Guy Walters The Occupation

The Occupation takes the German occupation of the Channel Islands as the basis for the story in the last months of the WWII, and details the struggle of a decent German office to prevent a final madness of the German leadership.

The story jumps around from 1945 to the present day, which I found annoying. I think the 1945 story was strong enough to stand on its own.

I did think the ending was weak, and saw it coming from about a 3rd in to the book. Not a book that riveted me but still a good read. Will considering reading more Guy Walters

Guy Walters The Occupation: As someone who enjoys reading good quality fiction about World War Two - and particularly political thrillers about the Nazis and the fight against them - I have enjoyed all of Guy Walters' work on the subject so far.

His first, The Traitor, was a work of fiction based around the true story of the formation of a British branch of The SS and his second novel, The Leader, went further into the 'what if' imagination as he describes life under an Oswald Mosley-led Fascist state in Britain.

This third one is based again on a true historical fact - the German occupation of the Channel Islands - and it uses this as the basis for a pacy, highly-credible work of fiction about an evil plan of the Nazis to use the islands to make one last assault on the mainland by building one of Hitler's 'secret weapons'.

Well researched and entirely believable, the story moves along at a cracking pace and gives an excellent insight into life during the occupation. In a welcome change from some such thrillers, not all the 'baddies' are bad (although some of them are very nasty!) and not all the 'goodies' (i.e. us, the Brits) are good either so you get plenty of deception, double dealing, political and personal infighting and intrigue and even a bit of German-British romance to keep the pot boiling.

This would have been a five star book for me but the book intersperses the modern day story of searching out the story with the one war story itself and at times I got irritated to be taken from the absorbing scenario of the late 1940s to the year 2004 - although there is a very good reason why the author does this as becomes clear at the end.

So, a book I would thoroughly recommend for those, like me, who enjoy well-written, intelligent and unpredictable World War Two political thrillers.

Keep it up Guy.