How Alan Furst Likes His Insurgents

Spies of the Balkans, the latest of Alan Furst’s eleven historical spy novels, comes out next week. Like his previous tomes, Spies takes place in the years leading up to and during World War II, and involve protagonists who, somehow or other—often almost inadvertently—get caught up in the resistance movement.

Vox Tablet host Sara Ivry wants to know why these heroes never seem to be quite like the resistance fighters we’ve come to know—people like the Bielski brothers of the film Defiance. Here’s what Furst has to say.

For more, check back Monday for the full podcast.

Earlier: Hero Worship