Good story. A bit wordy in spots, found myself skimming. Liked the use of real paintings for historical reference. ( )

Fiction, Historical fiction, Thriller, World war II, In the summer of 1939, a young American painter, David Halifax, reaches Paris, In June 1940 the German Army enters Paris, Halifax forges Old Masters while the originals are hidden away, First published, under the title: "The Forger", by Faber and Faber, London, 2000, 352 pp., and in the same year by Picador, New York, 322 pp., First Italian edition, under the title: "Il falsario di Hitler", Mondadori, 2002, Il Giallo Mondadori, n. 2764, translated by Paola Prezza Pavese, 280 pp. ( )

Paul Watkins is an excellent author. Each of the three novels I have read are completely "stand alone" - unlike his novels under the pen-name Sam Eastland which all have the same primary character & sustained story line.

"The Forger" is detailed with strong description of both place and characters. The story almost seemed like an in-depth tale used as background by "The Monuments Men". I was fascinated by the story and the telling of the tale. ( )

David Halifax a young American art student accepts a scholarship that he hadn't applied for from a group that he had never heard of to study painting in Paris in 1939 just as Europe is about to plunge into war. Once in Paris David is taken under the wing of a once famous Russian artist Pankratov and miss enigmatic daughter Vanya. However,he also falls under the malign influence of an unscrupulous art dealer called Fleury who sells some of David's sketches of Old Masters as originals initially without David's knowledge but later with it in a way to fund his extended stay. When war begins David decides to stay in Paris rather than return to his native America only to be coerced by the Resistance into forging some Old Masters when the Germans occupy Paris thus preventing the invaders getting their hands on the originals. These paintings are to be used as bargaining chips with the Nazis in return for originals that the Germans find unappealing. So begins a very dangerous commission.

This book gives a very different viewpoint on life under German occupation in Paris during WWII. David and his cohorts are not soldiers or members of the Resistance shooting and bombing the invaders but talented people who are just trying to find a way to survive the war and prevent the destruction or at least appropriation of great works of art. They are seen as collaborators by the local populace and of course discovery by the Germans will mean instant death or deportation to the concentration camps.

Watkins paints a very evocative depiction of life in Paris under occupation even if in many ways theirs is a pampered existence but it is still a very precarious one. His character descriptions were also very good and I found myself liking more and more about the main protagonists as the book went on in particular the bluff Pankratov. The book runs along at a good pace until its climax which I must admit did seen rather implausible.

This is the first book that I've read by this author and a very enjoyable one it was too. I will certainly be looking out for some of his other works if this is what I can expect. ( )

Read during Summer 2003

I think Paul Watkins has become my new favourite author. David Halifax recieves an anonymous scholarship to study art in Paris. In 1938. He deciedes to stay as war breaks out and becomes involved in a scheme to save great artworks from destruction or confiscation by the invading Germans. It's a great story and told incredibly well. The people and places quickly become very real. In an interesting twist, David is the nephew of Charlie Halifax, the hero of 'In the Blue Light of African Dreams', which got me started on Paul Watkins over a year ago. Apparently many of his books are out of print so I will need to start searching the use book stores.