The Odin Mission [Import] [Hardcover]

James Holland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2008

Fans of Sharpe will love the first novel in the Jack Tanner series. Set in Norway, April 1940. Sergeant Jack Tanner and his Yorks Rangers, separated from the main battalion, are drawn into a desperate mission to smuggle Norway’s King Haakon’s treasures to safety.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. A member of the British Commission for Military History and the Guild of Battlefield Guides, he also regularly contributes reviews and articles in national newspapers and magazines. His many interviews with veterans of the Second World War are available at the Imperial War Museum and are also archived on www.secondworldwarforum.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Press (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0593058348
• ISBN-13: 978-0593058343
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,682,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Read, July 12, 2011

By 

DMac - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Odin Mission (Jack Tanner 1) (Paperback)

James Holland does an above average writing with "The Odin Mission". The book was well written and ninety percent believable. I plan to read Holland's other novels.

3.0 out of 5 stars amusing - but a bit ridiculous... a somewhat duller "Sharpe", July 6, 2010

By 

Bennett F. Steinmuller "bennett" (sf) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Odin Mission (Hardcover)

while Holland has worked hard to get the historical - and especially military - details right, his characters remain at best sketchily drawn bundles of clichés.

but let me begin by saying a couple of things:
1. I listened to this as an audiobook and it is entirely likely that this has colored my perception of the book - ESPECIALLY of the characters. the terrible accents are unintentionally comical and remain so throughout the book for all the characters except the main character, who inexplicably has no accent.
but that's not the fault of the author (unless of course the accents are written into the book 'zis iz outraigeouz!')
2. I DID enjoy this book - despite the wooden dialogue, the ridiculous plot lines, the sketchily drawn characters, I found it to be a fun 'read'. Holland's obviously done his research and his descriptions of the tactics, weaponry, clothing and equipment is first rate.
the plot also moves along at a rollicking pace without any dead spots for romantic interests or useless exposition.

but there are a few things that are hard to ignore. the French are lampooned mercilessly in the form of a Lt of a platoon of Chasseurs who is both an arrogant cowardly puffed up imbecile. the rest of the company of the Chasseurs are not even named and play almost no role in the story except to die rather pathetically given that they are supposed to be elite mountain troops. the main character Jack Tanner is appealing but rather blind to his own obvious shortcomings - he loses his temper about every 5 pages for example, a fact which is glossed over until a scene where the narrator says "he prided himself on never losing control of his temper [!] but this was too much" and proceeds to punch a superior officer in the face. hahaha! I laughed out loud at this one.

anyway, the book is probably a better bet than the audiobook, but unless you're a real fan of this kind of war fiction you might want to skip it and just read Bernie Cornwell's "Sharpe" series - which this series is clearly aping.