What do you think?
Rate this book
Maddox #1
When Eagles Burn
September 1944.
Germany is being pushed back across Europe but the war is not yet won. A fanatical group within the Nazi hierarchy is determined to do whatever is necessary to tip the balance in the Fatherland's favour.
Their plan? Pinpoint guided V2 rockets.
From across the seas, the Nazis will be able to hit a specific location with a large enough warhead to guarantee precision assassinations.
Their first Winston Churchill.
Captain Maddox is a veteran of Britain's Special Operations Executive.
He is sent behind enemy lines to Finland thwart this new menace.
But finding and stopping the Germans is just the first problem among many. Will the local Finns, battling Soviet Russia, greet him as friend or foe?
And what of the Red Army, who want the technology for themselves?
Worse still, Maddox quickly realises not everyone on his team wants him to make it through the war alive.
"When Eagles Burn" is the electrifying first book in the Maddox series.
A fast-paced thriller in the style of Alistair MacLean, Jack Higgins and Clive Cussler.
"Another masterful thriller from Jack Hayes. A precision guided bomb explodes in London, throwing the British high command into disarray. But the threat comes not from Nazi Germany but from the trackless wastes and endless winter night of occupied Finland. A team of hand-picked soldiers is parachuted into the area with the most specific instructions and one simple objective. But facing the armed might of both the Nazis and the Red Army isn't their only problem – they have a traitor in their ranks, a man with his own very different agenda. A gripping tale of heroism and treachery." -- James Becker, author of "The Lost Testament"
"A cracking read!" -- Roger Hurn, author of "Business is Murder"
"A thriller in a class of its own!" -- Matt Lynn, author of the "Black Ops" series.
Germany is being pushed back across Europe but the war is not yet won. A fanatical group within the Nazi hierarchy is determined to do whatever is necessary to tip the balance in the Fatherland's favour.
Their plan? Pinpoint guided V2 rockets.
From across the seas, the Nazis will be able to hit a specific location with a large enough warhead to guarantee precision assassinations.
Their first Winston Churchill.
Captain Maddox is a veteran of Britain's Special Operations Executive.
He is sent behind enemy lines to Finland thwart this new menace.
But finding and stopping the Germans is just the first problem among many. Will the local Finns, battling Soviet Russia, greet him as friend or foe?
And what of the Red Army, who want the technology for themselves?
Worse still, Maddox quickly realises not everyone on his team wants him to make it through the war alive.
"When Eagles Burn" is the electrifying first book in the Maddox series.
A fast-paced thriller in the style of Alistair MacLean, Jack Higgins and Clive Cussler.
"Another masterful thriller from Jack Hayes. A precision guided bomb explodes in London, throwing the British high command into disarray. But the threat comes not from Nazi Germany but from the trackless wastes and endless winter night of occupied Finland. A team of hand-picked soldiers is parachuted into the area with the most specific instructions and one simple objective. But facing the armed might of both the Nazis and the Red Army isn't their only problem – they have a traitor in their ranks, a man with his own very different agenda. A gripping tale of heroism and treachery." -- James Becker, author of "The Lost Testament"
"A cracking read!" -- Roger Hurn, author of "Business is Murder"
"A thriller in a class of its own!" -- Matt Lynn, author of the "Black Ops" series.
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2015
276 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Jack Hayes
8 books267 followersJack Hayes is a journalist for one of the world's largest news companies. He has reported from Ethiopia, Mozambique, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and many others.
When he's not reporting or writing novels, he enjoys music, reading, Italian cuisine and spending time with his two-year-old son.
For the latest on his upcoming books, join the official Jack Hayes twitter feed:
http://www.twitter.com/jackhayesauthor
When he's not reporting or writing novels, he enjoys music, reading, Italian cuisine and spending time with his two-year-old son.
For the latest on his upcoming books, join the official Jack Hayes twitter feed:
http://www.twitter.com/jackhayesauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 19, 2020
An action packed and fast paced novel of World War 2 written by an author that knows his stuff about weapons and equipment of the war. That being said, it was like reading Commando-comics, just without the illustrations. I highly doubt it if I would continue with the Maddox-series and would rather dig out my old comics instead.
October 3, 2015
fast-paced, well researched, intelligently written WWII action. For fans of 'Guns of Navarrone' and 'Where Eagles Dare'.
November 1, 2015
I loved the set-up and initial opening scenes to this book, but from there it just went downhill. The writing is often clumsy and packed with badly-worded sentences. And as if that wasn't enough, there were far too many spelling and grammatical mistakes. I got about one-third of the way through, hoping it would improve, but it didn't, so I gave up. In fact, it's only due to my early enthusiasm that I even bothered to write a review. Enough.
September 10, 2015
Jack Hayes has created a thoroughly masterful hero in Maddox. A clever story that grips you from the beginning and rip-roars its way to the final climactic end like a hot knife through butter. Thoroughly enjoyable escapism that once started, is quite difficult to put down.
June 28, 2021
I’m sure if I was twelve or under, I would have found the story entertaining. Being sixty, it is far from that.
Mr. Hayes says he’s a journalist for “one of the world's largest news companies.” Really? I hope they have a good editing staff because this story is in serious need of a top-notch editor. Way too many misspelled or missing words. Writing a book is not a race.
The plot had promise but like the V2 rocket in the first chapter, it missed the marked for seasoned readers. The Germans have developed the Helix, which is a guided missile system. When the device is properly placed, a V2 will hone in on the signal and strike the desired target within twenty yards. For this era, that is remarkable accuracy. Yet, the box is moved and the rocket misses it’s target by fifty yards. Based on that, it isn’t a pinpoint device as the author would have us believe.
The British recover the device and find out the key component is a blue diamond and there is only one place they come from, Petsamo, Finland. The Germans are mining it, The Russians and British want to stop them. Think of “Ice Station Zebra” when the Americans and Russians are converging on a downed satellite. The difference, the later was well written.
The comic book, “Sgt. Rock,” was more believable than this.
The final scene is so farcical, I have no words.
Glad it was free
Two stars
Mr. Hayes says he’s a journalist for “one of the world's largest news companies.” Really? I hope they have a good editing staff because this story is in serious need of a top-notch editor. Way too many misspelled or missing words. Writing a book is not a race.
The plot had promise but like the V2 rocket in the first chapter, it missed the marked for seasoned readers. The Germans have developed the Helix, which is a guided missile system. When the device is properly placed, a V2 will hone in on the signal and strike the desired target within twenty yards. For this era, that is remarkable accuracy. Yet, the box is moved and the rocket misses it’s target by fifty yards. Based on that, it isn’t a pinpoint device as the author would have us believe.
The British recover the device and find out the key component is a blue diamond and there is only one place they come from, Petsamo, Finland. The Germans are mining it, The Russians and British want to stop them. Think of “Ice Station Zebra” when the Americans and Russians are converging on a downed satellite. The difference, the later was well written.
The comic book, “Sgt. Rock,” was more believable than this.
The final scene is so farcical, I have no words.
Glad it was free
Two stars
August 5, 2015
Wonderful prequel to the Maddox series of novels. The author spares no detail and clearly understands the WWII action genre. Quick paced and well written.
June 27, 2021
While the book is non-stop action and drives the story along, the main drawback is poor character development. Additionally, in the early part of the story, scenes flip rapidly from one location to the next. The reader gets just enough context to be introduced to new characters, but then the scene shifts to a new location or set of characters, leaving the reader confused as to who is who and what is going on where. Once the plot does unfold, scenes move quickly where characters are introduced and then fade out never to be heard from again. In other cases, characters that don't fade away do superhuman feats in the face of amazing odds, in spite of their lack of expertise and training for the unique Arctic setting. Even by the end of the story, I was still confused as to who some of the characters were. Unlike so many other spy stories set during the Nazi era, in which characters have breadth and depth and a strong sense of purpose, this story's main theme is to stop the bad guys amidst as much grit, bravado, and action as possible. I'll stick to the former kinds of stories.
November 10, 2018
Not a bad World War II thriller at all, but just very different than what I'm used to
March 12, 2018
The main reason for choosing this book was the premise of a behind enemy lines project requiring courage and audacity. This the book certainly had in abundance, along with hints of the film "The Heroes of Telemark" starring Kirk Douglas many years ago. Maddox and his chosen team, very experienced in hot weather climates, are instructed to drop into Finland (not particularly warm) along with another team seconded to him by rheir co-ordinator, a team that Maddox does not fully trust. They are seeking to prevent the acquisition of very rare blue diamonds that can be used to improve the accuracy of V2 rockets. The Germans are mining in an area being gradually take over by the Russians, with Finnish Freedom Fighters thrown in for good measure. At times some do not know quite who their enemies might be, and with a traitor thrown in to complicate the issue, it pounds along with great pace, much violence, death and destruction. However, some of the action scenes take a great deal of following, and there are quite a few that stretch one's incredulity quite significantly. I did find it a little difficult to visualise what was going on at times and as this is of much importance to me when reading, I have had to mark the book down, whilst also making the decision that there may be more adventures to follow, I am not likely to be following up on them.
February 2, 2021
This is an easy to read story set in WWII and features a commando raid on a mine in Finland being used by Germany to hunt for blue diamonds which are key to the production of a new weapon. There is also a subplot of member(s) of the commando team being used to spy on (and possibly plot against) the leader, Captain Maddox.
The action scenes are well crafted and the overall story hangs together quite well. The climatic struggle of Maddox to bring down the small plane being used by the escaping commander of the mine gets a little too unbelievable and impractical (to say the least). Also the final showdown with the senior officer who planned the raid also suffers from a lack of realism as even with my limited understanding of the way the service men and women behave towards senior officers is nothing like what happens in the story.
I am leaving an open mind as to whether or not to read more by the author or note. If I come across others I might pick them up rather then actively seeking them out.
The action scenes are well crafted and the overall story hangs together quite well. The climatic struggle of Maddox to bring down the small plane being used by the escaping commander of the mine gets a little too unbelievable and impractical (to say the least). Also the final showdown with the senior officer who planned the raid also suffers from a lack of realism as even with my limited understanding of the way the service men and women behave towards senior officers is nothing like what happens in the story.
I am leaving an open mind as to whether or not to read more by the author or note. If I come across others I might pick them up rather then actively seeking them out.
May 28, 2016
This is the first book in the "Maddox" series. It took me back to my younger years when the staple reading material for a group of lads was either the Victor comics or the Commando pocket books. It begins well with a secret German device being used to try and target Winston Churchill. An essential component of which are blue diamonds. Captain Maddox and his team are tasked with disrupting operations at the Finnish diamond mine, where these gems can be found. There is plenty of action, and skullduggery throughout, although the climax is a bit too Boy's Own'ish.
Nevertheless, an intriguing start to a new series from an author who I am not familiar with. I shall be looking out for the further adventures of Captain Maddox and his intrepid band.
Nevertheless, an intriguing start to a new series from an author who I am not familiar with. I shall be looking out for the further adventures of Captain Maddox and his intrepid band.
October 30, 2015
What a fabulous read, I'm a war thriller novice and I absolutely loved this book. It's beautifully paced with detail and substance throughout and builds to a great crescendo of action at the end. Jack Hayes writes battle scenes so well you feel every spray of gross blood and the torturous brutality of being in a war.
The characters are developed and engaging and, like any great series, it makes you eager to discover more about them. This is the beginning of a series about Maddox and I'm looking forward to reading more. It's a fun filled action packed adventure and it's five star from me. Loved it.
The characters are developed and engaging and, like any great series, it makes you eager to discover more about them. This is the beginning of a series about Maddox and I'm looking forward to reading more. It's a fun filled action packed adventure and it's five star from me. Loved it.
October 25, 2015
Excellent book and it took me way back to my late childhood when I read Warlord comics, Commando books and then into my early adulthood when I read most of Alistair Maclean's books.
A fast paced and full of action World War 2 story, well written and I look forward to reading more of Captain Maddox's adventures.
A fast paced and full of action World War 2 story, well written and I look forward to reading more of Captain Maddox's adventures.
February 24, 2020
In a time before editors...
A quick, easy read. Nothing ground breaking and maybe a little too "much" at times, but desperately needs an editor just for spelling errors alone. I can't recall this many typos in a book in quite some time. Sadly, they often come at key points in the story that drag you right out of it as your mind tries and make sense of the mess you just read.
A quick, easy read. Nothing ground breaking and maybe a little too "much" at times, but desperately needs an editor just for spelling errors alone. I can't recall this many typos in a book in quite some time. Sadly, they often come at key points in the story that drag you right out of it as your mind tries and make sense of the mess you just read.
October 4, 2015
Silly and shallow but lots of fun, a brisk WW2 thriller with lots of two fisted action and derring-do
October 15, 2015
Enjoyable war time story
October 21, 2015
Following a group of commandos, and their raid on a diamond mine in Finland. A great war book.
December 11, 2022
Spoilers ahead.
Edit: I ended up finishing the book and changed my rating to 4 stars from 1 (actually 3.5 stars but maths tells me 0.5 always rounds up). So what changed my mind?
For one thing, the writing was easy to read and flowed well. I followed along the mission and it was all action from there. There were no slow parts. Sure, you have to suspend belief on some of the action but that's ok, I already knew that. After I got over that, it was just natural to keep reading.
There's no guile in the book, not much, actually not any deep thought. The mission itself was kind of an after thought to all the shooting. It was like a comic book or action movie, but just in a book. People shot and killed each other with abandon, tanks got blown up comic book style, tactics were dumb, good guys lived and bad guys died. And it was a very quick read, I finished it in a couple of hours after I put it down the first time.
I gave it 3.5 stars because it was a good bit of comic action and I enjoyed it. I probably won't continue on the series but it was a good couple of hours reading.
------------ Old review below:
1 star = I did not like it by GR's rating system. Spoilers ahead.
Sorry but I had to dnf this because the tactics were so unrealistic. I came to the part of the book where the Germans are sending reinforcements to a mining operation deep in Finland. They send a Tiger II, 3 Hanomags and 2 trucks. First of all, I would not send a single Tiger. It's a heavy tank, to be used against other tanks. Logistics being what it was, it would be a nightmare getting a single Tiger there. I would just send a PaK gun or two and Panzerfausts; a mobile tank would not be needed to defend, you'd probably have to entrench it anyway in a defensive position.
Secondly the lieutenant in the Tiger was supposed to be commanding the detachment, and assuredly he would not be - he's just a tank commander. Furthermore the German convoy didn't have a scout in front. And lastly the Hanomags went after guys on skis in the woods, which is patently impossible. I had to stop reading after that part.
Apart from all that, the premise was ok. The Brits send a small party of men to destroy a mining operation in Finland where they have to fight the Germans and maybe the Finns and Russians. The other thing I didn't like were the different POVs, though this is probably the one time it would be ok. But the writing, and the character buildup and depiction were a bit amateurish. I just didn't want to spend any more time on it.
Edit: I ended up finishing the book and changed my rating to 4 stars from 1 (actually 3.5 stars but maths tells me 0.5 always rounds up). So what changed my mind?
For one thing, the writing was easy to read and flowed well. I followed along the mission and it was all action from there. There were no slow parts. Sure, you have to suspend belief on some of the action but that's ok, I already knew that. After I got over that, it was just natural to keep reading.
There's no guile in the book, not much, actually not any deep thought. The mission itself was kind of an after thought to all the shooting. It was like a comic book or action movie, but just in a book. People shot and killed each other with abandon, tanks got blown up comic book style, tactics were dumb, good guys lived and bad guys died. And it was a very quick read, I finished it in a couple of hours after I put it down the first time.
I gave it 3.5 stars because it was a good bit of comic action and I enjoyed it. I probably won't continue on the series but it was a good couple of hours reading.
------------ Old review below:
1 star = I did not like it by GR's rating system. Spoilers ahead.
Sorry but I had to dnf this because the tactics were so unrealistic. I came to the part of the book where the Germans are sending reinforcements to a mining operation deep in Finland. They send a Tiger II, 3 Hanomags and 2 trucks. First of all, I would not send a single Tiger. It's a heavy tank, to be used against other tanks. Logistics being what it was, it would be a nightmare getting a single Tiger there. I would just send a PaK gun or two and Panzerfausts; a mobile tank would not be needed to defend, you'd probably have to entrench it anyway in a defensive position.
Secondly the lieutenant in the Tiger was supposed to be commanding the detachment, and assuredly he would not be - he's just a tank commander. Furthermore the German convoy didn't have a scout in front. And lastly the Hanomags went after guys on skis in the woods, which is patently impossible. I had to stop reading after that part.
Apart from all that, the premise was ok. The Brits send a small party of men to destroy a mining operation in Finland where they have to fight the Germans and maybe the Finns and Russians. The other thing I didn't like were the different POVs, though this is probably the one time it would be ok. But the writing, and the character buildup and depiction were a bit amateurish. I just didn't want to spend any more time on it.
June 3, 2024
Late in 1944 Germany is on the verge of defeat. However, when a group discover a way to precision guide V2 rockets onto targets, they suddenly have a potential war-saving weapon. They could suddenly target the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the Royal Family, or anyone else they chose.
SOE veteran Captain Maddox is sent on a mission to Finland to stop the machines at source – a special mineral is needed to make it work. With the Germans and Finns ostensibly on one side, and apparent allies Russia on the other, can Maddox and his team battle their way through the mutually distrustful groups and succeed in stopping German plans?
This is not a bad thriller. It is very short, under 200 pages, but it romps along at a cracking pace. In fact, there is little but action as you move from one set piece to another. Mr. Hayes does like his countdowns – 80 yards, 70 yards, 60 yards etc., and Maddox is all but a superman, but an enjoyable, quick yarn.
SOE veteran Captain Maddox is sent on a mission to Finland to stop the machines at source – a special mineral is needed to make it work. With the Germans and Finns ostensibly on one side, and apparent allies Russia on the other, can Maddox and his team battle their way through the mutually distrustful groups and succeed in stopping German plans?
This is not a bad thriller. It is very short, under 200 pages, but it romps along at a cracking pace. In fact, there is little but action as you move from one set piece to another. Mr. Hayes does like his countdowns – 80 yards, 70 yards, 60 yards etc., and Maddox is all but a superman, but an enjoyable, quick yarn.
September 5, 2021
This story follows the war-time actions of a team of veteran soldiers who are battle-tested in jungle warfare. The need for their special skills is great, but they are sent into action in an arctic environment for which they are so unaccustomed to that it seems they are being set up deliberately for failure. The situation on the ground in WWII Finland makes the official definitions ally or foe meaningless, especially when they have to look over their own shoulders. The plot is taut, and the characters and scene descriptions believable. You can really feel you are part of the hot action in the frozen North. This is a great story that kept my interest throughout.
April 5, 2020
Good war story
I chose a five star rating because it's my kind of book . The author got on with the story straight from page 1. No elaborate waffling about the character 's or unnecessary describing about the scenery, clothing etc & no love interest.
I chose a five star rating because it's my kind of book . The author got on with the story straight from page 1. No elaborate waffling about the character 's or unnecessary describing about the scenery, clothing etc & no love interest.
May 21, 2021
Eagles Burn
A great read about the Germans, Russians, Finns and the British in a conflict in northern Finland during WWII. The whole book is very realistic. Look forward to reading the next novel in this series.
A great read about the Germans, Russians, Finns and the British in a conflict in northern Finland during WWII. The whole book is very realistic. Look forward to reading the next novel in this series.
February 8, 2023
An Old-School, High Octane Ride
If this was a movie, it would be in black and white. SOE commandos take on the Germans and the Russians in Finland with a traitor among them. I love stories like this but I still love black and white films too. This was a quick, satisfying read.
If this was a movie, it would be in black and white. SOE commandos take on the Germans and the Russians in Finland with a traitor among them. I love stories like this but I still love black and white films too. This was a quick, satisfying read.
February 25, 2023
Brought back childhood memories
As a youngster, I regularly bought the Commando comic, this book by Hayes is a full blown walk down memory lane, brilliant, great likeable characters, and some not so. If like me you enjoy tales from WW2 this is up your street.
As a youngster, I regularly bought the Commando comic, this book by Hayes is a full blown walk down memory lane, brilliant, great likeable characters, and some not so. If like me you enjoy tales from WW2 this is up your street.
January 5, 2019
A surprisingly good read.
March 10, 2020
Diamonds for no one
Good story but a bit far fetched
Well written with plenty of action
Good read for a book of fiction
Good story but a bit far fetched
Well written with plenty of action
Good read for a book of fiction
January 4, 2021
very clichéd and very stiff upper lip, but not a hard read and with a bit of depth and back story at the end
June 30, 2021
Riveting read!
From start to finish full of sudden unexpected surprises. Love WW11 stories, and this one did not disappoint. Short but explodingbwith action.
From start to finish full of sudden unexpected surprises. Love WW11 stories, and this one did not disappoint. Short but explodingbwith action.
May 18, 2022
.
Good book.
.
Good book.
.
July 1, 2022
Very easy to read yarn. Classic hero and dead guy formula. Enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews