is like it is........so why bother fictionalizing it? For that reason I avoided historical fiction like the plague. That was before I found Robert Harris and changed my mind or at least about his books. He is the master of convincing you that his additions of fiction to the facts of a particular historic event are true. And he writes in such a way that the fiction does not change the outcome.
This book is set during the time of the Munich Conference and the run-up to WWII. Prime Minister Chamberlain is preparing to meet Hitler to settle the problem of partitioning the Sudetenland to Germany without an invasion of Czechoslovakia. The fictional level of the story is the friendship between a member of Chamberlain's staff and a translator in the Nazi staff to Hitler. The German warns the Englishman that Hitler is pulling a bluff and that this is only the beginning of Germany's plans to absorb Europe into the Reich. He has the proof and is intent on putting it into the hands of Chamberlain at Munich with the help of his friend.
The story describes the game of cat and mouse as the friends attempt to warn Chamberlain but the main thrust of the narrative is centered on the facts of the Munich Conference and paints Chamberlain with a very positive brush even though history has been unkind to him. The premise is neither far-fetched or unbelievable and the author sticks to the facts of the events of Munich. It appealed to me because the sub-plot certainly could have happened and history would not have been changed. Recommended, even for those who do not read historical fiction.
This book is set during the time of the Munich Conference and the run-up to WWII. Prime Minister Chamberlain is preparing to meet Hitler to settle the problem of partitioning the Sudetenland to Germany without an invasion of Czechoslovakia. The fictional level of the story is the friendship between a member of Chamberlain's staff and a translator in the Nazi staff to Hitler. The German warns the Englishman that Hitler is pulling a bluff and that this is only the beginning of Germany's plans to absorb Europe into the Reich. He has the proof and is intent on putting it into the hands of Chamberlain at Munich with the help of his friend.
The story describes the game of cat and mouse as the friends attempt to warn Chamberlain but the main thrust of the narrative is centered on the facts of the Munich Conference and paints Chamberlain with a very positive brush even though history has been unkind to him. The premise is neither far-fetched or unbelievable and the author sticks to the facts of the events of Munich. It appealed to me because the sub-plot certainly could have happened and history would not have been changed. Recommended, even for those who do not read historical fiction.
December 30, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction.
The Munich Agreement was a diplomatic arrangement between Britain, France, Germany and Italy that ceded Czech Sudetenland to Germany. With Italy acting as a supposed broker the proposals and agreement were concluded on 29th September 1938 with the four nations signing after just two days' discussions.
There were earlier meetings in 1938 and much discussion between Britain and France to agree on what could be done to try and dissuade Hitler to invade - both believed peace and another mass slaughter as had been seen in WWI could be saved only by the transfer of the Sudeten German areas from Czechoslovakia. There followed two meetings between Chamberlain and Hitler prior to the Germans and France, Britain and Italy coming together.
The true story is complex having its roots in the the aftermath of The Great War, as the First World War was then called. Czechoslovakia was formed - or rather declared by Tomáš Masaryk, Edvard Beneš and others - on 28th October 1918 with the coming together of areas of the collapsed Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bohemia and Moravia, populated by Czechs, constituted its western portion, while Slovakia occupied the eastern portion. Czechs and Slovaks together accounted for roughly two-thirds of the new country’s population; other nationalities within the state’s borders included Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians, and Poles. Source: Encyclopædia Britannica.
These final meetings in Munich in late September 1938 where our story takes place is just a few days before an ultimatum set by Hitler to take the Sudetenland is reached.
Into this then we pick up the, again true story, of Britain's Prime Minister, supported by the French PM Édouard Daladier wrestling with an aggressive Hitler who is keen to invade significant portions of Czechoslovakia, notably the Sudetenland, which was the historic German name for this area that in 1938 encompassed some 3m people; the majority being German and Sudeten Germans.
To avoid war - and as has been debated ever since, for Chamberlain and Daladier to possibly buy time for France and Britain to prepare for war - the two prime ministers, calling upon Italy to assist, fly to Berlin to meet Hitler.
What follows is close to the real story but with added interest through two former Oxford students and lapsed friends, Paul von Hartmann and Hugh Legat, who work, one in the German administration and one in the British Civil Service. Both speak the others language and have important roles but not to be at the top table.
This involvement - and not too far from reality as German students did attend British universities after World War One from the early 1920s, as they had prior to the war to end all wars - helps create the plot's characters and vehicles to drive Robert Harris's story along. Our characters and the real historic players, who include other ministers and their administrators, come together preparing their plans in London and then travelling to Munich working to secure the agreement.
There are some nice touches to accuracy as for example, the pilot of the British Airways' plane that flies the Chamberlain delegation is mentioned as are real texts and headlines from various British and American newspapers and of course the crowds in Germany who really did cheer and sing outside the Fuehrerbau and the hotel where the British stayed.
As we now no, it was not enough: Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and with France and Britain between April and August seeking a mutual support treaty with Russia but shocking the world Russia entered into a treaty with Germany. On 1st September, Germany invaded Poland and two days' later Britain and France declared war on Germany in support of Poland. on 17th September, Russia invaded Eastern Poland.
Chamberlain had bought - intentionally or not - the allies a year's peace to continue rearmament but he had not been able to stop the slaughter he had so feared.
Robert Harris's Munich is a well-written account of the main events with a plausible element of historical fiction.
The Munich Agreement was a diplomatic arrangement between Britain, France, Germany and Italy that ceded Czech Sudetenland to Germany. With Italy acting as a supposed broker the proposals and agreement were concluded on 29th September 1938 with the four nations signing after just two days' discussions.
There were earlier meetings in 1938 and much discussion between Britain and France to agree on what could be done to try and dissuade Hitler to invade - both believed peace and another mass slaughter as had been seen in WWI could be saved only by the transfer of the Sudeten German areas from Czechoslovakia. There followed two meetings between Chamberlain and Hitler prior to the Germans and France, Britain and Italy coming together.
The true story is complex having its roots in the the aftermath of The Great War, as the First World War was then called. Czechoslovakia was formed - or rather declared by Tomáš Masaryk, Edvard Beneš and others - on 28th October 1918 with the coming together of areas of the collapsed Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bohemia and Moravia, populated by Czechs, constituted its western portion, while Slovakia occupied the eastern portion. Czechs and Slovaks together accounted for roughly two-thirds of the new country’s population; other nationalities within the state’s borders included Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians, and Poles. Source: Encyclopædia Britannica.
These final meetings in Munich in late September 1938 where our story takes place is just a few days before an ultimatum set by Hitler to take the Sudetenland is reached.
Into this then we pick up the, again true story, of Britain's Prime Minister, supported by the French PM Édouard Daladier wrestling with an aggressive Hitler who is keen to invade significant portions of Czechoslovakia, notably the Sudetenland, which was the historic German name for this area that in 1938 encompassed some 3m people; the majority being German and Sudeten Germans.
To avoid war - and as has been debated ever since, for Chamberlain and Daladier to possibly buy time for France and Britain to prepare for war - the two prime ministers, calling upon Italy to assist, fly to Berlin to meet Hitler.
What follows is close to the real story but with added interest through two former Oxford students and lapsed friends, Paul von Hartmann and Hugh Legat, who work, one in the German administration and one in the British Civil Service. Both speak the others language and have important roles but not to be at the top table.
This involvement - and not too far from reality as German students did attend British universities after World War One from the early 1920s, as they had prior to the war to end all wars - helps create the plot's characters and vehicles to drive Robert Harris's story along. Our characters and the real historic players, who include other ministers and their administrators, come together preparing their plans in London and then travelling to Munich working to secure the agreement.
There are some nice touches to accuracy as for example, the pilot of the British Airways' plane that flies the Chamberlain delegation is mentioned as are real texts and headlines from various British and American newspapers and of course the crowds in Germany who really did cheer and sing outside the Fuehrerbau and the hotel where the British stayed.
As we now no, it was not enough: Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and with France and Britain between April and August seeking a mutual support treaty with Russia but shocking the world Russia entered into a treaty with Germany. On 1st September, Germany invaded Poland and two days' later Britain and France declared war on Germany in support of Poland. on 17th September, Russia invaded Eastern Poland.
Chamberlain had bought - intentionally or not - the allies a year's peace to continue rearmament but he had not been able to stop the slaughter he had so feared.
Robert Harris's Munich is a well-written account of the main events with a plausible element of historical fiction.
September 29, 2017
‘Munich� is the latest thriller from the accomplished Robert Harris and is familiar territory for him � set in 1938 pre-war London and Munich. Harris� latest novel tells the story of Anglo-German relations and negotiations culminating in the Munich agreement signed in the September of that year, with the aim of averting approaching hostilities.
Whilst initially somewhat of a slow-burner, Harris soon draws the reader in and cranks up the tension. This fictionalised version of events is set against the backdrop of real events and takes place over a period of only four days in September 1938. Viewed from the (fictionalised) perspective of Paul Hartmann (German diplomat) and Hugh Legat (British secretary to the PM) � both former Oxford scholars whose paths are potentially now set to cross under very different circumstances�
Harris paints a very evocative and contrasting picture of both Pre-WWII London and Munich and the novel has his usual feeling of authenticity throughout. From start to finish Harris conveys a great period feeling as you would expect. The characters of Hartmann and Legat and their various (very human) endeavours throughout are well thought out and convincingly drawn.
Neville Chamberlain’s political reputation has oscillated significantly over the decades following the signing of the Munich agreement and continues to do so. Robert Harris has had a long held fascination with Chamberlain and the Munich agreement and ‘Munich� appears to be at least a partial attempt to cement Harris� view of Chamberlain and this particular period of history. Whether Chamberlain was a truly astute politician and negotiator for peace, or a weak, misguided leader and naïve in his attempts to find peace with Germany clearly remains open to debate. How much this novel contributes to the historical debate is not particularly clear � it is however certainly a fascinating, engaging and thought provoking novel.
Prior to reading ‘Munich� I knew very little about the surrounding historical events � other than the headline/historical news so often shown of Chamberlain and his return and ‘Peace for our time� speech. Whilst Harris� novels such as this one are clearly and unashamedly fictionalised versions set against the backdrop of historical truths � part of Harris skill, is not solely his ability to write a great thriller, but his adeptness at making historical events and history feel not only fascinating, but very real and very accessible � the reader can easily identify with events and characters therein. Harris is also particularly skillful at breathing life into the otherwise larger than life historical figures, whether they be Chamberlain, Hitler or the many others he has written about � making them feel very human, very up close and personal � regardless of how attractive or abhorrent we may find them.
Whilst ‘Munich� may not be Harris at his finest, it is certainly not up there with ‘Fatherland�, ‘Enigma� or the Cicero trilogy � nevertheless it is still an excellent, astutely written and well-paced novel and another valuable addition to Harris already impressive body of literary work � ‘Munich� is his twelfth novel to date.
For avid readers of Harris� novels and anyone with an interest in this particularly pivotal period of European history � a must read.
Whilst initially somewhat of a slow-burner, Harris soon draws the reader in and cranks up the tension. This fictionalised version of events is set against the backdrop of real events and takes place over a period of only four days in September 1938. Viewed from the (fictionalised) perspective of Paul Hartmann (German diplomat) and Hugh Legat (British secretary to the PM) � both former Oxford scholars whose paths are potentially now set to cross under very different circumstances�
Harris paints a very evocative and contrasting picture of both Pre-WWII London and Munich and the novel has his usual feeling of authenticity throughout. From start to finish Harris conveys a great period feeling as you would expect. The characters of Hartmann and Legat and their various (very human) endeavours throughout are well thought out and convincingly drawn.
Neville Chamberlain’s political reputation has oscillated significantly over the decades following the signing of the Munich agreement and continues to do so. Robert Harris has had a long held fascination with Chamberlain and the Munich agreement and ‘Munich� appears to be at least a partial attempt to cement Harris� view of Chamberlain and this particular period of history. Whether Chamberlain was a truly astute politician and negotiator for peace, or a weak, misguided leader and naïve in his attempts to find peace with Germany clearly remains open to debate. How much this novel contributes to the historical debate is not particularly clear � it is however certainly a fascinating, engaging and thought provoking novel.
Prior to reading ‘Munich� I knew very little about the surrounding historical events � other than the headline/historical news so often shown of Chamberlain and his return and ‘Peace for our time� speech. Whilst Harris� novels such as this one are clearly and unashamedly fictionalised versions set against the backdrop of historical truths � part of Harris skill, is not solely his ability to write a great thriller, but his adeptness at making historical events and history feel not only fascinating, but very real and very accessible � the reader can easily identify with events and characters therein. Harris is also particularly skillful at breathing life into the otherwise larger than life historical figures, whether they be Chamberlain, Hitler or the many others he has written about � making them feel very human, very up close and personal � regardless of how attractive or abhorrent we may find them.
Whilst ‘Munich� may not be Harris at his finest, it is certainly not up there with ‘Fatherland�, ‘Enigma� or the Cicero trilogy � nevertheless it is still an excellent, astutely written and well-paced novel and another valuable addition to Harris already impressive body of literary work � ‘Munich� is his twelfth novel to date.
For avid readers of Harris� novels and anyone with an interest in this particularly pivotal period of European history � a must read.
July 4, 2018
"Yet still he could not act. And if he couldn't do it, who would? In that moment, in a flash of clarity, he saw that nobody--not him, not the Army, not a lone assassin--that no German would disrupt their common destiny until it was fulfilled."
- Robert Harris, Munich
I'm a fan of Robert Harris. He writes smart historical ficiton (sometimes, as was the case with, alternative-historical fiction). His areas of interest primarily revolve around Nazi Germany and the Roman Empire. I've read several of his books. His prose is never quite at the -level of fiction. But, if you like history and are OK with utilizing fictionalized minor characters to tour you around certain times, his books are certainly not a waste of time or money.
'Munich' focuses on Fall of 1938, specifically the time when Hitler and Chamberlain (and France and Italy) are meeting in Munich to appease Hitler by basically giving Germany the Sudetenland. The primary characters are two old friends from Oxford: Hugh Legat works at 10 Downing Street, Paul von Hartmann is a secretary in Germany's foreign ministry. The book ends up being a bit of a bureaucratic cat-and-mouse, while Chamberlain's "Peace at all Costs" basically gives the game away. The book doesn't lead one to walk away with a positive view of Chamberlain, but puts his actions in context (both politically and militarily). It fleshes out the man who will ever be associated with appeasement, political ineptness, timidity, and the phrase: “Peace for our time.�
- Robert Harris, Munich
I'm a fan of Robert Harris. He writes smart historical ficiton (sometimes, as was the case with, alternative-historical fiction). His areas of interest primarily revolve around Nazi Germany and the Roman Empire. I've read several of his books. His prose is never quite at the -level of fiction. But, if you like history and are OK with utilizing fictionalized minor characters to tour you around certain times, his books are certainly not a waste of time or money.
'Munich' focuses on Fall of 1938, specifically the time when Hitler and Chamberlain (and France and Italy) are meeting in Munich to appease Hitler by basically giving Germany the Sudetenland. The primary characters are two old friends from Oxford: Hugh Legat works at 10 Downing Street, Paul von Hartmann is a secretary in Germany's foreign ministry. The book ends up being a bit of a bureaucratic cat-and-mouse, while Chamberlain's "Peace at all Costs" basically gives the game away. The book doesn't lead one to walk away with a positive view of Chamberlain, but puts his actions in context (both politically and militarily). It fleshes out the man who will ever be associated with appeasement, political ineptness, timidity, and the phrase: “Peace for our time.�
December 27, 2019
Τον Ρόμπερ Χάρις τον γνώρισα αφότου είδα την κινηματογραφική μεταφορά του "συγγραφέα φάντασμα" και αναζήτησα το ομώνυμο βιβλίο. Ο τρόπος που συνδύαζε το πολιτικό θρίλερ με μια αγχωτική Χιτσκοκικη, κλασική ατμοσφαιρά με γοήτευσε και έκτοτε τον ακολουθώ πιστά. Ακολουθούσε δε έναν εκ των δύο αφηγηματικών αξόνων που διαμορφώνουν τις ιστορίες του: το πολιτικό δράμα, σχεδόν αποπνικτικά αγχωτικό και τρομαχτικό, και την ιστορία. Η δεύτερη έχει δώσει αμιγώς ιστορικά βιβλία, όπως το Enigma και Officer and The Spy κλπ, αλλά και αποτιμήσεις εναλλακτικής ιστορίας, όπως το Fatherland, με το Γ' Ράιχ να έχει επικρατήσει και επιβάλλει ένα καθεστώς οικουμενικού τρόμου.
Στο Munich ο Χάρις επισκέπτεται την αγαπημένη την περίοδο πριν τον Β΄Παγκόσμιο πόλεμο, τότε που η Γαλλία και η Βρετανία προσπαθούσαν να κρατήσουν τις ισορροπίες στην Ευρώπη και να συγκρατήσουν τις επεκτατικές διαθέσεις της Γερμανίας. Ο Χάρις αρέσκεται σοτ να εστιάζει σε ανθρώπους του παρασκηνίου, σχεδόν καθημερινούς, τους οποίους οι περιστάσεις φέρνουν κοντά στην χύτρα που ζυμώνονται και εκρήγνυνται τα μεγάλα ιστορικά γεγονότα. Ο Χιου Λεγκάτ, προσωπικός σύμβουλος του τότε Βρετανού πρωθυπουργού Τσάμπερλέιν, βρίσκεται στην δίνη των διπραγματεύσεων με το Μόναχο - ο Χίτλερ με πρόφαση τα δικαιώματα των Γερμανών της Τσεχοσλοβακίας, ήθελε να εισβάλει και να προσαρτήσει κομμάτι της Τσεχίας στην Γερμανία.
Ο Χάρις παραδίδει ένα εξαιρετικό θρίλερ. Το κατόρθωμα είναι μεγάλο, αν σκεφτεί κανείς πως κρατάει τον αναγνώστη σε αγωνία με περιστατικά τα οποία είναι τετελεσμένα και γνωστά. Πολλά μπορεί, όμως, να πάρει κανείς μαζί του, πέραν της αναγνωστικής τέρψης. Εγώ θα εστιάσω στον ατέρμονο γύρο που κάνουν μοτίβα γεγονότων, τα οποία μπορούν να πουν πολλά για τον άνθρωπο: τα συμφέροντα εθελοτυφλούν μπροστά στα άγριο θηρίο του φασισμού μέχρι που εκείνο γίνεται ανεξέλεγκτο και όλοι δηλώνουν έκπληκτοι, πως "δεν είχαν ιδέα". Ο δόλιος ο Χιου έχει στα χέρια του στοιχεία από την αντικαθεστωτική μερίδα Γερμανών, πως ο Χίτλερ θέλει να αιματοκυλήσει την Ευρώπη προς χάριν της ενθικής καθαρότητας και επιβίωσης του Γερμανικού αίματος. Κανείς, όμως, δεν θέλει να τον ακούσει.
Εξαιρετικό ανάγνωσμα.
Στο Munich ο Χάρις επισκέπτεται την αγαπημένη την περίοδο πριν τον Β΄Παγκόσμιο πόλεμο, τότε που η Γαλλία και η Βρετανία προσπαθούσαν να κρατήσουν τις ισορροπίες στην Ευρώπη και να συγκρατήσουν τις επεκτατικές διαθέσεις της Γερμανίας. Ο Χάρις αρέσκεται σοτ να εστιάζει σε ανθρώπους του παρασκηνίου, σχεδόν καθημερινούς, τους οποίους οι περιστάσεις φέρνουν κοντά στην χύτρα που ζυμώνονται και εκρήγνυνται τα μεγάλα ιστορικά γεγονότα. Ο Χιου Λεγκάτ, προσωπικός σύμβουλος του τότε Βρετανού πρωθυπουργού Τσάμπερλέιν, βρίσκεται στην δίνη των διπραγματεύσεων με το Μόναχο - ο Χίτλερ με πρόφαση τα δικαιώματα των Γερμανών της Τσεχοσλοβακίας, ήθελε να εισβάλει και να προσαρτήσει κομμάτι της Τσεχίας στην Γερμανία.
Ο Χάρις παραδίδει ένα εξαιρετικό θρίλερ. Το κατόρθωμα είναι μεγάλο, αν σκεφτεί κανείς πως κρατάει τον αναγνώστη σε αγωνία με περιστατικά τα οποία είναι τετελεσμένα και γνωστά. Πολλά μπορεί, όμως, να πάρει κανείς μαζί του, πέραν της αναγνωστικής τέρψης. Εγώ θα εστιάσω στον ατέρμονο γύρο που κάνουν μοτίβα γεγονότων, τα οποία μπορούν να πουν πολλά για τον άνθρωπο: τα συμφέροντα εθελοτυφλούν μπροστά στα άγριο θηρίο του φασισμού μέχρι που εκείνο γίνεται ανεξέλεγκτο και όλοι δηλώνουν έκπληκτοι, πως "δεν είχαν ιδέα". Ο δόλιος ο Χιου έχει στα χέρια του στοιχεία από την αντικαθεστωτική μερίδα Γερμανών, πως ο Χίτλερ θέλει να αιματοκυλήσει την Ευρώπη προς χάριν της ενθικής καθαρότητας και επιβίωσης του Γερμανικού αίματος. Κανείς, όμως, δεν θέλει να τον ακούσει.
Εξαιρετικό ανάγνωσμα.
February 6, 2022
I am a big fan of the author Robert Harris, and yet for some reason I had not read this book until I saw it was made into a movie. I also listened to the author on a podcast and that also compelled me to read the book and gave me a bit of background as to what he was trying to do with this book. Now obviously everyone is aware of the Munich Agreement and Neville Chamberlain's “Peace is at hand� statement. What this book tries to do is give us some perspective on that, and what Chamberlain may have been thinking about during his negotiations with Hitler and attempting to peacefully resolve the Sudetenland crisis in Czechoslovakia.
This is a fast reading and interesting book, and yet it also is troubling to me in that Harris is trying to rewrite history. He stated his purpose was to sort of veer away from the Churchillian view of history, and instead make Chamberlain a much more sympathetic and understandable character, as well as why peace was what he wanted and yet which he could not truly obtain. We also have the story of two former Oxford friends, one who works for the German foreign ministry (Von Hartmann) and the other who is a deputy press secretary for the Prime Minister of England (Legat). These two don't really meet until 2/3 of the way into the book but we see what they're trying to do and some of the problems that they are encountering. I found much of this to be contrived and how both of these individuals got to be included in the delegations that came to Munich is rather hokey in my opinion. We also have some rather unnecessary views into Legat’s, marital situation which does absolutely nothing to further the plot. We also see Von Hartman having a dalliance with a secretary which again does not do much to move the plot along.
Basically Von Hartman, is part of the opposition to Hitler, and is trying to do anything possible to keep this peace agreement from being signed because he has seen documented evidence that all Hitler was trying to do was get this foothold into Czechoslovakia and use it as a launching ground into an invasion into Western Europe. Obviously this document never existed and is merely a literary device to move the plot along. It is a fascinating attempt to see what was behind Hitler's move into Czechoslovakia which was really twofold in nature. The first being Germans being allowed to live in a unified Germany, and the second being how do you feed and sustain these people.
in the long run the Munich agreement is signed, we all know the results which was merely a postponement of the invasion of Czechoslovakia and eventually World War Two. Chamberlain’s place in history, which might very well have been sympathetic, was not practical and did allow Hitler to fortify his military during the intervening period prior to his invasion of Poland.
Of all the books that I have read by Harris this has been my least enjoyable, but I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, because I want to see how all of this is treated and how it is differs from the book. I hope it differs substantially, but I doubt that. All in all it is a good effort, but I don't think it is the quality effort that I've come to expect from most of Harris� work.
This is a fast reading and interesting book, and yet it also is troubling to me in that Harris is trying to rewrite history. He stated his purpose was to sort of veer away from the Churchillian view of history, and instead make Chamberlain a much more sympathetic and understandable character, as well as why peace was what he wanted and yet which he could not truly obtain. We also have the story of two former Oxford friends, one who works for the German foreign ministry (Von Hartmann) and the other who is a deputy press secretary for the Prime Minister of England (Legat). These two don't really meet until 2/3 of the way into the book but we see what they're trying to do and some of the problems that they are encountering. I found much of this to be contrived and how both of these individuals got to be included in the delegations that came to Munich is rather hokey in my opinion. We also have some rather unnecessary views into Legat’s, marital situation which does absolutely nothing to further the plot. We also see Von Hartman having a dalliance with a secretary which again does not do much to move the plot along.
Basically Von Hartman, is part of the opposition to Hitler, and is trying to do anything possible to keep this peace agreement from being signed because he has seen documented evidence that all Hitler was trying to do was get this foothold into Czechoslovakia and use it as a launching ground into an invasion into Western Europe. Obviously this document never existed and is merely a literary device to move the plot along. It is a fascinating attempt to see what was behind Hitler's move into Czechoslovakia which was really twofold in nature. The first being Germans being allowed to live in a unified Germany, and the second being how do you feed and sustain these people.
in the long run the Munich agreement is signed, we all know the results which was merely a postponement of the invasion of Czechoslovakia and eventually World War Two. Chamberlain’s place in history, which might very well have been sympathetic, was not practical and did allow Hitler to fortify his military during the intervening period prior to his invasion of Poland.
Of all the books that I have read by Harris this has been my least enjoyable, but I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, because I want to see how all of this is treated and how it is differs from the book. I hope it differs substantially, but I doubt that. All in all it is a good effort, but I don't think it is the quality effort that I've come to expect from most of Harris� work.
December 6, 2021
A wonderful thriller written by a master of the craft set before and at the Munich conference of 1938.
There are many twists and turns without any violence, though the hint of it is always there.
The writing sweeps you along and the details of the historic buildings add historic relevance to the story.
There are many twists and turns without any violence, though the hint of it is always there.
The writing sweeps you along and the details of the historic buildings add historic relevance to the story.
September 18, 2017
This novel is set over four days during the September 1938 Munich Conference where an agreement was signed between Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier to settle the fate of Czechoslovakia.
“Munich� is a tantalising game of “what if� and a glimpse on how things might have turned out. The story is told through the eyes of two men who were friends at Oxford but are now in opposite camps. The main players are Hugh Legat, private secretary to Chamberlain and Paul Hartmann, a diplomat in the German foreign office. With a unique style, Mr. Harris skilfully weaves a gripping fiction with historical events and looks at those four days from both sides. Taking us behind close door is quite an achievement especially when taking something well documented and showing us something else. In this dramatization, both Legat and Hartman’s machinations affect the course of history.
The story is quite slow to start with. The first third of the book is hugging the actual facts with grave-faced men coming in and out of their offices and minutia details involving the procedural of the two parties as they navigate the diplomatic path towards the summit at which the Sudetenland would be handed back to Germany. In the later part, when the dual plotline converges and we inch closer to the center of powers we discover Hitler’s true agenda�.and more melodramatic scenes occur giving “Munich� a tad of suspense. Even with some excitement the story never reach the level of a high-octane page-turner I love to read. The tale nevertheless brilliantly evokes a sense of place and its vivid descriptions leading to the main event highlight why Mr. Harris is a master novelist who focuses on events surrounding the Second World War.
I received this ARC for review from Penguin Random House Canada via Netgalleys
“Munich� is a tantalising game of “what if� and a glimpse on how things might have turned out. The story is told through the eyes of two men who were friends at Oxford but are now in opposite camps. The main players are Hugh Legat, private secretary to Chamberlain and Paul Hartmann, a diplomat in the German foreign office. With a unique style, Mr. Harris skilfully weaves a gripping fiction with historical events and looks at those four days from both sides. Taking us behind close door is quite an achievement especially when taking something well documented and showing us something else. In this dramatization, both Legat and Hartman’s machinations affect the course of history.
The story is quite slow to start with. The first third of the book is hugging the actual facts with grave-faced men coming in and out of their offices and minutia details involving the procedural of the two parties as they navigate the diplomatic path towards the summit at which the Sudetenland would be handed back to Germany. In the later part, when the dual plotline converges and we inch closer to the center of powers we discover Hitler’s true agenda�.and more melodramatic scenes occur giving “Munich� a tad of suspense. Even with some excitement the story never reach the level of a high-octane page-turner I love to read. The tale nevertheless brilliantly evokes a sense of place and its vivid descriptions leading to the main event highlight why Mr. Harris is a master novelist who focuses on events surrounding the Second World War.
I received this ARC for review from Penguin Random House Canada via Netgalleys
November 29, 2020
A fictional retelling of the 1938 agreement between British PM Chamberlain and Nazi Chancellor Hitler that dismembered Czechoslovakia and delayed the beginning of the war. The story follows two young diplomats, one on Chamberlain's staff, one an anti-Nazi in Berlin. Can they expose Hitler's intentions and set in motion his downfall? Of course not, we know how the story ends.
Still, Harris is an excellent writer and he involves the reader in the characters' lives--we don't know how their stories end. The Gestapo is watching--in the heart of the Nazi regime, any horror is possible.
The standard take on the events leading up to Munich is that Chamberlain, naively or wishfully believed Hitler's lies and so thought the agreement to abandon the Czechs would buy a general peace. Harris does a clever job of crafting an alternative truth: Chamberlain understood Hitler and was well aware of his greed and brutality. But Britain's armed forces were not ready for war (true--after the Great War, everything had stagnated) and the British people were still recovering from the last war (also true.) So Chamberlain's goal is to get what concessions he can--peace for now--and buy time to rearm and prepare.
The problem with this narrative is that Hitler was largely bluffing, and Chamberlain almost certainly knew this. The Wehrmacht was also not prepared for war. It had few panzers and fewer still of the Mark III that could stand up to the Czech Skoda. The number of troops might be sufficient to defeat the Czechs, but was clearly not sufficient to wage war in Czechoslovakia AND simultaneously defend the border with France. If France and Britain honored their obligations to the Czechs, they need send only a boy scout troop with an eviction notice to collapse the Nazi regime. Worse, the Czechs had built strong fortifications in the mountains along the German border--it is clear the Nazis could not have overcome the Czech defenses in the first months while the democracies would still have been dithering. The agreement Chamberlain signed ceded the border areas, with the Czech fortifications, to the Nazis, thus destroying any possibility of future Czech resistance, and allowing Hitler to turn his Wehrmacht toward Poland and France. I think the original narrative of Chamberlain as naïve and wishful better fits the facts.
Still, Harris is an excellent writer and he involves the reader in the characters' lives--we don't know how their stories end. The Gestapo is watching--in the heart of the Nazi regime, any horror is possible.
The standard take on the events leading up to Munich is that Chamberlain, naively or wishfully believed Hitler's lies and so thought the agreement to abandon the Czechs would buy a general peace. Harris does a clever job of crafting an alternative truth: Chamberlain understood Hitler and was well aware of his greed and brutality. But Britain's armed forces were not ready for war (true--after the Great War, everything had stagnated) and the British people were still recovering from the last war (also true.) So Chamberlain's goal is to get what concessions he can--peace for now--and buy time to rearm and prepare.
The problem with this narrative is that Hitler was largely bluffing, and Chamberlain almost certainly knew this. The Wehrmacht was also not prepared for war. It had few panzers and fewer still of the Mark III that could stand up to the Czech Skoda. The number of troops might be sufficient to defeat the Czechs, but was clearly not sufficient to wage war in Czechoslovakia AND simultaneously defend the border with France. If France and Britain honored their obligations to the Czechs, they need send only a boy scout troop with an eviction notice to collapse the Nazi regime. Worse, the Czechs had built strong fortifications in the mountains along the German border--it is clear the Nazis could not have overcome the Czech defenses in the first months while the democracies would still have been dithering. The agreement Chamberlain signed ceded the border areas, with the Czech fortifications, to the Nazis, thus destroying any possibility of future Czech resistance, and allowing Hitler to turn his Wehrmacht toward Poland and France. I think the original narrative of Chamberlain as naïve and wishful better fits the facts.
October 3, 2024
Interesantă ca subiect, dar monotonă, mă așteptam să fie mai animată. Oricum merită citită măcar pentru aspectele istorice și politice. Acordul de la Münchena fost o înțelegere care a permisGermaniei să anexezeRegiunea Sudetă (Sudetenland) care aparțineaCehoslovaciei, iar acțiunea cărți se desfășoară în timpul acestor negocieri.
September 3, 2021
This book is a fictionalized account of the four-day period in 1938 during which Germany, England, Italy and France negotiated the Munich Agreement in an attempt to prevent World War II by allocating some territories in Czechoslovakia to Germany. It also involved the Oster Conspiracy comprised of a collection of German military leaders and diplomats who planned to remove Hitler from power. The signing of the Munich Agreement thwarted the plans of the conspirators. Since this is based on history, we know from the start that nothing kept Hitler from starting the war, but the author still managed to build tension and maintain suspense. The book was also very entertaining and piqued my interest in this pre-war period, about which I was ignorant.
The historical events are seen from the points of view of two fictional characters, young diplomats (and former schoolmates). Hugh Legat was a low level English diplomat and interpreter who worked at Number 10 Downing Street. He watched as Chamberlain desperately tried to come up with a way to prevent a war for which England was unprepared. The trip to Munich was a last ditch effort to keep Hitler from attacking Czechoslovakia. Paul von Hartmann was a German diplomat who handled correspondence for German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. He was also one of the conspirators.
I've read other books by this author and I almost always like them. This one was one of my favorites.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The historical events are seen from the points of view of two fictional characters, young diplomats (and former schoolmates). Hugh Legat was a low level English diplomat and interpreter who worked at Number 10 Downing Street. He watched as Chamberlain desperately tried to come up with a way to prevent a war for which England was unprepared. The trip to Munich was a last ditch effort to keep Hitler from attacking Czechoslovakia. Paul von Hartmann was a German diplomat who handled correspondence for German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. He was also one of the conspirators.
I've read other books by this author and I almost always like them. This one was one of my favorites.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
April 20, 2023
Good, solid Robert Harris book. This one was good, compared to the movie on the topic. I liked the additional detail. A fun way to immerse yourself in a small subsection of history. No surprise, but I spent a lot of time shaking my head whenever Neville Chamberlain clung to hope.
February 3, 2022
Robert Harris's new historical novel Munich takes him back to the subject which brought him to fame over 25 years earlier - Nazi Germany, in which he set his bestselling debut . However, whereas Fatherland was an entertaining thriller set in an alternative world where the Axis powers won the war, Munich is set before the war even happens - and is far less thrilling and engaging.
In the author describes his fascination with the subject of the book, the infamous Munich Agreement of 1938, where the representatives of Italy, Great Britain and France agreed to German territorial demands in order to avoid war, at the expense of Czechoslovakia - whose representatives were not invited to the talks. Praised by the British prime minister Neville Chamberlain as "peace for our time", the agreement failed to provide exactly that: Hitler never intended to honor it, and after annexing Czech territory he eventually invaded and occupied the entire country. Less than a year after signing the agreement the German army invaded Poland, beginning what would eventually become World War 2.
Because the book centers around real, historical events, most of characters featured in Harris's novel are real historical figures. Although the author inserts appropriate fictional characters to develop a dramatic plot - negotiations can only take us so far - these fictional creations aren't as memorable or interesting as his depictions of real people. His imagined ones - an English and German diplomat, whose interactions with the world around them comprise much of the book - have been provided with plenty of background, but just didn't catch my attention; they really don't stand out in any way. Perhaps that was the author's intent; to present two ordinary people (if by ordinary we can call Oxford-educated men rubbing shoulders with rulers of the world) whose actions can make a difference? However, for me the most interesting character in the book was prime minister Chamberlain, today almost entirely remembered for appeasing a dictator and giving in to his demand. Harris's portrayal of Chamberlain is very sympathetic, although not rose-tinted: he presents him as he was: a conflicted, well-meaning statesman who remembers the horror of the Great War, and is struggling to secure peace and having to make hard moral and ethical choices in order to avoid a terrible conflict for which his nation was woefully unprepared.
Harris clearly enjoyed researching the time and period, as the novel is full of atmospheric descriptions which make his locations come alive in detail - however, his plot is where the book unfortunately falters. Since we are dealing with a historical events whose outcome is not changed, there is often preciously little a writer can do with these events - in this case, invent a conspiracy which aims to stop the agreement from being signed. In the interview mentioned earlier, Harris talks about as being the most successful post-war thriller based on real events (in that case the assassination attempt on Charles De Gaulle). However, I don't think the comparison is fair - Frederick Forsyth invented an elaborate, tense and engaging conspiracy to kill the French president, compared to which Harris's plot simply doesn't measure up. There is very little of what could be described as action in the book, whereas Forsyth's novel captures the reader's attention from the first page to the last.
In a crucial moment of the book,
This isn't a terrible book, but is not astonishing either; I can see its appeal for those who know very little about the Munich Agreement and want to learn about it. However, despite interesting history, it lacks suspense and creativity of his previous novels which I really liked; it is simply unexciting and passable at best. I gave it an extra start because of my sympathy for its author, and hope that the next novel of his that I will read will be on the level of my favorite of his works, Archangel.
In the author describes his fascination with the subject of the book, the infamous Munich Agreement of 1938, where the representatives of Italy, Great Britain and France agreed to German territorial demands in order to avoid war, at the expense of Czechoslovakia - whose representatives were not invited to the talks. Praised by the British prime minister Neville Chamberlain as "peace for our time", the agreement failed to provide exactly that: Hitler never intended to honor it, and after annexing Czech territory he eventually invaded and occupied the entire country. Less than a year after signing the agreement the German army invaded Poland, beginning what would eventually become World War 2.
Because the book centers around real, historical events, most of characters featured in Harris's novel are real historical figures. Although the author inserts appropriate fictional characters to develop a dramatic plot - negotiations can only take us so far - these fictional creations aren't as memorable or interesting as his depictions of real people. His imagined ones - an English and German diplomat, whose interactions with the world around them comprise much of the book - have been provided with plenty of background, but just didn't catch my attention; they really don't stand out in any way. Perhaps that was the author's intent; to present two ordinary people (if by ordinary we can call Oxford-educated men rubbing shoulders with rulers of the world) whose actions can make a difference? However, for me the most interesting character in the book was prime minister Chamberlain, today almost entirely remembered for appeasing a dictator and giving in to his demand. Harris's portrayal of Chamberlain is very sympathetic, although not rose-tinted: he presents him as he was: a conflicted, well-meaning statesman who remembers the horror of the Great War, and is struggling to secure peace and having to make hard moral and ethical choices in order to avoid a terrible conflict for which his nation was woefully unprepared.
Harris clearly enjoyed researching the time and period, as the novel is full of atmospheric descriptions which make his locations come alive in detail - however, his plot is where the book unfortunately falters. Since we are dealing with a historical events whose outcome is not changed, there is often preciously little a writer can do with these events - in this case, invent a conspiracy which aims to stop the agreement from being signed. In the interview mentioned earlier, Harris talks about as being the most successful post-war thriller based on real events (in that case the assassination attempt on Charles De Gaulle). However, I don't think the comparison is fair - Frederick Forsyth invented an elaborate, tense and engaging conspiracy to kill the French president, compared to which Harris's plot simply doesn't measure up. There is very little of what could be described as action in the book, whereas Forsyth's novel captures the reader's attention from the first page to the last.
In a crucial moment of the book,
This isn't a terrible book, but is not astonishing either; I can see its appeal for those who know very little about the Munich Agreement and want to learn about it. However, despite interesting history, it lacks suspense and creativity of his previous novels which I really liked; it is simply unexciting and passable at best. I gave it an extra start because of my sympathy for its author, and hope that the next novel of his that I will read will be on the level of my favorite of his works, Archangel.
December 5, 2019
Everyone knows that the Munich peace conference of �38 ended with Neville Chamberlain’s famous “Peace in our time”—an illusion all too soon shattered. But Robert Harris brings unbelievable tension to this well-known moment of history, as two old university friends face each other on opposite sides of the diplomatic table: a junior English diplomat fighting to buy his country enough time to arm for war, and a German patriot determined to bring Hitler down by any means necessary, and begging England’s help to do it. You know how this will end, but your heart will be in your throat anyway, as the two men join forces to bring about the impossible.
July 19, 2018
A brilliant history novel summing up the facts that led to the Munich Agreement. The story is moved forward with two fictional characters, an English and a German diplomat and reflects their points of view. You get a deep inside into Nevil Chamberlain's motives in dealing with Hitler for peace and not declaring straightforward war. This part is exceptionally well done. Also Hitler's character is presented to the reader in quite an impressive way. An extremely interesting and important novel shining a light on Europe on its way to WW II. A clear recommendation to everyone interested in history, politics or simply an extremey well researched book.
Read
August 18, 2019Ένα πολύ καλό βιβλίο ιστορικής μυθοπλασίας που καταφέρνει να κρατά σε αγωνία τον αναγνώστη χωρίς κινήσεις εντυπωσιασμού. Περιττό να πω ότι στέκεται με απόλυτο σεβασμό στην ιστορία. Ακόμα και αν δεν ξέρετε την Διάσκεψη του Μονάχου του 1938 αυτό το βιβλίο θα σας δώσει τα βασικά (και πολλά παραπάνω) με πολύ ευχάριστο τρόπο.
July 23, 2018
Rehabilitation
On the third page of Robert Harris' novel, a woman tells her husband she has been having the children fitted for gas masks. The year was 1938, Germany was poised to invade Czechoslovakia, and it looked as though Britain would be at war at any moment. I remember those masks, made to look like Donald Duck to be less frightening. War broke out only a year later, and I grew up in it. And came to absorb the common notion that Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister at the time, was weak in appeasing Hitler, and fatuous in hailing the agreement signed in Munich as "Peace for our time."
The greatest thing that Harris has done, in my opinion, is to rehabilitate Chamberlain. Those parts of the novel that trace his actions hour by hour through the four days of the Munich crisis are gripping and totally convincing. They show Chamberlain to be strong, principled, and considerate. But they also show him to be wily, and to have a far better sense of Realpolitik and the psychology of his opponent than history gives him credit for. He also understood the weakness of British preparations at the time and the difficulty of mobilizing popular support for a war based on events on the other side of Europe. Whether in the cabinet room, a private discussion, his speech to Parliament, or the fraught meetings in Munich, Harris presents Chamberlain as energetic, able to think on his feet, and following a clear sense of direction, perhaps not idealistic but certainly pragmatic.
Perhaps I could have got much of this from more recent history books, or even from the documentary, God Bless You, Mr. Chamberlain, that Harris himself made for the BBC in 1988. But he is primarily a novelist, and fiction is my preferred reading�if I have confidence that it the fiction remains true to the basic facts, which with Harris is always the case. Indeed, I think he is best when adhering closest to truth. The most effective of his books, I feel, is , about the Dreyfus Affair. It has a hero, Major Marie-Georges Piquart, straight out of Ken Follett or Frederick Forsyth—but in fact, he was a real figure. Generally, though, Harris adds one or more fictional characters among the real ones, both for their viewpoint and to propel the plot. Here there are two, one English, one German; they are not both equally successful.
The English character is a young man named Hugh Legat, a linguist in the Foreign Office seconded to Downing Street for a few months. Because of his fluent German and sharp intelligence, he has a knack of being in the right place at the right time. Legat's ability to illuminate the action without hijacking it made me read the chapters dealing with the British side with eager interest. Not so the alternate chapters dealing with Germany. Hugh's opposite number in the German Foreign Ministry, Paul von Hartmann, is actually a former friend of his at Oxford, though they have fallen out of touch. This is all perfectly plausible, and the scenes in which Paul acts as a similar observer of affairs in Berlin are equally strong. But Harris feels the need to make Paul a member of a resistance cell hoping to use the occasion to trigger a Putsch that would depose Hitler. I know there was covert resistance to Hitler well into the war, so this is not impossible, but I question whether it was necessary here. Harris manages the thriller element well enough, but I felt he was merely riffing through the tropes. Why bother dipping into genre fiction when he has the rare skill to make even the business of historical diplomacy as gripping as any thriller?
I doubt it was part of the original design, but the book as it reads now has an extraordinary resonance with current events. A populist leader who thrives on racial hatred. Making [Germany] great again. A propaganda machine that starts by attacking the very concept of truth. Summit meetings that make nice for the press, but where the balance of gains and concessions seems so uneven. Plus ça change, anyone?
September 29, 2022
I was aware of Britain's efforts to appease Hitler in the months leading up to the outbreak of the war; more, because of picking up from other readings that Churchill and a few other members of Westminster argued against such 'fruitless endeavours'.
The Munich agreement sailed by without me ever taking a look and so I did learn from reading this. But ... I did expect more.
Is that because the reputation of the author precedes?
This is the first book by Robert Harris I've read and I felt that it mulled along, taking time wherever possible to drag the story out: there is enough time spent describing everything and anything to send you off to sleep.
It's undoubtedly well-researched and the historical events are worth reading, yet fictional characters that I found difficult to get close to are mixed in with those true-life folk of the day. Why I ask, if you are not going to use the fiction to add a little zest to what was most probably a rather dull outing for the British?
I'm sure it has a zillion five-star reviews, but then so do books by other 'well-known' authors that failed to thrill me.
Maybe, just as Poppy said: "It's a bit too high-brow for me."
The Munich agreement sailed by without me ever taking a look and so I did learn from reading this. But ... I did expect more.
Is that because the reputation of the author precedes?
This is the first book by Robert Harris I've read and I felt that it mulled along, taking time wherever possible to drag the story out: there is enough time spent describing everything and anything to send you off to sleep.
It's undoubtedly well-researched and the historical events are worth reading, yet fictional characters that I found difficult to get close to are mixed in with those true-life folk of the day. Why I ask, if you are not going to use the fiction to add a little zest to what was most probably a rather dull outing for the British?
I'm sure it has a zillion five-star reviews, but then so do books by other 'well-known' authors that failed to thrill me.
Maybe, just as Poppy said: "It's a bit too high-brow for me."
March 22, 2018
Munich is a book that I read quickly, probably because the book was not that thick, but I have to admit that I was also totally captivated by the story set during four days in September 1938. Robert Harris is a writer who has the ability to write books, whether it's historical or more modern, that captivate and Munich is definitely no exception. Something I thought while reading the book was how little I really knew about the Munich agreement or, probably more accurately, I remembered, and I was fascinated to read how Chamberlain really sought to preserve peace in Europe, while Hitler seemed to strive to go to war.
I found the story to be very compelling, while the men of power are planning a meeting in Munich, things are happening off the scene. Not everyone in Germany is on Hitler's side and some of them wouldn't mind getting rid of him. For Hugh Legat, one of Chamberlain's private secretaries, will these four days become very intense when an old friend contacts him again. Paul Hartmann, German diplomat and member of the anti-Hitler movement. Can they stop Hitler's plans?
Munich is captivating, well-written and memorable. I'm particularly impressed with the personality descriptions and especially Chamberlain whose will was to preserve peace at any price. Was it cowardly to sign the Munich Agreement to ignore the signs that this is only a respite? Well, we have the luxury of being able to look back and know that nothing had stopped Hitler and I have to admit that I feel sympathy for Chamberlain and his peacekeeping attitude.
Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!
I found the story to be very compelling, while the men of power are planning a meeting in Munich, things are happening off the scene. Not everyone in Germany is on Hitler's side and some of them wouldn't mind getting rid of him. For Hugh Legat, one of Chamberlain's private secretaries, will these four days become very intense when an old friend contacts him again. Paul Hartmann, German diplomat and member of the anti-Hitler movement. Can they stop Hitler's plans?
Munich is captivating, well-written and memorable. I'm particularly impressed with the personality descriptions and especially Chamberlain whose will was to preserve peace at any price. Was it cowardly to sign the Munich Agreement to ignore the signs that this is only a respite? Well, we have the luxury of being able to look back and know that nothing had stopped Hitler and I have to admit that I feel sympathy for Chamberlain and his peacekeeping attitude.
Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!
September 5, 2019
This thriller is set around the Munich Conference of 1938. Although events are, themselves, fascinating, Harris introduces two fictional characters into his novel. There is Hugh Legat, one of Chamberlain’s private secretaries and Paul von Hartmann, a German diplomat and a member of an anti-Hitler resistance movement. The two men knew each other at Oxford, but haven’t been in touch for six years. However, when Chamberlain is due to arrive in Munich to meet Hitler, Hartmann decides to utilise his old friendship with Legat, to try to pass on documents to influence the outcome of the Conference.
Although I enjoyed the atmosphere of Downing Street, and of behind the scenes political events, that Harris conjours up, I have to admit that the fictional part of this novel worked less well for me. Legat was an unlikely spy, with his unhappy marriage and rather defeated air. Hartmann, and his colleagues, seemed unprepared, disorganised and unclear about their aims. Overall, this could have been much better, but has inspired me to want to read a non-fiction account of this fascinating time.
Rated 3.5
Although I enjoyed the atmosphere of Downing Street, and of behind the scenes political events, that Harris conjours up, I have to admit that the fictional part of this novel worked less well for me. Legat was an unlikely spy, with his unhappy marriage and rather defeated air. Hartmann, and his colleagues, seemed unprepared, disorganised and unclear about their aims. Overall, this could have been much better, but has inspired me to want to read a non-fiction account of this fascinating time.
Rated 3.5
June 24, 2018
A very interesting insight into Munich crisis for those interested in that particular time. Couldn't put it down!
February 3, 2018
This historical novel develops the behind-the-scenes drama leading to the 1938 signed by Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy which permitted Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia (a.k.a. Sudetenland). Many people today consider the famous reference to "peace for our time" by British prime minister Neville Chamberlain following the agreement as a shameful mistake with historic consequences.
This book provides some very understandable insight into Chamberlain's motives and the circumstances of the time. The very human feelings are portrayed in this novel by use of the following dialog:
At this point I am placing my continued description of the plot within this
Once the agreement is signed the story isn't finished. The novel continues with some additional drama that keeps the reader's attention.
As portrayed in this book, Chamberlain knows that war is probably coming, but in order for Britain to be united in fighting a second world war it will be necessary to first show that all has been done to avoid it. I think most reasonable people placed within the same time and circumstances would have done the same.
This book provides some very understandable insight into Chamberlain's motives and the circumstances of the time. The very human feelings are portrayed in this novel by use of the following dialog:
~"What a day this promises to be," he said quietly. "You know, I would gladly stand up against that wall and be shot if only I could prevent war."Of course the suspense of this book lies not in whether the agreement will be signed. That's well known history. Rather, this book takes what is known about the and combines it with known details of the Munich negotiations to develop a plot which shows how close history came to going into a different direction.
~"Neville—really—please don't say such things!" Mrs. Chamberlain looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
~The Prime Minister said to Legat, "You were too young to fight in the last war, and I was too old. In some ways that made it worse." He glanced up at the sky. "It was an absolute agony to me to see such suffering and to be so powerless. Three-quarters of a million men killed from this country alone. Imagine it! And it wasn't just they who suffered, but their parents and their wives and children, their families, their friends . . . Afterwards, whenever I saw a war memorial, or visited one of those vast cemeteries in France where so many dear friends are buried, I always vowed that if ever I was in a position to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again, I would do anything—sacrifice anything—to maintain peace. You can understand that?"
~"Of course."
~"This is sacred to me."
~"I understand."
~"And it all happened only twenty years ago!" He fixed Legat with a gaze almost fanatical in its intensity. "It's not simply that this country is militarily and psychologically unprepared for war—that can be remedied—we are remedying it. It's rather that I truly fear for the spiritual health of our people if they don't see their leaders doing absolutely everything they can to prevent a second great conflict. Because of one thing I can assure you: if it comes, the next war will be infinitely worse than the last, and they will require great fortitude to survive it."
At this point I am placing my continued description of the plot within this
Once the agreement is signed the story isn't finished. The novel continues with some additional drama that keeps the reader's attention.
As portrayed in this book, Chamberlain knows that war is probably coming, but in order for Britain to be united in fighting a second world war it will be necessary to first show that all has been done to avoid it. I think most reasonable people placed within the same time and circumstances would have done the same.
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