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3.07 AVERAGE
3.07 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't speak for the accuracy of anything but I had a fine time reading this, despite the complete shit-stain of a character Sam Hall. I was hoping for either his redemption or punishment and got neither, sadly.
Just when you think the plot couldn't get any more ridiculous it does.
Readers looking for a new World War II action thriller are the only conceivable audience for this fictional retelling of a real-life attempt in March 1945 to rescue General Patton's son-in-law from a POW camp in Germany. Presumably drawing upon declassified papers, diaries, and at least three previous non-fiction books (48 Hours to Hammelburg, Raid! The Untold Story of Patton's Secret Mission, and Patton's Last Gamble), the story is a blow-by-blow, hour-by-hour retelling of the three-day raid by a vastly under-strength American force.
Eight of the ten main characters are real-life figures, with the other two being composite "types." The effect of this and the tiny window of time in which the story takes place, is that they are fairly one-dimensional. The dialogue is workmanlike and more or less what you'd expect from watching a lot of WWII movies. The German and American sides each have a villain who's quite broad in their villainy, as well as a character who's tormented by loss and failure.
The main attraction of the book is the ground-level tactical details, which are abundant. Fuel levels are important to the story, as are the rate at which clips of ammo are expended -- and soforth. If that whets your whistle, this is the book for you. On the whole I found it to be a reasonably engaging page-turner, good enough for the poolside or airplane.
Eight of the ten main characters are real-life figures, with the other two being composite "types." The effect of this and the tiny window of time in which the story takes place, is that they are fairly one-dimensional. The dialogue is workmanlike and more or less what you'd expect from watching a lot of WWII movies. The German and American sides each have a villain who's quite broad in their villainy, as well as a character who's tormented by loss and failure.
The main attraction of the book is the ground-level tactical details, which are abundant. Fuel levels are important to the story, as are the rate at which clips of ammo are expended -- and soforth. If that whets your whistle, this is the book for you. On the whole I found it to be a reasonably engaging page-turner, good enough for the poolside or airplane.