Why people recommend it
Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon is a historical espionage novel set in the tense, divided landscape of post-World War II Germany, following a writer who is forced into a dangerous game of intelligence reporting. On The Book Review podcast, the book was discussed during multiple episodes. In July 2024, during Inside The New York Times Book Review: ‘The Last Flight of Poxl West’, Greg Cowles noted that this suspenseful narrative marked the author's seventh novel and reported its successful entry onto the bestseller list at number eleven. Earlier, in another 2024 episode titled Inside The New York Times Book Review: Michael Connelly’s ‘The Crossing’, Pamela Paul formally introduced guest Joseph Kanon to the listening audience, acknowledging him as the accomplished author of this recent espionage thriller alongside his other celebrated works in the genre. Both mentions highlight the book's strong commercial reception and position it as a notable entry in modern historical fiction, driven by intricate plotting, atmospheric settings, and deep exploration of political compromises, moral ambiguity, and survival during the early days of the Cold War era in Europe.
Who recommended it
- Greg Cowles Discussed
- Pamela Paul Discussed
Greg Cowles — 1 mention
“um now he has his seventh novel leaving Berlin New at number 11”
Pamela Paul — 1 mention
“he is the author most recently of the novel leaving Berlin and other uh excellent spy novels”