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1939: A secret mission…A terrible choice…A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…
1939: A secret mission…A terrible choice…A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…
1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover.
When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…
Most of the novel is set in Prague at the time of the WW2. It’s a very interesting take on a city that we don’t often hear about during war time fiction. Germany and Austria are perhaps more well known and explored. However, this novel shows Prague at that time, with the Nazi invasion, confusion, tension and terror.
What must it have been like to have had your city taken over, your life destroyed and your freedom taken away. Living with this reality day to day is impossible to imagine yet this novel goes behind the scenes to examine that. Working for the secret service during this dangerous time is also looked at. This is a morbid and dangerous time in history and its affects on Prague and its people are heartbreaking but fascinating to read about.
Destination/location: Prague, Vienna Author/guide: Andrew Taylor Departure Time: 1939
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