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Drake's War: A Tennyson Drake WWII Thriller
A "spellbinding" military spy novel set in WW2. "A genuine tour de force of nail-biting tension. Action sequences are exceptional."
Tennyson
Schoolmaster. Soldier. Spycatcher?“While this is primarily a spy novel, the scenes of early WW2 combat are spellbinding. Rather than a page-turner, Drake's War is a page burner. The compelling narrative pulls the reader into the action.” Amazon USA
“A quick-paced, well-plotted novel…a propulsive, mystery-driven narrative.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Absolutely fascinating and highly informative… battles are described in electrifying detail.”
V E H Masters of The Historical Novel Society
"As a portrait of military history, it doesn’t get much better. Unflinching realism… a genuine tour de force of nail-biting tension. Action sequences are exceptional. Frankly, they thrill."
E.V. Seymour, best-selling author of The Patient
"If you liked Sharpe's Rifles, you'll love Drake's War" - Selected for the Bernard Cornwell reading club
It's May 1940.
The Allies are at a standoff with Hitler's Germany.
Second Lieutenant Tennyson "Ted" Drake, until recently a barracks schoolmaster, is on a shadowy reconnaissance trip deep in the Ardennes forest.
But when the German panzers burst across the border, Drake's commanding officer is killed, leaving Drake in a place he should not be, with no orders, just a bloodstained notebook filled with code - and a mysterious sketch of a raven.
As the Allied defences crumble before the onslaught of the Blitzkrieg, Drake must stay alive long enough to discover the raven’s secret - and stop its catastrophic consequences on the outcome of the war…
“A quick-paced, well-plotted novel set during the German invasion. Saint’s prose is sharp and suspenseful, rarely letting up as the story briskly unravels with all the haste of a retreating army… The author has written a propulsive, mystery-driven narrative that manages to effectively capture the stakes and scope of the real-life battle it portrays… fans of World War II films will certainly enjoy this cinematic offering. ” KIRKUS REVIEWS
A lone British officer.
An impenetrable cypher.
A perilous adventure.
Hitler’s mad gamble.
A treacherous villain.
The murderous Nazi SS.
Drake's War is a mystery wrapped up in a tense, twisting thriller, set into a gripping novel of historical military fiction.
It will keep you guessing to the final twist...
An instant classic.
Drake's War is pitched perfectly at readers of Bernard Cornwell, David Baldacci, Tom Clancy, Simon Scarrow, Patrick O'Brian, Robert Harris, Alex Gerlis, John le Carré... Gideon Saint is up there with the best.
The action is relentless, vivid and real.
The the plot twists keep you off balance.
The dialogue is sharp.
The characters of Tennyson "Ted" Drake and Sergeant MacTaggart will stay with you long after you turn the final page...
Tennyson
Schoolmaster. Soldier. Spycatcher?“While this is primarily a spy novel, the scenes of early WW2 combat are spellbinding. Rather than a page-turner, Drake's War is a page burner. The compelling narrative pulls the reader into the action.” Amazon USA
“A quick-paced, well-plotted novel…a propulsive, mystery-driven narrative.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Absolutely fascinating and highly informative… battles are described in electrifying detail.”
V E H Masters of The Historical Novel Society
"As a portrait of military history, it doesn’t get much better. Unflinching realism… a genuine tour de force of nail-biting tension. Action sequences are exceptional. Frankly, they thrill."
E.V. Seymour, best-selling author of The Patient
"If you liked Sharpe's Rifles, you'll love Drake's War" - Selected for the Bernard Cornwell reading club
It's May 1940.
The Allies are at a standoff with Hitler's Germany.
Second Lieutenant Tennyson "Ted" Drake, until recently a barracks schoolmaster, is on a shadowy reconnaissance trip deep in the Ardennes forest.
But when the German panzers burst across the border, Drake's commanding officer is killed, leaving Drake in a place he should not be, with no orders, just a bloodstained notebook filled with code - and a mysterious sketch of a raven.
As the Allied defences crumble before the onslaught of the Blitzkrieg, Drake must stay alive long enough to discover the raven’s secret - and stop its catastrophic consequences on the outcome of the war…
“A quick-paced, well-plotted novel set during the German invasion. Saint’s prose is sharp and suspenseful, rarely letting up as the story briskly unravels with all the haste of a retreating army… The author has written a propulsive, mystery-driven narrative that manages to effectively capture the stakes and scope of the real-life battle it portrays… fans of World War II films will certainly enjoy this cinematic offering. ” KIRKUS REVIEWS
A lone British officer.
An impenetrable cypher.
A perilous adventure.
Hitler’s mad gamble.
A treacherous villain.
The murderous Nazi SS.
Drake's War is a mystery wrapped up in a tense, twisting thriller, set into a gripping novel of historical military fiction.
It will keep you guessing to the final twist...
An instant classic.
Drake's War is pitched perfectly at readers of Bernard Cornwell, David Baldacci, Tom Clancy, Simon Scarrow, Patrick O'Brian, Robert Harris, Alex Gerlis, John le Carré... Gideon Saint is up there with the best.
The action is relentless, vivid and real.
The the plot twists keep you off balance.
The dialogue is sharp.
The characters of Tennyson "Ted" Drake and Sergeant MacTaggart will stay with you long after you turn the final page...
446 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2023
About the author
Gideon Saint
2 books4 followersGideon Saint is the author of the "spellbinding" Drake’s War series of Second World War military espionage thrillers.
Gideon says: "I tried to write the books I wanted to read: espionage, action, adventure, intrigue, and combat - all set on the front lines of the Blitzkrieg campaign in the German invasion of Western Europe. James Bond meets Richard Sharpe in WW2!"
Drake's War and Drake's Battle are now out. Drake's Enemy will follow soon. Put your tin hat on, and enjoy!
Gideon says: "I tried to write the books I wanted to read: espionage, action, adventure, intrigue, and combat - all set on the front lines of the Blitzkrieg campaign in the German invasion of Western Europe. James Bond meets Richard Sharpe in WW2!"
Drake's War and Drake's Battle are now out. Drake's Enemy will follow soon. Put your tin hat on, and enjoy!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 26, 2023
A very thrilling and fast phased book, mostly based on actual events during the early phase of The Battle of France, May 1940. It's fiction (a spy thriller), but Gideon Saint weave in the hunt for a mysterious German spy into the events in a clever way. Saint was inspired to write this book by the experiences of both of his grandfathers serving in the British army, the Foreign Office, and the RAF, from Dunkirk to D-Day and beyond.
I've read a lot about the battle of France before, so knew the topic well already. I can recommend two books for anyone who want to learn about the topic in depth. The first book is by the American US Army and West Point historian Robert A. Doughty, and the book is called "The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940". The other book is by a by a German Colonel (retired) Karl-Heiz Dreiser titled "The Blitxkrieg Legend". Together they give a fascinating account on how the inferior German Army (in number of soldiers and equipment) could win the battle so incredibly fast.
Gideon Saint seems to plan to write more books on how 2nd Lt Tennyson Drake continues to fight the war. I look forward to this, and see if he escaped being court marshalled!
I've read a lot about the battle of France before, so knew the topic well already. I can recommend two books for anyone who want to learn about the topic in depth. The first book is by the American US Army and West Point historian Robert A. Doughty, and the book is called "The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940". The other book is by a by a German Colonel (retired) Karl-Heiz Dreiser titled "The Blitxkrieg Legend". Together they give a fascinating account on how the inferior German Army (in number of soldiers and equipment) could win the battle so incredibly fast.
Gideon Saint seems to plan to write more books on how 2nd Lt Tennyson Drake continues to fight the war. I look forward to this, and see if he escaped being court marshalled!
April 30, 2023
I am a big fan of this genre but the market is saturated and full of some pretty average fare! Gideon has elevated his book through using a less well trodden theatre and the additional intrigue of espionage. The characters have some interesting nuances and are believable and relatable and that helps to keep the attention! The action is frequent enough to keep the reader gripped but eases off to prevent being overwhelming. Good read? Great read -looking forward to the sequel!
January 10, 2025
Amazing story
A WW2 story with a completely different plot. I couldn’t put it down. The action is told in incredible detail. You feel you are in the midst of it. Have just downloaded the second book and am sure it will be as good as the first one.
A WW2 story with a completely different plot. I couldn’t put it down. The action is told in incredible detail. You feel you are in the midst of it. Have just downloaded the second book and am sure it will be as good as the first one.
May 2, 2023
Great thriller with wonderful characters and plenty of espionage - worth a 2nd read!
March 2, 2025
Changing fortunes of war
A good story line of the German breakthrough into France in 1940. The Phony War was over and the real struggle to resist the might of the invading forces began
A good story line of the German breakthrough into France in 1940. The Phony War was over and the real struggle to resist the might of the invading forces began
August 28, 2025
Great stuff
Loved it. He gets right to it and doesn't let up. No
padding just excitement. And it's fascinating. Quality writing.
Loved it. He gets right to it and doesn't let up. No
padding just excitement. And it's fascinating. Quality writing.
April 20, 2026
An action-packed spy hunt set in the Second World War at the start of the Battle of France, this book barely takes a breath. The premise is interesting, but if you know anything about history, you know the protagonist is never going to succeed in his ultimate goal of stopping the Fall of France.
Tennyson Drake is a lieutenant in the British Army. At the start of the book, he's on a covert mission with his captain and 14 other men, but very quickly, that small force is reduced to just Drake and his grizzled Scottish sergeant, McTaggart, a lifelong professional soldier and a veteran of the Great War. Honestly, these two are made of Teflon. Completely indestructible, no matter what happens to them. And a lot happens to them. They run through multiple fields of crossfire, escape countless bombs, and more.
The spy mystery is a bit meh, and the story gets a bit Boy's Own. There's too much description of the same thing over and over. When Drake opens a throttle on a motorbike, he opens it wide. And then he opens it wider. And then he opens it wider. Rinse, repeat. If he puts his foot to the floor in a car, a paragraph later, he's pushing it further to the floor, and then further to the floor. It's a wonder his boot wasn't on the road. It's the same with the bullets and the bombs. This book could have been much tighter without all the repetition. And the number of times McTaggart is "a marvel" is the true marvel.
Drake is all right as a character, but he's a little too perfect. There isn't anything he can't do. Disdained at first by McTaggart as a 'schoolie', a schoolmaster for the troops, he seems to be the ultimate soldier, which seems odd when an old hand like McTaggart didn't clock that. He speaks French and German. He's a dab hand at advanced navigation techniques despite never having been trained. The list goes on and on. He doesn't need sleep, barely needs food; the man's an automaton. That, along with his talent for evading every bullet and bomb thrown his way, requires some suspension of disbelief.
I may well read the next book, but not quite yet. I need a break from the breathless pace and repeated descriptions of zipping bullets, crunching shells and whistling bombs.
Tennyson Drake is a lieutenant in the British Army. At the start of the book, he's on a covert mission with his captain and 14 other men, but very quickly, that small force is reduced to just Drake and his grizzled Scottish sergeant, McTaggart, a lifelong professional soldier and a veteran of the Great War. Honestly, these two are made of Teflon. Completely indestructible, no matter what happens to them. And a lot happens to them. They run through multiple fields of crossfire, escape countless bombs, and more.
The spy mystery is a bit meh, and the story gets a bit Boy's Own. There's too much description of the same thing over and over. When Drake opens a throttle on a motorbike, he opens it wide. And then he opens it wider. And then he opens it wider. Rinse, repeat. If he puts his foot to the floor in a car, a paragraph later, he's pushing it further to the floor, and then further to the floor. It's a wonder his boot wasn't on the road. It's the same with the bullets and the bombs. This book could have been much tighter without all the repetition. And the number of times McTaggart is "a marvel" is the true marvel.
Drake is all right as a character, but he's a little too perfect. There isn't anything he can't do. Disdained at first by McTaggart as a 'schoolie', a schoolmaster for the troops, he seems to be the ultimate soldier, which seems odd when an old hand like McTaggart didn't clock that. He speaks French and German. He's a dab hand at advanced navigation techniques despite never having been trained. The list goes on and on. He doesn't need sleep, barely needs food; the man's an automaton. That, along with his talent for evading every bullet and bomb thrown his way, requires some suspension of disbelief.
I may well read the next book, but not quite yet. I need a break from the breathless pace and repeated descriptions of zipping bullets, crunching shells and whistling bombs.
September 6, 2026
Thank you for creating this character Gideon,
I purchased this on a whim not knowing what to expect and found it thoroughly enjoyable, a great way to spend a night in with a favoured aperitif (or two) of choice.
This is almost a grown ups version of Charley’s War (yes, I know that was set in WW1), of which, I have a huge soft spot for, from my childhood days (many, many days ago….).
It’s a well paced and researched tale, crafted with a deft hand.
I will definitely read the next one (and the one after that when published), although I need to restock the drinks cabinet first !
It’s always a bonus when you unexpectedly stumble upon a quality new author and series
Bonne chance , with your future adventures Tennyson, I’ll be along for the ride.
I purchased this on a whim not knowing what to expect and found it thoroughly enjoyable, a great way to spend a night in with a favoured aperitif (or two) of choice.
This is almost a grown ups version of Charley’s War (yes, I know that was set in WW1), of which, I have a huge soft spot for, from my childhood days (many, many days ago….).
It’s a well paced and researched tale, crafted with a deft hand.
I will definitely read the next one (and the one after that when published), although I need to restock the drinks cabinet first !
It’s always a bonus when you unexpectedly stumble upon a quality new author and series
Bonne chance , with your future adventures Tennyson, I’ll be along for the ride.
May 18, 2023
Wow, just wow. That was one thrilling ride from the first pages until the very end. One reviewer described this book as a mystery wrapped in a thriller and I would have to agree. Maybe it should be called a thriltery or a mystler, hmmm. . .Anyway, I love books set in WWII and this was no exception. It was well-written, held my attention, was extremely well-researched, and left me wanting more. I hope there are more books to come! Be advised, though, this book is only for a mature audience.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but I'd really, really like to stay on the ARC team for this series. . .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but I'd really, really like to stay on the ARC team for this series. . .
October 20, 2025
Satan's Blood! So Disappointed
Was really looking forward to reading this, right up my street in terms of genre and plot and the book started off positively.
Great opening few chapters, laid a good foundation and introduced some interesting characters then somehow it all fell apart from the middle onwards.
The book turned into a bad film with too much unnecessary over describing scenarios and irrelevant descriptions. So much so that I ended up skipping paragraphs and sections just so I could get to the end!
I'm not one for being over critical but I really was disappointed, sorry.
Was really looking forward to reading this, right up my street in terms of genre and plot and the book started off positively.
Great opening few chapters, laid a good foundation and introduced some interesting characters then somehow it all fell apart from the middle onwards.
The book turned into a bad film with too much unnecessary over describing scenarios and irrelevant descriptions. So much so that I ended up skipping paragraphs and sections just so I could get to the end!
I'm not one for being over critical but I really was disappointed, sorry.
May 8, 2023
This new book, Drake’s War, by Gideon Saint, is a totally engrossing thriller.
It is an almighty rollercoaster of a read about characters caught up in desperate times.
Completely unputdownable!
A real bonus is that the detailed military history has been meticulously researched. Anyone interested in finding out about the early stages of the war should definitely read this book.
Really looking forward to the sequel!
It is an almighty rollercoaster of a read about characters caught up in desperate times.
Completely unputdownable!
A real bonus is that the detailed military history has been meticulously researched. Anyone interested in finding out about the early stages of the war should definitely read this book.
Really looking forward to the sequel!
June 8, 2023
The choice of such a pacy historical event for the background to this story is perfect. Coupled with the sustained pace of the story itself, quality of writing, and attention to detail, I found this thriller impossible to put down. It was huge fun, credible, very well researched, and unforgettable. And what a brilliant idea to keep chapters short. This deserves to become a bestseller and, as another reviewer writes, I can’t wait to see the movie.
May 24, 2023
this was a strong start to the Drake's War series, it had everything that I was looking for in this type of book. The characters worked well in the universe and I never felt like it didn't belong in this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 12, 2024
This is a ripping yarn with a few nice twist plots towards the end. It is a page turner. The fighting is detailed in a lot of detail and some may find this rather relentless and repetitive. I look on it as a clever way of depicting fighting which was relentless and seemingly never ending to those that experienced it. The historical detail was super and the novel was highly enjoyable.
June 2, 2023
What a book. Another WWII story that just had me enthralled from cover to cover. I'm happy I ran across this book. And I'm hoping there will be more to come.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 30, 2023
Based on the early days of the WWII invasion of France and the launch of Blitzkreig, you feel like you are running alongside the hero as he tries to outrun the German tanks and manoeuvres to warn the unprepared French. In some ways it is exhausting, as you become immersed in the main character who simply can’t stop for sleep. The book has inspired me to revisit my understanding of the early moves in WWII, but more than that it truly atmospheric; every detail of a village, weapon, bomb or injury (there are lots!) pours across the pages. And for a bedtime reader like me I liked the short chapters otherwise I’d never have put it down!
March 16, 2025
Long winded.
Very long and drawn out, could have been at least 150 pages shorter. Lost interest two thirds the way through and fast forwarded to the last chapter. I'll give book 2 a miss.
Very long and drawn out, could have been at least 150 pages shorter. Lost interest two thirds the way through and fast forwarded to the last chapter. I'll give book 2 a miss.
December 6, 2025
Rubbish.
A load of codswallop written by a clueless twit.stereo types all the way there's more historical facts in alllo allo.
A load of codswallop written by a clueless twit.stereo types all the way there's more historical facts in alllo allo.
June 8, 2024
This was a pleasant surprise. I can’t remember how it made onto my want to read list, but I’m glad that it did and that I read it.
I found this a very interesting account of how the German army came through Belgium on its sweep in France during the beginning of World War II. The tactics are as to the way the German panzer divisions operated so I assume that it’s the same for the French artillery units that are in the defense.
Tennyson Drake is obviously, fictional character, but he exhibits all the traits that you want of a charismatic military leader. Brave, decisive, quick witted and caring for the people under his command. I’m a big fan of mil military fiction and this is one of the better ones that I’ve read.
I look forward to seeing his next book out soon.
I found this a very interesting account of how the German army came through Belgium on its sweep in France during the beginning of World War II. The tactics are as to the way the German panzer divisions operated so I assume that it’s the same for the French artillery units that are in the defense.
Tennyson Drake is obviously, fictional character, but he exhibits all the traits that you want of a charismatic military leader. Brave, decisive, quick witted and caring for the people under his command. I’m a big fan of mil military fiction and this is one of the better ones that I’ve read.
I look forward to seeing his next book out soon.
Read
June 22, 2026This was really good,from start to finish just started the second book .hope this writer keeps going with more entertaining books,
May 1, 2023
Really solid, gritty war action covering something key that’s often skipped over in the history books. Drake and MacTaggart make great characters, too.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews