Rating: 
Summary: Remarkable First Novel
Review: This is a remarkable first novel that carries you from Hitler's Germany to the nuclear laboratory at Las Alamos to the Double Cross system by which Britain had turned German spies and was using them to feed false information to the Nazis to the personal problems of a British professor who had been for compromising with Hitler before the war and whose wife was being held in a German concentration camp.Part of the power of this novel comes from the startling contrast between the totally dedicated German spy who has no human ties, no fondness for the Americans she is surrounded by, no sentiment toward the physicist husband she has taken and is driven by her duty and her assignment and the British professor who wants his country to win but much more deeply wants his wife to be safe. The one is hard, alienated, and driven, the other is soft, complex and uncertain. Yet, in the end the British Professor's determination to save his wife is an even more effective force than the German spy's desire to fulfil her mission. The intricacies of both the American scene from Princeton to Los Alamos and the building of the bomb and the deprivation and determination of wartime Britain using German spies to send false messages back to Germany are both compelling. Altman fits these pieces of the puzzle into a believable and fascinating story which will keep you going. If you like spies, complexity, and fast paced adventure you will read this novel and look forward to Altman's next book as I do.
Rating:
Summary: A fun debut
Review: I've read my share of WWII spy novels, including some by the masters of the genre (Follett, Deighton, etc.). This novel shows the potential of a great author. Altman is not quite there yet, and maybe he never will be. Only future books will tell. This book is good, however. You do not expect deep thoughts from a work like this, just good entertainment, and he pays off. Why not five stars? Because there are still things that need to be worked on. In particular, the ending seems a bit abrupt and depends on a slight deus ex machina to save a principal character (to avoid spoilers, I say no more on this). Also, the two story lines could mesh together better. In the end, however, this one is worth reading and I anticipate reading more Altman in the future.
Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Read!
Review: This book was a very good spy novel. The nazis are able to get a female agent on the inside of the building of the atomic bomb.
The agent marries one the the developers of the atomic bomb. Through spy tactics she learns what is really going on in Los Alamos. She is pursued by another American agent whose wife is in
a prisoner of war camp.The race for her to deliver the information to Nazi Germany is nonstop and exciting. The female agent shows a serious perchant for killing. The American agent is torn between his duty and his wife. This is a thrilling book
that you will enjoy. Be sure to read it. The ending is also good.
Rating: 
Summary: it's OK, I guess, for those who don't know history...
Review: The plot is great! However, there are some details that worsened the whole experience of reading the book. Usually, spy stories, especially war spy stories, do not omit such inaccuracies as
- FBI in 1943 (until after the war, there was OSS, but FBI and CIA did not exist until OSS was disbanded);
- Stalingrad battle being the finest moment of the German Army in July 1943 (Stalingrad ended up in catastrophic defeat of the German Army in February 1943, when the entire Field Marshal Paulus' army admitted its defeat and gave themselves up as POWs);
- In March 1943, Admiral Canaris personally flew to Smolensk to plan Hitler's assassination with conspirators on the staff of Army Group Center; therefore he could not be in Hamburg in March 1943.
- Until Tehran Conference in December 1943, after Stalingrad and Kursk victories of the Russians, United States and England could not possibly even think about attacking Germany in France: the US had their hands full with Japan, while England had a full plate in Africa and the Middle East. Otherwise, the book is a true page-turner
Rating: 
Summary: One star is a gift
Review: Having read many of the other reviews of this World War II era epic, I seem to be in a distinct minority. Lets start this review with two premises: the reader must be willing to suspend disbelief and (for historical novels) the writer must be faithful to the era. I had no trouble with the plot: an attractive woman is planted as a sleeper in the U.S. by the Nazis in 1932, a year before they or anyone elso thought they'd come to power in Berlin. She manages to get to Los Alamos and then, secrets in hand, to escape to England. I won't go any further than that because there may be someone elso interested in reading this thing (you can have my copy!). It is clear that the author has no feel for the era he is writing about. I'm not old enough to remember the War, but I have studied it for years. Altman makes a mockery of both American and British intelligence (both the services and the state of mind) and stretches the fabric of history to the breaking point so his heroine can accomplish deeds that would be remarkable in any age. The writing isn't that bad. But it reads like a bad parody on spies and counter spies during the war. A really bad parody. Please, Amazon, relent and allow us to award zero stars in these moments of high dudgeon! If you see this book on the shelf, avert your eyes and run for it.
Rating:
Summary: A Gathering of Spies
Review: The book did not go into main details! It woould jump around, one chapter you are in Germany in 1943, and the next chapter may be in Prussia, 1944!
Rating: 
Summary: A Fascinating Book!
Review: If you're into fast paced spy thrillers with lots of action and historical detail, this book is the ticket. It's obviously set up for a sequel, and I hope it will be out soon.
Rating:
Summary: A terrible book.
Review: There is not a likeable or sympathetic character in the book. It reads like a very bad old movie.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not original
Review: This book is a good read for those who have not read much WWII fiction. John Altman has written a okay debut novel and will make a quick read. The story progressed well but seemed to rush to a conclusion. The characters seemed at times unreal. A female agent killing 8 well-trained professional waiting for her is a stretch. The MI-5 personnel came across as bumbling fools. The similarities with Daniel Silva's "The Unlikely Spy" are many. If one hasn't read "The Unlikely Spy" yet, this is a okay read.
Rating:
Summary: Worth The Read!
Review: I'm a Ken Follett fan, and I loved this book as well. Anyone who likes Follett shouldn't miss "A Gathering of Spies".
| 
