Francis Bennett – författare

First published in 1998, Making Enemies was the opening volume in Francis Bennett's Cold War trilogy.'For all of us now the Cold War is history... What interested me as a writer was how we survived. What went on behind the scenes?... I went looking for my own fictional explanations for historical events.' Francis Bennett Making Enemies centres on the race for the hydrogen bomb in 1947. Russia and the West, wartime allies, are now bitter enemies. Soviet Colonel Andropov tries to stall Britain's development of a nuclear deterrent, and a young British army officer unwittingly becomes enmeshed in his conspiracy.'[Making Enemies] is more than the intelligent reader's spy thriller... Like all the best historical novels, the authenticity of background and time lend the story added credibility. I have never read the relationship between an intelligence officer and his pawn described so well.' Phillip Knightley, Daily Mail

First published in 1999, Secret Kingdom was the second panel in Francis Bennett's Cold War trilogy.'For all of us now the Cold War is history... What interested me as a writer was how we survived. What went on behind the scenes?... I went looking for my own fictional explanations for historical events... In Secret Kingdom, which takes place in Hungary in the dangerous summer months [of 1956] that led directly to the Revolution, I knew that the British ambassador's warnings of trouble building up had been ignored by the Foreign Office in London. Why? What were the consequences of such an extraordinary and irresponsible act?' Francis Bennett 'The Cold War here is not just a political but also a psychological landscape... In picking out a personal history from the greater tapestry unfolding in the background Bennett has produced a literary thriller of considerable merit.' The Times

First published in 2001, Dr Berlin was the final volume in Francis Bennett's Cold War trilogy.'For all of us now the Cold War is history... What interested me as a writer was how we survived. What went on behind the scenes?... I went looking for my own fictional explanations for historical events...' Francis Bennett Dr Andrei Berlin is a respected Moscow academic and Party member - also a secret informer who has sickened of his own lies and weakness. On the eve of departure to lecture in Cambridge he is asked by a disillusioned faction in the Soviet military to deliver a message to the West. Can Berlin redeem his life of deception by one courageous act?'A fine, satisfying espionage novel.' Kirkus Reviews'A rare piece of subtle and complex storytelling.' The Times