Jackdaws Reviews

• This Is The Follett I Remember

  
  By A37F1G84K35FCZ on 2001-12-05
  One of the earliest books in this genre that I read was the, "Eye Of The Needle". The author has since ranged widely amongst a variety of subjects, however with, "Jackdaws", Mr. Follett returns to World War II just prior to the Invasion Of Normandy. And like his previous efforts with this historical setting it is very well done, and will bring fond memories to those readers who were waiting for him to turn his pen once again to this theme.

  The book is a substantial work offering readers well over 400 pages of taught writing that unfolds over a little more than a week prior to D-Day. Like all books of this event it contains heroes, however they play against the background here, as a heroine takes charge of the story as well as the events in the book. The book begins with a notation that states that 50 women worked as secret agents in France for The Special Executive during the war. The book never seems to reach the moniker of historical fiction, although comments at the end strongly insinuate there was a real woman who, at the very least provided the inspiration for the heroine, "Flick". The women who volunteered to serve behind enemy lines in occupied France, and repeatedly traveled back and forth across The Channel during the war were clearly remarkable women, and were as fearless as any of their male counterparts.

  This novel is a bit scattered in its tone. The changes in the mood of the book work well as a whole, however they can seem a bit jarring and out of place as the book is read. If very graphic descriptions of the most brutal interrogation of both men and women are an issue, several areas of this book will be troublesome to read. I don't feel the length to which Mr. Follett took the level of detail was necessary, he is a wonderful writer, and many of these dungeon settings with their attendant horrors struck me as gratuitous. The main event of the book will either work well for a reader, or will be dismissed as being far too improbable. Mr. Follett increases the likelihood of the latter response as the team that is selected is from a practical standpoint untrained but for Flick, and their conduct is so outrageous it tests the reader's ability to suspend disbelief. There are always amazing true stories conducted by a group that should have a near zero chance of prevailing, however Mr. Follett takes the group a step further by making them all fairly dysfunctional as individuals. This is a bit like the stories of a group of jailed soldiers being granted a chance at redemption. The difference is they are at least soldiers, again with the exception of Flick, the group ranges as far as a member who can be likened to Julie Andrews in Victor Victoria, albeit reversed.

  As odd as it may sound in conclusion I did very much enjoy the book. The only rationale I can offer is that the Heroine Flick was a wonderful character, beautifully written, and as competent as any Special Forces Operative. So while there may be bits that will make a reader wince with incredulity, read on. This is very much a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
  
  

• Shopworn espionage thriller that delivers few thrills.

  
  By AC1K4OQOZ90RS on 2002-02-05
  Ken Follett's new novel, "Jackdaws," joins the scores of other historical novels written about clandestine spies and saboteurs performing heroic acts during World War II. Unfortunately, this novel has nothing new to offer and Follett's cliché-ridden writing weakens its impact considerably.

  The heroine of "Jackdaws" is Felicity "Flick" Clairet, a formidable woman of considerable beauty who leads a ragtag band of resistance fighters in occupied France. Her foe is Dieter Franck, a German answering to Field Marshall Rommel. Franck has been assigned the task of crippling the French Resistance before the expected Allied invasion in June of 1944. Flick recruits a small band of women, known as "Jackdaws," to carry out a dangerous mission that, if successful, will help insure the success of the Allied invasion.

  Ken Follett is capable of top-notch storytelling, although his powers have certainly waned in recent years. Here, he relies heavily on clichés: the beautiful and intrepid secret agents, the secret codes and signals, the dozens of close calls when capture seems inevitable, the scenes of torture, the "stiff upper lip" dialogue. Follett's narrative never comes to life, since he writes with little imagination, style or genuine feeling. Here is an example of painful writing: "Her pulse was racing and there was a cold sensation of fear in her chest. She was in the lions' den. If she were captured, nothing could save her." Ouch.

  "Jackdaws," is replete with scenes of sex (both homosexual and heterosexual) and violence (the body count is high). However, with all of the manufactured excitement, this novel is a run-of-mill, rather dull and predictable spy story.
  
  

• Predictable, Yet Solid Entertainment

  
  By A1SKNS2DGG46XM on 2002-05-13
  In "Jackdaws", Ken Follett returns to the form of "Eye of the Needle" and "The Key to Rebecca", spinning a tale that if a bit melodramic and not quite believable, is still entertaining and well worth the time. "Jackdaws" is reportedly based (very loosely, one would assume) on the true story of female allied spies operating in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. It "stars" Felicia 'Flick' Clairet, a British agent married to a French resistance fighter. As with many of Follett's novels, the sub plot of a love affair is woven into the story line, likely to insure additional appeal for broader audience, as well as the attraction for a possible screen play. Follett at his best is a master story teller, and he is in top form with "Jackdaws". He crafts a suspense that is palpable and engrossing, set with just enough history to establish some credibility. But while the plot and story development are superb, the same level of depth falls short in the character development. The characters appear to come straight from central casting: the brave but irreverent hero/spy, the sadistic Nazi officer, a female crew of ally agents reminiscent of "The Dirty Dozen". On balance, a good book for the beach or a long plane trip: mindless entertainment that will neither make you think nor disappoint.
  
  

• Thrill Ride Master

  
  By A1BKUKIGUDDYZT on 2002-01-07
  I have just read my first, but definitely not last Ken Follett novel. I received Jackdaws as a Christmas present. What a present it turned it out to be!

  Jackdaws, based on a true story, needs to be made into a blockbuster movie. It tells the story of how people thrust into dire situations can do amazing things. Felicity Clairet, aka Flick, is a strong main character, operating behind enemy lines in occupied France. On her trail is Dieter Franck, Gestapo agent. What ensues is one of the best cat- and- mouse chases I personally have ever read in modern fiction.

  During the entirety of the book, I kept saying to myself, This is a master at work! There were several interesting supporting characters. At times you need a card to keep track of these characters, but they are thoroughly believable and well written.

  This is easily one of my all-time favorite books. Think of The Fugitive during Nazi WWII occupied France and you are getting the idea of just how impressive this novel is!
  
  

• Four Stars for Follett

  
  By A23SB6VGGB9E8U on 2002-01-19
  I have been a Ken Follett reader since Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca. In my mind nothing equals his novel, The Pillars of the Earth. With his latest effort, Jackdaws, he returns to the dark days of World War II.

  It is May, 1944; the Allies are preparing for the invasion of Europe. In the occupied town of Sainte-Cecile, the French Resistance is preparing to blow up the chateau that now houses the crucial telephone switch connecting France with Germany. Bombers have been unable to inflict to disrupt communications for more than a few hours at a time. The Allies want to disrupt communications for as long as possible so to delay warning of the pending invasion.

  Felicity Clariet, known as Flick, a British Special Operations Executive secret agent, leads audacious, quickly-assembled team of female spies posing as cleaners, who hope to destroy the switch and Germany's ability to spread the word of the pending assualt on the beaches of Normandy.

  The plot, unique characters and detail of his latest effort will keep you turing pages. Follett tells us that Jackdaws is based on a true story. The Special Operations Executive sent 50 women into France as secret agents, 36 survived.
  
  

• A Feat--and a Feast
  By A15KVYLQ2IQI5 on 2008-05-28
  Ken Follet achieves the nearly impossible task of creating genuine suspense about an event that is well-known, using fresh characters, clever plotting, and surprising twists on an old story. You will enjoy this book on a long plane flight, or just sitting out on your porch during the lazy days of summer. I always enjoy Ken Follet's approach to history--crackerjack pacing, strong dialogue, and a deep desire to entertain. If only all writers cared as much about their audience's enjoyment as Follet does, TV would become obsolete.
  
  Donald Gallinger is the author of The Master Planets
  
  
• Follett at his best
  By AAYGUWHEHCRFT on 2001-12-04
  Ken Follett has reached back and pulled out his magic again. In trhe vwein of the Day of the Jackal, this book is excellent. I bought it the day it came out and could not put it down. Many hours later, I knew I read a classic. Follett in his realism, character development and action again proves he is the very best. I would recommend this book along with The Last Man Standing to the two very best books of 2001. Even though Code to Zero was excellent, this is much better. Set in WWII France, Follet presents no stop development with classical heroes and foes. Buy this book and you remember all the great things about Follett.
  
  
• Follett has done it again
  By A27WFYW9ZJ5DN1 on 2001-12-13
  This is a remarkable book. It begins with the assertion" Exactly fifty women were sent into France as secret agents by the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. Of those, thirty-six survived the war. The other fourteen gave their lives. This book is dedicated to all of them."
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  Follett starts with those facts and then builds a story around the best of the women agents being assigned the job of blowing up the most important telephone exchange connecting the German military between France and Germany and doing it during the week preceding the invasion at Normandy. Follett communicates the sense that destroying this exchange will make the German response to invasion much slower and thus save lives and increase the chance that the greatest risk of the Second World War, the Normandy invasion, would succeed. He then creates a German intelligence officer who is determined to roll up the resistance before the invasion can occur.

  The contest between allies and Nazis builds to a level of tension that is palpable. The risks people took to defeat Nazi Germany and secure safety were stunning. The notion of people dropping into France again and again on secret missions with their lives at risk every minute comes through in this book with a force that grips the reader. The sense of Nazi brutality and ruthlessness is captured in a very realistic sense of what Nazi occupied France was like.

  Anyone who doubts that evil can exist and that decent people have to risk everything to defeat evil will have their doubts erased by this novel. Follett has done it again.
  
  

• Passion and patriotism in WW II clandestine work
  By A2000DWMMYNIYB on 2001-12-15
  At a time when the CIA and Special Forces are fighting the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and terrorists, patriotism and heroism is back in style. Ken Follet takes us back to a romanticized version from fifty years ago, with a thriller about espionage, Resistance fighters, SOE, MI5, Gestapo, and the SS.

  This is a very familiar setting and theme. Fifteen years ago, Larry Collins' "Fall from grace" did an excellent job of creating for the reader a cat-and-mouse game of spies, agents, and Resistance fighters attempting to pave the way for D-Day. It remains a definitive piece of Resistance fiction. And the "Dirty Dozen" film earned worldwide popularity with its collection of misfits taking on the German elite in their lair.

  "Jackdaws" is a rich blend of both of these, with the usual dashing, handsome and beautiful, sexy, multilingual, heroic, tormented yet highly motivated characters on both sides of the conflict. Follett makes full use of our fascination and respect for people who for the right reasons put themselves into terrible situations, fictional, semi-fictional or historically accurate.

  Some readers have and will decry the chauvinist or simply politically incorrect use of the strange group of women Follett assembled to sabotage the critical German communications link immediately before D-Day. For me, it is another interesting twist on an old, oft-worked theme. Sure, Follett's lesbian characters are drawn with a man's hand, but authors have always struggled to reach outside their own experiences, even if stereotypes necessarily result. And scenarios stretch reality, but fiction has that right as well.

  Jack Higgins used to do a good job with this genre, before he went over to more modern times and the IRA. Follett remains a first-class writer of World War-based fiction. And "Jackdaws" will not disappoint.
  
  

• Enjoy it but do not look too closely.
  By A2ULBZ4PXSRNUT on 2002-01-22
  Ken Follett has taken the World War II spy mission novel down an entertaining but certainly untravelled road. The plot is standard stuff. Allied commandos parachute into occupied France to a destroy key installation in support of the D Day invasion. There are all the usual phases - assemble the team, train the team, plan the mission etc, conduct the raid.
  The whole concept, however, has been rewritten with a 2001 twist. First, the commandos are all women. I found this interesting, new and plausible. This, however, is just the beginning. The herione's brother is gay. One of the " woman " commandos, is, in fact, a transvestite. Two of the women commandos are lesbians. These three items do little, if anything, to advance the plot and seem to have been written in just for the fun of it. There is nothing wrong with adding these items for no reason at all, but to do nothing with these items makes it look gratuitous.
  There are several other " throw in " items that have nothing to do with the plot. Why did Follett make the Nazi antagonist suffer from migraines ? His migraines come into the story at several points, but they never lead to anything and are never critical to the plot. Why start the story with the herione married to a leader in the Resistance ? Early on, the heroine falls in love with someone else, and the Resistance husband is later killed. There is no point where the heroine really struggles with any issue or decision because she is married or married to a Resistance leader. So why was it there ?
  The story is, in fact, rather loosely written and there are several items that just do not add up. For example, several of the commandos are killed before they reach the objective. However, when they reach the objective, the remaining commandos carry out the mission without being even slightly inconvienced by the absence of the others. So why did we have extra commandos ? Was it so we could have extra plot lines ? Was it so we could have some non essential commandos killed to show that things really are serious without really jeopardizing the mission ? It reminded me of old Star Trek episodes where the landing party took extra people so someone could be killed by the monster.
  Despite all this, however, the story is very entertaining. The plot moves along very quickly and there are numerous detours as fortune, good or bad, impacts on the commandos. The bad guy is suitably smart and evil and heroine is beautiful, deadly and resourceful. Enjoy the story and just dont look too closely.
  
  
• Jacdaws: "Chicks with Sticks"
  By A2RG196AKOAB80 on 2002-07-01
  Ken Follett, once again, finely blends history with fiction, in his latest WWII thriller, a story of 6 female undercover agents ( although one isn't all what she appears to be ) who attempt to crush the Nazi communication network in Europe literally days, and even hours, prior to D-Day. "Jacdaws" is based upon the true story of Pearl Witherington, who was one of the 50 female spies used in the second world war. Her fictional counterpart is Felicity "Flick" Clariet, who works with the French underground.

  The first half of the book is really two stories told simultaneously. The first is the story of how Flick recruits and trains her team to go into Nazi occupied France to destroy a chateau serving as the center of all German communciations after a failed mission, which opens the story, was unsuccessful in doing so. The second story of the first half involves Dieter Franck, interrogator and torturer par excellence and how he plans to break the back of the Resistance. The sections with Flick and the recruitment of her team are somewhat shallow. Her recruits are somewhat unbelievable at first. When they are finally inducted into the armed services, Flick says to them ( and I swear this is the line from the book ) "You're in the army. Now drink your cocoa and go to bed." Dieter Franck comes across as much more of a deeper character. An aide to Rommel of Desert Fox fame, he is drawn very well by Follet and, as a result, it appears a tad unbelievable that he would be outwitted by conicidence and blind luck when tracking Flick. In the second half, when the two stories merge, the action and plot flows much better.

  Still, Follett lets the gals be the heroes, as he should. Paul Chancellor and the boys from SOE and MI6 are all secondary. I'm not giving anything away by saying that the Normandy Invasion comes off without a hitch and it's no secret that we win WWII. Though "Jacdaws" is not as riveting as "Eye of the Needle" nor as in depth as "Pillars of the Earth", it is a good beach read. Also, a movie starring, maybe, Angelina Jolie, is certainly sure to follow.
  
  

• Thrill Ride
  By A1YH3EG10DE3S2 on 2001-12-23
  Reading Ken Follett's 'Jackdaws' is like riding a wild roller coaster with unexpected turns, dips and twists. Felicity Clairet, otherwise know as Flick, leads a rookie team of female agents into Nazi-occupied France just before D-Day to blow-up a critical target. Her advesary in a relentless game of can & mouse is Major Dieter Franck, a clever and cruel army detective. Over a 10 day period the reader ducks, winces and twitches through intense suspense.

  Major Franck is a gem - a sadistic interrogator with an occasional conscience. His chapters are so intriguing, they tip the balance of reader interest early in the book. However, when the Jackdaw team reaches France, Flick draws even with the major and novel accellerates.

  Like all great roller coasters, you don't want it to end. 'Jackdaws' is a true thrill ride. Buckle your seat belts and enjoy.
  
  

• Nancy Drew wins WWII
  By A1B1Y5LOLVULXO on 2001-12-29
  While the style of this book is reminiscent of Follett's stellar "Eye of the Needle", it is a poor story, more poorly written. Many of Follett's novels maintain a stream of reality and snippets of history throughout the text. In Jackdaws, reality or realism is abandoned in favor of a romp through the same make-believe world that Dorothy found in Oz. I can find Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man, but I have yet to identify Toto. By the end of the book, I truly hoped Dorothy (a.k.a. Flick) would break a nail, at least. Sorry Ken, a "girl-scout" troupe with no training and less discipline, did not win the war.

  Who is the hero or heroine here? Is this a study in the moral ambiguity of war, or ethical relativism? Flick is ultimately not a likable character; after a fair start in the book, she turns out to be more mercenary than the Gestapo. The writing follows this incoherent tone throughout. One chapter ends with blood and guts, while the next starts with high tea and a discussion of dress hemming. This is not artistic or dramatic contrast, it's just bad.

  The character that comes closest to being a real and believable person is Dieter Franck. He of course is the evil Nazi antagonist, I think? Therein lies one of the most significant problems with the book. Dieter could actually be the hero, who many times his struggles with real professional and emotional dilemmas, evokes sympathy. But he's on the wrong side? In the meantime, Flick, who I believe Follett means to be the heroine, is shallow, self-absorbed, and really unlikable. In the end, the reader is left totally unsatisfied by the story and unhappy with Follett's stumbling text. Only those who really want to read another "Nazis bad-British good" comic book will find enjoyment here.
  
  

• JackDaws--Birds of Different Feathers vs Nazis
  By A1QRHOPN04Z03T on 2001-12-14
  This is an excellent book of its genre, satisfying throughout and VERY well researched. Although other reviews castigate the author for imagining that women could successfully operate undercover in WWII France, the truth is that many did.

  Follett has taken a real story and changed it enough for fictional uses, and the main characters are believable--except, perhaps, for their stunning looks. NO undercover agent has remarkable looks--the idea is to blend in, not stand out. And I DO quibble with the range of female stereotypes that make up the Jackdaws. Perhaps this is because the author is male, but I think it's more likely that he didn't wish to spend too much time fleshing them out. Yet the principal characters, and many of the secondary and tertiary, are firmly drawn and realized.

  The plotting is generally deft and sure. Though the dramatic moments in the last third are predictable, given the requirements of the genre, Follett still manages to keep the tension high. I particularly like the anti-climax, regarding medals; all workers in a bureaucracy will recognize its realism.

  As for the explicit torture routines--how can you write about Nazi interrogations and not include this, especially if you wish to convey what's at stake, personally, for the protagonists. Readers may not realize it, but Follett refrained from meticulously describing the horrific sights, smells, and sounds of such horrors.

  In sum, a good, solid "read" worth the money.
  
  

• How a Female Saboteur Created Havoc Among the Nazis
  By A3L9QN0YNV3PUG on 2002-03-08
  This is another excellent story from Ken Follett.... The setting is France, just before D-Day. German communications from France to Germany pass through a huge telephone center in Sainte-Cecile. Its destruction would be a great aid to the success of the allied landings. The story opens during a failed attempt by British Major Felicity (Flick) Clairet and French Resistance fighters to destroy it. She escapes, but not before German Major Dieter Franck, a man capable of cruel torture, identifies her. As the days count down to D-Day, Flick leads five British women in a daring attempt to destroy the heavily-guarded telephone center, while she plays a desperate cat and mouse game with Franck and hundreds of Gestapo troops. This is not your usual spy story. It's the story of a clever and courageous woman. If you are looking for a tale that will hold your attention, this is it.
  
  
• A story of boundless bravery and endless suspense.
  By A3LNZKV31R04C4 on 2002-10-11
  It's World War II in occupied Paris, and the French Resistance has a mission. It is to destroy the Nazi occupied communications and railway systems to the point where they cannot be recovered before the invasion at Normandy. The Resistance members are not, for the most part, untouchable Arnold Schwarzneggers, they are people like you and me, women and men, scared out of their wits, facing relentless terror and unspeakable torture if caught. Ken Follett writes with his usual flair for making you stay up at night. Each page is a thriller of it's own, each death of a Resistance member a dent in your heart, each small Victory a smile on your face. A fabulous book filled with the true depth of human courage in the face of unbeatable odds.
  
  
• One of the best WWII spy novels in years
  By A3KNJ386MRBPZC on 2004-02-26
  The jackdaw is a bird and, in this case, the code name of a group of six female British spies in WWII. They are assigned the daunting task of infiltrating a French chateau that serves as the communications center of the Nazis. Their mission is to destroy the communications of the Nazi northern European theatre on the eve of the D Day invasion thereby wreaking havoc in the Nazi defensive coordinations. Flick Clairet is the leader of this intrepid bunch and must deal with, not only the risk of the mission, but also the cattiness of her team. On the opposite side is Dieter Franck, a Nazi intelligence officer assigned by Rommel to thwart the efforts of the French resistance. He manages to stumble upon the mission of the Jackdaws. Franck is also a highly effective, yet ruthless, interrogator and with a team of sadistic Gestapo agents, obtains his information about the group. It quickly becomes a cat and mouse game to see if the British agents succeed.
  Ken Follet has returned, once again, to the arena that made his reputation-- WWII spy intrigue. He has, by doing so, written one of his finest works and may be one of the best WWII spy novels in many years in terms of sheer thrills, rapid fire pacing and truly fun characters. Follett alternates the point of view between Flick and Dieter Franck so we always know what the other side is doing. This technique also serves to develop a sense of sympathy for both sides. Even though we know Dieter represents true evil, we also come to understand that ultimately he has a job to do and must do it at all costs even if he must make a pact with the devil. In spite of the horrors around him, he is a man with moral principals who justifies his actions by claiming he derives no enjoyment in the torture he must use to obtain his information. Flick is also a character consumed with conflicting emotions. She must also ruthlessly kill and justify her action under the umbrella of a war. The alternating point of view provides, not only this contrast in goals and ideology, but, propels the action faster and faster as Dieter pursues Flick. Ultimately, the pages fly!
  
  
• A great WWII spy novel
  By A25HYPL2XKQPZB on 2004-08-18
  Jackdaws is another great book by Follett. The D-Day invasion is looming and the Allies are trying to cripple the Germans in anyway possible. The hope to cripple a telephone exchange located in France and enlist the aid of the French Resistance to do so. With time running out and other efforts failing, the Allies turn to Flick Clairet to lead an all women team into Germany to disable the telephone exchange, thus crippling the German communications right before the invasion.
  
  Dieter Frank is a German officer working under the authority of Rommell and trying to stop the resistance. Frank is a smart man who catches many members of the resistance but always seems to be one step behind. Frank is a somewhat sympathetic character who views duty as the ultimate call, and is great at torturing prisoners, even though he doesn't enjoy it.
  
  Set over 10 days, Follett moves along the plot at a brisk pace offering many twists and turns. Jackdaws is in contrast to another recent novel by Follett, Hornet Flight, which seems to have a more deliberate pace and more character development.
  
  The characters in Jackdaws are intriguing, with Flick and her husband in the resistance who might be cheating on her and the American officer Paul Chancellor who falls in love with her. Dieter Frank also has a French mistress who he saved from the concentration camp and therefore is ultmately devoted to him. The team Flick brings with her to Germany is an interesting group with an aristocrat, a criminal, a lesbian and a transvestite. The team members get the least attention by Follett, in spite of their interesting backgrounds.
  
  I've read many Follett novels, and all of them have been great, except for the Third Twin. Follett is a master at putting you in the time period he writes about. It'll be interesting to see how his next novel "WhiteOut" I believe, fares since it is set in the present day.
  
  
  
• fun reading, but not a 5 star!!
  By A2RZ9O4PSL16V4 on 2001-12-19
  I just finished reading this new Ken Follet, and I am not really sure what to say. I really liked it, I liked the idea of an all female resistance team, but something just missed the mark. The action was great, and kept my interest, but I really started out liking it more than I did when I finished it.In other words, great lead in, not enough follow up. I felt like Mr. Follet skimped on character details or something, I just never felt really invested in the characters, just invested in their mission. I gave if 4 star instead of 3, just because it is Ken Follet, and if you are an espionage fan, you should read this. However, I don't think it is his best.
  
  
• A Stretch
  By on 2002-02-10
  This is not Follett's best work. The plot is just not plausible. We have a group of untrained woman posing as commandos. After receiving several days of training in England, they are told to parachute into France with the task of destroying the central communication exchange link between France and Germany just prior to the D-Day invasion. The commandos include two lesbians, a transevestite and a convict paroled to participate in this dubious exercise.
  The leader and heroine of this "Dirty Dozen" type group is Flick Clairet. Her main foe is a German officer named Dieter Franck.
  Follett's character development of Dieter and the other Germans reminded me of the people in "Hogans Heros". They are distracted with fronification (Dieters French girfriend), Dieters "migraine" headaches and poor communications among themselves. Additionally, the Germans are constantly one step behind Flick and the French resistance.
  The movie based on this book should include Jodie Foster as Flick. Maybe she can bring Hannibal with her to tortue the resistance along with Dieter.
  Please save your money on this one and read Pillars of the Earth by Follett. That is an excellent read compared to Jackdaws.
  
  
• Good premise, bad delivery
  By ACG9U6L2S36ND on 2002-09-08
  This was a great idea for a book. However, I thought it would be about WWII and spies, but for the most part it was about homosexuality and promiscuity. It seemed that Mr. Follet cared more about sexual details than he did about telling a story about the SOE behind enemy lines in France. I also thought that Homosexuals were still a minority in todays world, let alone 1945. But 3 out of the 6 women in Mr. Follets book were gay. Great premise Mr. Follet, bad delivery. This is one reader who will not be coming back.
  
  
• Generally good espionage novel leaves an odd feeling
  By A2B1GZIRD6W646 on 2003-05-17
  Ken Follett has been doing this sort of thing for years. His best work, other than perhaps the atypical historical novel The Pillars of the Earth, has been set in World War II, with Nazi and Allied spies chasing one another across the battlefields and occupied countries of the war. This latest entry starts with a shootout between French partisans, led by a British agent, and Germans at a communications center in occupied Normandy. The action takes place on the eve of D-Day, and the attack fails. The leader, however, is a determined woman named Felicity (Flick) Clairet, and she's one stubborn lady. She decides to try again, more subtly.

  The action of the book follows Flick through her return to England, recruiting a very different team of irregular operatives to perform the mission, and their subesequent adventures in France. It alternates between this and the activities of a Nazi intelligence officer, a former policeman named Dieter Franck. Dieter is determined to stop the invasion and catch Flick, who he thinks can lead him to various resistance leaders in France.

  The problem with the book, such as it is, is a strange one. The author seems unclear as to whether the Nazis are evil or not, as a group. Franck definitely isn't motivated by any animus towards Jews or anything, he merely wishes to protect Germany from invaders, and is willing to do things like torture people in order to achieve his goal. He has a beautiful French Jew for a girlfriend, and throws himself on her to shield her body when there's shooting, so you know he's attached to her. This creates a strange atmosphere for the novel: there's a sort of moral equivalence that's a bit distasteful. My wife tried the audio of this some time ago, and tells me that she had trouble caring about any of the characters, and stopped listening to the story before she finished it.

  With that one (big) misgiving aside, this is a good book, and very well written. It's definitely worth the effort.
  
  

• Amateur spies make a fun read
  By A3Q80Q6YFP5W6Q on 2003-05-29
  Jackdaws is a book from one of my favourite non-genre categories: World War II spy fiction. I usually find these books to be page-turners, and this one is no exception. Follett ratchets up the tension, sprinkles a couple of interesting characters into the batter, and then hits "blend." The result is a taut thriller that is very pleasing to the palate.

  Follett presents a thriller that will make you keep reading, no matter the fact that the light should have been turned off long ago. The plot twists and turns until it's almost pretzel-shaped, with Dieter getting ever closer to his goal. In a way, it is almost reminiscent of The Dirty Dozen, except that the people in question aren't all criminals, their just misfits. They are thrown together in a haphazard manner and expected to pull of a mission in enemy-occupied France. While it is slightly unbelievable, Follett avoids the cliché of having everybody become crack secret agents once they are in France. Mistakes happen, stupid things are done, and Flick ends up having to improvise mightily. I found this a major plus, because you didn't always know what was going to happen, even if the ultimate outcome wasn't always in doubt.

  Follett concentrates on three characters: Flick, Dieter, and an American officer named Paul Chancellor, who becomes romantically interested in Flick. This provides a good narrative force for the story, as the viewpoints are limited and we see a lot of the other characters only through these three pairs of eyes. I think it made it more interesting, and it also emphasized the personal nature of the story as Dieter and Flick interact even when they're not together. In fact, while I found Paul interesting in his own right, I think the story would have worked better without him, or at least without his viewpoint. It would have narrowed the focus even further, and made the inevitable meeting all the richer.

  Flick is a very dynamic character, well-rounded and interesting to read about. She's torn because she's constantly away from her husband, and she doesn't trust him with the other resistance fighters. He's always been a lady's man. She's also brutally efficient when necessary and she's quick on her feet. I really liked her, and I thought she made a wonderful protagonist. Paul makes a good foil for her, despite what I said above. I did find the sections from his point of view to be kind of dull, though. He doesn't add much to the mix that he couldn't have added as a minor character.

  Dieter, on the other hand, is fascinating. He's certainly the villain of the book. He's a Nazi officer through and through. But he's humanized as well. He finds that he's falling in love with his French mistress and he truly seems to care for her. He doesn't know what is going to happen after this invasion, but he ultimately decides that he wants to be with her afterward. On the other hand, he's capable of being brutal (though Follett provides a character in Sergeant Baker, who's just a sadist, as a counterpoint to Dieter). He doesn't like torture despite being good at it, and he even remarks that this makes the best interrogator. If the interrogator enjoys the pain too much, he loses sight of the goal and won't be very efficient. I found him very interesting to read about, despite not liking him in the least. He made the perfect villain, and his fate is actually a little surprising.

  Follett falls a little short in the other characters, though, especially the women. The other Germans are rather faceless, but that's their job in the story: to be the strongmen for Dieter to use. But the women, I think, should be more important than they turn out to be. They get a lot of characterization as Flick recruits and trains them, but once they drop into France, they become almost invisible. The only one who gets much characterization is Ruby, and that's because she's effectively Flick's second in command. The others get short shrift, and it's too bad. They appeared to be interesting characters at the beginning. I'm not saying they should be viewpoint characters, but more should have been done with them than actually happened. They fulfill their roles, but they aren't very interesting doing it.

  There are some choppy places in the book where Follett's prose and plotting fails him too. At times, Follett over-writes, emphasizing things that don't need to be. He makes a point of saying that only two characters in a scene know something, and then he says it again during the conversation with the other people in the scene. It was distracting. Also, there is one point where Flick and her party shoot two guards, but when Dieter comes upon them, one of them is still alive enough to gasp out what happened. Flick has been shown to be cautious to the point of paranoia and efficient to the point that she never leaves anything done half way. Yet she doesn't slit this guard's throat to make sure he's dead? I didn't buy it. It seemed like the guard was only alive so Dieter could find out what he wanted to know. It smacked of author intervention. Niggling things like this are spread throughout the book, never actually killing it but always sitting in the back of your mind.

  Despite these flaws, however, I found I could not put this book down. I raced through it because I wanted to see what would happen next. It is a great example of the genre and an exciting read. If you like this sort of story, you should pick it up.

  Warning for the squeamish: there are a couple of torture scenes that you may find unsettling, especially the first one.

  David Roy
  
  

• Classified WW2 mission
  By A39AWL2FKWDFK6 on 2004-06-22
  Ken Follett's "Jackdaws" is a decent WW2 action tale, a subject he is obviously enamored with. The time is late May 1944, days prior to the Allied invasion at Normandy. Headquartered in a chateau in Sainte-Cecile near the French cathedral city of Reims was the hub of a vast telecommuncations network funneling radio and telephone messages through occupied France to the Fatherland. Crippling this network would provide a huge advantage to the invading Allied forces. The French Resistance had been unsuccessful in an attempt to sabotage the chateau, resulting in the death or capture of almost the entire Bollinger Resistance group. The group was led by ex professor Michel Clairet. His wife, Felicity, known as Flick was also among the group. Flick Clairet was a British major in the SOE (Special Operations Executive), acting as an undercover liason between the English and the French Resistance. Flick was well schooled in weaponry, espionage, French culture and was fluent in French.

  Luckily escaping a Gestapo dragnet after the failure at Saint-Cecile, Flick made her way back to England. While there a plan was formulated by the SOE to have Flick lead an all female team back into France to again try to destroy the communication center at Saint Cecile. Five French speaking English women were recruited to parachute into France and pose as a cleaning crew that serviced the chateau on a daily basis. Included in the group which was code named Jackdaws was a demolitions expert and a telephone engineer.

  The biggest obstacle facing the team was German major Dieter Franck, a wily, calculating intelligence officer with expertise in interrogation and torture. His suspicions were heightened after the aborted attempt on the chateau. Franck using every resource at his disposal was obsessed in capturing Flick and her minions and protecting Saint-Cecile.

  The story goes back and forth between Flick and Franck chronicling their trials and tribulations as they both move to fulfill the objectives of their repective missions.
  
  

• SPY THRILLER WITH A SLIGHT TWIST
  By A1AFXJ8U72MD6L on 2004-10-24
  First off, I feel this is a 3.5 but I'm giving it 4, as some of the reviewers on here have been too harsh.
  
  JACKDAWS takes the standard D-Day spy stories but twists it by focusing on the Historical female agents, or, as they were known, something of the unsung heroes.
  
  This particular tale focuses on a female agent who is trying to knock down the phone lines of an SS HQ but needs to do it as cleaning ladies. So, after failing her first attempt, she heads back to the UK where she, and other govt officials, recruit several female agents for training.
  
  All of these women are untrained and have to do a crash course in spycraft.
  
  Thereafter, the next half of the book entails the women parachuting into France, some of them getting caught or killed and then moving in on the mission. Expect the usual "B" love story.
  
  Story is very good in pacing, and, while some of the characters have the archetypal element, I felt he did a good job creating a diverse selection.
  
  When he wrote EYE OF THE NEEDLE the market was less saturated with WWII stories. Now, they're all over the place, so, he has less of the market, the stories overlap more and expectations are higher for newer and newer stories.
  
  This one is above average to good but not quite either in definition. If you want to read him for the first time, I'd recommend EYE OF THE NEEDLE.
  
  
• One-Upmanship
  By A3N3GNVHFZZ6N1 on 2002-03-20
  Have you noticed the recent spate of fiction that presents us with women heroines that would make Rambo feel totally inadequate? Ken Follett evidently became aware of this and decided he'd take this idea one step further. Enter a whole group of feminine freedom fighters.

  It's WWII and D-day is close at hand. The allies have decided that a key telecommunications center, located in a small town in France, needs to be taken out. After a failed attempt on the center that involved numerous French resistance fighters, British senior agent Felicity (Flick) Clairet returns to England and recruits five women (actually 4.5 women, but I can't explain that here) to return with her to destroy the heavily guarded installation. Give them a few days training and they are off. Also in the story is the intelligent, somewhat evil German colonel who is hot on their trail. The chase is on. One setback after another plagues the wily women, but they elude their pursuers until... Well read the book and see what happens.

  If you like WWII secret agent stories then this is just for you. Action, suspense, sleeping around, infidelity, gay love, cross dressing, torture, Neanderthal SS men, all the usual ingredients of the genre are here.
  
  

• Jackdaws
  By on 2003-01-08
  Normally I adore a thriller set in France in World War II, but so much of the dialog and the actions in which the characters engage is inappropriate for the era. It feels like this should have been set in the last thirty years rather than sixty years ago. There is more focus on sexual tension than necessary to advance the plot, and the graphic description of sexual sadism is nauseating. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
  
  
• The Women Who Won The War
  By A1MOSY5EF9AX7Y on 2005-06-22
  "Jackdaws" is a thrilling historical novel set inWorld War II. Author Ken Follett tells the story through Major Felicity "Flick" Clairet of the Special Operations Executive. Her story is based on the real life of Pearl Witherington. The novel begins in Sainte Cecile, France where the Germans have taken over a château to use as their main telephone exchange. The resistance force fails miserably in their attack due to poor intelligence. Back in London, Flick puts together an all women cleaning team which succeeds in blowing up the château. This in turn allows D-Day to be a success. Unfortunately, out the original six women on the team, only two returned from the mission.
  Through "Jackdaws," Follett is able to convey the unseen importance of women in the war effort. Flick and her team are a prime example of this. Through her snap decisions and ingenuity, Flick is able to outwit German Major Dieter Franck. Other members of her team are also cited for their bravery, including Jelly, an explosives expert. Despite her age of forty seven, she volunteers to be a member of the team conquering her fear of parachuting. In real life Pearl Witherington is given the civil MBE award after she is rejected for the Military Cross, given only to men. Saying she had done nothing civil, Witherington returned the award. It is women like Flick who have allowed other women to advance to where they are today.
  I find Follett's book to be a stimulating novel filled with adventure and the empowerment of women. The adventures comes from Flick and her team sneaking through enemy territory. One of the heart stopping moments occurs when two members of Flick's team disobey orders and go to the Ritz for dinner. Flick barely escapes the clutches of Major Franck by killing a guard and commandeering a car. The two members of her team eating dinner are captured by the Germans. The trials which Flick and her team face are a true representation that women are skilled and equal to their male counterparts. I believe that stories such as this allow women to believe in themselves and others. A masterful work of historical fiction to be enjoyed by World War II fans and many others - "Jackdaws."
  
  
  
• a thriller
  By A3CNLVS39ZI52N on 2005-10-08
  i really enjoyed this novel. it was suspenseful right to the end. seems to be a renewed interest in World War II for both authors and readers, for good reason. we cannot know how to protect our future unless we know what happened in the past, and the author weaves some history of the French Resistance and English underground assistance, Gestapo torture tactics into this intrigueing novel. Some outcomes you figure too good to be true, but that's what makes it a good read. 5 stars from me.
  
  
• A Riveting WWII Thriller!
  By A2CVXUY1EYQGGA on 2002-01-07
  While his last several books were mediocre at best, Follett returns to classic form with Jackdaws. Though not as good as Eye Of The Needle or The Key To Rebecca, Jackdaws is Follett's best book in many years. The tension constantly builds and the action is non-stop. For pure suspense-reading, Jackdaws will have you biting your nails and on the edge of your seat. However, Jackdaws falls short of deserving a 5-star rating from me because, with the exception of Flick and Dieter Franck, many of his characters served as "tools" to tell this action-packed WWII thriller and were not developed well enough to truly care (one way or the other) about. While I thought this criticism would be important for you to know, I would highly recommend Jackdaws if you're in the mood for a novel of suspense set in the most dangerous days of WWII.
  
  

• A Dangerous Fortune
• The Key to Rebecca
• A Place Called Freedom
• Night Over Water
• Eye of The Needle