53 years ago in 1960 Lionel Davidson was 38 years old when he wrote his debut novel, Night of Wenceslas winning the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award. The politics of the world have changed over the past 53 years but Davidson’s novel stands the test of time and rarely sounds outdated. The Cold War was not yet in Détente, Cuba had just been revolutionized in 1959, and France successfully launched their first Atomic Bomb in 1960. Night of Wenceslas tells the story of Nicholas Whistler, or Pan Whistler as he is known in Czechoslovakia. Nicholas is a young man in his early 20’s living an underwhelming life in Great Britain, at least monetarily to his standards. Nicholas rents an apartment and spends most of his money on the clothes as well as the upkeep of his car. Nicholas is informed he has inherited money from an uncle and receives a loan which he quickly spends of clothes. He is thus informed however he has not inherited any money because his uncle is still very much alive and consequently begins the journey of Nicholas being tricked into Cold War espionage. Nicholas has to go to Czechoslovakia to obtain information regarding the manufacturing process of glass, or at least he thinks. Czechoslovakia, now known as Czech Republic and Slovakia respectfully, was from 1948 until 1989 an iron curtain communist country. Cold War paranoia and suspense are at every turn in this delightful novel but without being ideologically devoted in the prose. The suspense of the book is sustained which builds towards the climax but there is also a great deal of suspense at each chapter in more basic ways. An example of this would be when Nicholas is attempting to court a rather large Czechoslovakian female, whose large breast are described at every opportunity Davidson sees fit, in a humorous manner but none the less rather suspenseful and energetic. Being akin to foreign policy and foreign affairs I found this book enjoyable, one would not need to know much about this time period to enjoy this read at its foundation it is a spy thriller with excellent writing and an original story. The anti-communist propaganda is left out of the book and it so happens the ones who set him up are from his own country and the Czechoslovakian people are not commie manipulators but simply enforcing their laws and protecting themselves from espionage. I could be in the minority here but the only drawback of this book is the use of made up words throughout the story. Several words are used to described technology and other things that simply do not exist at least as far as I am concerned. Otherwise, this book is recommended for anyone who enjoys thrillers or Cold War era novels.
NEVER HEARD OF HIM!!!!!But after a bit of sleuthing, I found that I HAD heard of his books.Picked this up in the local Trash 'n Treasure type store.Attracted firstly by:its cover (it was a green covered Penguin, the colour denoting it's old Crime Series);by its age (printed in 1960);by its being compared to Graheme Greene's "The Third Man" which I read recently, and which made me realise it wasn't a Crime novel at all, but an International Spy Thriller, and more, a bit of a send-up of that genre. No James Bond here.Davidson's spy is no hero, but an innocent abroad, manipulated, and made to believe he's taking out information when he's actually bringing it in!!One is as ignorant and as set upon as he is, and when the violence begins one is just as shocked as he is!!!This naivety somehow gives the story an air of total ordinariness that makes one identify with the hero who isn't a hero, so as much it develops into an exciting, fast-moving and mysterious tale it is also VERY FUNNY and human.A wonderful blending of opposites and the contrary, so that the "hero" is constantly surprising himself...and us, but it is all so very plausible.ALSO...A First Novel which won two awards in 1960, and a further two from the British Crime Writer's Association which had awarded one of the initial awards...the other being for Most Promising First Novel.What I really liked about this bookwas a background thing which Davidson really picked up on and described exactly, a credit to his powers of observation and being able to place himself in another's shoes.The main character, Nicholas Whistler, child of an English father and a Czech mother, has all the problems of a dual nationality - feeling like one nationality,here his British persona, but acutely aware of the more "foreign" one, which he knows and understands, but not fully, because he is really more British than he realises,but also an insider in the Czech world,an heir to so much, so much more than he realises.But in Prague feeling even more British than he really is.Probably NOT one of the 100 books to read before you die,but definitely one to be buried withas you'll need something diverting then most certainly!!!PS Anyone who has ever been to Prague will LOVErecognising all the places the hero visits or escapes/flees to.Davidson was renowned for his sense of place, applied as an integral part of the story. AND YET MORE: Even found a site dedicated to his books by his son,Philip, whom I intend to email...fascinating reading his comments about his father's books, not a plot summary, but the circumstances of their creation.Fascinating!!!PRESENT PROBLEM???Where can I lay my hands on another of his books???????????????????
