What do you think?
Rate this book
Loyalties: A Novel of World War II
Assigned to Spain as an intelligence officer, Lieutenant Commander Jonathan Talbot meets a beautiful, idealistic member of the German anti-Nazi movement and falls into a web of espionage. By the author of Time and Tide. $30,000 ad/promo.
574 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Thomas Fleming
128 books150 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Thomas James Fleming was an historian and historical novelist, with a special interest in the American Revolution. He was born in 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a World War I hero who was a leader in Jersey City politics for three decades. Before her marriage, his mother, Katherine Dolan Fleming, was a teacher in the Jersey City Public School System.
After graduating from St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, Fleming spent a year in the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor's degree, with honors, from Fordham University in 1950. After brief stints as a newspaperman and magazine editor, he became a full-time writer in 1960. His first history book, Now We Are Enemies, an account of the Battle of Bunker Hill, was published that same year. It was a best-seller, reviewed in more than 75 newspapers and featured as a main selection of the Literary Guild.
Fleming published books about various events and figures of the Revolutionary era. He also wrote about other periods of American history and wrote over a dozen well-received novels set against various historical backgrounds. He said, "I never wanted to be an Irish American writer, my whole idea was to get across that bridge and be an American writer".
Fleming died at his home in New York City on July 23, 2017, at the age of 90.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 28, 2018
Suggestion: Read ARMAGEDDON by Mr. Leon Uris immediately following the present read.
Read the author's blog and other readers' reviews to find what the book was about. The book is an accurate and a thorough account of World War ll in Europe as told through four imaginary characters and a host of real characters and events.
The author's mechanics of good writing were excellent. He makes the book so easy to read by giving a new paragraph to each person's speech and each change of subject. My copy of the book had no right hand justification enabling me rely on grammar signals that I was taught in school long ago. I urge historical fiction readers to make this book their next important read.
Thank you, Mr. Fleming, for a good read.
Read the author's blog and other readers' reviews to find what the book was about. The book is an accurate and a thorough account of World War ll in Europe as told through four imaginary characters and a host of real characters and events.
The author's mechanics of good writing were excellent. He makes the book so easy to read by giving a new paragraph to each person's speech and each change of subject. My copy of the book had no right hand justification enabling me rely on grammar signals that I was taught in school long ago. I urge historical fiction readers to make this book their next important read.
Thank you, Mr. Fleming, for a good read.
July 19, 2013
This is historical fiction centering on America's involvement and refusal to work with the German resistance during WWII. This is not a war book, not a blood and guts combat book. It is historically accurate, using many actual characters and events. It has two strong female as well as two male leads, romantically and otherwise linked throughout the book.
It is historically accurate, continuously intertwining actual events and characters with its fictional characters, but never gets dry, slow, or preachy. Because of its historical accuracy, it left me frustrated with Roosevelt's intransigence in refusing to even accept contact from the (very historically real) German resistance. FDR's goal was the infamous Morgenthau plan to destroy Germany and starve it's population, destroying all industry, and leaving any survivors dependent on subsistence agriculture. This is the reason German fought desperately to the end as they did, with many thousands of American and German deaths as a result.
The book's faithful use of actual historical as the setting also makes one realize what a disastrous president FDR was. He not only used policy to sustain the Great Depression over a decade, but also possibly unnecessarily killing thousands of our soldiers in the D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, and final push into Germany.
It is historically accurate, continuously intertwining actual events and characters with its fictional characters, but never gets dry, slow, or preachy. Because of its historical accuracy, it left me frustrated with Roosevelt's intransigence in refusing to even accept contact from the (very historically real) German resistance. FDR's goal was the infamous Morgenthau plan to destroy Germany and starve it's population, destroying all industry, and leaving any survivors dependent on subsistence agriculture. This is the reason German fought desperately to the end as they did, with many thousands of American and German deaths as a result.
The book's faithful use of actual historical as the setting also makes one realize what a disastrous president FDR was. He not only used policy to sustain the Great Depression over a decade, but also possibly unnecessarily killing thousands of our soldiers in the D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, and final push into Germany.
June 8, 2018
Although this book did not grab my attention and not let go, I learned a lot of political history concerning America and WW2, which is what jacked up my rating to a 4. I couldn’t ‘fall for’ the characters, but appreciated the more realistic picture of our involvement in the War. As a Baby Boomer, I grew up on the white-washed history of ‘White Cowboy Hat America’ rescuing the World from Nazi Germany and then from Communist Russia after the War. Nothing was said about the horrible politics involved before and during the War. Not to take a THING away from the brave Americans that actually fought the War, but how we got there and the things that were not done that caused so many more lives to be lost than was necessary.... I won’t go into details, as it’s better to find out from the book, but it did remind me of the saying that ‘history is written only by the winners of the wars and conflicts, and thus, is an imperfect picture”.
July 28, 2018
Complex
A complex multi dimensional story of people and events that lived through some of the most tragic events of the world. Told with beautiful prose and stark reality. WW2 as not read before. Recommend.
A complex multi dimensional story of people and events that lived through some of the most tragic events of the world. Told with beautiful prose and stark reality. WW2 as not read before. Recommend.
November 22, 2018
The last world war - a novel of love, faith, and fulfillment
Good story line. Interesting characters and their interactions. A different perspective on American politics of the period. Great incorporation of facts. A solid read. Worth your time.
Good story line. Interesting characters and their interactions. A different perspective on American politics of the period. Great incorporation of facts. A solid read. Worth your time.
August 30, 2019
Excellent book. I wish some who constantly talk about things that happened around WWII would read books like this to find out how people were really impacted. Maybe they'd stop using some of the terminology they spout so easily.
June 29, 2019
An excellent WWII novel which explores Roosevelt's policy of unconditional surrender and how it shaped the ultimate resolution of the conflict as well as its aftermath.
July 23, 2020
exciting and well written story.. More fiction than history.
Exciting till the end
Exciting till the end
September 9, 2015
This is a great novel weaved into the history of World War II and narrated from the perspective of both the German and Allied sides of the European portion of this devastating conflict.
To tell his story, author-historian Tom Fleming delves into the motivations, desires and passions of the two main characters, both females, in a manner that seems to accurately reflect the conflicting loyalties of each. I say this based not only on my own intuition (I am a male. What would I know?), but also several reviews by noted female authors and literary critics, e.g., Barbara Taylor Bradford: “Extraordinary insights into women – their thoughts and emotions, dreams and desires,” while actually referring to one of his other novels, “The Officers’ Wives.”
The author presents the wartime strategies and consequences of the actual military, civilian and political participants from Spain, Great Britain, Germany and the United States based on insightful research, well documented in the post scripted “Note on Sources.” The traditions, tactics and strategies of naval and submarine warfare are particularly well presented and integrated into the story line.
The prose in “Loyalties” often approaches being poetic. The prose and the allusions to classical literature in several languages and references to mythology and religion bring a dimension that is rarely matched in novels of World War II.
At one point, the narrative brings the reader to a bullfight in Spain in 1944-45 and a brilliantly portrayed analogy between Nazi Germany at that time and the final moments for the bull -- totally exhausted, but defiantly slashing at every foe, matador, picadors and bloodthirsty spectators, awaiting the inevitable final thrust, but still hoping to inflict a deadly would. The analogy is alluded to several times as the novel approaches denouement.
This book, of course, has been around for two decades. I don’t know how I missed it over the years. However, its relevance over this period has not deteriorated a bit. It is an easy five stars, and recommended for all who pursue greater familiarity with World War II history and a well-told narrative.
To tell his story, author-historian Tom Fleming delves into the motivations, desires and passions of the two main characters, both females, in a manner that seems to accurately reflect the conflicting loyalties of each. I say this based not only on my own intuition (I am a male. What would I know?), but also several reviews by noted female authors and literary critics, e.g., Barbara Taylor Bradford: “Extraordinary insights into women – their thoughts and emotions, dreams and desires,” while actually referring to one of his other novels, “The Officers’ Wives.”
The author presents the wartime strategies and consequences of the actual military, civilian and political participants from Spain, Great Britain, Germany and the United States based on insightful research, well documented in the post scripted “Note on Sources.” The traditions, tactics and strategies of naval and submarine warfare are particularly well presented and integrated into the story line.
The prose in “Loyalties” often approaches being poetic. The prose and the allusions to classical literature in several languages and references to mythology and religion bring a dimension that is rarely matched in novels of World War II.
At one point, the narrative brings the reader to a bullfight in Spain in 1944-45 and a brilliantly portrayed analogy between Nazi Germany at that time and the final moments for the bull -- totally exhausted, but defiantly slashing at every foe, matador, picadors and bloodthirsty spectators, awaiting the inevitable final thrust, but still hoping to inflict a deadly would. The analogy is alluded to several times as the novel approaches denouement.
This book, of course, has been around for two decades. I don’t know how I missed it over the years. However, its relevance over this period has not deteriorated a bit. It is an easy five stars, and recommended for all who pursue greater familiarity with World War II history and a well-told narrative.
July 22, 2013
In This book Life in WWII Germany, America and Spain comes to life. The Characters come to life, You get to know them, Like Them, Love Them and Hate them. Mr fleming keeps you in suspense in this riveting Thriller. It Brings to Live how terribly horrible war is. You realize there were people in Germany that were kind decent Folks and not all agreed with Hitler and the Nazi's. You realize that the enemy are alot like you there's good and bad evil in all countries, They are sons,brothers and fathers with the feelings as we have.there is forbidden love, intrigue and a compelling love triangle. I could'nt wait for the ending after finishing each chapter I could'nt resist reading another another and so on. This book leads you to ask real Questins. Did FDR decieve and manipulated us to go to a war that the Majority of the Nation did not want?Did FDR's announcement that the only way to end war with Hitlers Germany would be thatof Unconditional surrender prolong the war? Were there fractions in Germany reach out to the Allies for a separate peace if Hitler was eliminated? How much did the average German citizen were really aware of the horrors that the Nazi's were commiting against humanity.
February 24, 2015
The main characters in this story are Berthe von Hoffmann, the wife of a German U-boat commander and an American captain of an aging ship that is cut in half by Ernst von Hoffmann's U-boat torpedo. He and one of his men managed to hang on to a raft, and Von Hoffmann, in a surprising burst of decency, rescues them. This begins a long, sometimes hard to follow story of WWII ranging from America to Spain, to Germany. It was a good read, but could have been somewhat shorter. There was a huge cast of characters which were listed in front and helped to keep them straight.
May 4, 2015
My anticipation was that Thomas Fleming’s epic World War II novel, Loyalties would be as gripping as Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War. It is not! At 571 pages, this should have been a compelling historical novel, but instead it was just long. Fleming attempted to weave several stories together, but did a poor job at doing so. The story is rather boring. I took a great deal of determination to even finish it.
March 23, 2015
I tried really, really hard to like this book, but it just did not happen, primarily because I just could not convince myself to like any of the primary characters that much. It has all the right things, intricate plot, tightly written with cleverly lines, exotic atmosphere .... but, nope, just could not get myself to like it much. Hopefully it will appeal to someone else
January 28, 2015
An excellent book on the politics that influenced World War II. It goes into how the US was complicit in inciting Japan to war and then details how FDR conspired to bring the US into the European war. An excellent fictional story told in the background of real events and real participants in war.
February 8, 2015
Great read that follows history well
Very enjoyable read about how lives were affected by WWII and history, very beleivable.
Highly recommended read. For both the historical and fictional reader.
Very enjoyable read about how lives were affected by WWII and history, very beleivable.
Highly recommended read. For both the historical and fictional reader.
March 22, 2015
Excellent read about WWII. Very factual.
February 15, 2015
didn't hold my interest. moved on to better reads.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews