• Eye of the Needle

  • A Novel
  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: Samuel West
  • Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,511 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Eye of the Needle  By  cover art

Eye of the Needle

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: Samuel West
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The worldwide phenomenon from the best-selling author of The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire, and The Evening and the Morning

His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence - a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history....

But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom - and win the war for the Nazis....

©1978 Ken Follett (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Top-notch suspense . . . a terrific thriller . . . spellbinding." (The Miami Herald)

"Great . . . one of the twelve best thrillers from the last fifty years." (Rocky Mountain News)

"Extraordinarily satisfying . . . a truly suspenseful novel . . . heart-stopping, nerve-freezing terror." (Los Angeles Times)

Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks About Psychopaths


There's no denying the allure of psychopaths. There's something disturbing but fascinating about people so ruthless and manipulative, who lack the ability to feel guilt or remorse over their actions. Stories of psychopaths abound in just about every mystery subgenre, from action-packed thrillers to nuanced psychological character studies, and also stand out in works of psychology and neuroscience. Listen to some of the most riveting books about psychopaths.

What listeners say about Eye of the Needle

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,114
  • 4 Stars
    306
  • 3 Stars
    64
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    12
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,005
  • 4 Stars
    171
  • 3 Stars
    28
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,870
  • 4 Stars
    256
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

Thrilling story, beautifully and patiently written and an astounding narration. Perfection. I recommend reading it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Slow Build Satisfying Finish

The voice reader is great. It was a slow build is the only reason I took away a star but really only half star deduction. Good finish. Neat how it intertwined a fictitious character with spot on historical events around ww2 and the planning for dday !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

You will be on the edge of your seat

Great story, lots of history and wonderful character development . Loved the narration

Would highly recommended this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

I saw the movie and read the book some 40 years ago, but listening to the magnificent reading of this fantastic tale was the best of all!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This narration represents Audible at its best

Wonderful spy story that has survived four decades on every "best" list...for a reason. Don't miss it.

Incredible narration by Samuel West is the icing on the cake.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story and narration!

I couldn’t take this story slowly. I gobbled it up. It was such a pleasure to listen to. Highly recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Follett never disappoints!

Great story with excellent narration. I seem the screen adaptation but West's narration really brought the characters alive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting tale, inconsistent narration.

An interesting bit of historical fiction, sometimes in too much detail on insignificant items, with a narrator who seemed bored much of the time and quite effective at others, but overall a good listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great war story

almost makes u root for the bad guy. Great story great performance and interesting ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Woman Who Saved Democracy

Gripping WWII story about betrayal, love and heroinism. Informative page turner that will keep the reader up all night.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!