Picked by Night Soldiers fans

Here are 66 books that Night Soldiers fans have personally recommended once you finish the Night Soldiers series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of Hitler's Last Courier

Gary Kidney Author Of The Eagle Scout Picture

From my list on completely different perspective on World War II.

Why am I passionate about this?

World War II has always been my passion. As a baby boomer, I grew up with two brothers and four uncles who told me their stories of the war and answered the questions of my inquisitive mind. A love of war history led me to study history at university, but those studies also made me want to look at the history from non-American perspectives. My research into those points of view led me to travel to all theaters of the war, Axis as well as Allies. I encountered fascinating stories from diverse veterans or the memoirs they wrote. In the process, I encountered one story that I decided to write in my novel.

Gary's book list on completely different perspective on World War II

Gary Kidney Why Gary loves this book

I struggled to grasp life, culture, and thinking in Nazi Germany until I read this book. It helps average Americans, like me, understand the appeal of the Hitler Youth, the Holocaust's acceptance in Germany, and Hitler's messianic allure.

This 16-year-old German's memoir was compelling, engrossing, and a useful reference for me. Because it challenges the conventional American view of World War II, the book will be difficult to find.

By Armin D. Lehmann ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hitler's Last Courier as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Victory of the Allies was no longer in doubt. Russian forces had reached Berlin. Yet, Hitler ordered his troops to keep on fighting. Among the last who defended his headquarters, an underground bunker in the Reich Chancellery garden, were boy soldiers, 13 to 17 years old, members of the Hitler Youth Volkssturm (home defence force). The dictator had reached the point where he wanted the earth scorched. Facing total defeat, he now was willing to sacrifice everything and everybody, including the German people, even the youngest. Lehmann was a witness to what happened in the Fuehrerbunker. He was the runner…


Book cover of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

Eugen Bacon Author Of The Nga'phandileh Whisperer

From my list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Wole Talabi’s debut fantasy novel is a love story, an adventure story, and a spirit world story, rivetted with non-human protagonists.

Shigidi is an Afrocentric novel that spans across London, Nigeria, Singapore, Ethiopia, and everywhere else, and traversing centuries in vacillation. This multi-hued narrative is fast-paced and a riveting read.

By Wole Talabi ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Washington Post top 10 best science fiction and fantasy book of 2023

"A heist caper with sex, violence, and superpowers popping off every technicolor page." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Defiantly ambitious...an action-packed thrill ride." -The Washington Post

A mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds, perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Neil Gaiman, Marlon James, and Karen Lord

Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma,…


Book cover of Thunderball

Stephen Holgate Author Of Tangier

From my list on spies and intrigue.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved spy stories. The best offer complex characters, exotic locales, suspense, and stakes higher than any detective story. I got to know quite a few CIA types during my foreign service career. Some became good friends. I never asked them about their work, but once or twice passed a tidbit their way. Once, the local KGB got the notion I was with the CIA or was somehow prone to persuasion. They were all over me for weeks, making me extremely uncomfortable. The station chief held my hand throughout. So, while I can’t claim a lot of personal knowledge, I’ve had a touch. Here’s my list of favorite spy stories.

Stephen's book list on spies and intrigue

Stephen Holgate Why Stephen loves this book

I have to mention either John Le Carre or Ian Fleming. I’ll go for guilty pleasure over great mastery. I haven’t read this since I was a kid. But I loved it back then. The Bond of the books is more realistic and complex than the cartoon character of the movies but, don’t worry, this isn’t a tale of gritty realism. A lot of fun and a great way to dispose of a few hours of excess reality.

By Ian Fleming ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thunderball as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

JAMES BOND IS HOT ON THE TRAIL OF TWO STOLEN ATOM BOMBS

Upon M’s insistence, James Bond takes a two-week respite in a secluded natural health spa. But amid the bland teas and tasteless yogurts Bond stumbles onto the trail of a lethal man with ties to a new secret organization called SPECTRE. When SPECTRE hijacks two A-bombs, a frantic global search for the weapons ensues, and M’s hunch that the plane containing the bombs will make a clean drop into the ocean sends Bond to the Bahamas to investigate.

On the island paradise, 007 finds a wealthy pleasure seeker’s…


Book cover of The Berlin Exchange

James Stejskal Author Of A Question of Time

From my list on spies by Americans who really know the score.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a military historian and an author. To get inspiration for my writing, I spent 35 years in Special Forces (as a "Green Beret") and as a CIA officer in strange places working with interesting people. I first wrote non-fiction but I needed US Government approval for everything. So, following the saying “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth,” I tell my tales as “faction”—stories reflecting a reality most people don’t know or understand. I write about “Us Versus Them”—stories about teamwork—and the result is The Snake Eater Chronicles. I leave it to the reader to decide where fact ends and fiction begins.

James' book list on spies by Americans who really know the score

James Stejskal Why James loves this book

Okay, I like almost anything that is set in Berlin because I lived and “worked” there during the Cold War, but Canon really brings it in this tightly woven story of Martin Keller, a hapless former convict who has been co-opted to work for the CIA in East Berlin.

From the first page, paranoia sets in, as it must on anyone working against the Communist regime of East Germany, when Keller embarks on his own agenda to save himself and, more importantly, the family he loves.

Kanon re-creates the tension of a divided Berlin while his well-drawn characters try to escape the clutches of a morally corrupt government. Kanon is simply one of the best.  

By Joseph Kanon ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Berlin Exchange as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A modern master at work' THE TIMES
'Heart-poundingly suspenseful' WASHINGTON POST
'Joseph Kanon owns this corner of the literary landscape' LEE CHILD

Berlin. 1963. The height of the Cold War and an early morning spy swap. On one side of the trade: Martin Keller, an American physicist who once made headlines, but who then disappeared into the English prison system. Keller's most critical possession: his American passport. Keller's most ardent desire: to see his ex-wife Sabine and their young son.

But Martin has questions: who asked for him? Who negotiated the deal? Just the KGB bringing home one of its…


Book cover of Muir's Gambit: A Spy Game Novel

James Stejskal Author Of A Question of Time

From my list on spies by Americans who really know the score.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a military historian and an author. To get inspiration for my writing, I spent 35 years in Special Forces (as a "Green Beret") and as a CIA officer in strange places working with interesting people. I first wrote non-fiction but I needed US Government approval for everything. So, following the saying “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth,” I tell my tales as “faction”—stories reflecting a reality most people don’t know or understand. I write about “Us Versus Them”—stories about teamwork—and the result is The Snake Eater Chronicles. I leave it to the reader to decide where fact ends and fiction begins.

James' book list on spies by Americans who really know the score

James Stejskal Why James loves this book

Muir’s Gambit is a prequel to Beckner’s blockbuster movie Spy Game (with Brad Pitt and Robert Redford). 

Not your traditional “spy thriller,” it follows a dark thematic arc of two spies, fueled by whisky and cigarettes, talking on the front porch of a beach house after the assassination of a comrade.

It is layered with a gritty (and sometimes absurdist) intellectual/philosophical study of the moral cost of living a life of lies. All in search of a truth that is hidden from everyone but one man.

Told with flashbacks to events in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, and Hong Kong, it is a story fraught with human emotion—love, heartbreak, grief, regret—and the fragility of memory. A story told with authentic tradecraft and serpentine strategy, it evokes—more than any other book I’ve read—the reality, challenges, and moral pitfalls of working in a clandestine intelligence organization.

Muirs Gambit is the 1st…

Book cover of The Tears of Autumn

Michael J Goodspeed Author Of Dead Spy, Cold Grave

From my list on spy novels from someone who has been addicted to them since childhood.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Canadian novelist and historian who became addicted to spy novels in my early teens. I first read John Buchan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps and Greenmantle when I should have been studying for my Grade 10 Math exams. Since then, I’ve read everything in the genre that I could get my hands on. As an army officer, I’ve always had a strong interest in security matters. On top of this, military service gave me opportunities for travel as well as meeting and working closely with a diverse range of people, all of which have stoked my interest in the world’s second-oldest profession.

Michael's book list on spy novels from someone who has been addicted to them since childhood

Michael J Goodspeed Why Michael loves this book

McCarry has never had the wide acclaim that my first two picks have had, and that’s a shame.

The Tears of Autumn is set in late 1963. Kennedy has been assassinated, and Vietnam has come to a fast boil. McCarry’s protagonist, Paul Christopher, an introspective poet and burned-out spy, takes it upon himself to find out the truth behind the rumor that the Vietnamese were behind Kennedy’s killing.

It’s a novel that spans continents and provides professional insight into the motivation and temperament of the spy world. Like Le Carré, McCarry’s style is sparse, lean, and enthralling. In a world beset by conspiracy theories, disinformation, and fake news, The Tears of Autumn is superb.

By Charles McCarry ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Tears of Autumn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A re-release of the best-selling thriller originally published twenty years ago finds influential secret agent Paul Christopher pursuing a dangerous theory about the assassination of JFK, an investigation that threatens American foreign policy. By the author of Old Boys. 20,000 first printing.


Book cover of A Man Without Breath

Gary Kidney Author Of The Eagle Scout Picture

From my list on completely different perspective on World War II.

Why am I passionate about this?

World War II has always been my passion. As a baby boomer, I grew up with two brothers and four uncles who told me their stories of the war and answered the questions of my inquisitive mind. A love of war history led me to study history at university, but those studies also made me want to look at the history from non-American perspectives. My research into those points of view led me to travel to all theaters of the war, Axis as well as Allies. I encountered fascinating stories from diverse veterans or the memoirs they wrote. In the process, I encountered one story that I decided to write in my novel.

Gary's book list on completely different perspective on World War II

Gary Kidney Why Gary loves this book

I found the main character, a German policeman, enlightening as he must work for the monsters of the Third Reich while struggling to keep his own honor and self-esteem intact. I enjoyed how Kerr depicted a character battling a multitude of internal voices and a deluge of confusing and misleading information.

The book is generally considered crime fiction; however, I found it to be more psychological suspense. The nested narrative of a story-within-a-story also held my interest.

By Philip Kerr ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Man Without Breath as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'One of the greatest anti-heroes ever written' LEE CHILD

Berlin, March 1943. The mood in Germany is bleak after their stunning defeat at Stalingrad. Private Investigator Bernie Gunther is at work in the German War Crimes Bureau - weary, cynical but well aware of the value of truth in a world where that's now a rarity.

When human remains are found deep in the Katyn Forest, Bernie is sent to investigate. Rumour has it that this mass grave is full of Polish officers murdered by the Russians. For Josef Goebbels, proof of Russian involvement is sure to destroy the Western…


Book cover of Damascus Station

Andre Soares Author Of The Hourglass Network

From my list on spy thrillers where “no one can be trusted”.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a former U.S. Army service member and a student of life, espionage and intelligence have often been staples in my research (as a creative writer), the cornerstones of my professional experience (as a combat veteran and slum baby), and a central theme in most of my novels. I’ve always enjoyed dissecting the inherent struggles of mankind and their inevitable fallouts—the pain, the joy, the misguided hopes and leaps of faith. Espionage and intelligence weaponize these sentiments. They transform them into actionable information and, sometimes, life-altering schemes.

That is what drives my work and sparks my interest in this subject matter: the psychological warfare we subject ourselves—and others—to.

Andre's book list on spy thrillers where “no one can be trusted”

Andre Soares Why Andre loves this book

At first glance, Damascus Station seems like your generic airport filler.

The opening sequence may lack purpose and direction, and the prose is fragmented. It is an acquired taste, I suppose. But there are many redeeming qualities to this novel that make it an engaging and fulfilling read.

It is the product of a real-life intelligence officer who provides incredibly detailed insight on tradecraft and the less glamorous aspects of intelligence collection. The plot tightens as the conflict takes shape, and we end up being personally invested in the fate of our CIA protagonists and their shadowy contractors. 

There is a sense of closeness to the political backdrop of the Syrian state: although released in 2021, the themes of corruption, ethnic cleansing, and power imbalances resonate well with our current socioeconomic and geopolitical climate.

A must-read for any longtime fan of intelligence thrillers.

By David McCloskey ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Damascus Station as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy.

But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared…


Book cover of The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win

Art Weinstein Author Of Superior Customer Value

From my list on how to build a successful business venture.

Why am I passionate about this?

I study and share winning marketing practices. My passion is making organizations better by utilizing precision segmentation strategies and creating superior customer value. Like most successful entrepreneurs, I wear many hats and juggle many ventures. I am a marketing professor, market researcher, business scholar, book author, case writer, blogmaster, speaker, and strategic consultant. Most of my work focuses on entrepreneurial businesses, information-based organizations, service firms, and technology and Now Economy companies. I am always searching for and thinking about the latest/greatest keys to business success. I work with future leaders to build, manage, and improve marketing operations in the great enterprises of today and tomorrow.

Art's book list on how to build a successful business venture

Art Weinstein Why Art loves this book

The author has a doctorate in psychology but chose a most unusual route to success and fortune. Rather than pursuing a traditional career in academia or medical practice, Dr. Konnikova became a superstar in the exciting and glamorous world of high-stakes poker.

This is a fascinating and intriguing story of how a card-playing novice learned the inside tricks and tactics from an incredible mentor. Read about how she used superior intellect, strategic decision-making, and an unwavering commitment to learn what it takes to climb to the top of the professional gambling arena.

By Maria Konnikova ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Biggest Bluff as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times bestseller * A New York Times Notable Book

"The tale of how Konnikova followed a story about poker players and wound up becoming a story herself will have you riveted, first as you learn about her big winnings, and then as she conveys the lessons she learned both about human nature and herself." -The Washington Post

It's true that Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn't even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee and winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings, and convinced him…


Book cover of The Forgotten Holocaust: The Poles Under German Occupation 1939-1944

Jenny Harrison Author Of Dead Before Curfew

From my list on the human cost of war.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Jenny Harrison and my writing career started in 1997 in South Africa with Debbie's Story, which to my astonishment, became a bestseller. Thinking this was going to be an easy route to fame and fortune, I continued writing after migrating to New Zealand. Alas, the road to a bestseller is rife with disappointment but that didn't stop me from writing a bunch of paranormal and humorous novels. Circumstances led me to writing about families caught up in World War II. I don’t write about battles or generals, I write about ordinary people who face the unimagined cost of war and survive.

Jenny's book list on the human cost of war

Jenny Harrison Why Jenny loves this book

Forgotten Holocaust is a non-fiction account of the suffering of the Polish people during World War II. Most books on the Holocaust focus on the terrible travail of the Jewish people, which was immense and must never be either underestimated or forgotten. In Poland 3 million Polish Jews died but 3 million Polish Gentiles also died. It is only since the end of Communism in 1989 that the true heroism of the Polish people has come to light. At the Jewish Memorial, Yad Vashem, in Israel, there are more Polish Gentiles listed as Righteous Among the Nations than any other nation. Lukas’s book opened my eyes to this forgotten history. 

By Richard C. Lukas ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Forgotten Holocaust as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Forgotten Holocaust has become a classic of World War II literature. As Norman Davies noted, "Dr. Richard Lukas has rendered a valuable service, by showing that no one can properly analyze the fate of one ethnic community in occupied Poland without referring to the fates of others. In this sense, The Forgotten Holocaust is a powerful corrective." The third edition includes a new preface by the author, a new foreword by Norman Davies, a short history of ZEGOTA, the underground government organization working to save the Jews, and an annotated listing of many Poles executed by the Germans for trying…