Glenn Meade has done it again! In his book, 'The Sands of Sakkara' we are introduced to a series of magnetic characters, but none more intriguing than Jack Halder, Harry Weaver, and Rachel Stern. As the reader learns, they are in the Sakkara pyramids in Egypt 1939 right before the start of the Second World War. Their archaeological work is interrupted when war breaks out. Jack Halder, a German-American, joins the Wehrmacht, while Harry Weaver joins the US Army. Rachel Stern travels by ship to Turkey with her parents, only to have her ship sunk in a storm and is herself captured by a German Kriegsmarine naval vessel.After a few chapters learning of their backgrounds and friendships, the story jumps to 1943. Germany is losing the war and must come up with a way to rebuild morale and throw the Allies in disarray so the Fuhrer's armies can focus on the invasion of Russia.Here we are introduced to SS General Walter Schellenberg, a cunning conspirator, who is responsible for designing a mission to assassinate President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill during their conference in Cairo. Both Halder and Weaver are torn between their friendship for each other and love for Rachel Stern. Although the war has separated them during these early four years, they soon find themselves on opposite sides as the mission to assassinate the Allied leaders comes to fruition.The Germans assign the assault force to the 'Most Dangerous Man in Europe' still applauded for the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini. His name is Otto Skorzeny. He and his detail of crack paratroops are to be flown to a secret base outside of Cairo where they will begin their assault on President Roosevelt's hotel dressed in the guise of American solders.In order to accomplish this mission, Jack Halder must return to Egypt in the guise of an American Archaeological team working on Egyptian ruins. Accompanied by Rachel Stern, a half-Jewish woman released from a Nazi concentration camp to work alongside her friend, they have secret dealings with members of the Egptian underworld, British and American deserters, and all the while are being chased by a determined British colonel who doubts the loyalty of Harry Weaver.Their paths soon cross as the final hours of the mission are revealed in an exciting finale only the likes of Glenn Meade could envision.This is my fourth book read by Glenn Meade and of course he does not disappoint. As mentioned, the German mission to assassinate the President of the United States and British Prime Minister are fact. Meade's story is based on this. His research takes the reader a step further and leaves us to ask the question if it really happened as in his book. If so, history came dangerously close to being different from the history we know.I highly recommend this book by Glenn Meade. It is one of his early books, but still cries of excitement, action, and drama. As usual, you won't be disappointed.David Lucero, author
Gostei mesmo muito. 2ª Guerra Mundial e baseado em factos reais, passada no Egipto?... é o suficiente para mim...E não lhe dei 5*, porque não sei se algumas das coisas que achei mais fracas se devem ao autor ou apenas à tradução e adaptação, que quanto a mim deixaram algo a desejar, não me pareceram especialmente boas. Como não li o original dou o benefício da dúvida ao autor!Mas é um livro muito bom para quem gosta do género! Uma história bem contada, embora não possamos esquecer que o autor é jornalista, sobre os bastidores da guerra, em que o sentido do dever, da amizade e do amor se misturam e que tornam difíceis e dolorosas algumas decisões! Com um fim algo imprevisto!Gostei.
What do You think about The Sands Of Sakkara (2000)?
I suppose that some might find this book suitable light summer reading. It was recommended to me as such, and it has certain elements of such a book, being an action-filled story of a fictionalized Nazi plot to assassinate Churchill and Roosevelt during WW2. However, I found it unsatisfying. The one-dimensional characters and the pedestrian prose are to be expected of such novels. However, Meade's book goes a step beyond. I can't recall how many times his characters would do or say things that didn't fit the personas that he had given them. For example, though there were instances where the German agents killed those who got in their way or threatened to expose them, but there were others in which they merely tied up or knocked out those people, even though the only sensible thing to do was to kill them. Why this inconsistency? Because the author needed some of these characters later in the novel. Which brings me to the topic of plot holes. The novel is full of them. It obviously wasn't well plotted before Meade started writing, so he had to pull things out of his rear end as he went along. The prose is sloppy too. Meade uses a lot of clichés, and in general, the books appears to have been written in a hurry without much pride in his craftsmanship on the part of the author.
—Chuck
description: November 1943: Adolf Hitler sanctioned his most audacious mission ever--to kill US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill as they visit Cairo for a secret conference to plan the Allied invasion of Europe, an invasion which threatens imminent defeat for Germany. Only one man is capable of leading the defiant Nazi mission--Major Johann Halder, one of the Abwehr's most brilliant, daring agents, a man with a tortured soul and a talent for the impossible.Accompanied by an expert undercover team, and a young and beautiful Egyptologist, Rachael Stern, Halder must race against time across a hostile desert, to reach Cairo and successfully carry out the assignment, or forfeit his own life and that of his young son. When US military intelligence learns of the plan, they assign one of their best officers, Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Weaver, to hunt down and eliminate Halder and his team. But for Weaver, as for Johann Halder and Rachael Stern, there's more than just the balance of war and the lives of the Allied leaders at stake--a pact of love and friendship is about to be tested in a frantic, high-stakes chase to the death.Genre: Mystery | Thrillertt
—Bettie☯
Good historical fiction book about World War II and fictional (with non-fictional) substories maybe someone else couldve wrote it better but a good dive into world history great action scenes, realistic (fictional and non-fictional) characters and a so-so plot...would honestly give a 2½ stars if provided on the network. It started to get corny towards the end during the narrator's (journalist's) monologue
—DaRell
