A perfectly fine spy thriller that has well fleshed out characters on both the British and German sides of the conflict. It has a hint of the attitude toward the absurdity of war and bureaucracy of Catch-22 or Cryptonomicon (especially with Turing being a character) and the protagonist spy is appropriately charming, insouciant, deadly, and has a very stiff upper lip. I probably won't pend too much time thinking about this book over the coming years, but it was a very fun beach read. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. To make all of this work SH summons his legendary powers—a knowledge of ordnance, aircraft and material culture and an ability to plot like a bandit. My recommendation: return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. Pour an adult libation and settle in for about 4-5 hours of uninterrupted pleasure. This is a WWII spy comic book, all dressed up in literary garb and designed to surprise and delight.

A perfectly fine spy thriller that has well fleshed out characters on both the British and German sides of the conflict. It has a hint of the attitude toward the absurdity of war and bureaucracy of Catch-22 or Cryptonomicon (especially with Turing being a character) and the protagonist spy is appropriately charming, insouciant, deadly, and has a very stiff upper lip. I probably won't pend too much time thinking about this book over the coming years, but it was a very fun beach read.

The pitch for this book inspired me to request an advance reader copy from the publisher. “Action-packed and bursting with WWII-era intrigue (much of which has basis in fact), Basil’s War is a classic espionage thriller from Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, essayist, and bestselling novelist Stephen Hunter.” It had to be great, right? Hunter has twenty novels to his credit, most notably the Bob Lee Swagger series, which inspired the movie Shooter, starring Mark Wahlberg, and the TV series by the same name, starring Ryan Phillippe. Both were entertaining. (Incidentally, Mr. Hunter his Pulitzer as a film critic at The Washington Post, not for his fiction).

I’ll lead off with praise for the book. It made me chuckle. “… now is finally the time to divulge, before we all die of starvation or alcohol withdrawal symptoms.” That’s amusing! “I lend you my butterfly’s dollop of attention.” Witty, right? “She lay back and tried to find the place between relaxation and coma where she could enjoy much and think little.” I can relate!

This short novel was campy and clever, but not thrilling in the least. I expected it to be far different and was disappointed when it wasn’t. The protagonist was arrogant and promiscuous – not in a cool way like 007 – and I just didn’t find the plot to be intriguing. I both read the book and listened to the audio version, but I had to stop listening because the narrator was just too over the top. 3 stars for me. Meh.

Basil's War by Stephen Hunter is a departure from his usual action/thrillers with Bob Lee Swagger. This is WW II historical fiction.

"Basil St. Florian is a top British agent. He is tasked with securing photos of an old document located in Paris, behind enemy lines. Dr. Alan Turing believes this document contains a hidden code that is essential to ferretting out the identity of a Russian mole. Basil must use his considerable skill if he wants to get out of France alive."

This short novel evolved from a short story. At times it feels like filler, but Hunter does an excellent job taking the reader into the story. You feel like you're next to Basil experiencing WW II Paris and the conflicts of the Nazi SS.
Basil feels like a James Bond-type character without the gadgets. He's a fun character to read - and not really like any of Hunter's previous characters.

A good performance on the audiobook even though some of the Nazi accents were a little over-the-top.

A couple of surprises at the end of this short, enjoyable book from Hunter.

This book is about Basil St. Florian. It follows him as he travels secretly into Paris for a mission.

This is more historical fiction and was a bit bland as far as the characters, in my opinion. I was not a fan of the narrator and the exuded personality of Basil was not my favorite.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Pretty good, like the characters and the story was good, just kinda short i guess lol

The general storyline is good, but the character development is lacking a bit. I had a lot of trouble connecting with Turin. Some of his character/dialogue seemed forced.

I received a copy of this audio book through net galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is one of the first World War II novels by Stephen Hunter that I have read/listened too.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I do love WWII novels/audio books, however I have read a Hunter novel before and wasn't a huge fan of it. So, I went into this thinking the worst...I was pleasantly surprised.

I couldn't put this audio book down, finding myself listening to an hour or more a day when typically I only listen to an audio book in my car. The main character Basil St. Florian was at times annoying, but fully developed and can be pictured exactly how he acts. The plot was fast paced and plausible which I feel is what really gives this novel that push towards 4 stars for me.

I truly enjoyed this and will now be on the look out for more Hunter novels that might be more my cup of tea.

If you like fun fast paced WWII novels this would be a quick and fun read. Highly recommend.

It took me a little to get into this book. Once I did, I started to appreciate the humor and action of the book. The story moved fast and the book was not very long, so it was over before I knew it. The narrator’s voice perfectly fit the character to the point that I think if I had read it to myself I would have given the characters very similar voices in my mind. The dry humor really appealed to my sarcastic side.

I was very intrigued by the premise of the book! Once I got into the read I was devoted!
The story was a good quo read with alot of action. Very well written. The narrator I also enjoyed listening to.
Thanks for this gifted copy!