Customer Reviews

The Ardennes Tapes: ...Pray that Somebody Listens!

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book because it grabbed my interest from the moment I picked it up and held it until I finished reading it three days later. Timothy B. Benford knows how to keep a reader spellbound. This thriller had convincing dialogue that keeps you hooked and makes the characters so believable. I went out and looked for more books by Mr. Benford after I finsiehd this one. I discovered that he's written a dozen or so books and I am currently reading one about World War 2 now. I love it too!

When it first came out The Ardennes Tapes was compared favorably with the efforts of Stephen King in a United Press International (UPI) review. That hardly does this excellent book justice. Where King spends chapters confusing the reader with the kind of horror you have to suspend belief in, Benford weaves detailed, suspenseful fiction built around actual events and then hits you with the unthinkable horror. This book opens in the present (of 1989) but then plays out the story as a flashback to the Battle of the Bulge (read the plot description above). You do not have to be a war-book buff to enjoy this one. And believe me, enjoy it you will! Benford has written about a dozen other books, including four nonfiction about World War II, but only two novels: The Ardennes Tapes and an equally enjoyable thriller "Hitler's Daughter". Put this author on your list of books you want to read. I am especially impressed with his out of the ordinary, off-the-beaten path plots and his expert development of them. Where does someone get these ideas? Why isn't this guy writing for the movies or television? We "discovered" him after writing a review for NewsUSA of his latest book (May, 2001) "Pearl Harbor Amazing Facts!" a nonfiction tome that will blow you away with all the odd, unusual, and interesting material nobody ever told you about the attack. After reviewing that book for NewsUSA I decided to check out Benford's other books for myself. This review is strictly personal, on my own, not for NewsUSA or anybody else. That's how much I like his books. You will too.

A survivor of a massacre where over 200 US and Nazi troops were killed inside the Ardennes Forest and its secret cave wakes up in a psychiatric institution and begins to tell a tale about what really happened there on Christmas Eve in 1944. He wild tale describes how both troops came to fight an ancient evil, which was released from its prison after being sealed there for many centuries. Original, great, scary.

this book was stimulating and kept me involved i thought it was well done and a typical tim benford style of facts and creative writing this is must read book

Tim Benford is a born storyteller, and I knew before I read this book that I would enjoy every minute of it. His sharp wit, eye for detail and unique expressions do justice to his subject matter. I wish he would write more books. Tim, are you listening?

Benford is at his best when he lets his somewhat twisted mind follow its own path, and that he does in The Ardennes Tapes. Others have said they couldn't put this book down. I could, but only becuase I needed both sleep and something to look forward to the next day. Read this, enjoy this, and join the growing group of Benford fans.

Tim Benford's latest book proves that this writer knows how to grab an audience and hold its attention.

I met Tim Benford, found him funny and off-beat, and decided to buy his book...just out of curiosity. This is not the genre I usually read. I thought I would flip through the pages while chomping on an apple. Well, I put down the apple and got thoroughly engrossed in the book. He sure knows how to spin a tale. The book appeals to the mind and stimulates the flow of adrenaline. I am a fan now.

This was a thriller I couldn't put down. The plot flows and the characters are believable and exciting. The author has a knack of beng able to hold the reader's interest throughout.The dialogue, like Clive Cussler's, is very authentic. It is just how people talk, from sophisticated to shady characters. Full of suspense; highly recommend. David Ellsworth Boyd, Professor Emeritus,Towson University