Flight of Eagles
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 Recent paperback cover |
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| Author | Jack Higgins |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical, Thriller, Novel |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph & Penguin Books |
| Released | 2 July 1998 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (hardcover edition)) 352 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-7181-4297-7 (hardcover edition) ISBN 0-14-027027-2 (paperback edition) |
Flight of Eagles is a novel by Jack Higgins, set in World War II.
[edit] Plot summary
The story surrounds the 'identical' twins Max (later Baron von Halder, aka the "Black Baron" as an unveiled reference to the "Red Baron", Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen) and Harry Kelso, who are separated from each other as a result of a deal between their mother -a German baroness- and their grandfather -an American millionaire and senator- after the death of their father.
Both of them go on to become pilots. But there the differences start. Not least of which is that they join opposing air forces, Max is a Luftwaffe fighter ace and Harry has signed up as a 'Finn' in the Royal Air Force.
Of course both of them meet again in the skies and on land, that is really the point of the story. They are after all 'brothers in arms'. However the setting being the period of the Battle of Britain adds its own interest. How well Higgins has brought off the various aspects of the storytelling is open to debate.
The question comes up again when Higgins introduces his readers to characters like "Bubi Hartmann", a personal assistant to Himmler and a curious combination of Luftwaffe/SS/SD. Unfortunately (?), this twilight character bears the same nickname as Erich Hartmann (1922 - 1993), the Luftwaffe's top scorer. In this matter, Higgins obviously has gone 'a bridge too far'. The appearance and behaviour of "Hartmann" through the whole book is not very credible, thus lowering the interest for the story itself.
The book is based on a true story.
