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The Polish Officer: A Novel Paperback – October 9, 2001

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Alan Furst (Author)
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Alan Furst (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 198 customer reviews
Book 3 of 12 in the Night Soldiers Series
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition (October 9, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375758275
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375758270
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (198 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsIntriguing, Authentic Description of Occupied Europe
By Michael Wischmeyer on September 25, 2004
Format: Paperback
The reader new to Alan Furst may not immediately recognize that the plot is subordinate to the setting and character development. The Polish Officer, like his other novels, ends somewhat abruptly; the war continues unabated and the fate of his protagonist remains unresolved. Furst sees WWII as a large canvas. This novel, a detailed painting by Alan Furst, only covers a minute spot.

Poland is under coordinated attacks by Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia. The story begins as Captain Alexander de Milja is assigned the task of transporting by train Poland's national gold reserves to a location out of reach of Hitler's forces. Not much later, despite fierce fighting by Polish forces, Poland is overwhelmed and de Milja joins the Polish resistance. The setting moves from Poland to Romania to France to the Ukraine as de Milja's situation becomes increasingly insecure. The Polish officer himself no longer has rank, nor an army, nor a country. He does not expect to survive.

Furst's novels excel in two regards: their historical settings are authentic while simultaneously the stories provide unexpected, even unique, perspectives on WWII. In this story we readers experience life from inside an occupied Poland, inside an intimidated Romania, within a surrendered France, and in a brutalized Ukraine. His plots are suspenseful and well-crafted, and yet I recall his stories more for their detailed settings. It is unlikely that I will forget Furst's description of occupied Europe.

The WWII historical novels of Alan Furst offer a richness and authenticity seldom encountered. I highly recommend The Polish Officer. It is among his finest works and is a great introduction to a remarkable author.
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4.0 out of 5 starsEspionage and intrigue in Occupied Europe
By David W. Nicholas on January 20, 2003
Format: Paperback
Alan Furst has apparently been writing books of this genre for some years now. The plots all take place during the period just prior to World War II, or the during the war itself. Each of the characters is somewhat compromised, morally or otherwise. Here, the main character is Captain Alexander de Milja, a Polish army officer whose main duty, in peacetime, was as a cartographer and intelligence officer. Now that the war has started, he's helping defend Warsaw, but he's soon called away to escort a supply of gold and specie across the border into Romania. From there, his bosses in the military intelligence bureau wish him to spy on the Germans, first in Paris, later in other parts of France and elsewhere. He moves with ease from one theater of the war to another, repeatedly surviving when others around him are captured or killed. He has affairs, makes and loses friends, watches as others are betrayed by traitors, even executes said traitor himself on one occasion.
The one thing the book does extremely well is portray the lives of ordinary people during the war. The author seems to have a view of the mundane populace of an occupied country, and what they do or say or when they go on vacation. When they spy for de Milja, they do so for mundane reasons, for the most part, and their reactions when they get caught aren't heroic, for the most part, either. The novel is told in a series of grays (if they ever make a movie, it'll have to be black and white) with few if any colors in the landscape.
If I have a serious criticism, it's that there really isn't a plot. Instead, the story is basically a series of incidents involving a single individual, and if he'd structured it differently it could be a short story collection, plotwise. That's how connected the various plots are.
In spite of that, I enjoyed it a great deal, and would recommend the book.
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5.0 out of 5 starsEspionage and Resistance in Wartorn Europe
By Prauge Traveler on April 8, 2006
Format: Paperback
"The Polish Officer" details the adventures of Captain Alexander de Milja, who survives his nation's defeat in 1939 and moves onto resist the Nazi juggernaut as a spy working with the allied powers. De Milja helps smuggle gold, and eventually makes his way to the Ukraine as Nazi Germany attacks the Soviet Union. As usual, Fust has created an excellent novel of espionage and action set amidst upheaval and tension- this time dealing directly with the events of World War Two, rather than the interwar years common to many of his other novels.

Although this novel can easily be read as a stand-alone book, some readers will enjoy beginning their foray into Furst's world with "Night Soldiers", his original and possibly best spy novel. This book introduces several characters who make appearances throughout Furst's other novels set in the same period of time and general geographical local. Because of this fact, I highly recommend reading this novel first, although those that follow can typically be read in any particular order (the exception being the stories involving Jean Casson - World at Night and Red Gold).

What makes Furst's loosely structured series so compelling is that 1; they are very well researched and historical very accurate, especially with regard to spy craft - as I understand it through academic experience only. 2; the characters are extremely flawed, very believable and interesting to empathize with - all of the characters and their adventures provoke much thought. 3; the novels do not attempt to achieve a false sense of conclusion at their end - they always allow the reader to decide for him/herself what happens, and they rarely resolve the feeling of tension that pervades Furst's works.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsPage turner

A good page turner but it left you hanging.

Published 4 days ago by HCC
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Fast paced novel with many interesting characters. An enjoyable read.

Published 5 days ago by Susan K. Whale
4.0 out of 5 starsA Good Read

VERY INTERESTING AND THOUGHTFUL NOVEL SET DURING WWII. The atmosphere of the war and the effect on various people is clearly shown. A Good read

Published 6 days ago by Ann
2.0 out of 5 starsI found it to be a tedious read which I could not finish after having...

I didn't care for the pace of the novel or the starched language. I found it to be a tedious read which I could not finish after having read 40%

Published 9 days ago by honest Abe
4.0 out of 5 starsA well written and interesting story.

This book is so well drawn it is easy to forget who is whom. Great settings, timing and believable charcters. Interesting story that keeps the readers interest. Worth the money.

Published 11 days ago by Michael E. Parker
5.0 out of 5 starsOrdinary men and women in the hundred of thousands are responsible for...

Furst's Resisters of WW2 are the hero's of 20th century.They did not allow a barbaric darkness to crush the hope of freedom. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Richard Peacock
5.0 out of 5 starsVery good read from start to finish

This is the first Alan Furst book I've read but it won't be the last. I enjoyed it immensely. Furst describes the people, the settings and the time in such detail that you can... Read more

Published 18 days ago by David
3.0 out of 5 starsGood Read

This novel gives good insight into the Polish Resistance prior to and during World War II. It is well written, in the third person.

Published 1 month ago by Jonathan Haire
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Polish Officer

For readers of Alan Furst's recent novels, it may come as a surprise that his early novels, like the Polish Officer, are quite good. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Sturmey Archer
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful historical spy novel

Most amazing historical research and such sophisticated writing!! A really sophisticated writer. I am reading the book for the second time as I missed so much reading it quickly... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Magda Zakrzewski

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