The Eagle Has Landed - Liam Devlin, Bk 1 Author:Jack Higgins It is November 1943, and the Second World War is in its fourth year. Adolf Hitler's Third Reich is fending off Allied advances in the Eastern Front and in Italy. German cities are being bombed "around the clock" by the American and British air forces. Across the English Channel, the Anglo-American forces are marshaling troops and m... more »aking plans for history's greatest amphibious operation, which is tentatively scheduled for May of 1944.
But even though Germany has suffered great defeats in North Africa and the vast territories of the Soviet Union, Hitler still has hopes of winning the war. Desperately seeking a significant propaganda victory and inspired by the rescue of fellow dictator Benito Mussolini by a team of German special forces, the Fuhrer (egged on by SS chief Heinrich Himmler) orders the head of Military Intelligence (Abwehr) to carry out an even more daring special forces mission: to capture British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and bring him to the Reich.
At first, it is an offhand remark, "a joke," as Abwehr Col. Max Radl notes, "...something the Fuhrer threw out in an angry mood on a Wednesday, to be forgotten by Friday." Soon, though, as Himmler orders a feasibility study and Radl ponders it, what seems like a fantastic notion soon starts looking as something that can, with the right men and conditions, be done.
This dangerous mission is assigned to Lt. Col. Kurt Steiner, the son of a German general and his American wife, and a small group of paratroopers. Their mission: to drop into East Anglia near the town of Studley Constable, where Abwehr agent Joanna Grey and IRA operative Liam Devlin are waiting to assist in the capture of Britain's wartime leader, and snatch Churchill from the estate where he is staying while on an inspection tour.
And so, in the early morning hours of November 6, 1943, as soon as Steiner's small band of paratroopers floats down onto English soil, Heinrich Himmler receives the coded message he has been waiting for with great anticipation: "The Eagle has landed."« less
As the Allied Forces slowly begin burning the tide of the war, Hitler vehemently orders the impossible - kidnap Winston Churchill, or kill him. A crack team of commandos led by a disgraced war hero must venture into the heart of England to carry out their mission, or die trying.
Meanwhile, in a quiet seaside village, a beautiful widow and an IRA assassin have already laid the groundwork for what will be the most treacherous plot of the war. It begins on November 6, 1943, when Berlin receives the fateful message.........."The Eagle Has Landed"
Threatened on all sides, a desperate Adolph Hitler lashes out with an impossible order: kidnap Winston Churchill - or kill him. A disgraced war hero receives the suicidal mission - to take his commandos into the heart of England.
In the quiet seaside village of Studley Constable, a beautiful widow and a cultured IRA assassin set the groundwork for the ultimate act of treachery. On November 6, 1943, Berlin gets the coded message: "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!"
One of the most suspenseful war adventures ever written, The Eagle Has Landed is a heart-stopping story of espionage and commando action, a searing drama of courage and deceit - and of those who paid the price for Hitler's most daring plan.
Threatened on all sides,a desperate Adolph Hitler lashes out with an impossible order: kinap Winston Churchill--or kill him. A disgraced war hero receives the suicidal mission--to take his commandos into the heart of England.
In the quiet seaside village of Studley Constable, a beautiful widow and a cultured IRA assassin set the groundwork for the ultimate act of treachery. On November 6, 1943, Berlin gets the coded message "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!"
Set during WW II this book covers the plot to kidnap Winston Churchill by an elite group of Nazi paratroopers. The book is told from the point of view of Himmler, that hatches the plan, and those under him that put the plan into action. The author states that at least 50% of the the novel is documented historical fact and it's up to the reader to determine if the rest is fictional or speculation. This book has been in my library and on my to read list for a couple of years and it didn't disappoint in its content. This being listed as book one of the Liam Devlin series just makes it all the more enjoyable. Liam being the IRA conspirator working with the Nazis. Pick up a copy and enjoy.
This is a good spy novel. It has a lot of action. It also includes a love story. There are several unseen twists at the end that make the story touching and thrilling.
