Dark Voyage

Alan Furst excels in writing dark, atmospheric books set in and around World War II, and Dark Voyage is an excellent example of his writing. The hero of this book is Dutch sea captain, Eric DeHaan, and he is recruited in 1941 by the Dutch Naval Intelligence. Disguising his ship as a neutral Spanish freighter, a series of missions are completed for the British Navy. Starting in the Mediterranean Sea with assisting a British commando unit in North Africa, then delivering munitions to the island of Crete, the ship is finally sent to the Baltic Ocean to rescue an assorted group of refugees.

Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the era and the nautical feel of a merchant marine ship, Dark Voyage is an expert blend of meticulous research and show more exciting story. From the port of Tangier to the days at sea, we are taken on an intense and richly detailed adventure. Although important history is unfolding in the background, this is a very human story of a variety of people caught up in a desperate situation.

Dark Voyage has a slightly different feel from some of the other books by Alan Furst that I have read, probably because there is more action in this book. This is an espionage story with a cast of assorted Europeans pressed into service, putting their lives on the line. This was an intense, exciting read that I fully enjoyed. show less

Furst writes immersive, atmospheric historical fiction set around the beginnings of the second World War. This one is before the United States has entered the war and the Germans have been absolutely devastating merchant ships that England depends on. Starts slow and not a page turner for quite a while but don't let that scare you off as a reader. You get some setup and background that people would decry was missing if it wasn't there. When was the last time you had dinner in Tangier?

If you want a WWII espionage novel different than most, here you go. This is a seagoing one. Holland was overrun by the Germans and a Dutch merchant vessel is sometimes repainted and re-flagged to appear as a Spanish freighter. Characters come and go and I show more didn't quite connect to the characters as I usually do, other than the Dutch Captain who I became quite fond of as the story unfolds. I don't want to reveal important elements of the story, but I hope I meet the Captain again in a later book. I really admired him and will miss him. At the end of the novel we do not know the fate of the Captain and crew. show less

Usually, in a World War II espionage spy novel by Furst, the reader spends time with only the protagonist throughout the story; perhaps a secondary character or two also stick around for most of the book. But this time, the action focuses on Capt. Eric DeHaan of the Dutch freighter Noordendam and the ship's crew, a group that covers a number of nationalities and languages. The time is spring of 1941, and DeHaan and the Noordendam are enlisted to aid the war effort against Germany by having the ship pose as a Spanish freighter in order to engage in top secret missions, smugglers saboteurs and arms. DeHaan is a typical Furst hero, an ordinary man who, due to circumstances, finds himself in extraordinary situations, needing to rely on his show more intelligence and instinct for survival to complete his missions. He also needs to rely on his crew, and by the end of the book, I had grown quite fond of all of them. I don't consider Furst's novels to be pageturners, but they are compelling thanks to the realism, a product of the author's extensive research. This one is no exception. show less

My favorite of the many books by this author I've read. The ship's captain is indelibly drawn, and Furst draws the several wonderful locales utterly specifically. His balance here among despair, glory, bliss, and everyday labor--always a strong point!--is particularly fine.

In May, 1941, a creaky old cargo ship, the Santa Rosa, ties up in the port of Lisbon to load cork, canned goods, and cooking oil bound for the port of Malmo on the Baltic Sea. But the Santa Rosa is really the Dutch ship Noordendam, and her captain Eric DeHaan, has been commissioned by the Dutch government in exile to work with the British secret service.

DeHaan is the typical Furst hero - a world weary msn of middle age who nonetheless, is a dedicated anti-fascist and not only brave, but also compassionate, especially towards his motley international crew who are all fugitives from something or other. Furst perfectly portrays the role of the spy steamer - long periods of fairly mundane work followed by bursts of abject terror. This book show more will have you on the edge of your chair from beginning to end. show less

It's all here. It's Furst. There are spies, World War II is unfolding. There are people finding physical consolation if not romance to escape their surroundings. There's historical accuracy with the places, the physical things they deal with and use. The surprise for me is the nautical setting. Furst is comfortable at sea as well as on land. Yes it's all overtaken by the unfolding events. They are small pieces unable to move the universe in the direction they would like it to go. I missed Polanyi but there were Dutch stand-ins. WWII was an equal opportunity abuser. Definitely worth the read.

I hated the ending when I finished the book. And when I woke up the next morning I thought it was perfect.