The Eagle has Landed (Jack Higgins)

Written in 1975, The Eagle has Landed is a classic thriller set late in World War II.  The premise is simple: kidnap Churchill.  The Germans believe this would grant them a huge psychological victory- one sorely needed, as even they acknowledge at this point that the war is all but lost.  But how to pull off such an operation?  The perfect opportunity exists:  a German spy (Joanna Grey) living in the small village of Studley Constable in southeast England has just received word that the Prime Minister will be visiting a local magnate, Sir Henry Willoughby, in a few weeks.  She relays this news to Berlin, who seizes on the opportunity and creates a daring plan.  A small band of paratroopers, led by Colonel Kurt Steiner, will drop into the village a day or two before Churchill's in town.  Staying at the house of another spy (the Irishmen Liam Devlin, who dropped in a few weeks prior, posing as Grey's relative), they'll set their plans in motion and grab the Prime Minister.  Will they succeed?  What do you think?

What I liked most about this book, other than the overall good storyline and masterful telling, is the dilemma it places before the reader.  It's told largely from the German point of view- and as many of the group (in this case) are honorable men (in fact, one saves two village kids from drowning), you almost want to root for them.  It shoots down stereotypes- that the enemy were all heartless, merciless bastards.  It shows that men fought with honor on both sides, and that's what I liked- and some critics didn't- about it.  I don't view it as German apologia, as some suggest- you see Himmler and his evil acts throughout here, Hitler and his insanity, and you never get the sense that the Germans are the good guys- it's just that some of them fought for honor and country, not for Hitler.  Agree or disagree, this book makes you think about that issue, and I appreciate it for that.

This was my third time reading this, so of course I liked it.  It was my first time in over a decade, though, and I must admit that I noticed some flaws this time around that I didn't catch before.  Little things- implausible character interactions, people knowing just a bit too much or guessing just a little too easily what was going on- diminished it slightly for me, but only just.  Overall, this is a good tale.  If you're into thrillers in this vein, I highly recommend The Eagle has Landed (and others by Higgins- I've read between 5-10 of his over the years, and they're all quality).

Rating: A