Review: Another Fictional War  Story
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 03 4, 2014
I am aware that this is a first novel but am concerned that anyone can take WW2 and turn it into a sort of "Boys' Own Adventure".  Seven people, a bit like the start of a joke, Englishmen, Australian, 3 beautiful French girls etc etc., get involved in WW2 and manage to get out of France across the Channel in a small boat.  Their exploits are so favoured by the leader of the Free French in London, that they train as espionage agencies, parachute back into France and create mayhem, always keeping one step ahead of the Germans.  At the end of every adventure there are smiles and laughs all around and not only does it "smack" a little bit of the aforementioned adventure, but shades of Blyton's Terrible Five come to the fore.  Surely there are enough detailed and personal, heroic and tragic stories of this period without a new group beating the Germans at every turn.  I thought we had gone past this and were beginning to recognise that there is valour on both sides in a war.  The ending is obviously Hollywood  and they all live happily ever after.