Vikas Kohli's Reviews > The Eagle Has Landed

I read this book because it was recommended by Reader's Digest as one of the best all time. Needless to say that they weren't wrong. I enjoy reading war & related fiction & have read many books but what Higgins presented here was beyond doubt extraordinary. Here are a few elements that I was amazed to see:

1. Fact or Fiction: The writer did extensive research as explained well in the prologue & epilogue. In fact the research is as important to the plot as is the book. The only issue being central character of the plot was a heavy weight & I don't mean just someone I mean the big dog of WWII so it may be plausible that details of this operation never showed up cause the ramifications if they did, were dastardly for many forces around the world. I would leave that to you to judge; I for one feel that IT DID HAPPEN!!!

2. A German War HERO: Yes & I am not going to talk about him because words won't do justice to the courage, character or clarity of thought Kurt Steiner possessed. I am glad that finally we saw ONE; yes only ONE war hero from Germany but what a Hero. He made up for all the years I read & found all Germans to be on the Board of Directors of Satan's Inc. Again, I believe that Kurt Steiner did lead that outrageous mission.

3. Character Portraits: The writer did research thoroughly for almost all characters can be found by a simple Google search & read about. Worthy to remember that this material wouldn't show up because of what it meant so details are grainy but there. What is also stupendous is that each character & I mean each & everyone of them was essential to the plot. What I enjoyed most was the Brotherhood amongst these warriors. Each & everyone a just soldier unlike what we know Germans to be. I felt sad every time as the narrative would reach the already foregone conclusion that all of them were to be KIA before the book reached its last pages.

4. Confused IRA Professional: My second favorite character & God Blessed him with a great sense of humor. In fact all Irish men seem to have it...he seemed to have the most of it. In the whole book Devlin only once was genuinely sad otherwise it seemed to me that God gave him a little more of the "happy hormones" & none of the sad ones. He shows what the War did in terms of choices & cause & I have come to believe that "one man's soldier is another man's terrorist" is indeed true. Again Devlin lived till much later & met with the writer.

5. Conclusion: I don't think I will ever read another book from Higgins as I am afraid he will let me down. I also think that they should remake the movie; the earlier one was made in the 80s but this generation must be given a chance to see Germans in a different light. I am not saying I have turned, for I hated reading about what all they did (Himmler was Satan on Earth as he went about his wretched ways even in this book!!!). But there were indeed "a few good men" who were on the wrong side of the barbed wire.