- Author
- Michael RIDPATH
- ARRSE Rating
- 5 Mushroom Heads
This novel is in fact a follow on from Traitor's Gate, however having not read Traitors Gate my enjoyment and understanding of Shadows of War was in no way diminished, I just thought I would mention this for those of you who would like to read both novels.
Shadows of War. I have been lucky so far in that the books that I have been asked to read and comment on for this site have in the whole been very good entertaining reads, this book is right up with the best of them!
This novel is a fascinating thriller, the author has brilliantly mixed real life characters and fictional characters from late 1930s Britain and Germany.
Now when I started to read this book it wasn't long into the story when I recognised an incident from something I had seen on the television a few years back. I thought, strange and so googled the name of the town, I was correct I wasn't imagining things. The author has done a first class job on mixing not only fictional and factual characters but also real and fictional events to create a story of political intrigue, spying and fast moving action. A book I truly found difficult to put down, it is a story as to what could have happened and what nearly did happen in the early stages of WWII.
So who are the real life characters? Well the most famous or should I say infamous? Is one Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson. His equerry Edward 'Fruity' Metcalfe, a certain Charles Bedaux, Churchill of course and others including Captain Payne Best. Walter Schelenberg from the SS makes an appearance as do a few more,Germans all interspersed with lively fictional characters.
This book is wonderfully written, and entertaining and I cant praise it highly enough and it covers the war up to Dunkirk. I spent a few hours googling the characters to find out more about them, such as Bedaux for instance, this certainly delayed the review, however I found that knowing more about the real characters just added to the story and intrigue. The authors notes at the end are a good read as well and he lists many a book which readers may find interesting.
If you like spy stories WWII history and the stories that surround that era regarding The Duke of Windsor for instance then this is for you, I have refrained from going into details about the story as I do not wish to spoil the enjoyment for those who will read this book. Just remember its fiction and as such is a damn fine entertaining read that you will struggle to put down at night!
Can I give it 6 Mushroom heads?
Shadows of War. I have been lucky so far in that the books that I have been asked to read and comment on for this site have in the whole been very good entertaining reads, this book is right up with the best of them!
This novel is a fascinating thriller, the author has brilliantly mixed real life characters and fictional characters from late 1930s Britain and Germany.
Now when I started to read this book it wasn't long into the story when I recognised an incident from something I had seen on the television a few years back. I thought, strange and so googled the name of the town, I was correct I wasn't imagining things. The author has done a first class job on mixing not only fictional and factual characters but also real and fictional events to create a story of political intrigue, spying and fast moving action. A book I truly found difficult to put down, it is a story as to what could have happened and what nearly did happen in the early stages of WWII.
So who are the real life characters? Well the most famous or should I say infamous? Is one Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson. His equerry Edward 'Fruity' Metcalfe, a certain Charles Bedaux, Churchill of course and others including Captain Payne Best. Walter Schelenberg from the SS makes an appearance as do a few more,Germans all interspersed with lively fictional characters.
This book is wonderfully written, and entertaining and I cant praise it highly enough and it covers the war up to Dunkirk. I spent a few hours googling the characters to find out more about them, such as Bedaux for instance, this certainly delayed the review, however I found that knowing more about the real characters just added to the story and intrigue. The authors notes at the end are a good read as well and he lists many a book which readers may find interesting.
If you like spy stories WWII history and the stories that surround that era regarding The Duke of Windsor for instance then this is for you, I have refrained from going into details about the story as I do not wish to spoil the enjoyment for those who will read this book. Just remember its fiction and as such is a damn fine entertaining read that you will struggle to put down at night!
Can I give it 6 Mushroom heads?
