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Sergeant Jack Tanner #5
The Devil's Pact
July, 1943. With North Africa secured, the Allies launch an invasion of Sicily, and the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Rangers are in the van of the assault on the Italian beaches.
But promotion to Company Commander has brought him fresh trouble for Jack Tanner. Not only has his new Battalion Commander decided to make his life as difficult as possible, they soon find themselves battling against some of the toughest, most determined troops in the Wehrmacht.
In the bitter fighting that follows, Tanner witnesses a new reality. Rule books are thrown away. Previously outlaws, the Sicilian mafia are now supposedly fighting on the side of the Allies, but instead are making the lives of ordinary Italians a misery.
As Tanner and his crew battle their way across the battle-scorched islands, it becomes clear that it is not just the Mafia who are playing dirty. In the quest to force Italy out of the war, brutal choices have been made - and in the process the difference between right and wrong has become horribly blurred.
Forced to question the cause for which they have fought so long, Tanner and his trusted sidekick, Sykes, find themselves embroiled in a deeply personal fight, in which they have to use all their resolve, skill and experience if they are to stand any chance of survival.
But promotion to Company Commander has brought him fresh trouble for Jack Tanner. Not only has his new Battalion Commander decided to make his life as difficult as possible, they soon find themselves battling against some of the toughest, most determined troops in the Wehrmacht.
In the bitter fighting that follows, Tanner witnesses a new reality. Rule books are thrown away. Previously outlaws, the Sicilian mafia are now supposedly fighting on the side of the Allies, but instead are making the lives of ordinary Italians a misery.
As Tanner and his crew battle their way across the battle-scorched islands, it becomes clear that it is not just the Mafia who are playing dirty. In the quest to force Italy out of the war, brutal choices have been made - and in the process the difference between right and wrong has become horribly blurred.
Forced to question the cause for which they have fought so long, Tanner and his trusted sidekick, Sykes, find themselves embroiled in a deeply personal fight, in which they have to use all their resolve, skill and experience if they are to stand any chance of survival.
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
James Holland
67 books1,036 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. He has worked for several London publishing houses and has also written for a number of national newspapers and magazines. Married with a son, he lives near Salisbury.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. He has worked for several London publishing houses and has also written for a number of national newspapers and magazines. Married with a son, he lives near Salisbury.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 12, 2020
Another enjoyable installment . Full of action and with James Hollands excellent grasp of historical events make this a great addition to this series. Unfortunately,Jack Tanner has been on a hiatus for some time now, although, I did read an interview with James Holland in which he said that he fully intends to for Jack to return. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.
3.5🌟🌟🌟
3.5🌟🌟🌟
March 29, 2016
Another great book by James Holland about the war of Jack Tanner. Once I pick up these novels, I can't seem to put them down and finish them in a matter of days!! I cannot wait for the next installment of this series to see where Jack goes to next. Great read again!!
August 8, 2013
In the latest of James Holland’s WW2 “Jack Tanner” stories, our hero is part of the allied invasion of Italy. The Italian and German defenders are enough of a challenge but Tanner also has to deal with the Mafia, a dangerous commanding officer and treachery. All in a day’s work for this modern day Sharpe and his trusty sergeant.
Yes, these are the equivalent of a modern day commando comic but the author is an established historian and a talented writer so this is very enjoyable boys own type of stuff. Generally Italian and German caricatures are avoided and the individuals we meet are made to feel real and with a genuine perspective.
It’s a slightly short book but a quick, easy and entertaining read.
Yes, these are the equivalent of a modern day commando comic but the author is an established historian and a talented writer so this is very enjoyable boys own type of stuff. Generally Italian and German caricatures are avoided and the individuals we meet are made to feel real and with a genuine perspective.
It’s a slightly short book but a quick, easy and entertaining read.
November 1, 2019
Well it's not Sergeant Jack Tanner anymore. He's now the company commander and has to deal with a newly appointed Battalion commander he knows from years ago and couldn't get on with. This book is mostly set in Sicily, an island that I've been to myself. I know the places that are mentioned which added to my reading pleasure. :) All the books in this series are based on real events and include some characters that are based on real people.
February 12, 2024
Great book!!
Wow, what a series of books. Really enjoyed reading about Jack Tanner and definitely recommend especially for people interested in WW2
Wow, what a series of books. Really enjoyed reading about Jack Tanner and definitely recommend especially for people interested in WW2
December 6, 2023
Jack Tanner is just a working class lad from the west country. He doesn’t belong aboard a transport plane, waiting for his turn to jump into the darkness with an aim of landing somewhere in Sicily, hopefully to meet the Allies’ contact on the ground who can facilitate the imminent invasion of the same. It’s time for il duce to be bid arrivederci. That contact is a member of the Society of Honor, and the Allies’ curious collaboration with the Italian Mafia is explored somewhat in this book, giving an otherwise straightforward combat novel an interesting twist along with the usual Jack Tanner versus the Eminently Fraggable Officer thread that’s been used in most of the Tanner novels. It’s especially grating here, as Tanner and his immediate superior Major Peploe both have to contend with a new commander who is both craven and incompetent — not something someone you want leading you into an invasion against the combat veterans of the Wehrmacht.
Devil’s Pact has an odd beginning, in that Tanner is separated from his unit and tasked with escorting someone via paratroop drop to meet a Man of Honor in Sicily; after managing the mission despite things going sideways, Tanner evacuates and we leave behind the small-group action that defined the early novels in this series, going into the fullscale invasion of Sicily after some time back at camp, in which Tanner realizes that some loathsome officer from his early days has just been named his new commander, and still worse — some of the new arrivals to his unit are from the old homestead, and threaten to blab the secrets of a past Tanner is extremely taciturn about. The new officer, instead of focusing on the invasion, is instead wholly fixated on getting rid of Tanner – -again, not good when Germans in fortified positions are concerned, and such pettiness will cost more than a pound of flesh.
The Devil’s Pact was a solid end to this series, assuming Holland isn’t planning on writing any more. The setting of Sicily was fairly new to me (though Jeff Shaara visited it in his The Rising Tide, one of the first books I read on the blog), and I especially enjoyed the presence of the Mafia to add an interesting wrinkle to the Allies’ mission. Another appreciation is that the “Krauts and Eyeties”, as the Brits so lovingly refer to their opponents, are not reduced to Evil League of Evil-esque villains. The Italian officer is wholly sympathetic, unlike Tanner’s nemesis. My only grouse is that Tanner (and the reader, vicariously) don’t get to tackle and punch repeatedly the loathesome officer who gives Tanner such grief. I really hated him.
Devil’s Pact has an odd beginning, in that Tanner is separated from his unit and tasked with escorting someone via paratroop drop to meet a Man of Honor in Sicily; after managing the mission despite things going sideways, Tanner evacuates and we leave behind the small-group action that defined the early novels in this series, going into the fullscale invasion of Sicily after some time back at camp, in which Tanner realizes that some loathsome officer from his early days has just been named his new commander, and still worse — some of the new arrivals to his unit are from the old homestead, and threaten to blab the secrets of a past Tanner is extremely taciturn about. The new officer, instead of focusing on the invasion, is instead wholly fixated on getting rid of Tanner – -again, not good when Germans in fortified positions are concerned, and such pettiness will cost more than a pound of flesh.
The Devil’s Pact was a solid end to this series, assuming Holland isn’t planning on writing any more. The setting of Sicily was fairly new to me (though Jeff Shaara visited it in his The Rising Tide, one of the first books I read on the blog), and I especially enjoyed the presence of the Mafia to add an interesting wrinkle to the Allies’ mission. Another appreciation is that the “Krauts and Eyeties”, as the Brits so lovingly refer to their opponents, are not reduced to Evil League of Evil-esque villains. The Italian officer is wholly sympathetic, unlike Tanner’s nemesis. My only grouse is that Tanner (and the reader, vicariously) don’t get to tackle and punch repeatedly the loathesome officer who gives Tanner such grief. I really hated him.
July 25, 2023
This is the last in the series, so to be clear the title is not a spoiler. We join now Captain Jack Tanner, at the end of the North African campaign. Following on from his brief secondment into the secretive world of espionage in Hellfire, he joins a brief trip to Sicily to meet a Mafia boss with the American intelligence services. Then, as everyone expects, Tanner and crew are thrown into battle invading Sicily, and soon learns the deal made with the mafia boss blurs the lines between good and evil.
As the last in the series, you would expect this to have the usual components of a Tanner story, and it does – beef with a senior friendly, check; particular conflict with an enemy, check; Tanner’s infallibility, check. Tanner’s rapid rise continues, and another former commander from India makes his life hell – in my view, this conflict goes a bit far, but is then suddenly resolved in a rather unexpected way, but there is still time for one last drama.
Overall, a decent conclusion. I have enjoyed the series, notwithstanding one or two quibbles. Mr. Holland’s knowledge of the period and conflict mean you can always trust the technical details. The inclusion of cricketer Hedley Verity in the story is a nice, if rather sad, touch too (given this is historic fact, assume it isn’t too much of a spoiler to say it is sad). I am curious why the series ended here – it is 1943, so there was room for one or two more. Perhaps Mr. Holland felt Tanner had run his course, or there was nothing to be gained from having him involved in the D-Day landings, or the race to Berlin (or at least East). Either way, happy to have been entertained by the series over the last year when I found it.
As the last in the series, you would expect this to have the usual components of a Tanner story, and it does – beef with a senior friendly, check; particular conflict with an enemy, check; Tanner’s infallibility, check. Tanner’s rapid rise continues, and another former commander from India makes his life hell – in my view, this conflict goes a bit far, but is then suddenly resolved in a rather unexpected way, but there is still time for one last drama.
Overall, a decent conclusion. I have enjoyed the series, notwithstanding one or two quibbles. Mr. Holland’s knowledge of the period and conflict mean you can always trust the technical details. The inclusion of cricketer Hedley Verity in the story is a nice, if rather sad, touch too (given this is historic fact, assume it isn’t too much of a spoiler to say it is sad). I am curious why the series ended here – it is 1943, so there was room for one or two more. Perhaps Mr. Holland felt Tanner had run his course, or there was nothing to be gained from having him involved in the D-Day landings, or the race to Berlin (or at least East). Either way, happy to have been entertained by the series over the last year when I found it.
May 29, 2020
This is the fifth and as of today (May 2020) final book in the series, and unfortunately my least favourite in the series. Don't get me wrong the action was enjoyable and the historical information was interesting but it was the characters that did it for me.
Now I have found the characters to be the weak part in every book in the series but I found them to be exceptionally bad in this book. The new commanding officer that of course knew JAck from before the war was just a badly written cliche and the romantic interest that he had in the book was just not believable, I think the Star Wars prequel movies had better romance.
That being said despite the flaws in characters I did enjoy the book (and the series in general) and I hope that there are more books written about Jack Tanner (the author does need to change the series name). My wish is that the author finds a partner to write the books with, he can provide the action and historical info and someone else can develop the characters.
Now I have found the characters to be the weak part in every book in the series but I found them to be exceptionally bad in this book. The new commanding officer that of course knew JAck from before the war was just a badly written cliche and the romantic interest that he had in the book was just not believable, I think the Star Wars prequel movies had better romance.
That being said despite the flaws in characters I did enjoy the book (and the series in general) and I hope that there are more books written about Jack Tanner (the author does need to change the series name). My wish is that the author finds a partner to write the books with, he can provide the action and historical info and someone else can develop the characters.
November 30, 2020
I'd just read James Holland's factual account of Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, and this novel feels very credible which is hardly surprising since the author's history of Husky was clearly so thoroughly researched.
Captain, later Major, Jack Tanner, is, I suppose, a typical fictional war hero, killing loads of Germans and Italians, getting winged himself and having total respect and commitment from the men under his command. Tanner has risen through the ranks and is hated by a particularly nasty Colonel for that reason and others which will become apparent as you follow the narrative.
Most of the supporting cast are typical army characters, tough but loyal men with hearts of gold, but the highlight of The Devil's Pact is the action, expertly described. There's also a re-heating of that old chestnut, co-operation between the invaders and the Mafia which is really used to tie things up nicely. Very entertaining.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
Captain, later Major, Jack Tanner, is, I suppose, a typical fictional war hero, killing loads of Germans and Italians, getting winged himself and having total respect and commitment from the men under his command. Tanner has risen through the ranks and is hated by a particularly nasty Colonel for that reason and others which will become apparent as you follow the narrative.
Most of the supporting cast are typical army characters, tough but loyal men with hearts of gold, but the highlight of The Devil's Pact is the action, expertly described. There's also a re-heating of that old chestnut, co-operation between the invaders and the Mafia which is really used to tie things up nicely. Very entertaining.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
April 21, 2020
It's good continuation of the series, definitely better than the previous one. I like Tanner as alway, he is nicely developed and good character to cheer on. Sykes to. One thing that bothers me is romance, it's plain awful. As was every one in previous books, but this one is the worst. No development, real character bonding etc...it just happened, why I have no idea. Mr.Holland is really bad when it comes to romantic subplots, and I wish he would stays away from them. Everything else is very good. The sad part is that it seems Mr.Holland gave up on this series long time ago.
August 20, 2023
The final book in the series, which for me started off slowly and took a while before it took hold. Thankfully it did measure up to the earlier books in the end, and i am sorry there will be no more, but look forward to reading more from the same author. Jack Tanner was a bit of a perfectionist, but a real gritty hero who endured more than his fair share of obstacles. James Holland seems able to transport the reader to the scene where the reality of war is gruesome, and the characters involved, believable.
March 11, 2018
Great
I really hope there will be a book 5. Seeing Jack going through the last stage of the war to finish back in Dorset...
I am impressed with whole series
I really hope there will be a book 5. Seeing Jack going through the last stage of the war to finish back in Dorset...
I am impressed with whole series
August 8, 2022
Good read
Having read JH's books before I hadn't read all of them. Only two left and that's the bundle of Jack Tanner.
Having read JH's books before I hadn't read all of them. Only two left and that's the bundle of Jack Tanner.
June 16, 2024
Nice end to the series, but would have liked to see how the next years played out…
October 9, 2024
Another great Jack Tanner
March 6, 2017
Another great Jack Tanner story. All action stuff featuring the Sharpe of WWII.
January 19, 2015
It was a wile ago that I read book 4 in this series and I forgot how much I enjoyed the other books. This one was just as good if with a somewhat familiar story about officer class and so on for readers of the Sharpe series. The war is different but I think something else other than man comes through ranks etc could have been used for one of the focuses of conflict in this book. Still enjoyable but just an old idea with no new twists to make it original.
November 13, 2014
Another great book from James Holland. Jack Tanner has been developed into a great character who matures throughout the series and this theme continues in this latest offering.
The battle scenes are well written and fiction and fact are cleverly interwoven to make a believable story. Looking forward to the next adventure.
The battle scenes are well written and fiction and fact are cleverly interwoven to make a believable story. Looking forward to the next adventure.
February 12, 2016
To what extent the mafia were involved will always remain hidden, but James Holland perfectly puts Jack Tanner into play with both them and against a nightmare battalion commander. Some wonderful surprises line the way through this book right the way to the end.
February 6, 2021
A great book by James Holland. Probably one of his best. I really hope he will finish the war with Jack Tanner. This a great historical fiction series. I highly recommend it!!!
July 10, 2014
Another storming story of derring do in WW2. Tanner is a great character! Great battle sequences, brilliant sense of history. More please!
November 6, 2014
A jolly good yarn. Much the same as before but James Holland manages to splice the historical acurate with the fictional so sublimely I just have to keep reading. A solid four stars.
December 26, 2014
A good book. Not a great book. It avoided some cliches. And hit some others. But I would read more James Holland books.
August 28, 2018
The best of the Jack Tanner books so far, hopefully not the last either.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews