The Saboteur

By: Andrew Gross

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

February 1943. Both the Allies and the Nazis are closing in on attempts to construct the decisive weapon of the war.

Kurt Nordstrum, an engineer in Oslo, puts his life aside to take up arms against the Germans as part of the Norwegian resistance. After the loss of his fiancée, his outfit whittled to shreds, he commandeers a coastal steamer and escapes to England to transmit secret evidence of the Nazis' progress toward an atomic bomb at an isolated factory in Norway. There, he joins a team of dedicated Norwegians in training in the Scottish Highlands for a mission to disrupt the Nazis' plans before they advance any further.

Parachuted onto the most unforgiving terrain in Europe, braving the fiercest of mountain storms, Nordstrum and his team attempt the most daring raid of the war, targeting the heavily guarded factory built on a shelf of rock thought to be impregnable, a mission even they know they likely will not survive. Months later Nordstrum is called upon again to do the impossible, opposed by both elite Nazi soldiers and a long-standing enemy who is now a local collaborator - one man against overwhelming odds, with the fate of the war in the balance, but the choice to act means putting the one person he has a chance to love in peril.

Based on the stirring true story, The Saboteur is Andrew Gross's follow-up to the riveting historical thriller The One Man. A richly woven story probing the limits of heroism, sacrifice, and determination, The Saboteur portrays a hero who must weigh duty against his heart in order to single-handedly end the one threat that could alter the course of the war.

©2017 Andrew Gross (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"Gross's saboteur is a champion of patriotic devotion and physical endurance, and Ballerini captures his grace and humanity, as well as his courage, in a manly timbre." - AudioFile Magazine

Wonderful Story

I am a big fan of World War II stories. This one was unlike any I’ve ever read. I found the story fascinating, liked the characters and the way the author brought them to life. Understanding what was happening in Norway gave me new insights into the war as a whole. This book is a tribute to the brave men who sacrificed their lives to save all of us from the Nazi atomic program.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Slow at times but great ending

Love this narrator, such a dependable strong voice for characters. Had never read much about Norway in the World War II efforts, great historical fiction. Had some significantly slow parts in the beginning and middle, but great ending. Which also means it was a horrible and slightly suspenseful ending, but great nonetheless

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Reads like a recycled movie script

I am a big fan of Mr. Gross. His last book was so well done it brought to life an important story from WWII. He tries again with a different event but this time he makes it a straight-up melodrama. First half fells like a remake of The Dirty Dozen. Last section is right out of Titanic. Know this was not going well when the plot points are telegraphed 5o pages early. Mr. Ballerini narration style did not work for this material. He reads each line with heavy melodrama. Kind of like he want us to think every line is profound and important. Had the opposite effect on me.

This is a diverting listen but not in the same league with his last book.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

The Saboteur , a true story.

This true story takes place in the midst of WWII. The Germans are trying to make “heavy water” which is a necessity in the process of making of the Atomic Bomb.
Great Briton is on the hunt for the factories within the German held countries that are producing this product. They discover it being processed in Norwegian territory. The dam is in an impregnable part of the country called the Telemark region.
After some unsuccessful attempts a Norwegian group is sent in on virtually, a one way trip to blow up this impregnable dam.
After many harrowing experiences they find the dam, and the British soldiers who have been stranded there subsisting on roots and twigs waiting for rescue.
They go on to accomplish their task through many harrowing experiences and while most escape back to safety, ‘the Saboteur” stays on to wreak havoc on the Germans in his home town. This is a ‘Can’t put down book!”

Interesting enough for a followup

Well written. Genius use of historical facts morphed to fiction. Performance was great. Loved the way the writer enpassions the characters with Norwegian ways and tells a story that could be. Awkward start but finishes right on time.

A tale worth retelling.

The story is often told. Movies and books and documentaries. This one is worth reading. The performance would have been enhanced with a better Norwegian speaker. This author is vastly improving and "One Man"a later book proves it.

Thrilling and awesome

I never knew about this happened during WW11. Awesome story and so well done. loved it!

Well written and performed

Exciting, suspenseful, and perfectly read. The story is masterfully performed- no easy feat with so many characters and accents. Highly recommend this .

Exceptionally written and narrated

Having just returned from Norway and since Rjukan was a destination, this story was rivitting!

Riveting Account of Norway’s Bravery

This is a wonderful account of the the brave and unwavering determination of the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. A fine piece of historical fiction by a wonderful writer, Andrew Gross keeps you at intense attention to the unrelenting commitment that was embedded in the Norwegian movement and that helped beat back the Nazis in their unrelenting pursuit of destroying the lives and liberties of so many people.