League of Spies, Robert Merle
Both wise and audacious, constantly nudging up against the extraordinary – New York Times Book Review
Discover the latest tome of Robert Merle's Fortunes of France series!
An uneasy peace reigns in France, but behind the scenes Catholics, Protestants and the agents of foreign powers are still locked in secretive, bloody combat.
As his country’s future hangs in the balance, Pierre de Siorac’s apparent employment as a doctor masks a more deadly occupation-as a spy working for King Henry IV and his ally Elizabeth I of England, using fair means and foul to protect the peace of two realms.
As the plots against his king thicken and the Spanish Armada prepares to sail, Pierre finds himself struggling to save not only his country, but the lives of his entire family. With his back to the wall, he will need a keen wit and a steady sword arm to fight his way to safety.
A resourceful book translated by T. Jefferson Kline and published by Pushkin Press.
Robert Merle was born in French Algeria in 1908, before moving to mainland France in 1918. Originally an English teacher, he served as an interpreter with British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War, and was captured by the German army at Dunkirk, the experience of which served as the basis for his Goncourt-prize-winning Weekend at Zuydcoote. He published the 13 volumes of his hugely popular Fortunes of France series over four decades, from 1977 to 2003, the final volume appearing just a year before his death in 2004.
T. Jefferson Kline is chair of the Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures Department at Boston university. He has written numerous articles on the French novel, French theater and European cinema.
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