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The Gentlemen of 16 July
Maurice, Rene Louis and Ken Follett, Gentlemen of 16 July
165 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Ken Follett
602 books59.2k followersKen Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 6, 2021
Fantástico!
Apesar da tradução ser bastante duvidosa (estamos a falar de uma edição de 1978, por isso devemos-lhe um certo desconto) é um livro emocionante, tendo em conta a veracidade dos acontecimentos. A escrita é fluída e muito apelativa.
'O Roubo do Século' é descrito por Ken Follett, que se juntou a três jornalistas franceses que, por questões de segurança pessoal, assinam sob o pseudónimo de René Louis Maurice.
O resultado foi 5*.
(E eu que só comprei este livro porque o mais novo cá de casa nasceu a 16 de julho... 🤭)
Apesar da tradução ser bastante duvidosa (estamos a falar de uma edição de 1978, por isso devemos-lhe um certo desconto) é um livro emocionante, tendo em conta a veracidade dos acontecimentos. A escrita é fluída e muito apelativa.
'O Roubo do Século' é descrito por Ken Follett, que se juntou a três jornalistas franceses que, por questões de segurança pessoal, assinam sob o pseudónimo de René Louis Maurice.
O resultado foi 5*.
(E eu que só comprei este livro porque o mais novo cá de casa nasceu a 16 de julho... 🤭)
May 8, 2022
The opening builds tension in a masterful and cinematic way, as the clerks of a monumental bank in Nice try and fail to open their vault on a hot Monday morning, and their superiors gradually lose their composure as it dawns on them that they’ve been robbed.
The pace doesn’t slacken from there, as, with no more ado, we’re introduced to the man who led the raid by tunnelling into the vault from the town’s sewers.
The book is enormously enjoyable, but it would have been more satisfying had the characters, in particular the criminal protagonist, been elaborated in more depth.
There are hints at police corruption in a town dominated by ex-paramilitaries from the Algerian war. No more than hints, bearing in mind that the first author of the book is a pseudonym for three French journalists who “for reasons of personal security, do not wish their identities to be revealed.”
The pace doesn’t slacken from there, as, with no more ado, we’re introduced to the man who led the raid by tunnelling into the vault from the town’s sewers.
The book is enormously enjoyable, but it would have been more satisfying had the characters, in particular the criminal protagonist, been elaborated in more depth.
There are hints at police corruption in a town dominated by ex-paramilitaries from the Algerian war. No more than hints, bearing in mind that the first author of the book is a pseudonym for three French journalists who “for reasons of personal security, do not wish their identities to be revealed.”
May 8, 2018
Eén van de vroege werken van Ken Follett. Leuk om lezen, dit relaas over de "Kraak van de Eeuw" op de Société Générale in Nice. Ik herinner me die ganse zaak.
In de epiloog maakt Follett enkele interessante bedenkingen en suggesties... maar ook niet meer dan dat.
In de epiloog maakt Follett enkele interessante bedenkingen en suggesties... maar ook niet meer dan dat.
March 21, 2018
nog een ouwe ken folett uit zijn vroegere jaren. niet zo goed als de nieuwe.
August 15, 2018
Interesting story of the late 70's robbery of the Société Générale bank in Nice written by a young Ken Follet shortly after he delivered "Eye Of The Needle".
November 25, 2018
Leuk boek, maar zeer slechte vertaling
October 9, 2020
Very remarkable.
June 27, 2022
Beschrijving van de bedenker van de grootste bankoverval ooit.
August 20, 2022
Same book as Under the Streets of Nice
May 6, 2025
Een vroeg boek van Ken waarbij hij de beroemde bankkraak van Nice nauwkeurig na vertelt. Interessant zonder veel diepgang. Eerder 3.5 sterren waard.
March 28, 2016
This true story of an incredibly daring, successful, bank heist 40 years ago shows the difference in criminality & law enforcement reaction to the criminal mind from what we know today.
The story deals only with the preparation & execution of the heist, then the "keystone cop" investigation, arrest & prosecution of the criminals. The book could have been longer & more interesting if the original authors had included more details of the life & times of those involved.
I read this book because it had Ken Follett's name on the cover, however he was the translator into English of the original text written by 3 French journalists.
The story deals only with the preparation & execution of the heist, then the "keystone cop" investigation, arrest & prosecution of the criminals. The book could have been longer & more interesting if the original authors had included more details of the life & times of those involved.
I read this book because it had Ken Follett's name on the cover, however he was the translator into English of the original text written by 3 French journalists.
December 19, 2018
Inicialmente tive dificuldade em acompanhar todo o acontecimento, porém no desenrolar da história fui me envolvendo e percebendo que não se tratava apenas de ficção mas sim, de um retrato pormenorizado quanto ao maior roubo de todos os tempos, em 1976.
Acho que o Ken Follett, com a ajuda de René Louis Maurice (pseudónimo utilizado por 3 jornalistas franceses), conseguiu mais uma vez surpreender, começando por descrever uma manhã de um dia quente para o banco da Société Générale. É magnífico a descrição que é feita quanto ao desenho de um assalto tão grandioso, e também, a mediocridade que se denota na polícia que em parte teve culpa no resultado final da vida de Albert Spaggiari.
Acho que o Ken Follett, com a ajuda de René Louis Maurice (pseudónimo utilizado por 3 jornalistas franceses), conseguiu mais uma vez surpreender, começando por descrever uma manhã de um dia quente para o banco da Société Générale. É magnífico a descrição que é feita quanto ao desenho de um assalto tão grandioso, e também, a mediocridade que se denota na polícia que em parte teve culpa no resultado final da vida de Albert Spaggiari.
May 9, 2009
Short but very engaging true crime story. If you can find it used for cheap, pick it up. Written by three French journalists but Ken Follett translated it so they put his name on that so it would sell better.
July 18, 2017
Reminded a lot of The Red Circle - quiet and direct, but engrossing.
July 19, 2014
A good tale of bank robbery
May 14, 2016
Aan dit boek is veel research vooraf gegaan. Erg leuk om te lezen wat er moest gebeuren om een bank te beroven op de manier zoals hier beschreven.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews