V2: A Novel of World War II

A fascinating story of the V2, from both a German and British perspective, entirely plausible, and very enjoyable.

The author did a fantastic job capturing the ambience and real characters who were involved with and affected by the V2 rocket program during the latter days of world war two. The most impressive accomplishment was breathing life into two protagonists on opposite sides of the conflict, in Britain and in Nazi occupied Netherlands.The only reason I didn't assign five stars was that I felt there was enough material here to justify a longer book, developing the historical material more deeply. For example, the launching of the missiles continued for four more months beyond the November 1944 setting, while allied troops were nearby on their advance toward Berlin. There may have also been a great story in how the scientists and engineers managed to avoid the Russians and deliver themselves into the hands of the Americans. Also, the two protagonists eventually met in London after the war, but their relationship was never developed.I leaned quite a bit about how the missiles operated and how their launch sites can be determined from calculating their parabolic trajectories using quadratic equations with logarithmic exponents.A very rewarding read.

V2 is an excellent historical novel on one of Nazi Germany’s more radical (and desperate) attempts to turn the tide of WWII. Although not as effective as some of their other offenses, the dread caused by silent rockets that traveled twice the speed of sound weighed heavily upon an apprehensive Britain, making up for the lack of actual casualties in sheer terror.Robert Harris’ well-researched rendering of the V2 story follows two characters through the latter part of the war, Kay, a British analyst with the UK’s Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and Graf, a German rocket engineer deployed to Western Europe to assist in launching the attacks that take a mere five minutes to reach London. In a race against time the WAAF, stationed in Belgium close to the rocket launchers, attempt to track the rockets upon launch with sophisticated mathematics in order to alert RAF Spitfires to strike the German attackers before they are able to move their mobile launchers. It’s real cat and mouse stuff and the stakes couldn’t be higher.As mentioned, the details in V2 are top-notch, from the billeting of British personnel in an unwilling population’s locale where years of war have left the Belgians weary and hungry, to the rocket science that propelled the V2s half a mile per second. There are trysts, betrayals, and suspense to spare in this fascinating story. The Gestapo are seen as they no doubt were, a brutal secret police force that struck fear into their allies and foes alike. I was more than impressed that Robert Harris was able to pen this book in a relatively short time, during the initial Covid-19 lockdown. Kudos for this remarkable effort.

I haven't read any other books by the same author. I bought the book based on a review in a newspaper. I will forever consider these reviews more carefully now.This is a light duty historical fiction novel. I enjoy historical fiction, as I am entertained and can be better informed while being entertained. The book sellers who are selling e-books for a few dollars would be a better sales platform for this book. The fact that it was reviewed in what I consider(d) to be a national newspaper with what I have believe(d) to be credible reviews of quality books.The author writes about fictional events around the deployment of the first ballistic missiles ever used in warfare by Germany during the latter part of WW2. Recognizable names are thrown in as well as real locations. These create the historical aspect. Some of the other details used to flesh out the story like the use of television?? To view a missile site are silly. Television in that form wouldn't exist for 10 years or more. My life has 't changed since reading this story, My general knowledge hasn't increased either.I read a book review sometime ago where the reviewer said" if you want to sell a book, write about WW2 and throw in some Nazi atrocities". Very few are alive from that time so first hand accurate knowledge is fading. It was a time filler read for me.

Based on real events, Harris creates a very credible set of characters and a fine plot. His sense of place, in this case mainly Mechelen in Belgium, a town that I know, and time, 1944/5, is first rate. My only complaint is the somewhat one-dimensional characterisation of one of the key players, Werner Von Braun, certainly one of the most interesting and contradictory figures in modern history. But that doesn't detract from the quality of Harris' writing. A real page-Turner which provided the right Director is found will doubtless become a very watchable movie.

the book is not preachy but meaningful. It shows the arbitrariness of anonymous weapons of mass destruction. It shows wartime passions-personal and political. It shows budding feminist feelings and reveals a little known group of British women helping intelligence analysis. Most importantly, it incorporates Michael Neufeld's excellent research and understanding of the Nazi rocket engineers, their leader Wernher von Braun, and social/political experience around the V-2--a weapon system that killed more people in the making than in its use as a weapon. The book amounts to a statement on the horrors of war itself and of the military-industrial-intelligence complex.

I like Harris as an author a lot. He has lots of good factual information about his subject, and that is certainly the case again with this novel. I feel that the development of his characters was kind of average with this book and that the ending was predictable. So it ended too quickly, but not dramatically. Felt like he ran out of gas. But worth reading.

Lo compré para regalo y fue lo que esperaban.

I don’t usually read books like this twice. But it is so well crafted and written that I really enjoyed doing so (it’s not a long read). I thought that the plot was believable and the interweaving of the two storylines worked well for me. Focusing on a handful of key characters made me engage and care about what happened to them. I’m not an expert on WW2 history or on the mechanics of V2 rockets but from what I do know the account seems to be pretty faithful to the facts.

An excellent storyline of cause and affect told through the eyes of the two main characters; a German rocket engineer and a British intelligence officer in the WAAF. The historic facts, that I have previously studied are well incorporated by the author. These were redundant for anyone familiar with the development and deployment of the V2 weapon but essential for the uninitiated.I was unaware of the V2 deployment outside of The Hague and discovered that I had visited the same location unknowing of the historical significance. The author identifies his historic references and the actual person who inspired Kay. This has prompted me to purchase the biographies of the actual WAAF officer as well as order another one of Robert Harris's books. There are many historical sites on the Internet that provide maps and actual detailed procedures for the launching of the V2 rockets from Scheveningen.

Well researched. Difficult to write a documentary on a non fiction “product” of the war rather than a person… but Harris at his normal best.

I really enjoyed the build up of the storyline but found the ending kind of oversimplified compared to the beginning.