The Giant Awakens

The After Dunkirk Series, Book 4

By: Lee Jackson

Narrated by: Steve Rausch

Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The world is at war.

Japan has just attacked Pearl Harbor. In London, Prime Minister Churchill disappears. In Washington, President Roosevelt faces an alliance with conflicting objectives. In the Soviet Union, dictator Joseph Stalin watches a Nazi onslaught maul his country.

From their isolated perch on Sark Island, feudal rulers Dame Marian Littlefield and her husband oppose their German occupiers in the only way left to them—through a battle of wits. They wonder about the location and well-being of their offspring, Paul, Claire, Lance, and Jeremy.

Meanwhile, Paul engages in intelligence operations in Manhattan and Washington, DC. Claire works with Americans decoding enemy messages. Lance conspires to escape with other POWs at Oflag IV-C within the walls of Colditz Castle. Jeremy leaves his heart with Amélie in France to join the British commandos for the greatest raid in history.

And in Moscow, the Russian winter has just set in.

The saga of the Littlefield family intensifies in The Giant Awakens, the fourth installment in Lee Jackson's epic After Dunkirk series.

©2022 Lee Jackson (P)2022 Severn River Publishing

Too long, repetitive and tedious.

Wow, I can’t imagine actually writing this. I made it through listening to three books, I can’t do the fourth. It’s too much. The narrator’s own voice is fine; however, when narrating some of the characters, he slips in an out of characters midstream. It is very distracting. Some of the voices just sounds silly and really detract from the story. Spend your time and $ on something easier to follow on Audible, less tedious and more engaging.

Page Turner for Sure

Loved this book and this series. It brings WWII to life. Although it’s unlikely that one family would have so many members in the crucial roles described, these novels remind us that the worldwide War turned life and love upside down in ways we cannot imagine today.

Great series of books

Nice perspectives on WW2 and very interesting to listen. Keeps the attention and easy to follow all the characters and actions.

I like them all

Another great story by Lee Jackson, it’s a great listen and is well told tying the historical impact of key figures in history experienced through the eyes of the Littlefield family. Off to book 5

I needed an abridged version

While I’m engrossed I the main characters I wish it could have been more shortI learned a lot of technical info about warships and Japanese warfare and the pacific theater in ww2. But still a great book and kept clean in language and deed and I for one appreciate that. Lee Jackson is one of the best out there with historical fiction.

Is it history or simply great storytelling? Or Both

Early in June I got the opportunity to read an ARC of the e-book and then recently I was offered a review copy of the audiobook version of The Giant Awakens. Listening to Steve Rausch’s excellent narration of this book was a very enjoyable experience. I love how he brings each character to life with very distinct voices and how his enthusiasm for the story is evident by his pacing of the story. I found myself closing my eyes and feeling like I was listening to an old-time radio serial performed with a full cast of characters. I’ve included my original review below.

I love history and reading these books by Lee Jackson makes me feel like I’ve just attended one of the most interesting/informative history lectures ever. Once again, I was blown away by how he wove the various threads of the story in with historical elements and made it all feel like reality. I can’t wait for the next in this series. I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher and chose to provide this review.

Contrived.

If I had to describe this series of books with one word, it would be - contrived. It is a cliff notes version of WW II with a thin story about a fictional family that swirls around the periphery with no convincing connection to anybody or anything. The dialogue is trite and stilted. The fictional family is all white bread and mayonnaise. Overall, very boring.