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Eye of the Needle

by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 42,152 ratings · 919 reviews

One enemy spy knows the secret to the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin -- code name: "The Needle" -- who holds the key to ultimate Nazi victory.

Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is beginning to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.

All will come to a terrifying concl

...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published November 23rd 2004 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published May 1st 1978)

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Community Reviews

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Jan 04, 2013 StoryTellerShannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-very-best-reads, historical-fiction, thrillers, need-reviewing, owned

This was the novel that gave Follet star quality status in publishing circles. Not only was it a best seller but it also was adapted into a movie, starring Donald Sutherland.

Here are some reasons to read THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE:

(1) PRECISION: you like reading about cool, precise heroes or anti-heroes or villains who are painfully precise in their plans, the best at what they do and are totally "stone cold.";

(2) WWII BUFF: you love to read about the "big thrills" of WWII; this has it since the Ge...more

22 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Jason Koivu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eye of the Needle, a sharply-written WWII era thriller, is miles away in style and length from the mammoth, medieval epics Follett would later create. Though not a mindbendingly difficult read, the quality of the writing was already present at this early stage. Extra kudos must be given to any author who can switch gears and dabble in different genres. Working outside your comfortable corner can not be the easiest thing to do.

15 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Verovsky Brandão rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leituras-2013

http://verovsky-meninadospoliciais.bl...

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Sep 20, 2008 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, edgar-best-novel-winners, mysteries, books-set-in-england

Carl Sandburg said (in another context) "it pays to have a good forgettery." In this case, a good forgettery allowed me to reread Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE (British title, STORM ISLAND) with every bit as much enjoyment as when I first read it 30 years ago. Also, having recently reread THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, it was fun to compare these two similar, but different, thrillers.

Both books feature multiple points of view -- quite a few of them in Follett's case -- and on both sides of the good gu...more Carl Sandburg said (in another context) "it pays to have a good forgettery." In this case, a good forgettery allowed me to reread Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE (British title, STORM ISLAND) with every bit as much enjoyment as when I first read it 30 years ago. Also, having recently reread THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, it was fun to compare these two similar, but different, thrillers.

Both books feature multiple points of view -- quite a few of them in Follett's case -- and on both sides of the good guy/bad guy divide. Both involve historical events that we know turned out OK, and ask us to imagine a scenario where things could have gone quite differently. The difference in Follett's book is that nearly all the characters are more fully developed. I still found it difficult to work up much sympathy for The Needle, though, and when I found critics (both film and book) talking about his "falling in love" with Lucy, I thought only that they must have a very different idea of love than I have.

The stronger character development in Follett's book makes a lot of artistic sense, since, unlike JACKAL, EYE OF THE NEEDLE must build suspense over a period of four years, from the period just after the Phoney War in 1940, to just before D-Day in 1944. Without the character interest, this might have made for a less engaging story; and the behavior of The Needle, David, and Lucy in the final chapters would not have been as believable.

Reading this now, when Follett has again been on the bestseller lists with WORLD WITHOUT END, his sequel to THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH (both set in the Middle Ages), one notices how he brings his interest in medieval culture and history even into a World War II thriller. For example, he parallels Godliman the medievalist's search for Henry II's travels with Godliman the intelligence agent's search for The Needle.
I haven't seen the movie of this book, but probably will before long. I am reserving judgment on the casting of Donald Sutherland as The Needle -- somehow it just doesn't seem right to me.

In any case, THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE was quite deserving of the Edgar, even though it had some stiff competition, particularly Tony Hillerman's LISTENING WOMAN.

(less)

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Oct 02, 2011 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: espionage, thriller, war, edgar-award, historical-fiction, mwas-top-100-crime-novels, 1970s

This is my first Ken Follett book (much to the disappointment of my wife) but I wanted to tackle something small before attempting on of his epics. Eye of the Needle tells the story of a German master spy ‘The Needle’ and his attempt to uncover the plans of the English army during World War 2 (a few weeks before D-Day). This book was a little light on the espionage and too much focused on the generic thriller formula. I also felt the feeling of World War 2 was missed; this book could have been a...more

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May 22, 2013 Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

To be fair I haven't read it since the 8th grade, so I've no idea how it holds up. But my history teacher, a tall, handsome, broad shouldered man in his mid 30's, who read every day at lunch and seemed to blaze through a book a week, one day pulled me aside and said he thought I'd enjoy reading this. I had a huge crush on him and couldn't believe he'd take the time to recommend a book to any student, let alone me (he was the track and basketball coach and by far favored his athletes. I also had...more

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Aug 06, 2008 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heinrich Faber is Jason Bourne before there was a Jason Bourne. He is a great ani-hero. The book is gritty and you have to keep in mind that you are in the world of the mid 1930s and 40s… to it can be painfully slow… It is not written in a “cool” American style with double back flips and “mind blowing” technology. It is more British, meaning there is a methodical story of detail. within the characters there are a lot of inner emotions. and the story tends to allow for a lot of complaining. But t...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Sonia Gomes rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Every fan of World War II

Shelves: thrillers, fantastic, read-long-ago, world-war-ii

When Faber arrives at Storm Island near Aberdeen, he finds Lucy who lives with her crippled husband and is so very lonely,as her embittered husband has never touched her after marriage. Lucy then embarks on a relationship with Faber, although Faber really 'seems to come to love' someone for the very first time in his life. But in my opinion I do not think Faber is capable of "love" he is trained to look at people as objects and kill immediately when threatened. Both need release from pent up sex...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Tania rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Esta novela tiene lugar en Londres, durante la primera guerra mundial. En los libros de Follet a él le gusta aclarar al principio la parte de ellos que es histórica y lo que es ficción. Empieza diciendo que los Aliados hicieron un trabajo minucioso para que los alemanes no supieran adonde iba a ser el desembarque y para ello fabricaron la mayor decepción en la historia creando todo un escenario que desde el aire pareciera como toda una fuerza masiva de tropas, aviones, divisiones y tanques para...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Bob Price rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ken Follett is best known for his historical fiction such as Pillars of the Earth , and is one of the most successful novelists around today.

This book, Eye of the Needle is one of his earlier works (dating from the late 70s), and while less impressive than some of his other works, still provides an entertaining action story and quick read.

The action centers around a Nazi spy, code named Die Nadel (the Needle), who is attempting to learn the truth about the Allies D-Day Invasion. He needs to get...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Frank Portman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I found this book on the street a couple of days before a flight to Baltimore and I took that as a message from the universe that I should take it along and read it on the plane rather than spending fifteen bucks on a Ruth Rendell or something at an airport bookshop. And I gotta say, the universe had a point in this particular instance. I can't think of a better way to distract yourself from the the fat people spilling out of their seats on either side of you, the screaming baby behind you, and...more I found this book on the street a couple of days before a flight to Baltimore and I took that as a message from the universe that I should take it along and read it on the plane rather than spending fifteen bucks on a Ruth Rendell or something at an airport bookshop. And I gotta say, the universe had a point in this particular instance. I can't think of a better way to distract yourself from the the fat people spilling out of their seats on either side of you, the screaming baby behind you, and the chattering teens in front of you than a good page-turning thriller about sex and Nazis. Six hours just flew by, so to speak.

I was a kid when this was a big blockbuster as a book, and later as a movie starring Donald Sutherland. I do remember the movie, vaguely. I recall the scene where the wife (whose name I have already forgotten -- about which, more later) has to have sex with Donald Sutherland even after learning he's a Nazi spy as being a lot more shocking and emotionally intense on-screen than it was in the book I just read, but that is perhaps because I was young and innocent and still harbored romantic ideas about marriage and such. It was the only scene I really remembered from the movie, which possibly tells you something about me, or it, or both. I would say, though, that Donald Sutherland was probably miscast as the book's self-effacing, ruthlessly-efficient, spy-next-door super-villain. I'll have to see it again to make sure of that, though.

But yeah, as I said, four weeks later I can't remember any of the characters' names or all that much about their characters. Sweet wife, bitter, crippled husband, rumpled academic spy-catcher, cold, calculating Nazi with close-cropped hair and a detached manner, who happens to like chess. I could have told you that just from looking at the cover before reading it, it's true. (And I don't even know if the chess thing was part of it, but I'm sure there was something like that, chess or birdwatching or orchid cultivation. You know the kind of thing I'm talking about.) That's weak "characterization" by definition; and I suppose the prose style wouldn't win any awards for hit-you-over-the-head grace and literariness either. But doing that stuff is nowhere near as difficult or elusive or as impressive as making six hours fly by, and it did that just great. Lots of stars from me, in other words.

It's kind of a weird thing to do to "review" an old best-seller found in the street like that, but I've done weirder. Now that I've done it, I think I'm going to post this as my sole review on goodreads, just because I have this empty account and I think that's kind of funny whether it really is or not. But, in the spirit of internet reviews, let me add:

this book was ridiculous I couldn't get into it and as for England and Germany being in a big huge war that England (!) won, I just wasn't buying it. Also it was terrible how the man treated his wife and wouldn't even kiss her or something, even though they had a baby -- not my idea of a good time. And the guy who kept killing people with his stilettos? Ahem, Mr. Auther man, but I'm pretty sure men didn't start wearing stilettos in Germany till at least the '80s, and certainly not in World War One like he is in the book. It's called research. To sum up, I couldn't relate to any of these people at all, they just seemed old and weird. Sell-back bin.(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Abraham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ken Follett’s Eye of the Needle

Plot:

One enemy spy knows the secret of the Allies greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin -- code name: "The Needle" -- who holds the key to ultimate Nazi victory. Only one person stands in his way: a lonely English woman on an isolated island, who is beginning to the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.

My Review and Thoughts:

Ken Follett is a master at words and capturing those words in a brilliant story of suspense, deception, and...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Cynthia Haggard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ken Follett’s THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE is such a compelling well-written story, that it seems a shame to mention the one weak spot in it, which involves an unbelievable plot twist.

But first, I should like to tell you something about it. The title refers to a German spy who was working behind British lines during the second world war. His nickname is Die Nadel, or the needle, because he is about the only spy that the Germans have working for them who is not a complete amateur.

This seems hard to beli...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Shelves: crime, fiction, novels, popular-fiction, suspense, ultimate-reading-list, mystery

During World War II the Allies went to extraordinary lengths to make the Nazis believe the coming invasion would be at Calais, not Normandy. They used plywood artillery and inflatable dummy tanks and other faux constructions to fool the Nazis from the air. But from the ground these were obvious fakes. Had one German agent been able to get near these dummy forces on the ground, the deception--crucial to the success of D-Day--wouldn't have worked. The premise of this espionage thriller asks, what...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Jake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: espionage

This was a good book that I found difficult to read. Mind you the book itself is not a difficult read at all, Follett plots well and writes good dialogue. It is about as good as anyone who enjoys fast-paced yet well-crafted spy books can anticipate. My difficulty in reading it came due to two reasons:

1. It is remarkably similar to Daniel Silva's "The Unlikely Spy" (although "Needle" came out 20 years earlier), a book I loved. The plots are close but Silva's characters are more developed and nuan...more

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May 11, 2011 Joe Stamber rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, audio

When the radio packed up in my car and I got fed up of listening to music, I came up with the idea of trying an audio book. In all my years of reading, audio is one format I've never tried, so it was a new experience for me. And was I pleased I gave it a chance! My half hour journey to work (same one for 19 years!) was a real drag, but now I almost look forward to taking a steady drive to work while listening to the latest installment. Admittedly, I may have slightly overrated EotN because of my...more

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Apr 02, 2011 JoJo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: edge-of-your-seat

I would have read this book in a day, but I had to work when I started it. However, I did manage to finish it coming home after drinking wine & finishing with Heradura- rather than pass out I managed to complete it. Well Done, Mr Follet, Well Done!!

I loved this book so much, was reading on my nook and I was hooked after page 13. I gave it 5 stars, but I really would have given it 4.5 if I could, only because I would have preferred an alternate ending. Ken Follett is a genius. The whole time...more I would have read this book in a day, but I had to work when I started it. However, I did manage to finish it coming home after drinking wine & finishing with Heradura- rather than pass out I managed to complete it. Well Done, Mr Follet, Well Done!!

I loved this book so much, was reading on my nook and I was hooked after page 13. I gave it 5 stars, but I really would have given it 4.5 if I could, only because I would have preferred an alternate ending. Ken Follett is a genius. The whole time I'm reading this book, an Espionage Thriller set in Britain 1940-44 I'm falling in love and pulling for Henry (Heinnrich) Faber, or 'Die Nadel'- the German spy who has information so vital that this individual could literally cost the war. He has such a strong reputation that the Fuhrer, in the story, personally reads Faber's messages and will trust his information over his own SS commanders. However, the story is about Faber's intelligence, stealth, and seemingly superhuman abilities as he evades the other 2 protagonists in the story: the British investigators reporting directly to Churchill, who are sent to catch him. This is a seemingly impossible task, as Faber is a true professional, has no close contacts, friends, even remaining celibate since 1938 to ensure he's never too careful.

The thing is, Faber is apolitical- you aren't pulling for the SS, you are pulling for the man. In fact, Faber doesn't think much of the Nazis, little more than pigs. The second son of an Aristocrat, he is well connected, and the Fuhrer has even stayed at his family's estate because of his family's socioeconomic and military status. He has no respect for authority, his messages insulting and condescending, but he's driven to do his job mostly due to his loyalty to his country, partly boredom, and part ego: he knows he the best spy the Germans have, which is why he gets away with his insubordination. Even when he kills in cold blood, his reasons seem quite logical in his mind. He avoids it if he can, but he weighs the consequences in his head, and if you pose a threat....well, you'll be dead before you figure out what happened. While he is obsessively independent, incredibly quick thinking, and probably the luckiest bastard ever- the human side of him is what seeps through, which is why I say you fall in love with the SS spy.

I won't report the ending here, but I'm disappointed. I mean, you know who wins the war, but I still was hoping for something different. It was still a good ending, but I have to admit I shook my fist at Mr Follett from across the ocean. I guess that means the book was pretty good! It was also quite unexpected, which I liked, too.(less)

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Mar 16, 2011 Sarai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, suspense

I listened to this on CD. The CD was recorded in 1990 and sometimes sounded as though the reader had walked into a tunnel, kind of muffled. Also, I didn't care for the reader, Graeme Malcolm. Sometimes he would stop reading... and you'd think it was the end... of the paragraph... or starting a new section... and then he would come back... and you'd still be in the same scene. He also read slowly and didn't give a lot toward characterization in voices or accents.

The book, though, I enjoyed. I ha...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Until I started sharing books with my retired father, suspense thrillers about spies weren't my thing at all. After reading Eye of the Needle I'm still not sure if the genre is for me. The book's basic idea is that a German spy must be stopped by MI-5 before he tells Hitler that the massive camp of Allied troops ready to invade Calais is a bluff. As plots go, it's pretty brilliant because it focuses on the limited task of finding and silencing the spy, yet manages to make the consequences hugely...more Until I started sharing books with my retired father, suspense thrillers about spies weren't my thing at all. After reading Eye of the Needle I'm still not sure if the genre is for me. The book's basic idea is that a German spy must be stopped by MI-5 before he tells Hitler that the massive camp of Allied troops ready to invade Calais is a bluff. As plots go, it's pretty brilliant because it focuses on the limited task of finding and silencing the spy, yet manages to make the consequences hugely significant (even Winston Churchill pops up as a character in the book to express his fears for the world if the spy should escape). The weakness of the book is that it's Follett's Big Break book, and following a formula he knew would get him enough money to support his family for years.

The formula is that he separates each section of the book into parts focusing on the spy, MI-5, and people who run into them along the way. As a result, you guess long in advance of our anti-hero, the spy, that he will find himself trapped on a tiny island inhabited by a bitter young amputee and his lonely wife. I would argue that the suspense is limited concerning anything before the point of the book when the spy gets to that island, and that event occurs after the midpoint of the book.

The suspense formula of rotating between characters also has the problem of limiting the development of the characters, particularly Lucy, the lonely island wife. We meet Lucy in the middle of a typical World War II romance--she and David have married the day before he is set to fly in the RAF. After he has lost his legs, she attempts to bridge the distance between them, and raise their child in peace. But despite this back story, Lucy's motivation comes down to badly wanting sex and passionately loving her child. Lucy's character is essentially an EveryWoman of the war; she loves her family, misses intimacy, and does what she has to in order to get by. She's a desperate housewife who by circumstances is interesting. I get the feeling that she could have been interesting, and desperate in circumstances, but that would have required more pages spent on her and less pages spent on spy games.

As characters go, David pulls the short straw. Since he is a less important character than his wife, his actions are only seen through her eyes, and he generates no pathos. (At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm holding a suspense book to too high a standard, but it was hard not to compare David to Finny in A Separate Peace.) The MI-5 guys, Godliman and Bloggs, also don't seem to have enough time in the spotlight.

In fact, since the German spy has the most pages focused on him in the book, he and his cause are, to some extent, more sympathetic than the British. I almost wanted Hitler and his officer core to hear the report that would have indicated that they would be right to fortify Normandy. It's somewhat difficult to make the Germans seem human, even, in World War II stories, let alone unfortunate for their astute logic being thrown away in favor of intelligence briefings. It makes sense for the story to make the spy relatable, but it's a little weird that the British characters get shortchanged compared to the German army. I can't even write off this peculiarity as being the result of an early formula-driven writing effort by Follett.

What I can write off as a final rough spot in the book is the choice not to put a "who, when, where" line before each section of text to clarify which character the focus is on. The first few parts of the book are spread out over years, and although that comes up in the text, a section cheat sheet would have been much easier.

Despite these issues, the book does move well in the second half, and the action scenes read like movies. It's clear that Follett can tell good stories, but this isn't his most sophisticated writing.(less)

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Jan 20, 2011 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Today, most people know Ken Follett as the author of mammoth works of historical fiction. I mean, we’re talking novels that would make War and Peace turn and run like Napoleon’s troops from Moscow. (See what I did there?) It’s a known fact that you can construct a home able to withstand an F5 tornado solely from copies of Pillars of the Earth, World Without End and Fall of Giants. (Note: this house will not have doors, windows, a roof, or the ability to withstand an F5 tornado).

Before he starte...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Was okay - part of the problem was that I accidentally listened the second half of this before the first half. I think it would have been better and more entertaining had I listened to it in the correct order. As it was, all the twists, suspense, etc was ruined for me when I went back to the first half (I will blame this on a combination of Audible which downloads in parts and my ipad on which I listen to my books - as I cannot see the full title [including part 1/part2] for books. Somehow they...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Henry Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ken Follett
Eye of the Needle
New York, Harper Collins, 2010
445 pp. $9.99
978-0-06-202089-5

On June 6, 1944 on the beaches of Normandy, more than 160,000 Allied troops set foot upon the calm beaches of Normandy, a place where, by the end of the assault, would leave more than 4,400 Allies dead and countless more wounded or taken prisoner. The defending side, the Germans, lost between 4,000 and 9,000 of their own, the deaths of their men hurting both sides greatly. Now to think that the answer to chan...more Ken Follett
Eye of the Needle
New York, Harper Collins, 2010
445 pp. $9.99
978-0-06-202089-5

On June 6, 1944 on the beaches of Normandy, more than 160,000 Allied troops set foot upon the calm beaches of Normandy, a place where, by the end of the assault, would leave more than 4,400 Allies dead and countless more wounded or taken prisoner. The defending side, the Germans, lost between 4,000 and 9,000 of their own, the deaths of their men hurting both sides greatly. Now to think that the answer to changing the result of this battle, and subsequently a major factor in who won World War II for the German side was literally held in the hands of a German spy is a frightening thought. "Eye of the Needle" by Ken Follett depicts the daring journey of one of the top German spies, 'The Needle', attempting to escape the United Kingdom after retrieving the plans behind the Normandy assault. Though the ending of the story was partly given away by the fact that one can simply look back in history and see the end result of the war, the unexpected developments in the plot make-up for the lack of a surprising finish.

As I just mentioned, the story was much more than a simple spy story that consisted no more than action and interesting gadgets. Ken Follett successfully found a way to incorporate a romantic side the rather gloomy setting and subject of the novel. The seemingly ruthless, heartless killer that 'The Needle' is supposed to be has, like everyone, a weakness for love. The manner in which that weakness is exposed creates both the deeper, more gentle side to the story, and also another interesting dilemma for the main character; whether to stay with Lucy Rose, the British girl he meets.

There was one major downfall to the novel for me, though for others it might not effect their feelings or experience with the book, was that one could easily already guess what the ending of the book will be. One can say that the fact that the Allies won World War II is common knowledge, and one with knowledge about the attacks on the Normandy beaches knows that the Nazis were not set up in anticipation for the events. Having this knowledge partly made the book less exciting for me as a reader, because I already knew what would happen in the main story plot due to history.

In total, "Eye of the Needle" was a thoroughly exciting piece of historical fiction. Despite the predictable ending, the layered plot effectively told the fascinating story of the German spy, 'The Needle'.(less)

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Sep 08, 2010 Kevin W.j. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ken Follett must be the master of historical fiction. In this example, we're in 1944 Britain following the last German spy still holding to anonymity, and now he's got vital data that would jeopardize the Allies' invasion of France, causing the war to drag on for several more years. He had to break some laws to get the information, finally blowing his cover, and now he's on the run.

Will he get the information back to Berlin? In fact, we know he didn't, because it's all history. That's the vital...more

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Dec 31, 2009 Wendy Welch rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is really sad. What I learned from this book was, when you clean a bookshelf in your bookstore and wind up handling 400 or so pulp thriller war novels, you automatically become interested in that genre for awhile. My husband and I spent the two snowstorm days of extra Christmas vacation cleaning our Westerns,War and Guys with Big Guns section and reshelving them so they can be seen - and thus purchased! Marketing is so simple. And then we packed a box of books and some wine and went down to...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Arun Divakar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Professionalism and emotions are like similar poles of a magnet. No matter how much you try to bring them closer together, they will want to move away from each other. In real life such a coming together is not without its share of disasters. A small thread of what is contained in this story is what I wanted to capture in the lines above. I found this to be a mixed bag, while not entirely an espionage thriller this is an immensely readable book.

The backdrop is quite an interesting one with Germa...more Professionalism and emotions are like similar poles of a magnet. No matter how much you try to bring them closer together, they will want to move away from each other. In real life such a coming together is not without its share of disasters. A small thread of what is contained in this story is what I wanted to capture in the lines above. I found this to be a mixed bag, while not entirely an espionage thriller this is an immensely readable book.

The backdrop is quite an interesting one with Germany & the allies warily circling each other during the decisive phase of WWII. As is expected from such a cliffhanger tale, the outcome of this time depends on a principal character in this story. A very competent German intelligence operative and a pair of spy-catchers on his trail which extends all over London and into a very isolated place in the middle of nowhere. The spy's dilemma comes in when he meets a woman for whom he like a teenager falls for in heads-over-heels love. It is the remaining part of the story that makes it readable. Such a story line has been used and over used in books and movies but I still found this to be enjoyable. One reason for this was that the book moved very quick, it did not drag its feet on dreary details nor did it propose to be anything other than a good page turner.

The hope & never ending hardiness of a nation under war is captured well in this tale.There is a part in the tale when two of the characters come across a shop which has been more or less bombed out. Out a shattered window hangs a hand painted sign More open than usual . Such little observations are aplenty in the book. Ken Follett is a good story teller but one thing that I find in both of his books that I have read is that his characters are not entirely human. This in the sense that they are either purely white or purely black, the sense of grey shades in people are not entirely existent. It was a good page turner but not entirely something that falls into the espionage genre for me.(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Anbu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, ken-follet, books-i-own, espionage

I chose to read Eye of the needle by Ken Follet because there were no Pillars of the Earth copy available in the book shops I had searched. Knowing that Ken Follet was a successful thriller writer before Pillars of the Earth published, I was confident enough the book will not disappoint me and I was right. :)

Eye of the Needle is the story that was set up in the period of second world war with the German Master Spy ‘Die Nadel’ (or ‘The Needle’), MI5 officers Godliman, Bloggs and a young lady Lucy...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was introduced to this book by my father. Ken Follet writes in a style that presents many perspectives and tells you everybody's side of the story. This is a style that i am rather fond of in other authors, so i really enjoyed this book. I also liked this book because it is about WW2, which i love studying because, like Percival Godliman, i really enjoy history.

When i started this book my dad mentioned that i would find myself rooting for both sides, Faber and MI5. I was doubtful because Henr...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Vincent Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars

I first heard of Ken Follett from his book Pillars of the Earth. I have greatly enjoyed that book as well as some of his other more recent novels and figured I would look a little at some of his early works. This book title is one I am actually familiar with from my youth when I was looking up the book Eyes of the Dragon by Steven King and later Eye of the World by Robert Jordan before I knew the name Ken Follett.

This is a World War II based spy story, or at least there seems to be a spy story b...more

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May 20, 2012 Steven Buechler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not a bad little read. Light yet still filled with interesting facts and great descriptions.

Page 295
"The later years of the war had produced a different kind of RAF officer Bloggs thought, as he sat on a soft chair in the scramble room, close to the fire, listening to the rain drumming on the tin roof and intermittenltly dozing. The Battle of Britain pilots had seemed incorrigibly cheerful, with their undergraduate slang, their perpetual drinking, their tirelessness and their cavalier disregard...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Tara Moss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

'She said: ‘Can I have a word with you?’
He seemed to hesitate, then said: ‘I’m undressed.’
‘So am I,’ she giggled, and she opened the door with her duplicate key. He was standing in front of the radio with some kind of screwdriver in his hand. He wore his trousers and no singlet. His face was white and he looked scared to death.
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, not knowing what to say. Suddenly she remembered a line from an American film, and she said: ‘Would you buy a lonely...more 'She said: ‘Can I have a word with you?’
He seemed to hesitate, then said: ‘I’m undressed.’
‘So am I,’ she giggled, and she opened the door with her duplicate key. He was standing in front of the radio with some kind of screwdriver in his hand. He wore his trousers and no singlet. His face was white and he looked scared to death.
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, not knowing what to say. Suddenly she remembered a line from an American film, and she said: ‘Would you buy a lonely girl a drink?’ It was silly, really, because she knew he had no drink in his room, and she certainly wasn’t dressed to go out; but it sounded vampish.
It seemed to have the desired effect. Without speaking, he came slowly towards her. He did have hair on his nipples. She took a step forward and then his arms went around her, and she closed her eyes an turned her face, and he kissed her, and moved slightly in his arms, and then there was a terrible, awful, unbearable sharp pain in her back and she opened her mouth to scream...'

In Eye of the Needle, Follett takes us to 1944, just weeks before D-Day, with the Allies disguising their Normandy invasion plans with false intelligence and a fake armada of thousands of ships and planes. Follett re-imagines this extraordinary moment in history by introducing a master German spy, ‘Die Nadel’ (The Needle). He is formidably brilliant and ruthless. His weapon is the stiletto, and he will kill anyone who gets in his way – including a lonely British landlady who happens upon him at the wrong moment. Die Nadel discovers the Allies secret, and soon the outcome of WWII rests in his hands.
The publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978 marked the beginning of British author Ken Follett’s success as an author. He was only 28 years of age. It won the Edgar Award in 1979 (The coveted annual prize given by the Mystery Writers of America) and was adapted for the screen in 1981. I am not often drawn to spy thrillers, yet I could not put this novel down. Follett has a keen sense of psychology, and the story is peppered with insightful human moments, and a focus on character despite the ‘big picture’ war setting. He is known for meticulous research, and for writing strong female characters. Eye of the Needle has both, plus fascinating wartime detective work to keep any fan of police procedurals riveted.
An impressive thriller.

Watch my interview with Ken Follett for 13th Street here: http://www.13thstreetuniversal.com.au...
Link to official website: http://www.kenfollett.com/

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About Ken Follett

Ken Follett burst onto the book world in 1978 with Eye of the Needle, a taut and original thriller with a memorable woman character in the central role. The book won the Edgar award and became an outstanding film.

He went on to write four more bestselling thrillers: Triple; The Key to Rebecca; The Man from St Petersburg; and Lie Down with Lions.

He also wrote On Wings of Eagles, the true story of ho...more

More about Ken Follett...

Books by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth (The Pillars of the Earth, #1)

World Without End (The Pillars of the Earth, #2)

Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)

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