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hoserlauren's review against another edition
4.0
It's World War II and the Allies are helping the French resistance take out important Nazi targets in France. Felicity, also known as Flick, is a British operative in France, orchestrating the sabotage of a phone exchange. Unfortunately the mission goes horribly wrong. They lose a few agents, Flick's husband is shot, and they have to retreat. They are also now on the radar of Nazi officer Dieter, who will stop at nothing to find Flick.
Retreating back to England, Flick decides to take another shot at the phone exchange but this time with an all-female team called the Jackdaws. The team is not trained military but a group of misfits, outcasts, and criminals. Flick has no idea how successful they will be but she has no choice.
Some of the best WWII fiction novels I've read in the past few years have been with a female as the lead. Specifically, I'm thinking of The Nightingale. Though this is more of a thriller than that book, the women of the story drive the plot forward with their strength. Flick was a great character. She had the right amounts of almost everything. She's smart, could get frustrated but wouldn't let those annoyances overshadow everything, wanted love and romance but not to the point of sickness, and incredibly resourceful. The person she's fighting against the whole novel is similar, but on the wrong side of the war.
I don't think I've ever gone wrong with a Ken Follett book and this was no different. A great story, what a page turner!
Retreating back to England, Flick decides to take another shot at the phone exchange but this time with an all-female team called the Jackdaws. The team is not trained military but a group of misfits, outcasts, and criminals. Flick has no idea how successful they will be but she has no choice.
Some of the best WWII fiction novels I've read in the past few years have been with a female as the lead. Specifically, I'm thinking of The Nightingale. Though this is more of a thriller than that book, the women of the story drive the plot forward with their strength. Flick was a great character. She had the right amounts of almost everything. She's smart, could get frustrated but wouldn't let those annoyances overshadow everything, wanted love and romance but not to the point of sickness, and incredibly resourceful. The person she's fighting against the whole novel is similar, but on the wrong side of the war.
I don't think I've ever gone wrong with a Ken Follett book and this was no different. A great story, what a page turner!
sreynolds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: War, Infidelity, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide and Homophobia
gbdill's review against another edition
5.0
This will be placed on my top three WWII/Holocaust-era book list. Although a work of fiction, it is based on actual events.
In a nutshell, the story is about six trained British female agents (called The Jackdaws), flown to Nazi-occupied France disguised as cleaning women to infiltrate a major communications line between France and Germany and to destroy it. Thus, interrupting the Nazi's main communications with HQ and helping to prepare the way for the eventual D-Day invasion several days later.
The action and drama are non-stop. There were more than several tense scenes in the book. Follett writes the narrative in such a way that it seems you were right there along with Flick, Michel, and unfortunately, their nemesis, Dieter Franck.
This is one of my favorite Follett novels and I look forward to reading more by him.
In a nutshell, the story is about six trained British female agents (called The Jackdaws), flown to Nazi-occupied France disguised as cleaning women to infiltrate a major communications line between France and Germany and to destroy it. Thus, interrupting the Nazi's main communications with HQ and helping to prepare the way for the eventual D-Day invasion several days later.
The action and drama are non-stop. There were more than several tense scenes in the book. Follett writes the narrative in such a way that it seems you were right there along with Flick, Michel, and unfortunately, their nemesis, Dieter Franck.
This is one of my favorite Follett novels and I look forward to reading more by him.
fxp's review against another edition
2.0
A typical Ken Follett. Interesting plot, and written in a way that's easy to follow and wants you to discover what's next.
On the other hand, the characters all are fairly flat, and everyone of them comes with a sexual dark backstory which is revealed peu a peu.
On the other hand, the characters all are fairly flat, and everyone of them comes with a sexual dark backstory which is revealed peu a peu.
nedhayes's review against another edition
4.0
Solid WW2 spy thriller, based on real events around D-Day. Fascinating feminist history.
I really enjoyed the book, but not as deep or insightful as John Le Carre or Charles Cumming's work.
I really enjoyed the book, but not as deep or insightful as John Le Carre or Charles Cumming's work.
nitza_pizza37's review against another edition
5.0
Gosh, this book is incredible!
Ken Follett is my favorite author, he first enraptured me with his epic writing in the Century Trilogy, which I reread nearly twice a year - so I had high hopes for this one, and of course, he delivered.
The two main characters are both complex and brilliant. Their juxtaposition and constant opposition of one another makes the book read as ever more thrilling. The history is of course well researched and every aspect of the novel is superbly dynamic. I love the way Follett teaches us about his characters through the comparisons they seemingly make in their head (I.e. viewing this evoked the thought of this) it’s brilliant and provides precise description.
I also love how Follett frequently employs a strong female protagonist, highlighting women’s roles in historical events, their bravery and valor. Though the book spans roughly a single week, the reader becomes well acquainted with the characters throughout and share Flicks’s sentiment that: ‘it was hard to believe she had been here with her husband only four days ago.’
Another Follett masterpiece!
Ken Follett is my favorite author, he first enraptured me with his epic writing in the Century Trilogy, which I reread nearly twice a year - so I had high hopes for this one, and of course, he delivered.
The two main characters are both complex and brilliant. Their juxtaposition and constant opposition of one another makes the book read as ever more thrilling. The history is of course well researched and every aspect of the novel is superbly dynamic. I love the way Follett teaches us about his characters through the comparisons they seemingly make in their head (I.e. viewing this evoked the thought of this) it’s brilliant and provides precise description.
I also love how Follett frequently employs a strong female protagonist, highlighting women’s roles in historical events, their bravery and valor. Though the book spans roughly a single week, the reader becomes well acquainted with the characters throughout and share Flicks’s sentiment that: ‘it was hard to believe she had been here with her husband only four days ago.’
Another Follett masterpiece!
kadomi's review against another edition
3.0
Almost 3.5 stars but not quite. My SO loves Ken Follett books, and I did greatly enjoy his historical novels. I try to veer away from war time novels and political thrillers, so reading this book was a departure for me.
Jackdaws is set in 1944, shortly before D Day. The main protagonist is Felicity Clairet aka Flick, a British spy who works in France together with the French Resistance, her husband Michel being the local leader in Reims. Their target is a chateau in the hands of the Gestapo, serving as major telephone exchange in France. The goal is to destroy the exchange and that way destroy their communications during the Allied invasion. When an initial attack fails, Flick comes up with a plan to infiltrate the chateau dressed as cleaning women, which requires an all-women team: the Jackdaws. The unlikely team has a cast of different women: a drag queen, a lesbian aristocrat, an older explosives specialist, a murderer freed from prison for the mission, amongst others.
The summary sounds more exciting than the book turned out to be. It took til around the 60% mark for the mission to actually begin. A lot of time was wasted on getting the team together, to weave in sexual encounters that didn't do anything for me plot and character-wise. Despite the team sounding super-interesting in theory, characters fell very flat for me. Very one-note. No time was taken to form any emotional connection to them, didn't really work.
The only character aside from Flick that much time was spent on is the nemesis, Major Dieter Franck, Flick's Nazi adversary. Follett tried to make him seem very human, not your average evil Nazi, but again, he kinda felt flat for me.
That said, the last 40 percent of the book were a quick read and the actual mission was quite exciting to read, so overall it's almost 3.5 stars but not quite.
Jackdaws is set in 1944, shortly before D Day. The main protagonist is Felicity Clairet aka Flick, a British spy who works in France together with the French Resistance, her husband Michel being the local leader in Reims. Their target is a chateau in the hands of the Gestapo, serving as major telephone exchange in France. The goal is to destroy the exchange and that way destroy their communications during the Allied invasion. When an initial attack fails, Flick comes up with a plan to infiltrate the chateau dressed as cleaning women, which requires an all-women team: the Jackdaws. The unlikely team has a cast of different women: a drag queen, a lesbian aristocrat, an older explosives specialist, a murderer freed from prison for the mission, amongst others.
The summary sounds more exciting than the book turned out to be. It took til around the 60% mark for the mission to actually begin. A lot of time was wasted on getting the team together, to weave in sexual encounters that didn't do anything for me plot and character-wise. Despite the team sounding super-interesting in theory, characters fell very flat for me. Very one-note. No time was taken to form any emotional connection to them, didn't really work.
The only character aside from Flick that much time was spent on is the nemesis, Major Dieter Franck, Flick's Nazi adversary. Follett tried to make him seem very human, not your average evil Nazi, but again, he kinda felt flat for me.
That said, the last 40 percent of the book were a quick read and the actual mission was quite exciting to read, so overall it's almost 3.5 stars but not quite.