City of Gold Paperback – 29 Sept. 2011

Some years since I read a Deighton so I took the opportunity of a freebie to revisit his work. I loved the intro with explanation of the artwork on the cover. It started at a pace with introduction to the central character under arrest. It settled down with a great feel for Cairo. Some evocative descriptive passages created a real sense of a cosmopolitan city caught in the maelstrom of war. More characters started to take shape, but I found the majority of the plot incredibly dull. It needed to move up a couple of gears to grip. Some of the dialogue, whilst informing plot development, was bordering on turgid.I wanted the whole book to be more dynamic and although it's well written and I finished it, I'm pleased this wasn't the first book I've read by Deighton. It's uninspired despite successfully creating a wonderful sense of a city between and amidst both sides in WW 2 and he can do so much better than this.

I like Len Deighton stories and this one is brilliant. The premise of Rommel having a spy in Cairo is based on the actual indiscretion of the US embassy using a code that had been cracked by the Germans. This does not in any way spoil the storyline. It's a book I could read again for sheer pleasure

City of Gold is set in WW2 Cairo, based around the British search for a German spy feeding vital information to Rommel, who is threatening to overrun Cairo. As the title suggests, the real focus is WW2 Cairo, where the British war efforts, Egyptian histopry and politics, and regional spies and adventurers all came together. The cast includes British army officers and civilians, Egyptian nationalists, an American journalist, a Russian prince, criminals and spies. This all makes for a good read, with plenty of double crossing and a good climax. And all based on real events.Deighton was fascinated with WW2 Cairo, and this comes across, with plenty of atmosphere. But as a huge fan of his early Cold War spy books (Ipcress File, Horse Under Water etc), I was slightly disappointed. His books are always complex, but there were perhaps too many sub plots and characters, and the writing and central plot not quite as crisp. Perhaps too much a labour of love ?So definitely worth getting, either as a fun read, or if you like Deighton. But if you want his best WW2 read, perhaps try SS GB ?

Similar to Le Carre in the need to concentrate on the characters, its many facets within the whole story hold the attention to the end.Another great read that I recommend to anyone that wants to have their mind exercised whilst also being entertained.

I have always enjoyed Len Deighton books and this was no exception. The end was a surprise but that was to be expected. Sometimes you could lose what was happening but persevere and all comes clear. I would recommend this book to be read.

good read

Good read

.I remember reading Len Deighton's books with great pleasure many years ago. I was pleased to come across this one, which I had not come across before, but ultimately was left with a sense of disappointment, and I am not entirely sure why.The beginning is promising, the sounds, smells, and sense of Cairo and its motley crew of characters is well defined throughout, but overall the characters failed to engage me, removing tension from the plot.