The Brandons, The [Large Print] [Paperback]

Angela Thirkell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1991

Working from the premise that Hitler was murdered in 1943, and replaced by a look-a-like, this story reinterprets the events which took place from 1943 to 1945. At the centre is Martin Bormann, and his plan to cover-up Hitlers death in an attempt to stop anti-Nazi generals seizing power.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 457 pages
• Publisher: Magna Large Print Books (April 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850579490
• ISBN-13: 978-1850579496
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't live up to its premise, April 25, 2009

By 

NoWireHangers (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Leader and the Damned (Hardcover)

The premise of The Leaderand the Damned, that Hitler was assassinated in 1942 and relaced by a double, is very interesting. All the reviewers on Amazon.co.uk gave the book 5 stars, some said it was Forbes' best. With my expectations high, I was a bit disappointed. It's not a bad novel, but it doesn't do justice to the great and interesting premise. It starts out with Hitler being assassinated. Martin Bormann covers it up and installs a double without anyone's knowledge. Meanwhile, a British pilot, Lindsay, flies to Germany to meet Hitler. Having met Hitler before the was, he senses the Hitler he meets now may not be the same person. Together with a secretery who is part of the anti-Nazi underground, he escapes and tries to get back to London. He get help from a resistance group that cooperate with the British, and he travels with them through the Balkan where his people are supposed to pick him up.

Approximately 75% of the book deals with Lindsay's journey as he tries to return and report his suspicions to London. Very little focus is on Hitler and his double. This aspect of the story could and should have been much more developed. Instead, it only serves as a backdrop for Lindsay's story. I also felt quite let down by the ending of the book.

It's not the best (that would be Avalanche Express) nor the worst Forbes book I've read. It's not bad but not as good as I had hoped and as it could have been.

2.0 out of 5 stars A good Story In Need Of A Good Writer!, August 29, 2003

By 

bobbewig (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Leader and the Damned (Paperback)

The basic premise of The Leader And The Damned is interesting -- i.e., the attempt by the Gestapo to kill an English spy to prevent him from revealing that from 1943 on the man supposed to be Hitler was actually his double, and that the real Hitler had died. This book had the potential to be very good and exciting. Unfortunately, what it lacks is an author skilled in being able to make you care about what happens next and in creating believable, three-dimensional characters. Other than Forbes mentioning the names of characters (fictional and real), he provides little to no description of their background, appearance, etc. They are so "cardboard-like", that I found that it difficult to read on to find out what happens next. There's no question in my mind that with a more skilled writer The Leader And The Damned could have been one of the better WWII thrillers. Instead, at best, I would consider it to be only fair. Unless you have an unsatiable need to read WWII thrillers, do yourself a favor and skip this book.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is a keeper!, May 15, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Kingville, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Leader and the Damned (Paperback)

The story of a British spy who penetrates Nazi Germany, gets his information and then tries to escape. Only the British can be this paranoid about spies, governments, double-dealing and triple-dealing. It's a well thought out plot, good writing, and so believeable. Get this one, sit down, fasten your seat belt and hang on for dear life because nothing is what it really seems.