Hornet Flight

Rating:
Summary: Classic Follett
Review: All of Euroope has fallen to the Nazi Jackboots, and England stands alone, bracing the for the inevitable. The Nazis have developed a secret weapon tha pinpoints their bombers and vectors fighter aircraft on thier flight paths. Unless something changes soon, the RAF will cease to be a viable military force.

Against this backdrop, Ken Follett takes us to occupied Denmark and fledgling resistance movement called the Nightwatchmen. Their movements are tracked by the Gestapo and their willing accomplices in the National Police. But Denmark is also the site of one of Germany's new RADAR sites and the knowledge a Danish schoolboy is vital to England's war effort.

Besides being a great story, Follett goes back to where he started. The characters are rich, and I immediately took a dislike to Peter Flemming (one of Follett's best villians). You find yourself cheering and crying as a desperate flight to freedom in Hornet Moth bi-plane crosses the North Sea.

A must read!

Rating:
Summary: Digging into the Old Pockets
Review: Have you ever dug into the pockets of an old coat and found a wadded five dollar bill? Imagine the secret delight, the sense of discovery, the feeling of regaining something you'd totally forgotten about.

"Hornet Flight" is that sort of delight. I was an early Follett fan, devouring "The Eye of the Needle," "The Key to Rebecca," and "The Man from St. Petersburg." His strengths--his characters, his detailed research, his pacing--kept me coming back for more. Then, as Follett branched into other areas of fiction, my interest wavered.

The WWII theme of this latest book brought me back, and I discovered that forgotten "five dollar bill." The story revolves around young Harald Olafsun, a Danish man faced with the occupation of the Nazis and the bland apathy of many of his countrymen. When he realizes that the Nazis have a new technology that gives them the edge in air-battles, when he finds himself entangled in a budding resistance movement, he uncovers his own courage and the surprising resilence of his fellow people...and the treachery of some of her trusted authorities. Soon, Harald and an attractive Danish upperclass girl come to the realization that they alone have the ability to get invaluable info to the British by way of a dangerous flight in a dilapidated Hornet Moth.

"Hornet Flight" is not the most valuable thriller I've ever found, not the slickest or most modern, but it's a nice surprise all the same. Follett's old skills are evident--characters we can believe, well-balanced pacing, and the details to make wartime Denmark seem touchable. I'm sure glad I dug into these old pockets. You just never know what you might find.

Rating:
Summary: Typical high quality Follett novel
Review: Hornet Flight is another great book by English author Ken Follett. Set in Denmark in WWII, a young boy named Harold must find away to get some secrets back to England after all other means have failed. He is pursued by the policeman Peter Fleming, a childhood friend of Harold's brother who now hates Harold's family.

I listened to this book on Audio-Tape and found it very interesting and well-read.

I have several observations about this book.

Hornet Flight is different than most WWII novels in that it focuses a lot more on characters and their lives as opposed to actual events of World War II. In this way, it is like other Follett books where all characters are done well yet so many characters are the same from book to book. Still this isn't a fault, because I enjoy Follett's books from beginning to end because of the quality characterization (as oppossed to some books where the entire book is read to get to the payoff at the end.)

Peter Fleming, the bad guy in the book, has some human qualities at first, especially as he cares for his handicapped wife. Fleming's anger over what happened to his wife turns him into a hateful person focused only on stopping Harold. Peter and his partner Tilde never seem that bad because they appear to be doing what the police would have to do in a country run by Nazis. They are just doing their duty.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a strong character based, action novel. If you are turned off by the swastika on the cover, don't be, because while this book is set in WWII, its quality is not dependent upon that fact.

Rating:
Summary: A good read by Follett
Review: I haven' read a Follett novel since Eye of the Needle which I thought was one of the best spy/suspense novels written during the 20th century. When I picked up Hornet Flight I knew I was going to be told a story that I would not forget. Well, Hornet Flight is good, I mean good....but it is not up to Eye of the Needle.
The story revolves around Harald Olufsen an eighteen year old Dane and information he holds regarding a secret German installation that allows the Nazis to shoot down at will the British long-range bombers before they can reach their objectives. The story is fast paced and full of very believable characters. One of the things I like about Follett's stories is that if you're a villain, then you are completely nasty. No grays here.
You'll enjoy the book even though it is contrived and predictable in places. You can forgive this because there are twists and turns that keep you from becoming too bored. If you've liked other Follett novels you're probably going to enjoy this one.

Rating:
Summary: Superboy meets Batgirl in Denmark
Review: I've forgotten more about 'Eye of the Needle' than I remember, but that thriller built around Die Nedel and Lucy Rose the lonely wife on Storm Island towers above Follett's current tale that centers on an island radar station in occupied Denmark.

'Hornet Flight' features eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen, his Jewish friend Tick, Tick's adventurous twin sister Karen and Harald's brother Arnie a grounded Danish pilot engaged to Hermia Mount. Hermia is a British MI 6 analyst working with Digby Hoare, Churchill's assistant whose brother was shot down by the Luftwaffe. Whatever of whoever Frea is, it's the key to the Germans' uncanny anticipation of RAF assaults. Every member of the cast will have a role in unraveling the mystery with Peter Flemming, a detestable duty-conscious Danish policeman obsessed with pleasing the Nazi authorities, single minded in his determination to expose them all as spies.

Parts of the story are based on fact, and I do believe in the tremendous courage that very ordinary people must have shown when faced with Nazi occupation and sycophantic sympathizers. In his effort to depict that, however, Follett creates a story that feels like an old movie serial leaving the audience hanging as the heroes face insurmountable obstacles at the end of every segment. The escape scene in the Hornet Moth is laugh out loud ludicrous. Then whiz kid Harald instantly figures out what the best British scientific and military minds never considered. Enough!

When one part World War II adventure story and one part tale of unsung heroes get wrapped together in a series of comic book action scenes, even Follett's mastery with words can't save the day.

Rating:
Summary: Paint-By-Numbers WWII Thriller
Review: In the past I've enjoyed Follet's earlier thrillers, such as Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca, and I certainly like WWII spy tales, but this newest one is pretty paint-by-the-numbers. Set in occupied Denmark in June 1941, at the height of Nazi power, the story is about a spy ring desperately trying to figure out the German's new secret weapon-radar. At the center of the story is Harald, a whiz-kid teenager with a mechanical bent who stumbles into the resistance and his Jewish ballerina girlfriend helper. Also entangled in the story are the Harald's brother (in Danish Air Force), his brother's fiancee (who runs the Danish Desk at MI6), the boy's stern preacher father, various schoolmates, the girl's wealthy parents, and a Danish policeman who has a vendetta against Harald's family, and his female partner.

Apparently partly based on real event (it would have been nice to have an afterword which explained this in detail), the book is loaded with coincidences which strain credulity. The characters' relationships all dovetail far too neatly. The action moves swiftly and everything is well-paced, but it's rather like an old fashioned "Boy's Own" adventure, or perhaps a Hardy Boys or something, with some really terrible dialogue and scenes where the teen heroes get to meet Winston Churchill and the Danish King. I suppose it'll serve the purpose if you're desperate for a WWII thriller for airplane or beach, but Follett's written much better books, and if you're looking for the real deal in WWII espionage fiction, try anything by Alan Furst. And if you're looking for good histories about the Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, check out Darkness Over Denmark, and In Denmark It Could Not Happen.

Rating:
Summary: a low flying tale
Review: Mr. Follett will always be counted on to produce a fine solid novel. I understand the main plot came from a factual incident and certainly is a solid idea for a novel. Intertwined with the German and Scandanavian officials mostly Nazi's at the time there is enough fluff around the plot to keep you highly interested. I do not read fiction to criticize the facts that may be missing but to accept and enjoy the idea of the story. I would highly recommend this book.