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16th out of 34 books
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Hornet Flight
by
Ken Follett
Ken Follett follows his bestsellers Jackdaws and Code to Zero with an extraordinary novel of the early days of World War II...
It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut on the German-occupied Danish island of Sande and discovers an astonishing sight that will change the momentum of th...more
It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut on the German-occupied Danish island of Sande and discovers an astonishing sight that will change the momentum of th...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
November 25th 2003
by Signet
(first published January 1st 2002)
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This is a story of the Danish resistance during WWII. The Germans have occupied Denmark, and the police, goaded by the Gestapo, are on the prowl for spies. Harald Olufssen is a student at a boarding school when he gets drunk and paints an anti-Nazi slogan on a kiosk in Denmark. He is led from there to a police interrogation to an active role in the resistance.Hermia Mount is a british daughter of a diplomat who speaks Danish and helps to organize the resistance. Peter Fleming is a Danish boyhood...more
It's early in 1941, and the Luftwaffe is shooting down RAF bombers with frightening accuracy; losses are 50% and higher. No one in the British High Commanc can understand how the Germans are doing it--it's as if they have prior knowledge of where the RAF is going to strike so as to scarmble their fighters at the best possible moment for interception. The British are working on radar but are convinced that the Germans do not have it yet. But the mystery remains--how are the Germans determining...more
Bummer, I read Whiteout (by Follett) two days before reading this book. That was a mistake. Whiteout was a page turner, and so I expected Hornet Flight to be one also. It was not. However, setting that aside, it was an enjoyable historical novel.
I have been enjoying historical novels lately, because they give such a great picture of what "kinda" happened back then. So much more fun than reading a history book.
Hornet Flight is about Denmark during the German occu...more
I have been enjoying historical novels lately, because they give such a great picture of what "kinda" happened back then. So much more fun than reading a history book.
Hornet Flight is about Denmark during the German occu...more
I've been on a Ken Follett kick lately. He writes characters that I like, despite occasionally showing their stock-character seams. This story was especially good - Danish folks getting involved in the Resistance against Nazis, and the Danish police who are torn between doing their duty for their new bosses in funny pants or shirking responsibility. I had put off reading this because I have a hard time, in war stories, reading page upon page of descriptive on planes, trucks, guns, and the tra...more
The story was excellent and I enjoyed reading about WW 2 again in an exciting and engaging book that was taken from the prospective of the Danes instead of the American's and British. The one thing I did not like was all of the sex, it did nothing for the story although it was interesting to watch the progression of Peter's downhill ride as he became more and more obsessed with catching his countrymen who were against the occupation by Germany. As he became more set on power and glory and reco...more
I've read only one other book by Ken Follett. It was Pillars of the Earth and I really enjoyed reading that one. I had high expectations for this and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. It was my first spy novel, so I don't have much to compare it to.
Honestly, it was gripping and well written. The thing I like most about it, was the fact that Follett really does a great job with leaving out the details that your imagination can fill in. Where other authors might tell you all t...more
Honestly, it was gripping and well written. The thing I like most about it, was the fact that Follett really does a great job with leaving out the details that your imagination can fill in. Where other authors might tell you all t...more
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I really enjoy the suspense and fun of Ken Folletts books. The characters and how he spins them together are amazing.
In this novel Harold and his brother Arne are forced to take sides after Denmark is invaded by the Nazi government and Germany. The king hands over the country to invasion and agrees to follow the direction of the Germany goverment. However, fear begins to rise among Arne, Harold and their friends that the Nazis will continue to do what they have done to the Jews in...more
In this novel Harold and his brother Arne are forced to take sides after Denmark is invaded by the Nazi government and Germany. The king hands over the country to invasion and agrees to follow the direction of the Germany goverment. However, fear begins to rise among Arne, Harold and their friends that the Nazis will continue to do what they have done to the Jews in...more
This, like all the Follett books I have read, is a cut above other books of this genre. Along with an entertaining “thriller,” I learned about the early days of Nazi occupation (sadly helped by Danes who admired the “law and order” aspect of Nazism), something of Danish geography, and something of the competency of the Germans in early radar (not completely dominated by the British). I had never looked at a map and discovered Bornholm Island before, and never realized that one had to take a fe...more
This is another classic Ken Follet, a suspenseful historical fiction.
The book was excellent and worth the read, however, it is not an analysis I want to share.
There were a few moments of humor. This was for me, my favorite quote, between a classy English lady Hermia (seperated by war from her fiance) and her would be suitor.
"But you know I have to get in touch with my fiance. He is the only person I can trust to help us."
"Yes"...more
The book was excellent and worth the read, however, it is not an analysis I want to share.
There were a few moments of humor. This was for me, my favorite quote, between a classy English lady Hermia (seperated by war from her fiance) and her would be suitor.
"But you know I have to get in touch with my fiance. He is the only person I can trust to help us."
"Yes"...more
The time is 1941, and British bombers attacking Germany are being blown out of the sky in horrific numbers. How do the Nazis know they're coming? The answer is an infant technology called radar, and the Brits--with help from the Danish Resistance--must figure out how and where the German radar stations operate.
Harald Olufsen, a brainy 18-yearstumbles across a German installation by chance, realising its importance when he meets a member of the early Danish resistance. Harald find a tiny wo...more
Harald Olufsen, a brainy 18-yearstumbles across a German installation by chance, realising its importance when he meets a member of the early Danish resistance. Harald find a tiny wo...more
I've read a handful of Follett titles, including historical novels and WWII thrillers, and it is the latter that I enjoy much more. Not quite up to the mark set by The Key to Rebecca and Eye of the Needle, Hornet Flight is nevertheless a breathless ride across Denmark with a small group of both committed and accidental spies trying their best to obtain and then smuggle out of the country photos of a German radar installation.
We are led to believe that the knowledge thus gained by the...more
We are led to believe that the knowledge thus gained by the...more
HORNET FLIGHT by Ken Follett is 416 pages in paperback form and 10 cassettes 1 1/2 hours each in audio form. I listened to this one and it was narrated by John Lee.
Brief Description:
It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Somehow, the Germans are anticipating the RAF's flight paths and shooting down British bombers with impunity. Meanwhile, across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut on the German-occupied Danish is-land of Sande...more
Brief Description:
It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Somehow, the Germans are anticipating the RAF's flight paths and shooting down British bombers with impunity. Meanwhile, across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut on the German-occupied Danish is-land of Sande...more
Who woulda thunk that I'd be reading a war story and enjoying it? Hornet Flight takes place during WWII with just the right mix of character development and technical military information. The story held me spellbound from page one and I'm not even a GUY, lol. I've always been somewhat of a history buff, but happily skipped the study of any of the more current wars. Follett's book proves once again that any type of history is fascinating if it is presented properly. I felt like I wasn't jus...more
World War II, England is against the wall; in 1941 they were all that was left to stand against Nazi Germany. Bombing runs were proving futile as more and more planes were lost. In the east the Russian army was reeling from the German invasion, something had to be done. England was organizing a massive bombardment of German territories but need an edge to make the plan work.
Hornet Flight, written by Ken Follett, was a good story; this is the fourth book I’ve read by Follett. I like...more
Hornet Flight, written by Ken Follett, was a good story; this is the fourth book I’ve read by Follett. I like...more
I listened to the audiobook version narrated by John Lee.
The story is the kind of WWII-era spy-thriller Follett is known for. I was hoping it would involve something of the amazing true story of how nearly all the Jews in Denmark escaped Nazi persecution. But the action precedes those events. It involves the attempt by young people, drawn into the Resistance, to smuggle top-secret military secrets out of the country and into the hands of the British.
Follett always attempt...more
The story is the kind of WWII-era spy-thriller Follett is known for. I was hoping it would involve something of the amazing true story of how nearly all the Jews in Denmark escaped Nazi persecution. But the action precedes those events. It involves the attempt by young people, drawn into the Resistance, to smuggle top-secret military secrets out of the country and into the hands of the British.
Follett always attempt...more
Completely satisfying!!!!
All of it blended well like in Seizure but this is more of a page-turner compared to seizure though I both liked them!
These ideas weren't what I usually read but after I read them, I'm inspired to read more of the books/novels I don't usually go for!
The characters managed their roles well and now, I realize how Harry Potter must have felt when he held triumph yet wasn't that bragging about it because in this book, the main character of...more
All of it blended well like in Seizure but this is more of a page-turner compared to seizure though I both liked them!
These ideas weren't what I usually read but after I read them, I'm inspired to read more of the books/novels I don't usually go for!
The characters managed their roles well and now, I realize how Harry Potter must have felt when he held triumph yet wasn't that bragging about it because in this book, the main character of...more
This is my 6th novel by Ken Follett. He has written a total of 19 novels and I already have in my possession, 17 of those. I think that I am collecting his novels because I also want to be "loyal to a brand." Yes, just like ice cream but I am not eating double dutch one scoop after the other; I also go for variety so I also try reading fiction works of other authors writing in formulas. Examples of this are John Grisham, Elizabeth Mayer and how can I forget the master of them all Nicho...more
We're slowly knocking off Follett's booklist, having been wowed to say the least by the "Pillars" stories. "Flight" is one of his more classic spy stories, set in Denmark, during the middle of WWII as England was reeling from devastating bomber losses trying to attack Germany, while the Nazi's had just invaded Russia. The leading man, Harald Olufsen, just 18 years old, becomes part of the Resistance as he literally stumbles across a German radar setup and later sketches it ...more
I just can't get myself to like Ken Follett's novels in any way. (I got this book for Christmas as a surprise.) I just don't like how obsessed his male characters are with sex and how the constantly think about going to bed with one of the (as usual) weak female characters. I know, some men probably do think like that, but really, this doesn't mean I want to read about it in a book. The plot is also a bit Gary Stu-ish and the ending is completely rushed. I also could have done without the techno...more
Good rather than great, Follett has definitely written more creative and sharp-edged espionage novels. However, this is still a good read - very well paced and characters you want to succeed - all told within a (mostly) believable framework. It is set mainly in Denmark shortly after the German occupation early in WW2. The Germans are in that period of the war when they seemed unstoppable as they declare war on Russia and dominate the skies over Western Europe. By the end of the war the Danish re...more
This was an historical novel that was hard to put down. It was interesting to learn that there were Nazi sympathizers in Denmark. I have always heard how the Danes wore armbands to support their fellow residents who were Jewish, but hadn't considered the possibility of other sentiments. This novel is set in this environment where the Nazi sympathizers and the resistance faction form a suspenseful background. The main plot is of the effort to get photos of a military instalation to England to ...more
Nuno Ribeiro
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Nuno by:
Estela
Shelves:
romance-histórico,
policial
Este livro de Ken Follet reflecte a mestria deste autor na construção de histórias absorventes em torno de factos históricos. Neste livro, a narrativa desenrola-se em torno da resistência Dinamarquesa durante a 2ª Grande Guerra Mundial. Trata-se de um livro que aborda antes de mais a espionagem, mas realizada de uma forma não-convencional. A escrita é fluída e a estrutura do livro facilita o acompanhamento da narrativa por parte do leitor. O aspecto central da história, que assenta em factos ver...more
I really enjoyed this book. I've been bouncing back and forth between Dan Silva and Ken Follett spy novels recently and love these two writers. Particularly this book as it mixes WWII espionage and resistance in Denmark with a nice little love story. Ken throws up many interesting obstacles that his protagonists have to overcome and is good at writing character motives and duplicities. I need to find another writer along the vain of these two as I'm quickly exhausting both their catalogs. A...more
After the mesmerizing combination of fact, history, suspense, and romance that Ken Follet wove together in The Pillars of the Earth I was rather disappointed by the singular plat and hastily sketched characters of Flight of the Hornet. Even the burning need to get the secret information to the Britishers on time was downplayed by an unclear timeline and a late arrival of the ultimatum. In Jackdaws, Follet immediately made the reader aware of the enormosity and vital importance of the task at ...more
Based during the era of Nazi-Germany, a tale describing more on the Danish Resistance which was very interesting as history doesn't seem to focus on the other forces trying to help stop the Nazis. A story involving spies, lovers, and the young people who laid their lives on the line and died at the hands of the Gestapo-martyrs lost to a bloody conflict that in truth toils with the souls of the people who lived through the madness. And the children who bear the silence of the past that changes th...more
La Petite Américaine
rated it
Recommends it for:
People Who Don't Have Cable TV and / or a Brain
Recommended to La Petite Américaine by:
The "Sale" sticker on the book
Shelves:
meh-whatever
This book is just another something cranked out for mass market publishing to be devoured by the page-turning idiots of the world.
I wouldn't care if this were a book by Grisham or Clancey, because I'd know what to expect. This book pisses me off in particular because Ken Follett did it. I mean, come one. The guy knows how to write, Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were fucking amazing. If he just puts some damn effort into it, he writes great stuff. But this was a churned ...more
I wouldn't care if this were a book by Grisham or Clancey, because I'd know what to expect. This book pisses me off in particular because Ken Follett did it. I mean, come one. The guy knows how to write, Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were fucking amazing. If he just puts some damn effort into it, he writes great stuff. But this was a churned ...more
I listen to page-turners because it's summer and because I have to stay awake as I drive and drive and drive. Living out in the boonies gives me ample opportunity to listen to lots of books as I have to drive long distances for nearly everything. ~ I've never read Follet's work before, but heard he's just about mastered the art of writing historical fiction. I don't know that I'd go that far, but Hornet Flight was an action-packed read that took me to WWII occupied Denmark where I met Danes that...more
Disappointing. Ken Follet is one of my favorite authors and I am an avid fan of historical fiction, especially anything aviation, world war II, or espionage. I thought this book would be an instant favorite. Although it is written masterfully as only Follet can do, the context/plot just isn't there. I feel the story could have been told in 75 pages. It's almost as if the rest of the book is excess weight- padding- to give the book that 'classic' feel that Follet normally does so well.
It's hard to beat Follett for action, although this one gets a little tedious as he describes every step getting the old Hornet to fly. This is an unlikely tale of two teenagers from Denmark who must get photographs of a Nazi radar station to England in the early days of WWII when British flyers were suffering 50% losses. The novel does bring into play the sacrifices made by the underground groups. Follett does warn in a preface that some of the events described were true.
fast..thrilling...among the best romantic-thrillers I have read...Follett keeps you guessing...and the book is so gripping and fast that you almost feel like wishing to see through the pages in one go to know what happened...and the best part is that the romantic side of the story doesnt seem like it has been appended to the whole plot just for it to be there...it fits all so naturally and seamlessly that you will the story just could not have been possible without it.
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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 Eagl...more
More about Ken Follett...
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 Eagl...more
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