Out of the Desert: Danger Close... - Tom Walker

 

The brilliant thing with this book is how easy it is to read.   A really beautiful flow of words with a plot that is easy to follow.

Out of the Desert: Danger Close… is book one in the wings of victory series.  It starts in 1940 in Egypt and follows the story of a young ambitious Royal Air Force pilot Peter Denhay who is posted to an operational bomber squadron at the start of a major Italian offensive into Egypt. This is a story of relationships, of suspicion that there is a double agent operating in their midst, of intelligence and of the XXI squadron and their battles though Egypt, Create and mainland Greece.

The intensity of the last air battle leaves you breathless, you live the fight through these brilliant characters.

The author Tom Walker has written a brilliant part one to the series.  His writing is detailed but with a real pace in the story.  He has captured a real part of history that is well researched and woven a fantastic fictional story into the heart of the war.

The characters are so well set. Not the superheroes you find in some books, but real people, with real emotions and that is captured throughout.  You have a real engagement with each character, wanting to understand their story and their life.  Wanting to find out their history and what the future holds for them. 

What I really liked was the detail, the accuracy of the moment in time. Reading the authors notes and acknowledgements really give you an insight into how the author went that extra step to ensure that details were accurate but acknowledging some artistic license. 

As a debut novel this is so well written. It sets up the series brilliantly and really leaves you wanting more.  It has the right balance between easy reading, with a great plot but with enough detail to make you think and that draws you right into the story.  The author has written a wonderful flowing story balanced between intrigue and intense battles.

This book isn’t just for people interested in war.  This is a thriller for all ages. If you are looking for a book that has a really good story this is for you.

A top draw historical fictional read that is very highly recommended.   I can’t wait for book 2 in the series.






Location: Doncaster, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Radio Operator on the Eastern Front - Erhard Steiniger

Image
  This is the second of my book reviews on the German soldiers’ experiences in World War II. Erhard Steinigers autobiography ‘Radio Operator on the Eastern Front’ takes you on a journey from Conscription through Barbarossa to the battle of Leningrad and finally to being a prisoner of the Soviets. Steiniger’s reflections saw him serve in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia as a signaler in the 151 st Infantry Regiment.   As a signaler he had to be at the forefront of the battle with the soldiers and this is very much a first-hand account of what that experience was like.    The horrors of war on the Eastern Front are really drawn out. This book is exceptional well written and translated.   The autobiography does not glorify war but shows what war was like for a soldier on the ground right at the forefront of a battle.   The life and horrors that were experienced.     The over 110 illustrations and photographs throughout the books give a fascinating insight into life of Erhard
Read more

Reconstructing and Recording Combat Experiences in First World War and World War 2

Image
  One of the many interesting discussions I have been involved in of late has been about the writing and recording of combat experiences and how reliable or not those accounts are. Some of the first books we all read on the wars is those of soldiers, sailors and airmen and their personal experiences, their involvement in war, what they saw and felt.   We get drawn in by the excitement, heroism, action, and outcomes. A lot of time we have read these in isolation without being able to share with others that have our interest and without understanding the wider context. In some ways that comes with age and experience. Social Media has enabled people from all over the world to come together and discuss all aspects of war and the question of “Reconstructing and Recording combat experiences in World War 1 and Second World War” keeps coming to the fore. As we understand more, we start to question the evidence in front of us. We start to understand how these accounts are written and how ac
Read more

FOURSQUARE: The Last Parachutist - George Bearfield

Image
  The fantastic thing I find about reading books on war is the surprising stories.   The ones that capture you.   The human side of war but intertwined with daring operations that might not be that well known. Foursquare: The Last Parachutist does not disappoint.   This is a story of the authors family, a story of a grandfather and grandson.    This is a story about bravery, about resourcefulness, about loss, about patriotism and about resistance in Czechoslovakia. This is a story of a Czech family, cousins that came to England to fight the war.   To contribute, to make a difference in freeing their country and Europe from the Nazis. In 1938 Jaroslav and Josef Bublik came to England and became part of the Czech intelligence service.    Both tied through family and both to play a significant contribution to the war.   Jaroslav trained parachutist to go back into their country whilst Josef was one of the first to be dropped.   The story captures one of the most daring actions of th
Read more