Winter in Madrid

by C.J. Sansom

Book Overview

Awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger - the highest honor in British crime writing

A #1 internationally bestselling novel set in post-Civil War Spain by the author of Dominion and the Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery series September 1940: the Spanish Civil War is over, Madrid lies in ruin, while the Germans continue their march through Europe, and General Franco evades Hitler's request that he lead his broken country into yet another...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143115138
• ISBN13: 9780143115137
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Chaos

The novel is a well written spy novel about Spain during the civil war and the period right after. Living conditions, the people, a country divided into many parties, the breakdown of society are well documented in this fascinating spy novel. A bit of a twist at the end to keep you reading.

Wonderfully addicting

I could not put this book down, it was creatively written and full of suspenseful moments that kept me engaged the entire time. Highly recommend!

Redeeming

This book was mesmerizing! It is sad, but it is redeeming. It adds quality to life and is worth every second spent with it.

Great story line but unsure about the ending

I was hooked on this book! It's characters were very likable and details were great and there was so much going for it! It was credible and I could not put the book down, but the last few chapters, I feel, were rather disappointing. I understand that real life happens and tragedy is inevitable, that's true and I'm fine with books ending in that form, but I feel like perhaps so much was already going for each of the characters, but then the ending went rather quick and sort of impersonal. Like there was more concern for the historical accuracy than for a good completed story on the characters. Maybe it needs a part two hehe... Either way, I did enjoy reading it throughout just the ending left me a bit disappointed.

This book is a must read!

My experience with the used book dealer was painless; the book arrived faster than advertized and was in even better condition than I expected. I would definitely purchase again from this seller. But, read the book! It is fabulous. It is completely different from the Matthew Shardlake mysteries that C.J. Sansom writes but I think is even better. The author captures the atmosphere of the times so well and the plot is extremely well developed. It was a page turner!

First-Rate Historical Fiction

It takes a darned good book to get a 5-star review out of me. I'd give this one 10 stars if it were an option. In 1936 Spain, as World War II was gearing up, a military uprising led by General Franco sprang up against a leftist government and the Spanish Civil War began. Unable to obtain help from any other country, the leftist government turned to the Stalin who was all too happy to export his particular brand of "assistance." And so it was that the Spanish people found themselves in the crossfire between two of the most undesireable factions fighting for control of their country: facists or communists. The breadth of the destruction of Spain both during the Civil War and the years following the dictator Franco's rule over Spain cannot be overstated. And this is the riveting time period that C.J. Sansom brings to life in his novel, Winter in Madrid. Harry Brett finds himself at a bit of a loss whenout of the army on a medical discharge after the British retreat from the advancing Germans at Dunkirk. Recruited by British Intelligence, whose goal is to keep Spain from entering WWII on the side of the Axis powers, Harry heads off to Madrid to spy on an old school chum, Sandy Forsyth, who may or may not be supporting Franco's fascist regime. But Sandy isn't Harry's only connection to Madrid. Bernie Piper, another old schoolmate who dropped out of school to join the International Brigades, died there fighting the fascists during the Civil War. Except Bernie didn't die. And Sandy isn't who he appears to be. This novel was nearly as perfect as a novel can be. From a historical perspective, Sansom's research is a wonder and more importantly, his ability to translate his research into a seamless story is nothing shortof amazing. The Spanish Civil War was a politically convoluted mess. Yet Sansom never loses the reader. It is impossible not to feel incredibly illuminated about a period in history often glossed over. The plot is perfectly paced, eventually reaching a conclusion that reflects the ambiguity of the time, and the characters are some of the most fully developed ever seen in a historical novel of this scope. For any historical buff, A Reader's Respite is not just recommending Winter in Madrid to you, we're telling you that you MUST read this book. If you're looking for an even more comprehensive education about Spain's Civil War and their role in WWII, couple this novel with Dave Boling's award-winning novel, Guernica.

Winter in Madrid

This was one of the best books I have read in the last three years. Very interesting not only for the plot, which was intricate, but for the images of Franco's Spain in the late 1930s. The ending was not a give away, you had to read the whole thing, and you wanted to. It made me want to know more.

Another Good Eve of WWII Read

I am always thrilled when I discover a book and author that cover one of my favorite reading genres --that area that Alan Furst so nobly patrols along with David Downing's two recent books on pre-war Berlin --Zoo Station and Silesian Station, and now I can add C.J Sansom's wonderful Winter in Madrid as well. I found this book, in spite of its considerable length at over 500 pages to be a wonderful and compelling read. The characterizations of the three highly diverse public school mates at an English boarding school and how they are fated to meet again in Madrid following the end of the Spanish Civil War made for a real page turning experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys being brought back to that period of utter turmoil, divided loyalties and questionable political alliances and intrigue.

terrific historical thriller

By 1940 the brutal Spanish Civil War has finally ended, but much of the country remains devastated with people worried about basic sustenance needs like food, clean water, and shelter. As neutral Spain struggles to recover, the Germans blitzkrieg continues its rapid conquest of Europe and their air force daily bombs the last foe Britain. The leader of the winning side General Francisco Franco and his Fascist party considers joining the Nazis like Mussolini and Italy did. England sends reluctant Harry Brett to spy on his old peer Sandy Forsyth, a dishonest Madrid businessman, who has close toes to Franco. Brett has doubts he is the man for the job, but journeys to Madrid to win the confidence of Sandy and through him what Franco's plans re the war with Hitler are. However, he finds Madrid nothing like the energized vibrant city that it was just a few years ago under the short lived republic when he and his close friend Bernie Piper visited the city. Instead he finds distressed hopeless people starving and dying; he wants to go home where the Nazi bombings have only increased the fortitude of his fellow Brits to defeat the German monster. WINTER IN MADRID is a terrific historical thriller that is part espionage and part political. The storyline provides an insightful look at the aftermath of Franco's victory in the Civil War especially the political turmoil of a divided Fascist Party debating whether to join its two allies or recuperate from the bloody internal fight. C.J. Sansom places a powerful spotlight on battered Spain as WW II has devastated much the rest of the continent while the Battle of Britain seems inevitable and would enable Franco to claim like Mussolini he was on the victorious side. Harriet Klausner