The Twilight of Courage: A Novel

by Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene

A retelling of World War II intertwines the stories of two American journalists' escape from the collapse of Warsaw, with those of an orphaned baby's journey to Jerusalem, a mathematician's attempt to crack Nazi code, and more. $250,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Historical, World War II, War

614 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 45 works of historical fiction. These best sellers have sold more than 10 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards.

Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.

Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake Thoene, Luke Thoene, and Ellie—and five grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.

Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.

Reviews

[James Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Things First - I Really Truly Loved This Book, The only Bad thing I can Say is it left me wanting more, I wasn't ready for it to end, I wanted to hear more about what happened to the Characters after Dunkirk. This a well researched and accurate to events of WW II From Germany's invasion of Poland to the Evacuation From Dunkirk. This Story Follows a male and female American Reporter, French Colonel, his daughter, His Brother a Captain over a military cavalry School, A German Wehrmacht Captain and his Wife, and a little Jewish baby boy, being taken out of German Held Poland, and an american fighter Pilot flying for the RAF,and two American spinster Sisters who runs an Orphanage in Paris and how all of these characters tie in together and how their lives intermingle and effect each other throughout this book. This puts you through all the emotions of love, hate, disappointment and compassion for the characters. There will Allies that you don't like and there will Germans that you will like and respect. This book really enabled me to live through the war through these characters and at times i really believed i was there. It is a must read!!!!!!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This long detailed tome is set against the backdrop of world war II. Several stories are told which at times intertwine with each other. My favorite was on the two American sisters running an orphanage in Paris and of the french street children that they eventually take in. At the end of the story they escape Paris before the Nazi's invade by commendeering a boat and taking off down the Siene--great stuff. Read this one if you like historical fiction told from a Christian point of view.

[Stephanie Ziebarth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read a 6oo+-page book, so that felt like an accomplishment! It probably took me about 150 pages to get into this book at all. I thought it was a little ambitious to weave so very many different stories into one narrative. As other reviewers have mentioned, I was deeply moved by the stories from both the French orphanage and the French military school. Overall, I enjoyed it.

[Charity U · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Well, it was really long. And the first 150 or so pages were a mite confusing, with tons of new characters being introduced. But since I've read the Zion Chronicles and the Zion Covenant series so often, I was able to recognize a few people! Love how all the Thoenes' books from this time tie together. This book fits right inbetween the two series. A fun but huge read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Twilight of Courage" traces the stories of a number of characters -- perhaps too many characters -- through the first months of World War II. Even covering just a few months, it checks in at a hefty 614 pages. There's nothing wrong with this book at all. It's quite good. But a longer novel demands a lot of time from a reader, especially a slow reader like me, so it needs to be truly engrossing all the way through. "Twilight" doesn't quite meet that test.
Nonetheless, it is exciting and suspenseful in an edge-of-the-seat kind of way in places.
To the authors' credit, this book does not at all glorify war. It is unstinting in its descriptions of the horrors of war. It's particularly strong in the chapters describing the evacuation of Dunkirk. It's easy to think of that event only in terms of the remarkable rescue operation it was. The Thoenes remind us of what a harrowing and deadly experience it was for those actually participating.
Some of the dialogue in "Twilight" doesn't ring true to my ears, particularly the male-female dialogue.
And here's something an editor should have caught:
Katrina was playing the piano. Horst could hear the music of Mozart, Fur Elise,as he rounded the corner of the medieval lane.
Uh, no. If Horst was hearing "Fur Elise," he was hearing the music of Beethoven.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has probably been on my "to read" list for 20 years, and it was very worth the investment of time. If you enjoyed the "Winds of War" series, this will be even better. You won't be able to put it down. I will add this is technically Christian fiction, but among the best written I've ever read and thoroughly researched by this husband/wife writing team.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I brought this book home because I succumbed to the cover. How could I pass up a cover displaying a swastika and the Eiffel Tower? I couldn't. It was unusual, in my experience, in that it was a WWII story that took place in it's entirety during the latter part of 1939 and the first half of 1940 beginning with the German invasion of Poland. The events in the story are seen through the eyes of an
American war correspondent, a photo journalist, a German Wehrmacht officer, a French Intelligence officer and others. It is a good story but contains some unlikely story lines and relationships.

[Antof9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like reading fiction and non-fiction at the same time, try reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's No Ordinary Time at the same time as this book. The books cover the same period in time, and each provides interesting insights on the other.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Thoenes are among my favorite authors, but this is definitely not among their best works. Though The Twilight of Courage is impressive in its scope, it also has a very lackluster feel and tries to throw too many plots together. Unless you are an absolute World War II fanatic, I would suggest sticking with the Thoenes' Zion series.

[Arlan Landey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the book showed the uncertainties of what might happen prior to the invasion of Germany into France in WWII.

Most books are read from the perspective of knowing how things turned out when writing fiction of historic events. The author of this book was able to make me feel as if events weren't written in stone as per what might happen -

Excellent writing!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book about different characters and events leading up to World War II. My only disappointment was that it left you hanging, on the verge of war, with no second book to satisfy your curiosity.

[Lynne Tagawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read other books by the Thoenes, and they were great, so when I saw this at a library sale I picked it up. Wow! It was superb. I don't go looking for "war" books, but this epic treatment of the days leading up to and including the mass exodus from Dunkirk kept me turning pages. There are multiple point of view characters, from an American "Movietone" cameraman to a German Wehrmacht major to a French cavalry school and its brave cadets, to a couple of hungry children in Paris who keep a rat for a pet (this story has everything). There's a bit of romance, answered prayers, and even comedy. Plus, if you've read The Zion Chronicles, you will spot some familiar names. A bit of back story here for pilot David Meyers and the Jewish Lubetkin family. A couple of cameos of dear Grandfather. Naturally, to accomplish all this, it's long. And it may take you a hundred pages just to get really introduced to everybody. But if you like that kind of book, you will love this! Great prose, by masters of the genre.

[Susan Hylton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brock and Bodie Thoene are a wonderful team. The historical feel and tactical details of this book reminded me of Guns of Autumn by Barbara Tuchman, about WW1, a non fiction book. This was, of course, a fictional novel and it was about WW2. The characters impressed, inspired, appalled, disappointed, and surprised me. The section about Dunkirk was harrowing. I recently saw a movie about Dunkirk and wished it had at least one character to follow all the way through the story that survived. This story gave me that, but it was still tragic and appalling. no way around it. But I will think of Poland, and the brave families there, and the good German commanders who were loyal to to their men, and their honor, and the French cadets, and the American missionaries feeding Parisian (and Jewish) children, the reporters trying to tell the story, French politics, British politics. American politics, in a maelstrom that felt urgently real.

[Tamara Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nostalgic throw-back to the Thoene series of books my grandmother and I used to read together.

We were slowly meandering our way from Austin to Connecticut after taking our daughter back to school this summer and mid-way I ran out of books! Shout out to AFK Books & Records in Virginia Beach for solving my vacation reading crisis and for offering a giant selection of new and used books and good prices. This isn’t my favorite Thoene dive into World War II, but it’s the most ambitious covering so many hotspots across Europe in the early days of the war when the world began to acknowledge the desperation of the times. The Thoenes have got research and plot-writing chops. More than that, they provided a shared reading experience for me and my grandmother.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This WWII story begins with the evacuation of Poland. It continues through the Twilight War to the invasion of neutral countries and on to France. The story ends as the last of the French and British soldiers are rescued from the beaches of France, while Germany marches to the Sea. Rich in detail, this stirring story is full of heart-warming characters and some delightful humor. Best of all, in my opinion, it is a clean read! Thanks to my special friend MaryJo for recommending it.

[Mark Geiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. I like tomes, but felt the last hundred pages could have been condensed and then it just ended. You assume the characters are going to be okay but then again..... The Thoene's know how to tell a good story and are good writers. Lots of Christian themes and how faith can move mountains. Overall, a very good read.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I would have rated this book during the first two hundred pages I would not have given it more than three stars. It started slow and drawn out. But once it started loving it was hard to put down. Then last third of the book was super engaging. If you can make it past the beginning it’s a very good book.

[Jan Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books by the Thoene's are Excellent! Brock is a historian. This one was gripping and exciting; I could hardly put it down! The story follows about 5 or 6 different characters giving the reader different views of the early stages of WWII! It was a Thrilling Read for me! All of the Thoene's books about WWII are Extremely Interesting! I have read many of them.

[Beth Landfair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book, although I’m sure I enjoyed it more the first time. This book was about 200 pages too long and 10 characters too heavy. It tries too hard to be all things to all people; I forced myself to finish (and confess I “sped-read” through many of the detailed battle scenes.

[Heather Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly researched book which follows the lives of several people from various walks of life at the onset of WW2. All of the storylines weave together at the end, but it is at times a tedious, painstakingly realistic journey to get there!

[Stephanie Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked all of the different storylines and how they came together at the end! Also just find WWII fascinating so I enjoyed how the characters demonstrated different roles and lifestyles impacted by the war.

[Fanaticmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very very long book. Lots of war descriptions that were boring. Hard to follow some of the 50 different plot lines.

[Amy Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Very detailed very well researched. I love that they brought these characters and their situations to life. I was so invested in each one!

[Taryn Spearey]

Way too long and drawn out for me.

[Godkiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome loved the suspense and action and surprises in this book. You should read it.

[Renee' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and so historical! I can't wait to read more from these authors.

[Marsha Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and beautifully written story of a pivotal moment in history through the lives of fictional characters that allow you to "live " the moment with them

[Richard Esterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thoene's never disappoint! I really loved the way the character's lives intersect throughout the book in the most unexpected ways!

[Linea Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful saga of WW2 woven with many characters. Quite a read.