The Good German

Unabridged
Author: Joseph Kanon
Narrator: Stanley Tucci
Genres: History, Fiction, Military
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: January 2001
Length: 7 hours
Ratings:
Formats:
  • WMA
Abridged
Author: Joseph Kanon
Narrator: Stanley Tucci
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: November 2009
Length: 7 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 3/5
Formats:
  • CD

Overview

With World War II finally ending, Jake Geismar, former Berlin correspondent for CBS, has wangled one of the coveted press slots for the Potsdam Conference. His assignment: a series of articles on the Allied occupation. His personal agenda: to find Lena, the German mistress he left behind at the outbreak of the war.

When Jake stumbles on a murder -- an American soldier washes up on the conference grounds -- he thinks he has found the key that will unlock his Berlin story. What Jake finds instead is a larger story of corruption and intrigue reaching deep into the heart of the occupation. Berlin in July 1945 is like nowhere else -- a tragedy, and a feverish party after the end of the world.

As Jake searches the ruins for Lena, he discovers that years of war have led to unimaginable displacement and degradation. As he hunts for the soldier's killer, he learns that Berlin has become a city of secrets, a lunar landscape that seethes with social and political tension. When the two searches become entangled, Jake comes to understand that the American Military Government is already fighting a new enemy in the east, busily identifying the "good Germans" who can help win the next war. And hanging over everything is the larger crime, a crime so huge that it seems -- the worst irony -- beyond punishment.

At once a murder mystery, a moving love story, and a riveting portrait of a unique time and place, The Good German is a historical thriller of the first rank.

Reviews (2)

Good German

Written by Barbara on May 11th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I found this book very hard to follow. While to plot was enjoyable, I kept getting lost between the characters.

Very Good!

Written by Dan Pressley from Fort Worth, TX on November 29th, 2004

  • Book Rating: 4/5

This book was a good read. The story moved smoothly and with a steady pace. The plot was well thought out and not too deep so to lose the reader's attention. I enjoyed this book.