James Follett (1939–2021)

Return of the Eagles is the third of James Follett's Eagles trilogy. Follett includes a great deal of information regarding eye damage because of shattered plane canopies and particularly of the work of Sir Harold Ridley to implant intraocular lens and of the use of contact lens. Another topic covered is Operation Paperclip, the U.S. governments search and recruitment of rocket scientists. One of his main characters Eric Hoffman a scientist who worked on the V2 rocket joins the topics by becoming friends with Karl Müller a POW who has been blinded. The novel wraps up all the many characters of the three novels and includes a bit of romance too.… (meer)

I have been captivated by James Follett's Eagles trilogy. Perhaps because the real No 1 POW Camp (Officers) Grizedale teases a sense of naïve romance in the midst of a horrendous war, and because of the heroic stature of Commander Otto Kruger, who was modeled after the real Otto Kretschmer, Germany's most successful U-boat captain prior to his capture and internment at Grizedale Hall. In the second book of the series, A Forrest of Eagles U-boat officer Leutnant Karl Moehe "has vital information on the behaviour of the T5 torpedoes that he has to get home." Remarkable for the number and ingenuity of his attempted escapes, accident prone Moehe, who has managed to break an arm while in hospital, is also known as "Unglückish Moehe" unlucky Moehe. His trials make up the first of the four parts of the novel all of which are well worth the read.… (meer)