The novel is ostensibly set against the backdrop of the Berlin Tunnel (Operation GOLD, covername: PBJOINTLY). The yarn is told from both ends of the tunnel. One end is the story of the Americans who worked the tunnel, and how they fought for a sense of purpose against boredom and the enemy both within and without. This side of the story is told with a pace and a black humor reminiscent of that used by Joseph Heller (Catch-22) and Richard Hooker (M*A*S*H*). The other end of the tunnel is the story of the Russians whose telephone calls the Americans are intercepting. Their end of the tale is told in the unnarrated transcripts of their calls. They are the voices under Berlin.
Writing on his website www.SpyWise.net, Britton calls Voices Under Berlin "a spy novel that breaks all the molds," adding that "in the tradition of Greene and Ambler, 'Voices Under Berlin' contains many literate qualities that make it a work of special consideration, worthy of an audience much broader than that of espionage enthusiasts or those interested in Cold War history. In fact, one indication of the book's quality is that it was among the award winners at the July 2008 Hollywood Book Festival, a very rare honor for a spy novel."
Follow me to read more of Dr. Britton's review.
The author served at Field Station Berlin in the early 1970s, after a tour at Herzo Base. He is a three time graduate of the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, the alumni of which are called "Monterey Marys."
To learn more about Voices Under Berlin: The Tale of a Monterey Mary, follow the links below.
