I enjoyed reading Fall Eagle One by Warren Bell

            This historical-fiction novel begins in 1943, Nazi Germany. The war is going poorly for the Germans. They’ve suffered a major defeat at Stalingrad. The Russians are advancing. Allied bombing is devastating German cities and factories. The Allied invasion of Europe is inevitable. The war could be lost if the Allies get a foothold in France. The German’s final hopes may rest on their development of the Vergeltungswaffen (retaliatory weapons like the V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets). Reich Marshall of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring, has fallen out of favor with Hitler, due to his failure to protect the Fatherland. In an attempt to regain face with his Führer, Göring and his technical advisor, Siegfried von Rall, devise a desperate plan. If they can assassinate FDR, the Allied invasion of Europe may be delayed. Germany could develop their retaliatory weapons, and turn the tide of the war. Over in England, Evan Thompson, an American code breaker, is at Bletchley Park, reading von Rall’s radio messages. But he can’t determine what the Germans’ intentions are for their newly developed Amerika-Bomber and smart bombs. Thompson’s failure could lose the war for the Allies.

            Like all historical fiction, Fall Eagle One falls into a very specific niche. Military history readers, particularly of aviation history, will love it. The story generally stays true to the real facts and technologies. The premise is very plausible. The Germans were seeking methods to bomb the United States. The problem with reading historical fiction about well-known figures is that readers already know the outcome. It kills the suspense. Readers already know the Germans didn’t kill FDR. The author successfully avoids this by building the suspense in other areas—will von Rall succeed in launching the mission? Will Thompson figure out what the Germans are doing before it’s too late?

            Fall Eagle One is well-written with few grammatical errors, missing or wrong words. The storyline follows a logical order and flows smoothly. The writing style can be distracting, however. Sentences often begin in an indirect manner, rather than taking a more direct, concise tone. For example: “After a half-hour of brooding, Siegfried’s natural optimism crept back.” Too many sentences written in this manner can be tiresome, especially in a long novel.

            The main fictional characters are well-developed. Their motivations and actions are understandable. The historical figures followed their known characteristics. Göring is consumed by his eccentric greed and drug addiction. Hitler rants and raves. There is constant infighting and backstabbing among German military leaders. The uniqueness of this novel is in its details and descriptions. Fall Eagle One is an encyclopedia of German World War II aircraft, their weapons, and specifications. A reader will definitely learn something about aviation history. The question is: How much does a reader want to learn while reading what is basically a suspense novel? While I found the multitude of facts and descriptions fascinating, they distracted from the story.

            Reading Falcons of France by Charles Nordhoff (WWI aviation history) is what inspired me to become an avid reader as a child. So I’ve always been a huge fan of aviation history. However, the writing style of Fall Eagle One was too heavy for me to call it a classic that I’d read over and over again. I do plan on eventually reading Hold Back the Sun, Bell’s second novel.