Robert Harris: Munich, Hutchinson (Penguin Random House), 9780091959203, large format paperback

German Edition: München 1938,  Heyne Verlag, 9783453271432, gebunden

New titles by Robert Harris always land right at the top of the bestseller lists worldwide. Never having read one of his books, I was keen to try his latest book „ Munich” as it deals with an explosive period in Germany’s history before World War II.

The book is set during several fateful days in September 1938 when everything points towards war breaking out on the issue of the Sudetenland, then Czechoslovakia which the Germans want to annex by force.  Prime Minister Chamberlain is dead set to do everything in his power to avoid war and has managed to maneuver Hitler into agreeing to a meeting between the British, France and Italy.

Hugh Legat, one of Chamberlain’s private secretaries, is surprised to learn he is about to meet one of his former Oxford friends again. Paul Hartmann, now a German career diplomat in Berlin, has secretly joined the resistance movement despite being close to Hitler’s inner circle of staff.  Both men have not seen each other for several years and are harboring secrets of their own.  Their bilingual language skills have gained them enterance to be part of the support staff assisting Chamberlain, Hitler and high ranking government officials attending this historical gathering in Munich.

 

Very skillfully Harris weaves historical detail and fiction into a thriller.  Despite being aware of the historical outcome of the story, curiousness about the fate of Hugh Legat and Paul Hartmann makes one turn the pages faster especially towards the last third of the book. However, I personally prefer thriller writer Daniel Silva for this type of escapist reading .