The Unfortunate Englishman

By John Lawton

A thrilling portrait of 1960s Berlin and Krushchev's Moscow, centring around the exchange of two spies - a Russian working for the KGB, and an unfortunate Englishman.


Having shot someone in the chaos of 1963 Berlin, Wilderness finds himself locked up with little chance of escape. But an official pardon through his father-in-law Burne-Jones, a senior agent at MI6, means he is free to go - although forever in Burne-Jones's service.

When the Russians started building the Berlin wall in 1961, two 'Unfortunate Englishmen' were trapped on opposite sides. Geoffrey Masefield in the Lubyanka, and Bernard Alleyn (alias KGB Captain Leonid Liubimov) in Wormwood Scrubs.

In 1965 there is a new plan. To exchange the prisoners, a swap upon Berlin's bridge of spies. But, as ever, Joe has something on the side, just to make it interesting, just to make it profitable...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grove Press UK
• Release date: May 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781611859645

Reviews for The Unfortunate Englishman

[maneekuhi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

LAWTON'S TROY SERIES IS 5 STAR, THIS SERIES IS NOT.I am a huge fan of John Lawton, author of the seven book, Frederick Troy series. I am a so-so fan of John Lawton, author of the two (so far) book, Joe Wilderness series. In "The Unfortunate Englishman" Lawton does his usual thing of flashing back, flashing forward, and flashing to the present - but after a while I wasn't sure of when the present was. Early 60's? mid -60"s? Certainly not the early 50s nor the mid to late 40s. And there wasn't a pattern to these flashes, but then there never is. I grew used to it in the Troy series, even when book 5 might flash back to a time prior to the events of book 3. A few years from now I'll probably re-read the Troy series, I doubt I'll ever re-read the Joe W series, though I did have to pick up the first one again ("Then We Take Berlin") in the midst of the subject book just to refresh myself on events; I may not read #3 of Joe W, if there will be one.I don't care for the Joe W characters. Joe himself is a bit of a cynic, out for himself. He expects the worst from everyone and isn't often disappointed. The only character with a worse mouth and attitude is his wife, Judy, daughter of Loe's boss, and mother of his two baby girls. Joe is too much the cliched Berlin spy, out in the cold too long, seen it all etc etc. And there's Frank, the ugly American, a mid-high level CIA guy. Contrast this with Frederick Troy who wants to enlist ( many of the timelines in that series fall between 1939-44) but is told his job as police inspector is too critical. Though Troy comes from money, he starts as an honest, hard working cop who rises through the ranks. For the most part he wants to do the right thing though he will occasionally bed a married woman)."Englishman" is about a business man who volunteers to spy for MI6 while visiting post-WWll Russia. Part of the plot includes hijacking expensive French wine now legally owned by an ex-Nazi (or Nazi), and of course a spy swap on an East Berlin/West Berlin bridge, and there are passports all over the place, too.

[rosareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book lacked the clean writing of Lawton's WWI series with Inspector Troy. It's full of twists and turns, most not plausible.but it makes for a good read.