Flight From Berlin by David John (Book Review)

Flight From Berlin
Author:  David John
Published:  July 2012
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 384
Genre: General fiction/historical fiction

Source:  I received a complimentary copy (ARC) from TLC Book Tours and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 

August 1936: The eyes of the world are on Berlin, where Adolf Hitler is using the Olympic Games to showcase his powerful new regime. Cynical British journalist Richard Denham knows that the carefully staged spectacle masks the Nazis’ ruthless brutality, and he’s determined to report the truth.

Sparks fly when the seasoned newspaperman meets the beautiful and rebellious American socialite Eleanor Emerson. A superb athlete whose brash behavior got her expelled from the U.S. Olympic swim team, Eleanor is now covering the games as a celebrity columnist for newspapers in the States. While Berlin welcomes the world, the Nazi capital becomes a terrifying place for Richard and Eleanor. Their chance encounter at a reception thrown by propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels leads them into the center of a treacherous game involving the Gestapo and the British Secret Intelligence Service. At stake: a mysterious dossier that threatens to destroy the leadership of the Third Reich.

Drawn together by danger and passion, surrounded by enemies, Richard and Eleanor must pull off a daring plan to survive. But one wrong move could be their last.

Set in America and Europe, David John’s Flight from Berlin is a masterful blend of fact and fiction, drama and suspense. A riveting story of love, courage, and betrayal that culminates in a breathtaking race against the forces of evil, it will keep you spellbound until its thrilling end. (TLC Book Tours)

My Review:

As the Summer Olympics are entering week two and everyone is glued to the television, including myself, it would be a terrific find to come upon a novel about the Olympics to keep that excitement alive.  Well, I found just the book!!

Flight From Berlin held me captivated, page by page, as the story of one man's desire to uncover the truth and reveal it to the world becomes his most dangerous "mission" ever!  Set in Germany, Britain and USA during the Olympics of 1936, wherein the world watches not only because these are the Olympics, but because they are being hosted by Germany and the already famous Hitler is rising in leadership.  He has the power to mesmerize, to create followers while secretly carrying out his personal agenda.  Meanwhile, journalist Richard Denham seeks a news story with a difference and is mistaken for a contact by someone with information that the Germans don't want released.  Denham meets and falls for the beautiful athlete turned "journalist" Eleanor, and together they find themselves running for their lives when the regime suspects Richard of holding a dossier that could seriously undermine Hitler's attempt at supremacy.

While Hitler used charisma to mesmerize the people, David John does so with the written word in Flight From Berlin.  His characters are so well developed that they come to life before your very eyes.  A fine combination of historical facts and fiction, David John weaves a tale of espionage, true courage and fine sportsmanship in this exciting story.

This is my first opportunity to read David John's work and believe me, this is an author worth watching!!

DAVID JOHN was born in Wales. He trained as a lawyer but made his career in publishing, editing popular books on history and science. In 2009 he moved to Germany to write Flight from Berlin. He lives in Seoul, South Korea, where he is researching his second novel.