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The Unfortunate Englishman
Series: Joe Wilderness series
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 1,361 ratings, 97 reviews)
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The Unfortunate Englishman
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book may appeal to you if you enjoy Cold War espionage with intricate plotting and richly developed characters. Set against the tense backdrop of 1960s Europe, it entwines historical intrigue with a gripping spy narrative, perfect for those fascinated by suspenseful crime thrillers featuring intricate twists and political nuances.
The second book in the Joe Wilderness series.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
A thrilling portrait of 1960s Berlin and Khrushchev's Moscow, centring around the exchange of two spies— a Russian working for the KGB, and an unfortunate Englishman.
Having shot someone in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law, Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he is free to go—although forever in Burne-Jones's service.
When the Russians started building the Berlin Wall in 1961, two Unfortunate Englishmen were trapped on opposite sides: Geoffrey Masefield in the Lubyanka, and Bernard Alleyn (alias KGB Captain Leonid Liubimov) in Wormwood Scrubs.
In 1965, there is a new plan: to exchange the prisoners, a swap upon Berlin's bridge of spies. But, as ever, Joe has something on the side, just to make it interesting, just to make it profitable...
Series: Joe Wilderness series
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The Unfortunate Englishman
A thrilling portrait of 1960s Berlin and Khrushchev's Moscow, centring around the exchange of two spies— a Russian working for the KGB, and an unfortunate Englishman. Having shot someone in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law, Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Moscow Exile
Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren't the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte,...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Then We Take Berlin
John Holderness, known to the women in his life as 'Wilderness', comes of age during World War II in Stepney, East London, breaking into houses with his grandfather. After the war, Wilderness is recruited as MI5's resident 'cat burglar' and finds himself in Berlin, involved with schemes in the booming black market that put both him and his relationships in...PaperbackSold Out -
Hammer to Fall
It's London, the swinging sixties, and by rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, in the wake of an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness has been posted to remote northern Finland in a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness...PaperbackSold Out
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Reviews praise The Unfortunate Englishman for its historic depth, compelling characters, and intricate spy plotting, vividly set against a Cold War backdrop. The novel skilfully blends factual history with engaging narrative, offering humour amidst the espionage detail, and is lauded for memorable atmospheres and rich prose. John Lawton's work is compared to prominent authors in the genre, with many regarding it as top-tier spy fiction.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781611855449
Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 February 2017
Country: United States
Imprint: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 255g
Pages: 368
About the Author
John Lawton worked for Channel 4 for many years, and, among many others, produced Harold Pinter's 'O Superman', the least-watched most-argued-over programme of the 90s. He has written seven novels in his Troy series, two Joe Wilderness novels, the standalone Sweet Sunday, a couple of short stories and the occasional essay. He writes very slowly and almost entirely on the hoof in the USA or Italy, but professes to be a resident of a tiny village in the Derbyshire Peak District. He admires the work of Barbara Gowdy, TC Boyle, Oliver Bleeck, Franz Schubert and Clara Schumann - and is passionate about the playing of Maria Joao Pires. He has no known hobbies, belongs to no organisations and hates being photographed.
Also by John Lawton
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Moscow Exile
Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren't the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte,...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Smoke and Embers
1950. Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz's second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps, yet lacks any identification beyond...Hardback$4500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Moscow Exile
From "quite possibly the best historical novelist we have" (Philadelphia Inquirer), the fourth Joe Wilderness spy thriller, moving from Red Scare-era Washington, D.C. to a KGB prison near Moscow's Kremlin. In Moscow Exile, John Lawton departs from his usual stomping grounds of England and Germany to jump across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C., in the fragile postwar period where the...Paperback$3799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderSmoke and Embers
1950. Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz's second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps, yet lacks any identification beyond...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableOut 4 Aug 2026Pre-order -
Then We Take Berlin
John Holderness, known to the women in his life as 'Wilderness', comes of age during World War II in Stepney, East London, breaking into houses with his grandfather. After the war, Wilderness is recruited as MI5's resident 'cat burglar' and finds himself in Berlin, involved with schemes in the booming black market that put both him and his relationships in...PaperbackSold Out -
Hammer to Fall
It's London, the swinging sixties, and by rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, in the wake of an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness has been posted to remote northern Finland in a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness...PaperbackSold Out -
A Little White Death
A Little White Death is set in an England on the verge of explosion, while Inspector Troy is engaged in a personal battle against ill-health. During his medical leave, Scotland Yard files charges against an acquaintance of his—a hedonistic doctor with a penchant for voyeurism and young women. These women are entangled in affairs with a senior official at the...PaperbackSold Out
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