Spandau Phoenix

By: Greg Iles

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 26 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

The Spandau Diary - what was in it? Why did the secret intelligence agencies of every major power want it? Why was a brave and beautiful woman kidnapped to get it? Why did a chain of deception and violent death lash out across the globe, from survivors of the Nazi past to warriors in this new conflict about to explode? Why did the world's entire history of World War II have to be rewritten as the future hung over a nightmare abyss?

©1994 Greg Iles (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Excellent and intense

I always feel sad when I finish a book by Greg Iles. His books are intense, well researched, well imagined and well written. They always include a few characters who are ethical and courageous (and it's not bravado, but a position grounded in the character's personal history and experience). Spandau Phoenix was written years before Black Cross, but takes place in a more recent period. Both books have to do with the Nazi era, the formation of the state of Israel, Jewish history and character. Spandau Phoenix is plausible fiction about hatreds that remain today from WWII, a central character in Nazi history (Rudolph Hess) and actions of the British and the Russians during the war, and potential threats to the survival of the state of Israel that are ongoing. Iles improved my understanding and perspective on what happened then and its impact on today. Dick HIll is the perfect narrator.

Complex plot with plenty of action.

I loved Black Cross by Iles and this book also did not disappoint. Listen to Black Cross first if you plan to get both books. Great characters and more plot surprises than most books. I hope Greg Iles goes back to writing more military/espionage books, he clearly does a great job and researches his books well. Narration was also a big plus and made the book flow easily. Easily a five star book. Highly recommend.

Well Told Story of Intrigue and Suspense

Greg Iles is a wonderful story teller and this book is a thrilling tale of espionage, heart-stopping suspense and action. This well-told story spans more than 50 years. It centers on the real identity of Rudolf Hess and whether members of the Royal family plotted with Hitler to save England during WWII. It all begins with a policeman innocently finding notes left by a recently deceased elderly prisoner in Spandau prison.

I would have given it a full 5 stars but as has been pointed out by other reviewers, the story has a few too many plot lines and characters than it needs. There are Nazis, neo Nazis, KGB, all manner of spies, police and secret police (Russian, British, South African, Israeli and American), assassins, Arab terrorists, Cuban and Columbian mercenaries, nuclear weapons, arms dealers, drug dealers ???. This shouldn???t stop anyone from enjoying the ride; just know that it???s going to be a wild one.

Good Story, Good action, Excellent narrator

This book is filled with excellent action, has a lot of interesting characters and a bit of history.

It does manage to drag in a few spots, but not too much.

I can't understand other reviewer's complaints about the narrator. Granted he's not Rich Little, but without his accents and voices, the book would not have been nearly as enjoyable.

Good read - recommended.

What a deal! 5 story lines for the price of one

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If he had chosen 1 of the seemingly 5 story lines in this book. The start was great, an old WWII Nazi conspiracy. Then there was some weird bomb. Then a multinational corporation that was doing illegal things. And then a US soldier. About 3 of the 5 MIGHT have been a good book on their own, so I guess the author figured "if 3 are OK, then combined they are GREAT!" He was wrong.

Would you ever listen to anything by Greg Iles again?

Maybe abridged. Maybe.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Dick Hill?

Sure.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Spandau Phoenix?

A LOT of the crazy nazi talk. I literally he fast forward on about 15 minutes at one point and the same dude was still talking about crazy Nazi crap.

Any additional comments?

He got REALLY preachy towards the end. It was like the last few years of MASH.

Simply WOW!!!!!

This is truly truly an amazing amazing roller coaster of a story that tugs at you in different directions. In a way it is a continuation of Black Cross but stands on its own. There are quite a few characters and it takes a little bit of time to know who is who but once you do....you are spun into an amazing web that just keeps going and going. You never really know what is going to happen as there are a number of twists and turns that keep you engaged. I highly highly recommend this book.

GREAT BOOK

After reading the Black Cross, Spandu Phoenix made a superb sequel. It was very fast passed and a lot of characters to remember but overall a very will written and narrated book.

Very good Story!!

In order to understand this book, you have to read Black Cross. Witch is very good to.

HIGHLY ENTERTAINING

I'd read a few of Greg Iles' Natchez series of books before picking up "Spandau Phoenix" and was not disappointed with the change of subject matter. Iles definitely did his research on the history of the Third Reich and the strange flight of Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess to Britain in 1941. And, while the story here is fictionalized, it offers a version that, while fanciful, fits the evidence on hand to Iles in 1993.

While it may be looked down on by those who believe "great" literature the only type worth reading, if you are looking for a gripping tale of the most horrific and intense periods in all of human history then you this won't disappoint. It's a solid 4-stars and DIck Hill's narration is amazing as usual.

Too Long

What did you like best about Spandau Phoenix? What did you like least?

This is a pretty good book but not up to Illes' standards. While some of his other works, e.g.the Penn Cage series, are comparably long, they are so well written that it's hard to put them down. Unfortunately Spandau Phoenix does not meet this standard.

What didn’t you like about Dick Hill’s performance?

Very little. I cannot understand why Dick Hill is so popular. When he is reading in a normal tone, he's OK, but his attempts at foreign (and female) accents are insufferable and annoying. Unlike John Lee (Century trilogy) whose accents and pronunciations are superb, Hill's are amateurish and exaggerated.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

I wish Illes would either continue the Penn Cage series or begin another one.