Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

First book in a great spy saga!, 03 Jan 2008
First in a series of nine books about the life and career of a SIS spy, Bernard Samson. After spending five years behind a desk in London, Bernie is asked by Brahms Four (a high ranking source in East Berlin), to help him come over to the West. With him, he will bring evidence of a high ranking mole, located within the SIS. Will Bernie manage to succeed in his mission, before the mole succeeds in it's?

Once again, we have another great spy thriller from Len Deighton. His story writing skills weave an enthralling tale of treachery, action, mystery and humour. I enjoyed the way his characters interact with one another. Especially Samson's dry wit and humour!

The first and best cold war novelist, 04 Jul 2007
A recent unsuccessful quest for Len Deighton novels, in several large chain bookstores, reminded me what a crucial service Amazon provides to the book-buying public nowadays. While bookstores squeeze publishers' margins in return for promoting second-rate titles, the quality books are left languishing in the back of the store or not stocked at all. Like several other reviewers here, I am re-reading the Bernard Samson series, and will undoubtedly do so again. With Russian emigrés being assassinated in London, the suppression of Russia's free press, and economic blackmail of former Eastern Bloc states, the cold-war genre is suddenly relevant again. My wife does not even like spy fiction, but could not put this series down until reading all three trilogies. We are now planning a trip to Berlin to identify all the locations we have read about! The genius of Len Deighton is that his novels are compulsive page-turners, with more ingenious plots and better characterizations than Le Carré's, but without the heavy intellectual style.

A brill read, again and again and again ....., 19 Oct 2005
There's only one thing better than a really good book - and that is when it's part of a series. Bernie Samson, his family, friends, colleagues and enemies appear in 10, page-turning novels. There is so much I enjoy in these novels, that every 3-4 years or so I re-read them and enjoy them all over again.

There's the complex plot, that leads you up and down the proverbial garden path. That's one reason to read again, to pick up any clues missed the first time.

The characters are believeable, particularly Bernie's colleagues, embroiled in office politics. I think it's the interaction of the characters that makes the book so absorbing for me.

Initially its a good escapism read, but then Deighton subtly offers a storyline that could be based on true events, and valid explanations as to why his characters might have acted as they did.

A tale of contrasts, from life threatening situations, to the minutae of daily life; from being light hearted and witty, to very thought provoking; a very satisfying read.

Faith Hope and Charity, 29 Jan 2005
I have just finished reading all the Bernard Sampson Books.The nine book series plus Winter A Berlin Family . I enjoyed every single book and I am sorry to come to the end of the series, I envy people who have not yet read them, they
are in for a real treat.They are full of great characters, terrific story lines and vivid portayals of life at this time. With his words
he paints memorable pictures of Berlin, Germany and Poland. Please do not miss this exiting experience of life with Bernard and his friends ,colleagues and enimies.

Thrilling suspense, 24 Oct 2003
This was just as good now as when first read nearly 20 years ago. An excellent journey back in time to the Cold War conflicts between East and West, highlighted by the sardonic wit of spymaster Bernard Samson.

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

First book in a great spy saga!, 03 Jan 2008
First in a series of nine books about the life and career of a SIS spy, Bernard Samson. After spending five years behind a desk in London, Bernie is asked by Brahms Four (a high ranking source in East Berlin), to help him come over to the West. With him, he will bring evidence of a high ranking mole, located within the SIS. Will Bernie manage to succeed in his mission, before the mole succeeds in it's?

Once again, we have another great spy thriller from Len Deighton. His story writing skills weave an enthralling tale of treachery, action, mystery and humour. I enjoyed the way his characters interact with one another. Especially Samson's dry wit and humour!

The first and best cold war novelist, 04 Jul 2007
A recent unsuccessful quest for Len Deighton novels, in several large chain bookstores, reminded me what a crucial service Amazon provides to the book-buying public nowadays. While bookstores squeeze publishers' margins in return for promoting second-rate titles, the quality books are left languishing in the back of the store or not stocked at all. Like several other reviewers here, I am re-reading the Bernard Samson series, and will undoubtedly do so again. With Russian emigrés being assassinated in London, the suppression of Russia's free press, and economic blackmail of former Eastern Bloc states, the cold-war genre is suddenly relevant again. My wife does not even like spy fiction, but could not put this series down until reading all three trilogies. We are now planning a trip to Berlin to identify all the locations we have read about! The genius of Len Deighton is that his novels are compulsive page-turners, with more ingenious plots and better characterizations than Le Carré's, but without the heavy intellectual style.

A brill read, again and again and again ....., 19 Oct 2005
There's only one thing better than a really good book - and that is when it's part of a series. Bernie Samson, his family, friends, colleagues and enemies appear in 10, page-turning novels. There is so much I enjoy in these novels, that every 3-4 years or so I re-read them and enjoy them all over again.

There's the complex plot, that leads you up and down the proverbial garden path. That's one reason to read again, to pick up any clues missed the first time.

The characters are believeable, particularly Bernie's colleagues, embroiled in office politics. I think it's the interaction of the characters that makes the book so absorbing for me.

Initially its a good escapism read, but then Deighton subtly offers a storyline that could be based on true events, and valid explanations as to why his characters might have acted as they did.

A tale of contrasts, from life threatening situations, to the minutae of daily life; from being light hearted and witty, to very thought provoking; a very satisfying read.

Faith Hope and Charity, 29 Jan 2005
I have just finished reading all the Bernard Sampson Books.The nine book series plus Winter A Berlin Family . I enjoyed every single book and I am sorry to come to the end of the series, I envy people who have not yet read them, they
are in for a real treat.They are full of great characters, terrific story lines and vivid portayals of life at this time. With his words
he paints memorable pictures of Berlin, Germany and Poland. Please do not miss this exiting experience of life with Bernard and his friends ,colleagues and enimies.

Thrilling suspense, 24 Oct 2003
This was just as good now as when first read nearly 20 years ago. An excellent journey back in time to the Cold War conflicts between East and West, highlighted by the sardonic wit of spymaster Bernard Samson.

The end of the ride, 29 Apr 2008
This is by far the most action packed of the Samson books, and makes for very satisfying reading. I have noted in other reviews (see SPY SINKER) how unhappy I am with Deighton revisiting the plot of GAME, SET and MATCH. The net effect, without giving too much away, is that EVERYTHING our hero Bernard Samson does in the first trilogy turns out to have been planned: by whom would be telling. It might seem like a neat twist to the author, but I felt very much like Samson does - like I'd been taken for a ride, albeit perhaps an enjoyable one. The story ends here, by the way - don't read SPY SINKER, unless you are a masochist or work for the KGB.

Len Deighton is the opposite of Satan!, 02 Nov 2000
That's right - because he's the angel Gabriel! He seems to bring us these absolutely wonderful books from the dark recesses of his pithy mind. When you compare this to the greats of the genre, names like Ian Fleming, John le Carre etc he is immediately elevated in role by virtue of his firm grasp of humour. His mixture of humour, humanity and sheer energy leads one to the conclusion that there is no beter wirter of the deviency of human nature. He burgles effortlessly from real life, and since all fiction has to be rooted somewhere in an alternative reality, one could say that Len Deighton is the biggest burgler of them all! He sets up these elaborate twists and wonderful theories and then with one shake of his pen he leads you off the scent completely. If you, like me, want lots of action and loads of insight into the world of espionage then sign up for this little cracker of a book.

Hold on MI5, I want to join!

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

First book in a great spy saga!, 03 Jan 2008
First in a series of nine books about the life and career of a SIS spy, Bernard Samson. After spending five years behind a desk in London, Bernie is asked by Brahms Four (a high ranking source in East Berlin), to help him come over to the West. With him, he will bring evidence of a high ranking mole, located within the SIS. Will Bernie manage to succeed in his mission, before the mole succeeds in it's?

Once again, we have another great spy thriller from Len Deighton. His story writing skills weave an enthralling tale of treachery, action, mystery and humour. I enjoyed the way his characters interact with one another. Especially Samson's dry wit and humour!

The first and best cold war novelist, 04 Jul 2007
A recent unsuccessful quest for Len Deighton novels, in several large chain bookstores, reminded me what a crucial service Amazon provides to the book-buying public nowadays. While bookstores squeeze publishers' margins in return for promoting second-rate titles, the quality books are left languishing in the back of the store or not stocked at all. Like several other reviewers here, I am re-reading the Bernard Samson series, and will undoubtedly do so again. With Russian emigrés being assassinated in London, the suppression of Russia's free press, and economic blackmail of former Eastern Bloc states, the cold-war genre is suddenly relevant again. My wife does not even like spy fiction, but could not put this series down until reading all three trilogies. We are now planning a trip to Berlin to identify all the locations we have read about! The genius of Len Deighton is that his novels are compulsive page-turners, with more ingenious plots and better characterizations than Le Carré's, but without the heavy intellectual style.

A brill read, again and again and again ....., 19 Oct 2005
There's only one thing better than a really good book - and that is when it's part of a series. Bernie Samson, his family, friends, colleagues and enemies appear in 10, page-turning novels. There is so much I enjoy in these novels, that every 3-4 years or so I re-read them and enjoy them all over again.

There's the complex plot, that leads you up and down the proverbial garden path. That's one reason to read again, to pick up any clues missed the first time.

The characters are believeable, particularly Bernie's colleagues, embroiled in office politics. I think it's the interaction of the characters that makes the book so absorbing for me.

Initially its a good escapism read, but then Deighton subtly offers a storyline that could be based on true events, and valid explanations as to why his characters might have acted as they did.

A tale of contrasts, from life threatening situations, to the minutae of daily life; from being light hearted and witty, to very thought provoking; a very satisfying read.

Faith Hope and Charity, 29 Jan 2005
I have just finished reading all the Bernard Sampson Books.The nine book series plus Winter A Berlin Family . I enjoyed every single book and I am sorry to come to the end of the series, I envy people who have not yet read them, they
are in for a real treat.They are full of great characters, terrific story lines and vivid portayals of life at this time. With his words
he paints memorable pictures of Berlin, Germany and Poland. Please do not miss this exiting experience of life with Bernard and his friends ,colleagues and enimies.

Thrilling suspense, 24 Oct 2003
This was just as good now as when first read nearly 20 years ago. An excellent journey back in time to the Cold War conflicts between East and West, highlighted by the sardonic wit of spymaster Bernard Samson.

The end of the ride, 29 Apr 2008
This is by far the most action packed of the Samson books, and makes for very satisfying reading. I have noted in other reviews (see SPY SINKER) how unhappy I am with Deighton revisiting the plot of GAME, SET and MATCH. The net effect, without giving too much away, is that EVERYTHING our hero Bernard Samson does in the first trilogy turns out to have been planned: by whom would be telling. It might seem like a neat twist to the author, but I felt very much like Samson does - like I'd been taken for a ride, albeit perhaps an enjoyable one. The story ends here, by the way - don't read SPY SINKER, unless you are a masochist or work for the KGB.

Len Deighton is the opposite of Satan!, 02 Nov 2000
That's right - because he's the angel Gabriel! He seems to bring us these absolutely wonderful books from the dark recesses of his pithy mind. When you compare this to the greats of the genre, names like Ian Fleming, John le Carre etc he is immediately elevated in role by virtue of his firm grasp of humour. His mixture of humour, humanity and sheer energy leads one to the conclusion that there is no beter wirter of the deviency of human nature. He burgles effortlessly from real life, and since all fiction has to be rooted somewhere in an alternative reality, one could say that Len Deighton is the biggest burgler of them all! He sets up these elaborate twists and wonderful theories and then with one shake of his pen he leads you off the scent completely. If you, like me, want lots of action and loads of insight into the world of espionage then sign up for this little cracker of a book.

Hold on MI5, I want to join!

Gets Better With Each Reading!, 20 Nov 2007
Len Deighton is a superb writer and this book is, without doubt, his best work.

I don't know how many times I've read it, but it's so good that I can happily read a chapter at random and still feel fulfilled.

The plot is both a rock-solid Cold War tale and an engaging interplay of believable characters. Deighton was described by one critic, in the 1960s, as the poet of the Spy genre: never a truer word.

Ultimately, it's the beautifully crafted characters and the delightful writing style that make this book the Gold Standard that it is.

I highly recommend it.

My Arm Is Long And My Vengeance Is Total!, 26 Mar 2006
The unnamed spy whose adventures were first chronicled in 'The Ipcress File' goes to Helsinki to meet Olaf Kaarna, a journalist claiming to have uncovered a British Military Intelligence operation in the area. He finds Kaarna in his flat, a hatpin sticking out of his back and covered in raw egg.

Kaarna's killer is an agent of 'Facts For Freedom', an organisation dedicated to the destruction of Communism, run by a rabid right-wing millionaire called General Midwinter and controlled by an advanced computer network called The Brain. Using stolen viruses from Porton Down, Midwinter plans to start an uprising in Latvia. But he is being swindled by one of his own men, Harvey Newbegin, a man with a taste for dangerous but beautiful women...

For my money, the best thing Deighton has ever done. Back in the '60's, spy stories where the Russians weren't the baddies were rare. Indeed with the benefit of hindsight this could now be viewed as the first anti-Vietnam War tract. Midwinter is a xenophobe prone to making 'God loves America' speeches while the 'all-powerful super-computer' idea preempted HAL 9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' by a few years. A return appearance by Colonel Stok ( last seen in 'Funeral In Berlin' ) is especially welcome. But what makes this so much fun is the wonderfully witty prose. Yes, there's a lot of coffee drinking and clandestine meetings in offices but if one book perfectly summed up the turbulent '60's as a whole, its this one.

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

First book in a great spy saga!, 03 Jan 2008
First in a series of nine books about the life and career of a SIS spy, Bernard Samson. After spending five years behind a desk in London, Bernie is asked by Brahms Four (a high ranking source in East Berlin), to help him come over to the West. With him, he will bring evidence of a high ranking mole, located within the SIS. Will Bernie manage to succeed in his mission, before the mole succeeds in it's?

Once again, we have another great spy thriller from Len Deighton. His story writing skills weave an enthralling tale of treachery, action, mystery and humour. I enjoyed the way his characters interact with one another. Especially Samson's dry wit and humour!

The first and best cold war novelist, 04 Jul 2007
A recent unsuccessful quest for Len Deighton novels, in several large chain bookstores, reminded me what a crucial service Amazon provides to the book-buying public nowadays. While bookstores squeeze publishers' margins in return for promoting second-rate titles, the quality books are left languishing in the back of the store or not stocked at all. Like several other reviewers here, I am re-reading the Bernard Samson series, and will undoubtedly do so again. With Russian emigrés being assassinated in London, the suppression of Russia's free press, and economic blackmail of former Eastern Bloc states, the cold-war genre is suddenly relevant again. My wife does not even like spy fiction, but could not put this series down until reading all three trilogies. We are now planning a trip to Berlin to identify all the locations we have read about! The genius of Len Deighton is that his novels are compulsive page-turners, with more ingenious plots and better characterizations than Le Carré's, but without the heavy intellectual style.

A brill read, again and again and again ....., 19 Oct 2005
There's only one thing better than a really good book - and that is when it's part of a series. Bernie Samson, his family, friends, colleagues and enemies appear in 10, page-turning novels. There is so much I enjoy in these novels, that every 3-4 years or so I re-read them and enjoy them all over again.

There's the complex plot, that leads you up and down the proverbial garden path. That's one reason to read again, to pick up any clues missed the first time.

The characters are believeable, particularly Bernie's colleagues, embroiled in office politics. I think it's the interaction of the characters that makes the book so absorbing for me.

Initially its a good escapism read, but then Deighton subtly offers a storyline that could be based on true events, and valid explanations as to why his characters might have acted as they did.

A tale of contrasts, from life threatening situations, to the minutae of daily life; from being light hearted and witty, to very thought provoking; a very satisfying read.

Faith Hope and Charity, 29 Jan 2005
I have just finished reading all the Bernard Sampson Books.The nine book series plus Winter A Berlin Family . I enjoyed every single book and I am sorry to come to the end of the series, I envy people who have not yet read them, they
are in for a real treat.They are full of great characters, terrific story lines and vivid portayals of life at this time. With his words
he paints memorable pictures of Berlin, Germany and Poland. Please do not miss this exiting experience of life with Bernard and his friends ,colleagues and enimies.

Thrilling suspense, 24 Oct 2003
This was just as good now as when first read nearly 20 years ago. An excellent journey back in time to the Cold War conflicts between East and West, highlighted by the sardonic wit of spymaster Bernard Samson.

The end of the ride, 29 Apr 2008
This is by far the most action packed of the Samson books, and makes for very satisfying reading. I have noted in other reviews (see SPY SINKER) how unhappy I am with Deighton revisiting the plot of GAME, SET and MATCH. The net effect, without giving too much away, is that EVERYTHING our hero Bernard Samson does in the first trilogy turns out to have been planned: by whom would be telling. It might seem like a neat twist to the author, but I felt very much like Samson does - like I'd been taken for a ride, albeit perhaps an enjoyable one. The story ends here, by the way - don't read SPY SINKER, unless you are a masochist or work for the KGB.

Len Deighton is the opposite of Satan!, 02 Nov 2000
That's right - because he's the angel Gabriel! He seems to bring us these absolutely wonderful books from the dark recesses of his pithy mind. When you compare this to the greats of the genre, names like Ian Fleming, John le Carre etc he is immediately elevated in role by virtue of his firm grasp of humour. His mixture of humour, humanity and sheer energy leads one to the conclusion that there is no beter wirter of the deviency of human nature. He burgles effortlessly from real life, and since all fiction has to be rooted somewhere in an alternative reality, one could say that Len Deighton is the biggest burgler of them all! He sets up these elaborate twists and wonderful theories and then with one shake of his pen he leads you off the scent completely. If you, like me, want lots of action and loads of insight into the world of espionage then sign up for this little cracker of a book.

Hold on MI5, I want to join!

Gets Better With Each Reading!, 20 Nov 2007
Len Deighton is a superb writer and this book is, without doubt, his best work.

I don't know how many times I've read it, but it's so good that I can happily read a chapter at random and still feel fulfilled.

The plot is both a rock-solid Cold War tale and an engaging interplay of believable characters. Deighton was described by one critic, in the 1960s, as the poet of the Spy genre: never a truer word.

Ultimately, it's the beautifully crafted characters and the delightful writing style that make this book the Gold Standard that it is.

I highly recommend it.

My Arm Is Long And My Vengeance Is Total!, 26 Mar 2006
The unnamed spy whose adventures were first chronicled in 'The Ipcress File' goes to Helsinki to meet Olaf Kaarna, a journalist claiming to have uncovered a British Military Intelligence operation in the area. He finds Kaarna in his flat, a hatpin sticking out of his back and covered in raw egg.

Kaarna's killer is an agent of 'Facts For Freedom', an organisation dedicated to the destruction of Communism, run by a rabid right-wing millionaire called General Midwinter and controlled by an advanced computer network called The Brain. Using stolen viruses from Porton Down, Midwinter plans to start an uprising in Latvia. But he is being swindled by one of his own men, Harvey Newbegin, a man with a taste for dangerous but beautiful women...

For my money, the best thing Deighton has ever done. Back in the '60's, spy stories where the Russians weren't the baddies were rare. Indeed with the benefit of hindsight this could now be viewed as the first anti-Vietnam War tract. Midwinter is a xenophobe prone to making 'God loves America' speeches while the 'all-powerful super-computer' idea preempted HAL 9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' by a few years. A return appearance by Colonel Stok ( last seen in 'Funeral In Berlin' ) is especially welcome. But what makes this so much fun is the wonderfully witty prose. Yes, there's a lot of coffee drinking and clandestine meetings in offices but if one book perfectly summed up the turbulent '60's as a whole, its this one.

Deighton delivers, 15 Dec 2000
Seven books in to a nine-book sequence (10, if you count Winter), Deighton sustains your interest with more twists and one or two further startling revelations. Perhaps the series is a little tired by now, but the authentic feel marks him out above most of his contemporaries - he and le Carré stand alone in the genre - and his gift for deft characterisation is still well in evidence. Even average Deighton is better than most other espionage fare.

Circles Within Circles, 16 Sep 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Circles Within Circles, 27 May 2004
Bernard Samson is one of my favorite espionage characters. I was delighted by this excellent completion of the Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy.

The hard part about Deighton's trilogies is that they leave the reader hanging between books, dying for the next one. Charity does not resolve everything, but it certainly takes care of a lot of the dangling questions.

The plot complications invite paranoia. It seems like nothing is ever what it appears to be. The only constant is that Bernard continues to play the role of the unwitting dupe in others' ploys. Since he is a good and thoughtful person, that quality pulls us away from having sympathy for the spymasters who dream up the plans to go awry so often. It raises the rather nice question of how far the means can and should go to justify the end.

Will we ever have enough of the Cold War and its espionage? Perhaps not. If so, we are fortunate that Len Deighton has written this book.

If you have not read the earlier Bernard Samson novels, I strongly urge you to begin at the beginning with Winter. You'll have two advantages that way: You will appreciate the plot development better, having known of the prior complications; and you won't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you follow this advice, I envy you. You have a lot of fun reading ahead!

Masterful, 19 Feb 2001
Having started the Sampson trilogy with the book `Winter` I have managed to build a profile of a plethora of characters associated with the series. The detail is stunning and the architecture of the writing sublime. The concluding story twists....yet again!! but this time give the reader a real sense of direction and in depth feeling for the characters. Maybe the story offers more questions than answers and leaves you screaming for more, but Deighton masterfully leaves it to the reader's imagination and any reader with said imagination will realise the subtlety involved and appreciate the ending for what it is, Masterful. This story reflects life in that there are no absolutes, especially not in Bernard's life but Deighton makes you live the story and you wont be disappointed with his spin on Bernard's life.

A unique spy novel, 10 May 2000
Being a German who has lived a long time in Scotland I am amazed how much I can learn about Germany from Len Deighton. Deighton is able to analyse the German psyche with stunning accuracy. Apart from that remarkable fact, Len Deighton`s books, especially his Bernhard Samson series, are the wittiest spy novels I have ever read. The characters are three-dimensional and the plot(s) brilliant. They are page-turners which I have read at least three times each.

A great end to a rivetting series of books!, 05 May 2000
This book is the conclusion of the Samson saga, and it has all the twists and turns that the first 8 books in this remarkable series have. When I began reading this series, starting with the first trilogy Game, Set and Match, I couldn't put them down, and no matter how many times I read them, I will never grow tired of them. To anyone who has read the books before this one, I have one thing to say. "Whatever you think you know about past events of this saga, until you read Charity, you know nothing."

Great backdrop, but characters uninteresting, 06 Feb 2008
This depicts a fascinating and chilling Nazi-controlled Britain following the defeat and surrender of UK forces in February 1941 and the execution of Churchill and incarceration of the King. I would have welcomed it if more of this was in the foreground as the I found the minutiae of the actual plot difficult to follow. The characters I also found rather uninteresting.

Good old-fashioned thriller. Bit ragged towards the end., 27 Jun 2005
I enjoyed the first 75% very much, but the last quarter ran out of control. The plot twists got a little too ambitious and the level of the plot jumped too quickly from low level detective work to a full-on James Bond style shootout.

Other than this quibble, this is a highly entertaining well-written story about a plausible what-if scenario. They don't write them like this any more.

A must, 02 Oct 2002
Read this book - your eyes will love you for the rest of your life. It's a rip-roaring read, combining spy-story nous with whodunnit suspense, and historical interest with mind-blowing fiction. Not many authors are capable of writing a book of this type, and Deighton is master.

Great early Deighton, 05 Dec 2006
Len Deighton is a prolific author, and many of his books fall into the genre of "spy stories". Much of his later work in this area comprises a number of trilogies (Game, Set, & Match, and Hook, Line & Sinker, for example), but I believe that the earlier works, written in the sixties / seventies, are in fact his best work. These works (such as Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, Horse Under Water, The Ipcress File etc etc) are taut, spare, and very well written - not an ounce of flab to be seen anywhere. They are very much of their time (very redolent of the 60s / 70s), but still very readable (better than Le Carre, for example, in my opinion at least).

I know these volumes very well, having read them all many times over the last 30 years, but I have recently discovered the joys of listening to, rather than reading, my old favourites. This audiobook (Yesterday's Spy) has given me particular pleasure. James Faulkner makes a perfect narrator for this story: his voice is just right (gravelly, but precise), and he brings the whole text alive. His differentiation of the characters is subtle (rather than the caricature approach favoured by some narrators I've heard), and it sounds as though he's enjoying himself as well, rather than just going through the motions.

If you like 60s / 70s thrillers / spy stories, or Deighton, or just a good listening experience, I can highly recommend this audiobook.

First book in a great spy saga!, 03 Jan 2008
First in a series of nine books about the life and career of a SIS spy, Bernard Samson. After spending five years behind a desk in London, Bernie is asked by Brahms Four (a high ranking source in East Berlin), to help him come over to the West. With him, he will bring evidence of a high ranking mole, located within the SIS. Will Bernie manage to succeed in his mission, before the mole succeeds in it's?

Once again, we have another great spy thriller from Len Deighton. His story writing skills weave an enthralling tale of treachery, action, mystery and humour. I enjoyed the way his characters interact with one another. Especially Samson's dry wit and humour!

The first and best cold war novelist, 04 Jul 2007
A recent unsuccessful quest for Len Deighton novels, in several large chain bookstores, reminded me what a crucial service Amazon provides to the book-buying public nowadays. While bookstores squeeze publishers' margins in return for promoting second-rate titles, the quality books are left languishing in the back of the store or not stocked at all. Like several other reviewers here, I am re-reading the Bernard Samson series, and will undoubtedly do so again. With Russian emigrés being assassinated in London, the suppression of Russia's free press, and economic blackmail of former Eastern Bloc states, the cold-war genre is suddenly relevant again. My wife does not even like spy fiction, but could not put this series down until reading all three trilogies. We are now planning a trip to Berlin to identify all the locations we have read about! The genius of Len Deighton is that his novels are compulsive page-turners, with more ingenious plots and better characterizations than Le Carré's, but without the heavy intellectual style.

A brill read, again and again and again ....., 19 Oct 2005
There's only one thing better than a really good book - and that is when it's part of a series. Bernie Samson, his family, friends, colleagues and enemies appear in 10, page-turning novels. There is so much I enjoy in these novels, that every 3-4 years or so I re-read them and enjoy them all over again.

There's the complex plot, that leads you up and down the proverbial garden path. That's one reason to read again, to pick up any clues missed the first time.

The characters are believeable, particularly Bernie's colleagues, embroiled in office politics. I think it's the interaction of the characters that makes the book so absorbing for me.

Initially its a good escapism read, but then Deighton subtly offers a storyline that could be based on true events, and valid explanations as to why his characters might have acted as they did.

A tale of contrasts, from life threatening situations, to the minutae of daily life; from being light hearted and witty, to very thought provoking; a very satisfying read.

Faith Hope and Charity, 29 Jan 2005
I have just finished reading all the Bernard Sampson Books.The nine book series plus Winter A Berlin Family . I enjoyed every single book and I am sorry to come to the end of the series, I envy people who have not yet read them, they
are in for a real treat.They are full of great characters, terrific story lines and vivid portayals of life at this time. With his words
he paints memorable pictures of Berlin, Germany and Poland. Please do not miss this exiting experience of life with Bernard and his friends ,colleagues and enimies.

Thrilling suspense, 24 Oct 2003
This was just as good now as when first read nearly 20 years ago. An excellent journey back in time to the Cold War conflicts between East and West, highlighted by the sardonic wit of spymaster Bernard Samson.

The end of the ride, 29 Apr 2008
This is by far the most action packed of the Samson books, and makes for very satisfying reading. I have noted in other reviews (see SPY SINKER) how unhappy I am with Deighton revisiting the plot of GAME, SET and MATCH. The net effect, without giving too much away, is that EVERYTHING our hero Bernard Samson does in the first trilogy turns out to have been planned: by whom would be telling. It might seem like a neat twist to the author, but I felt very much like Samson does - like I'd been taken for a ride, albeit perhaps an enjoyable one. The story ends here, by the way - don't read SPY SINKER, unless you are a masochist or work for the KGB.

Len Deighton is the opposite of Satan!, 02 Nov 2000
That's right - because he's the angel Gabriel! He seems to bring us these absolutely wonderful books from the dark recesses of his pithy mind. When you compare this to the greats of the genre, names like Ian Fleming, John le Carre etc he is immediately elevated in role by virtue of his firm grasp of humour. His mixture of humour, humanity and sheer energy leads one to the conclusion that there is no beter wirter of the deviency of human nature. He burgles effortlessly from real life, and since all fiction has to be rooted somewhere in an alternative reality, one could say that Len Deighton is the biggest burgler of them all! He sets up these elaborate twists and wonderful theories and then with one shake of his pen he leads you off the scent completely. If you, like me, want lots of action and loads of insight into the world of espionage then sign up for this little cracker of a book.

Hold on MI5, I want to join!

Gets Better With Each Reading!, 20 Nov 2007
Len Deighton is a superb writer and this book is, without doubt, his best work.

I don't know how many times I've read it, but it's so good that I can happily read a chapter at random and still feel fulfilled.

The plot is both a rock-solid Cold War tale and an engaging interplay of believable characters. Deighton was described by one critic, in the 1960s, as the poet of the Spy genre: never a truer word.

Ultimately, it's the beautifully crafted characters and the delightful writing style that make this book the Gold Standard that it is.

I highly recommend it.

My Arm Is Long And My Vengeance Is Total!, 26 Mar 2006
The unnamed spy whose adventures were first chronicled in 'The Ipcress File' goes to Helsinki to meet Olaf Kaarna, a journalist claiming to have uncovered a British Military Intelligence operation in the area. He finds Kaarna in his flat, a hatpin sticking out of his back and covered in raw egg.

Kaarna's killer is an agent of 'Facts For Freedom', an organisation dedicated to the destruction of Communism, run by a rabid right-wing millionaire called General Midwinter and controlled by an advanced computer network called The Brain. Using stolen viruses from Porton Down, Midwinter plans to start an uprising in Latvia. But he is being swindled by one of his own men, Harvey Newbegin, a man with a taste for dangerous but beautiful women...

For my money, the best thing Deighton has ever done. Back in the '60's, spy stories where the Russians weren't the baddies were rare. Indeed with the benefit of hindsight this could now be viewed as the first anti-Vietnam War tract. Midwinter is a xenophobe prone to making 'God loves America' speeches while the 'all-powerful super-computer' idea preempted HAL 9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' by a few years. A return appearance by Colonel Stok ( last seen in 'Funeral In Berlin' ) is especially welcome. But what makes this so much fun is the wonderfully witty prose. Yes, there's a lot of coffee drinking and clandestine meetings in offices but if one book perfectly summed up the turbulent '60's as a whole, its this one.

Deighton delivers, 15 Dec 2000
Seven books in to a nine-book sequence (10, if you count Winter), Deighton sustains your interest with more twists and one or two further startling revelations. Perhaps the series is a little tired by now, but the authentic feel marks him out above most of his contemporaries - he and le Carré stand alone in the genre - and his gift for deft characterisation is still well in evidence. Even average Deighton is better than most other espionage fare.

One of the best books I have read, 29 Aug 2006
This, quite frankly, is one of the best books I have ever read. Be prepared to start and finish it in one day. The narrative grips you from the very beginning and the descriptions of the various parts of the raid from the take off to the journey, to the raid itself are breathtaking. You can feel the bombs falling around you. I read this when it was first published way back when. but I foolishly lent my copy and never got it back. Don't let that happen to you. Buy this and treasure it as a superb read, and one you'll read again.