Andreas Kollender Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Andreas Kollender is a literary fiction author from Hamburg Germany that is best known for his bestselling novel “The Honest Spy” which he first published in 2017.

The author was born in Duisburg, Germany and in his college days, he studied philosophy and German literature. Over the years, the author worked in a variety of jobs and has worked in sales, in bars, and as a builder.

He would go back to school and for a time lived in Munich where he was a Fulbright fellow. He did some research on the early occupation of Germany by the US in 1945 and this experience inspired several of his novels.

Anderson ultimately got his history master’s degree before he proceeded to work in journalism, public relations, and advertising. He would then teach literary writing in several institutions across Germany for more than a decade. Andreas Kollender was the winner of the Ruhr Area Literature Prize in 2004.

Kollender has said that his biggest inspiration that got him to write historical fiction was the combative psychiatrist Ludwig Meyer who he believes was way ahead of his time.

Meyer was witness to the chaos of the 1848 revolution and was at the forefront of rejecting all forms of oppression as he only desired to make the world better for everyone.

In 2017, Andreas Kollender published his magnum opus in the work “The Honest Spy.” The work tells the story of a human reformer most probably inspired by the life and times of Ludwig Meyer.

In this novel, Kollender writes about the helplessness, obedience, and ignorance toward a sick woman. He sensitively succeeds in creating an atmospheric novel that brings to life the constraints the conflicts and the awakening of the time.
He surprisingly manages to make these aspects seem extraordinarily modern. Perhaps his biggest strength has to do with how he creates richly illustrated and detailed descriptions of circumstances and lively and multifaceted characters.

Andreas Kollender has made his home in Hamburg where he has been writing freelance since 1995. He has asserted that he has always had a soft spot for historical figures and this is showcased in many of his novels.
His works have so far honored the likes of Ludwig Meyer, Fritz Kolbe, and Carl Schurz. He is also a member of “centralefunf,” the Hamburg collective of authors.

More information about the author may be found at Pendragon Verlag and at Unionsverlag, his website where he often provides news and updates on upcoming works.

“The Honest Spy” by Andreas Kollender is a work in the tradition of “Shindler’s List” that is based on the story of widowed civil servant Fritz Kolbe. The man was employed at the foreign ministry under the Nazis at the time of the story.
When he recognizes that there are millions of lives at stake, Kolbe makes use of his position to leak all manner of information to the United States. In the process, he risks his life and those of people he holds dear.

This leads him down a dangerous life as a double agent as he becomes one of the most important spies for the allies. When he is recalled from South Africa to go back to Germany, he leaves behind his daughter for her safety even though his decision torments him.
Back in Germany, he is forced to live under constant threat of arrest. He also lives with the guilt of putting the love of his lie Marlene Wise in danger as they collaborate on Kolbe’s clandestine activities. But Kolbe remains undeterred despite the huge personal cost.
The work comes with pulsating suspense scenes as Kolbe comes across as a man that risks everything to save the innocent and his country from the evil Nazis.

Andreas Kollender’s novel “Theory” is set in 1773 and tells the story of James Cook, a man heading on his second voyage. On board the ship with the renowned researcher is Georg Forter, the 17-year-old who is his assistant that will be writing a scientific report about the voyage.

Georg could not have been more excited about being allowed to travel with his father to Russia and cannot wait to see the world. However, his perspective of things is very different from that of his father.
Once the voyage gets underway, he discovers that things are not going to be as easy as he had thought they would be. Georg suffers from seasickness, even as many of the sailors seem to have a very sloppy attitude toward everything.
The story is told from the perspective of a chronicler that met Georg Forster in 1794 in Paris, where the revolution had claimed many victims. Forster had fled to Paris but the journey and the many memories with James Cook remain very vivid.
As such, he tells of his experiences during this time, and the many quarrels he had with his father who shows his arrogance from time to time.

On the other hand, Cook appears to be a model citizen as he retains his calm most of the time. There is also a range of other characters on the journey and over the course of the story, they exchange a lot of ideas.

“Mr. Crane” by Andreas Kollender is a work set in 1900 Budenweiler during the summer. The place had become Stephan Crane’s last resort from Tuberculosis from where he pens his war stories.
Most doctors had given up on him and this is the reason he prefer to travel to the Badenweiler sanatorium alongside Helen his nice and Coara his wife.

Elizabeth is a young nurse who takes care of him when he is there is also a woman with a great love for books. In his delirium, Crane begins to speak to Elizabeth and tells her about his experiences working as a war reporter, his love affairs, and his life.
In the meantime, Elizabeth develops a soft spot for Crane and it is not long before this turns into true love. Over time, her trust in him grows stronger, and soon enough, she reveals her biggest secrets to him.

Andreas succeeds in masterfully evoking the essence of a man many considered a genius who died too young. At his side is Elizabeth, a rebellious nurse with whom he has a radical and exciting whirlwind romance.