Hornet Flight

By Ken Follett

Book Overview

Ken Follett--the master of suspense--follows his bestsellers Jackdawsand Code to Zerowith an extraordinary novel of the early days of World War II. It is June 1941 and the war is not going well for England. Somehow, the Germans are anticipating the RAF's flight paths, and shooting down British bombers with impunity. Hermia Mount, an intelligence analyst with MI6, wonders if the Germans could have perfected a radar system like the one the British themselves are struggling to achieve-but that notion itself is shot down, by her own bosses. Preposterous, she is told; stick with what she knows. But, still, she wonders. Across the North Sea, eighteen-year-old Harald Olufsen takes a shortcut across the German-occupied Danish island of Fano on his homemade motorcycle, and comes across an astonishing sight. He doesn't know what it is, but he knows he must tell someone. In Copenhagen, police detective and collaborator Peter Flemming searches his list of known troublemakers. The Germans are determined to discover who is smuggling information, and an idea has just come to him. This could even mean a promotion.... In the weeks to come, their lives and the lives of those close to them will intertwine, and for Harald in particular, it will be a time of trial. For when he finally learns the truth, it will all fall upon him to deliver the word to England-except that he has no way to get there. He has only an old derelict Hornet Moth biplane rusting away in the nave of a ruined church: a plane so decrepit that it is unlikely ever to get off the ground . . . even if Harald knew how to fly it. Filled with knife-edge suspense and rich, tantalizing characters, this is Ken Follett writing at the top of his form-unforgettable storytelling from an unforgettable writer.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525946896
• ISBN13: 9780525946892
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Sure it's formulaic but it works!

Ken Follett's "Hornet Flight" is a rousing World War II adventure full of all of the characters you'd expect in a film noire spy thriller about the Nazis. We have the plucky Englishwoman, spunky high school kids, brave soldiers and a scarred-up German officer who wears the jackboots and everything. You know how it's going to end even before you start thanks to too much information on the description page but it's still a rollicking fun ride. It hit me just right during these blase winter days.

Fast-paced, engaging story with heroes and villains

Ken Follett has a way with World War II. "Hornet Flight' is a good example of Follett's skill with the genre. The result is a book I found hard to put down. While this is not great literature, new ground, or extensive character development, 'Flight' kept me wanting to know how our heroes were going to pull this off, who would make it through to the end, and how, once again, Nazis would err or suffer. Imaginative if somewhat predictable, but the latter is characteristic of just about any book about World War II -- we know how it's going to end. We even know many of the intermediate steps. It's the ride, not the destination, that is the most fun.Detailed descriptions of Denmark in a time of war, of Copenhagen, slow trains, a steam-powered motorcycle, small islands and fishing villages, and of the pivotal Hornet are what make this book work. Harald, our geeky physics student, and Karen, the striking, leggy, Jewish heroine, make for an odd but interesting coupling. While not great characters, Follett makes you like and, hopefuly, understand them.

Couldn't put it down

From page one I could not put this down. It is a very intricate and exciting book. It was rich in imagery and I felt like I was in Denmark during WWII. The characters are well developed, and I had sympathies for the lead characters routing them on. It is one of the best reads I had in a long while. I highly recommend it.

Exciting WWII tale

Ken Follett can usually be depended upon to deliver a story full of action, adventure and suspense, and his latest is no exception. Once again we are back in the dark days of WWII when the Nazis are at the height of their conquest of Western Europe. In this tale, the location is Denmark, a place not usually the subject of wartime espionage tales. We are given the story of how the Allies were able to overcome the German advantage in early radar, and it is told with all of the old skill of this famous author. We have the intrepid hero, the conflicted Nazi-leaning policeman, the spunky female love interest, and the regular host of supporting characters that we have all come to know and love from Mr. Follett's books. It's formula writing, but it's formula writing at its best, and the reader keeps turning the poages from beginning to end. That's all one can require from a book of this type, and the author delivers. It's great escapist entertainment, and I recommend it.

Electrifying espionage action.

Ken Follett's "Hornet Flight" is a fast paced page burner set at the start of WWII. With locales in Denmark and Great Britain, it blends fact and fiction. Mr. Follett is at his best when the setting is WWII.The plot shows how the heroic action of a few individuals behind the lines can alter the outcome of war. The Nazis are still the ultimate bad guys in fact and fiction and it is always fun to see them outwitted.The characters are quite strong, believable and they really come alive.There are enough twists and turns to make you wonder if the protagonists will triumph---as these Nazis are not portrayed as buffoons---they are worthy adversaries.While there are some predicable resolutions, overall it is a fascinating, irresistible read filled with plenty of tension.