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A review by manuel_d78
The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins
3.0
A historical fiction novel that borders to the area but does not step into Turtledove territory.
The story in very short: A crack paratrooper team from the German army in Nazi Germany during the end of the Second World War gets the opportunity to head into England and kidnap or kill the British premier, Winston Churchill.
As the novel does not change known history, the constraints are tight.
We do know for a fact that the premier was neither kidnapped nor killed. So we do know for a fact that this German team did not succeed.
So what is the book about, if we already know the failure?
The book also treats the problem of setting up a hero that clearly belongs to the morally wrong side.
Kurt Steiner is setup as an Ubermensch anti-hero, leader of almost equal battle hardened warriors.
He is an officer and gentleman.
A problem with many heros of the military kind is the setup of their background. The battle history of this team is chain of bullet hells that is enough to mentally break a man. The author gives signs of that in the general exhaustion of the men. More realistically, they are probably at that point in their experiences not for for service anymore.
What the story can tell and how the narrative moves from plan to action and keeps being interesting while the end is known, is for you, the reader, to find out.
The story in very short: A crack paratrooper team from the German army in Nazi Germany during the end of the Second World War gets the opportunity to head into England and kidnap or kill the British premier, Winston Churchill.
As the novel does not change known history, the constraints are tight.
We do know for a fact that the premier was neither kidnapped nor killed. So we do know for a fact that this German team did not succeed.
So what is the book about, if we already know the failure?
The book also treats the problem of setting up a hero that clearly belongs to the morally wrong side.
Kurt Steiner is setup as an Ubermensch anti-hero, leader of almost equal battle hardened warriors.
He is an officer and gentleman.
A problem with many heros of the military kind is the setup of their background. The battle history of this team is chain of bullet hells that is enough to mentally break a man. The author gives signs of that in the general exhaustion of the men. More realistically, they are probably at that point in their experiences not for for service anymore.
What the story can tell and how the narrative moves from plan to action and keeps being interesting while the end is known, is for you, the reader, to find out.