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80th out of 488 books
—
450 voters
Black Cross (World War Two #1)
by
Greg Iles
It is January 1944 — and as Allied troops prepare for D-day, Nazi scientists develop a toxic nerve gas that will repel and wipe out any invasion force. To salvage the planned assault, two vastly different but equally determined men are sent to infiltrate the secret concentration camp where the poison gas is being perfected on human subjects. Their only objective: destroy a
...morePaperback, 556 pages
Published
October 1st 2001
by New American Library
(first published November 1st 1995)
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WOW!
If you like action the action and adventure in a James Rollins Novel, the historical accuracy of Tim Powers and a tightly woven complex plot like in Robert Ludlum's books, you'll love this one. It's strange, the books I like the most, get the shortest reviews? (funny huh?)
The story is set in WWII England and Germany. The main character, a Doctor and Scientist who is also a pacifist, and one of the Allies leading experts on poison gas gets recruited for a risky mission with little chance of...more
If you like action the action and adventure in a James Rollins Novel, the historical accuracy of Tim Powers and a tightly woven complex plot like in Robert Ludlum's books, you'll love this one. It's strange, the books I like the most, get the shortest reviews? (funny huh?)
The story is set in WWII England and Germany. The main character, a Doctor and Scientist who is also a pacifist, and one of the Allies leading experts on poison gas gets recruited for a risky mission with little chance of...more
3 likes · like · see review
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In 2001 I conversed a bit with Greg Iles through emails and after reading The Quiet Game I told him I was torn between reading 24 Hours or Black Cross next. He told me he felt Black Cross was his best novel, so dilemma solved. Normally I wouldn't pick up this type of novel; wartime
action novels just don't appeal to me from a reading standpoint but I love war movies.
But as you know by now I'm a big fan of Greg Iles so I owed it to myself to read this. It's pretty good. It's about an Allied missio...more
action novels just don't appeal to me from a reading standpoint but I love war movies.
But as you know by now I'm a big fan of Greg Iles so I owed it to myself to read this. It's pretty good. It's about an Allied missio...more
Having enjoyed past books by Greg Iles, the author name and book cover caught my eye. Resting on a table, front and center at Border's gave me the impression it was a new Iles page turner; I was surprised to see it was from the last century.
This is a slice of life story, about a young American doctor working for Britain during WWII. As a pacifist, he is happy doing research, but his unique background make him a prime cadidate for a "behind the lines" last ditch effort to reverse the potential ou...more
This is a slice of life story, about a young American doctor working for Britain during WWII. As a pacifist, he is happy doing research, but his unique background make him a prime cadidate for a "behind the lines" last ditch effort to reverse the potential ou...more
This was one incredible book. The book is based during WWII at one of Germany's camps where different gases were tested. The book is a snap shot of England and America and their reaction to the rumor that Germany has perfected a gas for warfare. The allies send their brave men into the fray in order to save the day for the victims in the camp and the world at large. It is a hard and emotional read, Greg didn't pretty it up, IMO. But he did include moments of beauty and love within the horrors of...more
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This is a historical novel about a secret mission given to two civilians, one American and one Jew, by the British government and endorsed by Winston Churchill. These two people could not have been more different in attitude, temperament and purpose yet they worked together (most of the time) to achieve their goal. However, the story isn’t about them exclusively, there are numerous stores interwoven in the mission, men and women who fought, suffered, died and at times killed for no reason.
The st...more
The st...more
Greg Iles is an intelligent and secretly snarky writer. I've read several of his novels and one of his hallmarks for me is that he playfully tweaks the reader in creating heroes out of people who in real life the public despises; for example, criminal hackers who steal money and 40-year-old men who have affairs with high school teens. I call it playful because in most cases I find myself rooting for the good guy narrator to defeat the bad guys, only to realize later after finishing I was rooting...more
This was my first Greg Iles book, so I can't compare it to anything else he's written, but I found it a decent page-turner with good characters and a reasonable premise. A lot of the historical points are truthful, which made the journey more believable, and I think he did a commendable job in both portraying the different factions (Jew, Nazi, Brit, American) and keeping them human. For me, the strongest portions of the book were the very beginning and the afterword, which contained the clearest...more
Went to NYC for 24 hours and did a lot of walking. This was the first title on my i-Touch so it was the book of choice for the walk from Penn Station to West 57th Street. And, it was such a thriller, I kept listening until it was finished on Sunday AM!
Black Cross is the story of two men - one an American medical doctor and chemist; the other a Jewish resistance fighter - who are "convinced" (using rather nefarious means) by a British general (and Churchill) to undertake a 2-man mission to stop t...more
Black Cross is the story of two men - one an American medical doctor and chemist; the other a Jewish resistance fighter - who are "convinced" (using rather nefarious means) by a British general (and Churchill) to undertake a 2-man mission to stop t...more
This book was what my rating says: amazing. Incredible story with non stop action, great historical novel. I've since read two other books by Greg Iles and was severely disappointed. I'm inclined to think someone other than Greg Iles wrote this book. I cannot believe the same guy who wrote this wrote the Penn Cage series. It's like he's bipolar or something; you can't even compare the two.
This story was quite a ride. Briefly, it tells how an American doctor/scientist and a German Jew partner together to stop a Nazi poison gas attack against the D-Day Allied troops. But I have to say that it seemed more than that. It seemed very realistic when everything kept going wrong and nothing was going according to plan. It felt like it could have been a true story. There was a lot of suspense. I'm not really good with suspense; if this had been a movie I would've covered my eyes at some pa...more
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The story begins in modern day upon the deaths of a doctor's grandparents. A rabbi comes to the house and begins to tell a tale of how the grandfather, Mark McConnell (Mac), earned a medal during WWII. The story then moves back to take place in WWII as Mac, who is a scientist and a pacifist, teams up with a Jonas Stern, Jewish activist/soldier, to combat the Nazi devlopment of a deadly nerve gas with a commando mission.
The portions of the story that take place inside the concentration camp are b...more
The portions of the story that take place inside the concentration camp are b...more
This was a great book, telling the fictional story of an unassuming physician who risks everything to thwart WWII Germany's attempt to develop and deploy a powerful, never-before-seen chemical weapon. He must infiltrate Germany's death machine to complete a nearly impossible mission, knowing his death is almost inevitable even if he can. The story has many twists and turns as serious problems arise with the mission, leaving the reader wondering, doubting if the mission will prove successful, and...more
This book was hard to get through, as much of it takes place during WWII in German concentration camps. I had to skip some parts of it...too raw and painful to take.
The main plot, however, is a real attention grabber once you get into it a bit. It's historically accurate (I checked) and terrifying as well. Makes you think about what could have happened to our world had the Nazi's won the war. It also made me appreciate how extraordinarily brave those who fought against the Germans were, especial...more
The main plot, however, is a real attention grabber once you get into it a bit. It's historically accurate (I checked) and terrifying as well. Makes you think about what could have happened to our world had the Nazi's won the war. It also made me appreciate how extraordinarily brave those who fought against the Germans were, especial...more
I had read two book written by Iles before this one; Footprints of God and 24 hours and I really liked them both. I also have a large interest in history so my expectations were pretty high for this book.
The story is really gripping and feels very plausible. The Characters are very well written especially Stern; Mc Connelly and Schörner. They come across as real people, neither completely good or bad but in the grey zone like most of us. The action sequences are the biggest flaw in the book, th...more
The story is really gripping and feels very plausible. The Characters are very well written especially Stern; Mc Connelly and Schörner. They come across as real people, neither completely good or bad but in the grey zone like most of us. The action sequences are the biggest flaw in the book, th...more
First of all, Greg Iles is a fabulous writer who knows how to weave a story. I have a love of history and the historical details he fashions with his plot and characters makes it one of the most intriguing novels I have read in quite some time. I do not want to give any spoilers but I guarantee once you pick up this book, you will not want to put it back down. I also enjoyed reading about places I have lived and visited that he mentions in the storyline. This is a compassionate, heart-wrenching,...more
At one point, reading this book, I literally thought "holy crap, this is a good book!" and it really is. Suspense, drama, hints of romance, historical facts ... it's all there.
I didn't want to put the book down and I really didn't want it to be over. Save for two characters, Sturm and Brandt, I felt some affinity to each and every character. I'd never want to be in the places that some of them found themselves, but it was hard not to imagine myself there.
Another fascinating aspect of the book is...more
I didn't want to put the book down and I really didn't want it to be over. Save for two characters, Sturm and Brandt, I felt some affinity to each and every character. I'd never want to be in the places that some of them found themselves, but it was hard not to imagine myself there.
Another fascinating aspect of the book is...more
Set during World War 2, Black Cross follows the story of multiple people and the events surrounding an experimental concentration camp in Germany. Poison gas looks to be the next offensive that Germany is plotting and the allies are far behind in their gas production. As such, they are forced to do something drastic - which includes infiltrating the Nazi camp in hopes of bluffing their way into the lead of gas production. With compelling characters and an engaging storyline, this was an enjoyabl...more
This spy/action/suspense novel set during World War II is longer than most books I attempt to read. 560 pages. However in the audio version, the length did seem less. It did suffer from a few flaccid scenes, and an epilogue that felt like a cheat in a few ways. But despite those weaknesses, the vast majority of the chapters consist of prose which kept me reading, and wanting to know what happened next.
It does get a bit repetitive in the final third, though it does avoid monotony. I suppose both...more
It does get a bit repetitive in the final third, though it does avoid monotony. I suppose both...more
I have never gravitated towards the genres of World war II history and military thrillers. However, I did find myself enjoying this story. The most intriguing character to me was that of Anna Kaas, the civilian nurse who was trapped at Totenhausen. She knew her power was limited but rebelled in her own quiet ways. For example, she created a diary of the atrocities perpetuated by Doktor Brandt. I even thought her back-story had depth. I may not read another of Iles' stories if they are in this ve...more
t is January 1944 — and as Allied troops prepare for D-day, Nazi scientists develop a toxic nerve gas that will repel and wipe out any invasion force. To salvage the planned assault, two vastly different but equally determined men are sent to infiltrate the secret concentration camp where the poison gas is being perfected on human subjects. Their only objective: destroy all traces of the gas and the men who created it — no matter how many lives may be lost...including their own.
Loved it! A suspe...more
Loved it! A suspe...more
An engaging story of an attempt by the British to fool the Nazis during WWII into thinking that the British had a full supply of nerve gas which would act as a deterrent to Nazi use of its gas supplies. The story is full of action. Characters are fully developed (and the reader -- at least this reader -- engages with them. Lots of twists and turns of plot add to the overall interest. This is a book that is hard to put down once you get started. A fun read -- not deep literature -- but rewarding...more
I didn't know what to expect with this book and can't remember when I picked it up, but I couldn't put it down. A half-fictional book of an American pacifist Chemist and a Jewish rebel fighter thrown together on a secret mission into a German nerve-gas testing camp during WW II. It was exciting, yet grusome throughout the whole book. Based on facts and stories of the concentration camps. The Camp the story was based on was fictional, yet there were camps throughout Germany just like it, if not w...more
A surprising theme from Greg Iles who usually writes about more local mysteries. This story is about a 2-man team sent into Germany to steal a sample of poison gas developed by German chemists and which could wipe out an invading army trying to end WW II. Very well written with interesting characters, plot lines and enough historical fact mixed in to make it seem authentic, this is a story which could have been writted by Jack Higgins - it is in that style, that interesting and that pleasureable...more
This was my first Greg Iles book, so I can't compare it to anything else he's written, but I found it a decent page-turner with good characters and a reasonable premise. A lot of the historical points are truthful, which made the journey more believable, and I think he did a commendable job in both portraying the different factions (Jew, Nazi, Brit, American) and keeping them human. For me, the strongest portions of the book were the very beginning and the afterword, which contained the clearest...more
I have read many Holocaust novels. Although this one was far from my favorite (not my favorite Isles either, for that matter), the moral issue he struggles with - is deeply disturbing and moving. In school we used to do an activity for values clarification - you can only put 5 people in a life boat. Whom will you choose? This is at the heart of Isles's novel as well as the time honored war time struggle - to sacrifice a few to save many. Those pronouns - few and many - just lose their humanity!
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This book grabbed my attention from the very first chapter. I knew it would be a good book...but after the riveting chapter 1 it does take a little while to get the characters all figured out and determine exactly what is going on....but don't give up. It is so worth it in the end. This was a book I couldn't put down. The characters are well developed. The plot is well thought out. I loved the very last line of the ackowldgements at the end where Iles says for the younger generations to remember...more
This book was a combination of exciting WW2 espionage novel and sobering concentration camp tale, that really managed to balance off the two fairly well for a well paced, interesting read. A very unlikely duo is put in charge of taking out a concentration camp that is being used to develop and manufacture the two deadliest war gasses in the world, both of which are years ahead of the Allies’ gasses, and things get very exciting when they finally reach the valley where the camp is located.
A truly first-rate historical novel set in 1944 as the Allies prepare to invade across the English Channel but must first deal with the specter of potentially lethal poison gas counterattack on the part of the Germans. The result is the recruitment of an unlikely pair of civilian operatives who are dropped into Germany near the concentration camp/factory where the deadly sarin and soman are being tested and manufactured. This book is very difficult to put down.
A pretty darn good novel of allied espionage and NAZI atrocities. The initial flashback is a bit of a silly device, but I usually love silly devices so I shouldn't complain. It would make an unbelievably good movie: Winston Churchill, kilt-wearing commandos, NAZI-trained killer German Shepherds, an evil NAZI doctor who experiments on children, strong beautiful leading women, and crazy buddy-cop leading men (an American pacifist doctor-chemist and a Haganah militant).
I listened on audio book to the bitter end, becoming increasing annoyed with the cloying Dr McC, Rachel and Anna. Everybody rushing off to sacrifice themselves on a heroes mission and getting improbably saved while the bad guys with all the guns get improbably killed. Can't a male author conceive of a female character that isn't gorgeous, spunky but fragile, courageous but in need of perpetual saving by some hyperhormonal man?
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| Thoughts on this book? | 5 | 15 | Dec 19, 2012 07:31am |
Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960. He grew up in Natchez, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983. He was active in a band called "Frankly Scarlet", but quit after realizing that the touring lifestyle was not conducive with his family life. Once no longer busy with the band, he turned his attention to writing.
Greg's novels have been translated into various languag...more
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Greg's novels have been translated into various languag...more
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