Customer Rating:
Summary: Too many plots
Comment: "Night of Flames", is well researched book and covers detailed historical facts preceding and during World War II in Europe. Unfortunately, there seems to be several different plots and characters that are not closely related and the book appears to be a combination of several novels loosely knitted together. Also, almost all the main characters are portrayed as high principled heroes and do not allow of the impact of the hardship that Europeans experience during World War II. Is a worthwhile read but, does not have the rapid pace, clear and focused narrative that would bind a readers attention to a consistent plot. John Herman

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Customer Rating:
Summary: loved it
Comment: The nice folks at Library Thing helped me get an advance reading copy of this fine World War II historical fiction: Night of Flames: A Novel of World War II. This is a plot-driven tale, not a character-driven one, so if you are longing for carefully crafted and embellished characters this is not your book. But, if you enjoy taking your dose of history nicely wrapped in a story, this is an excellent choice.

Jacobson's tale follows a husband and wife through Germany's occupation of Poland. The husband is an officer in the Polish cavalry; the wife gets drawn into the Polish resistance. The readers get an intimate view of the lives of ordinary people forced into extraordinary situations.

It is well-researched and detailed, without becoming tiresomely weighted down with historical facts and figures. The pace is brisk -- it was hard to put down and the ending was very satisfying, if not a wee bit predictable.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Night of Flames
Comment: In 1939, Hitler's forces invaded Poland, creating havoc and destruction throughout the country with air raids, infantry and tank operations. Many citizens joined the resistance, secretly carrying out operations aimed at hindering the German war machine while aiding the Allies in any way possible. On this backdrop we meet Anna and Jan Kopernik, a Polish couple separated by the war. Jan is a Major in the Polish Calvary, stationed in western Poland very close to the German border, who eventually becomes a secret operative. After the invasion, Anna must flee alone to Belgium, reluctantly becoming part of the Belgian resistance. In their search to find each other amidst the frantic war, Anna and Jan will come face to face with the senseless death and tragic brutality that has overtaken their world. Surrounding Anna and Jan's adventure are the stories of the dozens of wartime heroes who risked their lives and freedom to root out the Germans from their countries, some quietly slipping into the night, and some paying the ultimate price.

Though the story in this book was very gripping and engaging, there were many areas that I thought the book could have been better. Firstly, the characters seemed somewhat wooden and unrealistic. Introspection by any of the characters was slim and sparse. They never reflected deeply, nor thought and let the reader see how their mind was working. It was all exposition and reaction, never anything substantial or meaningful. I felt like I didn't know any of the characters or the reasoning behind their actions, which cut me off from elements of the story. This, coupled with improbable dialogue, made the players seem unbelievable. Another problem was that many characters were mere stereotypes -- the histrionic war widow, the taciturn and emotionless soldier, the distant informer -- which made them seem like cardboard cut-outs instead of real people. I wanted to be able to connect with these people and their situation, but couldn't. I found that their personalities and behaviors made them remote and inaccessible. There wasn't enough meat there to really get into, and it affected my immersion in the story. Then there was the introduction of so many characters in such a short space of time. Many were only touched once and then forgotten. Others would be revisited long after a brief introduction, making it difficult to remember who was who and what situation they had came from. The effect was very cluttering and claustrophobic.

This was a big book, with big ideas and a lot to say. The problem was, everything was crunched down and compacted. There were a lot of situations that I felt should have been more deeply covered, and story lines that were left cold. In particular, there was one point where the storyline jumped from 1939 to 1943 with no mention of what had happened in between, making the story seem a bit disjointed. I would have liked to know how the characters had fared and what had happened during this huge space of time, and what accomplishments had been made on the war front. Another irritating aspect of the story was all the coincidences that took place. The timing and situations were designed to make the ending tie up neatly and quickly. The coincidental aspect of so much of the story was off-putting.

There were points to praise though. The amount of historical detail and research that went into this story was impressive. I could tell by the authors confidence in the writing that he had done his homework regarding the multiple battles and significant aspects of this war. Also, there was a good amount of tautness in the storyline that kept my interest and kept me wondering about the outcomes of each specific engagement. Each mission was painted with great intensity and detail, stretching out to capture the imagination of the reader. As a story of war, I would consider this a very successful book. It had all the action and strategy, and combined with meticulous research, it kept packing punches. The human element though, was less developed and more troublesome.

I do think there are many who would enjoy this book. War enthusiasts, particularly of WWII, will get much from this novel, as well as those who are interested in well-dissected history. I learned a lot from this story, particularly about the Polish resistance and its many successful endeavors during the invasion. An interesting concept that in some instances was executed well, and in others was not.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A suspenseful account of a little known aspect of WWII
Comment: Night of Flames, by Douglas W. Jacobson, is a novel about World War II, and more specifically, about the Belgian resistance movement known as the White Brigade. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Jan and Anna Kopernik, a young Polish couple who is separated thoughout much of the war but each plays an important role in the resistance effort.

The book opens in Warsaw, Poland in September, 1939, with Germany carrying out mass air raids on the city. Anna, a thirty-something university associate professor, is visiting Warsaw from Krakow with her Jewish friend Irene and Irene's 10 year-old son Justyn. When Warsaw is bombed, the travelers flee home to Krakow only to find it has suffered the same fate. With the help of an Italian diplomat, Anna, Irene and Justyn obtain travel visas out of Poland.

Meanwhile, Anna's husband Jan is an officer in the Polish army. In the beginning of the book, the army suffers crushing defeat at the hands of the Germans. Many of Jan's comrades are killed, including his best friend, who is also Irene's husband and Justyn's father. When Poland surrenders to Germany, Jan escapes to Britain, where he is recruited to work in the resistance movement.

The book then skips ahead to 1943, and the author introduces several members of the Belgian resistance. They are ordinary people - husbands, wives, and sons united in a common desire to reclaim their country from conquering Germany. Some are country peasants and merchants, others are urbane intellectuals. Anna, now living with Justyn in rural Belgiam, serves the movement by helping fallen Allied aviators out of occupied Belgium. Jan moves about Europe, doing espionage for the White Brigade.

Night of Flames is a plot-driven novel that delves deeply into a little-known facet of World War II: the Belgian resistance movement. Much of the story recounts various operations carried out by the movement. Throughout the novel, the reader is in suspense about how the efforts of the White Brigade will play out. Will the movement be crushed, or survive to play an important role in the Allied invasion?

Jacobson brings history alive with vivid details that convey the increasing desolation of war. The sound of air raid sirens and the ensuing panic. Polish infantrymen sprinting across an open field that is being strafed by Germans. A group of university professors polishing off what they know will be their last bottle of cognac for a very long time.

As the novel unfolded, it was impossible not to wonder about the fates of Anna, Jan and other members of the White Brigade. Of course, it could not end well for every character. Who would survive, and who would not: it's a question that prevails in almost every war story. Anna and Jan lost so many of the people they cared about, and in their search for one another, kept missing each other; Jan would end up in a place Anna had been a few days after she had left.

Night of Flames is sure to interest anyone who enjoys historical fiction, specifically that relating to WWII, while the imagery and suspense employed by Jacobson, as well as his diverse cast of characters make this a novel that may appeal to an even larger audience.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: just completed
Comment: Finished the book last night and handed it over to my wife. I gave her the highly enjoyable look. There is alot of history covered here, sometimes I wished that the timeframe was a little more compressed, maybe 2 years instead of the whole war. But that doesn't take away from the fact that its a heck of a yarn. People who enjoy reading Alan Furst will dig right in. Grab it and go.

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