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The Sands of Sakkara
Glenn Meade's electrifying novels capture the intrigue of nations, the brutality of war, and the heroism of brave men and women. The Sands of Sakkara is his most satisfying novel yet-a heart-pounding thriller set against the backdrop of wartime Egypt, where a breathless chase across the arid desert explodes, as two people race against time to stop a dark plot in the heart of World War II...
Once Rachel Stern was a beautiful archaeologist, until the Nazis herded her behind barbed wire. Once Jack Halder lived between two nations. Now he is filled with rage, chosen to spearhead a desperate secret mission-and to bring Rachel Stern into it. Once Harry Weaver was one of America's best and brightest. Now he is the only U.S. agent who can hunt down the man who was his friend, and the woman they both loved in 1939.
In a stunning story that reaches from the teeming streets of Berlin to the feet of the great pyramids, three former friends are about to meet again: around a mission to assassinate FDR.
548 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 4, 1998
42 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Meade
34 books398 followersGlenn Meade was born into a working-class family in Dublin, Ireland. After finishing secondary school he had a tough time choosing between studying theology or engineering, but eventually engineering won out and he studied telecommunications. Soon after graduating, he lived and worked in New Hampshire. He worked as a specialist in the field of pilot training—having had a life-long interest in aviation—and has also been a journalist for the Irish Times and the Independent.
While living in New Hampshire, he persistently tried to interview the famously reclusive author of CATCHER IN THE RYE, J.D. Salinger, an effort that only served to vex Salinger, who set his dogs on Meade, who luckily managed to outrun Salinger’s hounds and survive.
He began writing in earnest in the late eighties, when he wrote and directed his own plays, mostly for the Strand Theatre in Dublin, but Meade decided to turn his efforts to thriller writing in the mid-nineties.
His novels to date—SNOW WOLF, BRANDENBURG, THE SANDS OF SAKKARA, RESURRECTION DAY, WEB OF DECEIT, THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE, THE SECOND MESSIAH—have been translated into twenty-six languages, and have enjoyed critical and commercial success.
His first novel, BRANDENBURG, about a neo-Nazi resurgence in present-day Europe, came about when he travelled to Germany to write an article for the Times on the billions in Nazi gold that went missing at the end of the Second World War. Quite by accident, he met an elderly former SS officer who told him a remarkable and highly personal tale about his part in keeping a disturbing war-time secret. That story became the inspiration for BRANDENBURG.
Several of his novels were also inspired by his journalistic work but inspiration only takes you so far and Meade claims that to produce anything of worth it always comes down to the same three constants: hard work, prayer, and putting your imagination through the wringer.
Critics have compared the standard of his work to that of Frederick Forsyth, John le Carre, and Tom Clancy, and his stories have tended to be a tantalising blend of fact and fiction. SNOW WOLF won the prestigious thriller of the year award by the Japanese Writer's Guild (second place went to Stephen King's THE GREEN MILE).
He has also worked on several Hollywood scripts but Meade confesses that employment in Tinsletown was not a pleasant experience and he has learned to stick to the golden rule for novelists whose work is bought by Hollywood—gratefully accept the pay check, walk away and just pray that they don’t turn your treasured story into a musical.
Meade has earned a reputation for meticulously researched stories and has travelled extensively—to Russia, the Middle East, Europe—to research his novels. For RESURRECTION DAY, a highly realistic thriller about a dramatic attack on the US capital by an Al Qaeda terror group armed with a chemical weapon of mass destruction, and completed three weeks before the events of September 11th, he spent many months in Washington DC. He interviewed senior White House staff, former Secret Service agents, US Federal emergency planners, and senior FBI terrorist experts, some of whom were later involved in the hunt for Al Qaeda terrorist suspects on US soil. One former senior FBI source, John O’Neill, who helped Meade, was killed in the September 11th attacks, having resigned from the bureau only months prior to taking up a new post—as head of security at the Twin Towers.
RESURRECTION DAY was published internationally but Meade’s then New York publisher considered it too raw a subject for the US, coming so soon after 9/11, and they parted company. However, the work garnered rave reviews and much media attention in Europe.
Having read the book, Newt Gingrich, then a member of the Hart-Rudd commission (set up post 9/11 by President George Bush with responsibility for determining future likely terrorist threats against the US) was so impressed that he contacted Meade and kindly offe
While living in New Hampshire, he persistently tried to interview the famously reclusive author of CATCHER IN THE RYE, J.D. Salinger, an effort that only served to vex Salinger, who set his dogs on Meade, who luckily managed to outrun Salinger’s hounds and survive.
He began writing in earnest in the late eighties, when he wrote and directed his own plays, mostly for the Strand Theatre in Dublin, but Meade decided to turn his efforts to thriller writing in the mid-nineties.
His novels to date—SNOW WOLF, BRANDENBURG, THE SANDS OF SAKKARA, RESURRECTION DAY, WEB OF DECEIT, THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE, THE SECOND MESSIAH—have been translated into twenty-six languages, and have enjoyed critical and commercial success.
His first novel, BRANDENBURG, about a neo-Nazi resurgence in present-day Europe, came about when he travelled to Germany to write an article for the Times on the billions in Nazi gold that went missing at the end of the Second World War. Quite by accident, he met an elderly former SS officer who told him a remarkable and highly personal tale about his part in keeping a disturbing war-time secret. That story became the inspiration for BRANDENBURG.
Several of his novels were also inspired by his journalistic work but inspiration only takes you so far and Meade claims that to produce anything of worth it always comes down to the same three constants: hard work, prayer, and putting your imagination through the wringer.
Critics have compared the standard of his work to that of Frederick Forsyth, John le Carre, and Tom Clancy, and his stories have tended to be a tantalising blend of fact and fiction. SNOW WOLF won the prestigious thriller of the year award by the Japanese Writer's Guild (second place went to Stephen King's THE GREEN MILE).
He has also worked on several Hollywood scripts but Meade confesses that employment in Tinsletown was not a pleasant experience and he has learned to stick to the golden rule for novelists whose work is bought by Hollywood—gratefully accept the pay check, walk away and just pray that they don’t turn your treasured story into a musical.
Meade has earned a reputation for meticulously researched stories and has travelled extensively—to Russia, the Middle East, Europe—to research his novels. For RESURRECTION DAY, a highly realistic thriller about a dramatic attack on the US capital by an Al Qaeda terror group armed with a chemical weapon of mass destruction, and completed three weeks before the events of September 11th, he spent many months in Washington DC. He interviewed senior White House staff, former Secret Service agents, US Federal emergency planners, and senior FBI terrorist experts, some of whom were later involved in the hunt for Al Qaeda terrorist suspects on US soil. One former senior FBI source, John O’Neill, who helped Meade, was killed in the September 11th attacks, having resigned from the bureau only months prior to taking up a new post—as head of security at the Twin Towers.
RESURRECTION DAY was published internationally but Meade’s then New York publisher considered it too raw a subject for the US, coming so soon after 9/11, and they parted company. However, the work garnered rave reviews and much media attention in Europe.
Having read the book, Newt Gingrich, then a member of the Hart-Rudd commission (set up post 9/11 by President George Bush with responsibility for determining future likely terrorist threats against the US) was so impressed that he contacted Meade and kindly offe
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
April 8, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up for the depth of the Cairo location and all it brought to the plotting and ambiance for large portions of the copy. But it is over long with dozens of under characters and name drops that teem in all the landscapes of the first 2/3rds of the book, some of them just for brutal effects and cruel tone purposes? It becomes like those Biblical movies with dozens and dozens of associate players. Most are there just for tension effect. There are also considerable numbers of trite and what I would consider rather "out of place" conversations. For instance in moments of desperation or in running, hiding or disguising identity, people just don't make declarative general statements that belong to a character during a center stage play performance. And the prose for these moments was rather tone deaf to the physical situation and bodice ripper type redundant too, on top of it.
He uses the same formula for plots in different books. Friendships and/or lovers divided by loyalties and other allegiances. And he does that well- to an excellent degree. But the situational language and facts of the logistics in this one, did not live up to the triangle of relationship. Or with any of the other character depths either. I especially wanted to know far more about Rachel earlier in the book. The men were decently grasped to essence- she only as a passive object for the events and feelings garnered around her. There is nothing showing from her own "eyes".
There are twists during the last 100 pages that are considerable. And did answer some of the voids I felt for the first 75% of the book.
But overall, it is just not as "real", believable or with the same human being crux to sacrifice and bigger pictures of history than Snow Wolf. Snow Wolf is a much better novel overall.
I'll try a couple more of his, but not any set in the WWII era. This kind of progressive action, military, espionage, war thriller in chronological time and detail is rarely done in the last decade to this particular detail and context. So research from Egyptian side "eyes" was more than a decent try. But I don't think he nailed it. Maybe I'm wrong, but at points that did not feel like the black market and much else was to the depth that it really lives there. Especially then.
Overall because he was new to me before, I'm rather let down, disappointed that he uses the same exact types of plot progressions and character ambiance to each other over again in a different novel.
He uses the same formula for plots in different books. Friendships and/or lovers divided by loyalties and other allegiances. And he does that well- to an excellent degree. But the situational language and facts of the logistics in this one, did not live up to the triangle of relationship. Or with any of the other character depths either. I especially wanted to know far more about Rachel earlier in the book. The men were decently grasped to essence- she only as a passive object for the events and feelings garnered around her. There is nothing showing from her own "eyes".
There are twists during the last 100 pages that are considerable. And did answer some of the voids I felt for the first 75% of the book.
But overall, it is just not as "real", believable or with the same human being crux to sacrifice and bigger pictures of history than Snow Wolf. Snow Wolf is a much better novel overall.
I'll try a couple more of his, but not any set in the WWII era. This kind of progressive action, military, espionage, war thriller in chronological time and detail is rarely done in the last decade to this particular detail and context. So research from Egyptian side "eyes" was more than a decent try. But I don't think he nailed it. Maybe I'm wrong, but at points that did not feel like the black market and much else was to the depth that it really lives there. Especially then.
Overall because he was new to me before, I'm rather let down, disappointed that he uses the same exact types of plot progressions and character ambiance to each other over again in a different novel.
September 28, 2016
Ajanlık, komplolar, suikastler, intikam hikayeleri, koşuşturmaca severler için önerebileceğim bir kitap. Kitap hepimizin tarihten aşina olduğu insanlar olan Churchill ve Roosevelt'e suikast girişiminde bulunmak isteyen bir suikast ekibinden ve onalrın yaşantısından bahsediyor. Sakkara’nın Kumları İkinci Dünya Savaşı dönemine ışık tutuyor. Yazarın notunda da belirttiği gibi birçoğu o dönemdeki kişilerden ve kuvvetli kaynaklardan edinilen bilgiler ile yazılmış romanda zaten bazı şeylerin tarihi yansıtması açısından eğitici ve öğretici yanı da var kitabın.
Kitapta olumsuz anlamda eleştirebileceğim bazı noktalar vardı. En başta kitapta birçok karakterin hikayesinin intikam üzerine kurulu olması hem çok klişe olmuş hem de kurguyu biraz yormuş diye düşünüyorum. Öte yandan kitaptaki komplo teorisinde bazı planlar öyle pratik gerçekleştirilip, karakterlerin başına gelen sorunlar öyle kolay çözüme kavuşturulmuştu ki gerçeklikten uzaklaştığı yerler oldu. Eleştirebileceğim diğer gözüme batan nokta karakterlerin iç dünyasının çok üstünkörü anlatılıp, gerçek duygularını bir türlü hissedemeyişimdi. Birde savaş dönemi anlatıldığı için birazda savaş döneminde insanların ne hale düştüklerinden ve savaşın meydana getirdiği yıkımlardan da bahsedilmesi hoşuma giderdi.
Üslubu gayet anlaşılır ve üçüncü ağızdan anlatılmıştı. Duygu tahlillerine pek yer verilmeyip ağırlık mekan tasvirlerine ayrılmıştı. Uzun olsa da macera dolu yerleri olduğundan çabucak okunulup bitirilebilecek bir kitap. Sonunda ortaya çıkan bazı gizemler sizi şaşırtıyor ve en son sayfada gerçekten duygulandırıcı bir yer vardı. Kitabı sevdim. Tarihi, savaşları, macerayı, ajanlığı, suikastleri sevenler için tavsiye edebileceğim bir kitap. Detaylı yorumlar için;
=> http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com.tr/...
Kitapta olumsuz anlamda eleştirebileceğim bazı noktalar vardı. En başta kitapta birçok karakterin hikayesinin intikam üzerine kurulu olması hem çok klişe olmuş hem de kurguyu biraz yormuş diye düşünüyorum. Öte yandan kitaptaki komplo teorisinde bazı planlar öyle pratik gerçekleştirilip, karakterlerin başına gelen sorunlar öyle kolay çözüme kavuşturulmuştu ki gerçeklikten uzaklaştığı yerler oldu. Eleştirebileceğim diğer gözüme batan nokta karakterlerin iç dünyasının çok üstünkörü anlatılıp, gerçek duygularını bir türlü hissedemeyişimdi. Birde savaş dönemi anlatıldığı için birazda savaş döneminde insanların ne hale düştüklerinden ve savaşın meydana getirdiği yıkımlardan da bahsedilmesi hoşuma giderdi.
Üslubu gayet anlaşılır ve üçüncü ağızdan anlatılmıştı. Duygu tahlillerine pek yer verilmeyip ağırlık mekan tasvirlerine ayrılmıştı. Uzun olsa da macera dolu yerleri olduğundan çabucak okunulup bitirilebilecek bir kitap. Sonunda ortaya çıkan bazı gizemler sizi şaşırtıyor ve en son sayfada gerçekten duygulandırıcı bir yer vardı. Kitabı sevdim. Tarihi, savaşları, macerayı, ajanlığı, suikastleri sevenler için tavsiye edebileceğim bir kitap. Detaylı yorumlar için;
=> http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com.tr/...
November 25, 2021
Glenn Meade ilk kez okudum. Grange'den Dan Brown'dan daha iyi yorumları ile büyük beklentiyle başladım Sakkara'nın Kumlarına.
Gerçekten de soluksuz okunan bir polisiye yazarıymış. 2. dünya savaşında Almanya düşmek üzereyken Kahire'de bir araya gelen Churchill ve Roosevelt'e düzenlenen suikastı konu alıyor.
3 ana karakterde dönen hikaye, bol Mısır havası, bir bölümü bitirirken diğerini merak ettiren kurgu çok başarılı.
Polisiye-macera türü sevenlere öneririm.
Gerçekten de soluksuz okunan bir polisiye yazarıymış. 2. dünya savaşında Almanya düşmek üzereyken Kahire'de bir araya gelen Churchill ve Roosevelt'e düzenlenen suikastı konu alıyor.
3 ana karakterde dönen hikaye, bol Mısır havası, bir bölümü bitirirken diğerini merak ettiren kurgu çok başarılı.
Polisiye-macera türü sevenlere öneririm.
December 30, 2014
Glenn Meade has done it again! In his book, 'The Sands of Sakkara' we are introduced to a series of magnetic characters, but none more intriguing than Jack Halder, Harry Weaver, and Rachel Stern. As the reader learns, they are in the Sakkara pyramids in Egypt 1939 right before the start of the Second World War. Their archaeological work is interrupted when war breaks out. Jack Halder, a German-American, joins the Wehrmacht, while Harry Weaver joins the US Army. Rachel Stern travels by ship to Turkey with her parents, only to have her ship sunk in a storm and is herself captured by a German Kriegsmarine naval vessel.
After a few chapters learning of their backgrounds and friendships, the story jumps to 1943. Germany is losing the war and must come up with a way to rebuild morale and throw the Allies in disarray so the Fuhrer's armies can focus on the invasion of Russia.
Here we are introduced to SS General Walter Schellenberg, a cunning conspirator, who is responsible for designing a mission to assassinate President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill during their conference in Cairo. Both Halder and Weaver are torn between their friendship for each other and love for Rachel Stern. Although the war has separated them during these early four years, they soon find themselves on opposite sides as the mission to assassinate the Allied leaders comes to fruition.
The Germans assign the assault force to the 'Most Dangerous Man in Europe' still applauded for the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini. His name is Otto Skorzeny. He and his detail of crack paratroops are to be flown to a secret base outside of Cairo where they will begin their assault on President Roosevelt's hotel dressed in the guise of American solders.
In order to accomplish this mission, Jack Halder must return to Egypt in the guise of an American Archaeological team working on Egyptian ruins. Accompanied by Rachel Stern, a half-Jewish woman released from a Nazi concentration camp to work alongside her friend, they have secret dealings with members of the Egptian underworld, British and American deserters, and all the while are being chased by a determined British colonel who doubts the loyalty of Harry Weaver.
Their paths soon cross as the final hours of the mission are revealed in an exciting finale only the likes of Glenn Meade could envision.
This is my fourth book read by Glenn Meade and of course he does not disappoint. As mentioned, the German mission to assassinate the President of the United States and British Prime Minister are fact. Meade's story is based on this. His research takes the reader a step further and leaves us to ask the question if it really happened as in his book. If so, history came dangerously close to being different from the history we know.
I highly recommend this book by Glenn Meade. It is one of his early books, but still cries of excitement, action, and drama. As usual, you won't be disappointed.
David Lucero, author
After a few chapters learning of their backgrounds and friendships, the story jumps to 1943. Germany is losing the war and must come up with a way to rebuild morale and throw the Allies in disarray so the Fuhrer's armies can focus on the invasion of Russia.
Here we are introduced to SS General Walter Schellenberg, a cunning conspirator, who is responsible for designing a mission to assassinate President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill during their conference in Cairo. Both Halder and Weaver are torn between their friendship for each other and love for Rachel Stern. Although the war has separated them during these early four years, they soon find themselves on opposite sides as the mission to assassinate the Allied leaders comes to fruition.
The Germans assign the assault force to the 'Most Dangerous Man in Europe' still applauded for the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini. His name is Otto Skorzeny. He and his detail of crack paratroops are to be flown to a secret base outside of Cairo where they will begin their assault on President Roosevelt's hotel dressed in the guise of American solders.
In order to accomplish this mission, Jack Halder must return to Egypt in the guise of an American Archaeological team working on Egyptian ruins. Accompanied by Rachel Stern, a half-Jewish woman released from a Nazi concentration camp to work alongside her friend, they have secret dealings with members of the Egptian underworld, British and American deserters, and all the while are being chased by a determined British colonel who doubts the loyalty of Harry Weaver.
Their paths soon cross as the final hours of the mission are revealed in an exciting finale only the likes of Glenn Meade could envision.
This is my fourth book read by Glenn Meade and of course he does not disappoint. As mentioned, the German mission to assassinate the President of the United States and British Prime Minister are fact. Meade's story is based on this. His research takes the reader a step further and leaves us to ask the question if it really happened as in his book. If so, history came dangerously close to being different from the history we know.
I highly recommend this book by Glenn Meade. It is one of his early books, but still cries of excitement, action, and drama. As usual, you won't be disappointed.
David Lucero, author
July 1, 2012
Gostei mesmo muito.
2ª Guerra Mundial e baseado em factos reais, passada no Egipto?... é o suficiente para mim...
E não lhe dei 5*, porque não sei se algumas das coisas que achei mais fracas se devem ao autor ou apenas à tradução e adaptação, que quanto a mim deixaram algo a desejar, não me pareceram especialmente boas. Como não li o original dou o benefício da dúvida ao autor!
Mas é um livro muito bom para quem gosta do género! Uma história bem contada, embora não possamos esquecer que o autor é jornalista, sobre os bastidores da guerra, em que o sentido do dever, da amizade e do amor se misturam e que tornam difíceis e dolorosas algumas decisões! Com um fim algo imprevisto!
Gostei.
2ª Guerra Mundial e baseado em factos reais, passada no Egipto?... é o suficiente para mim...
E não lhe dei 5*, porque não sei se algumas das coisas que achei mais fracas se devem ao autor ou apenas à tradução e adaptação, que quanto a mim deixaram algo a desejar, não me pareceram especialmente boas. Como não li o original dou o benefício da dúvida ao autor!
Mas é um livro muito bom para quem gosta do género! Uma história bem contada, embora não possamos esquecer que o autor é jornalista, sobre os bastidores da guerra, em que o sentido do dever, da amizade e do amor se misturam e que tornam difíceis e dolorosas algumas decisões! Com um fim algo imprevisto!
Gostei.
July 20, 2016
Nazis & Pyramids. What's not to like? But the Cairo Code reads like The Eagle Has Landed meets Raiders of the Lost Ark and is somehow less than the sum of it's parts
June 3, 2019
I was looking for a novel about World War II and this book, published in 1999, fit the bill. It's a thriller concerning espionage and set in North Africa, which I thought was particularly interesting. The story concerns a Nazi agent who is sent to Egypt on a secret mission. Harry Weaver, an American agent, has to hunt the Nazi down and foil the plot. I thought there was good suspense, especially at the end, when the book became impossible to put down. Some might say the book is overlong--it is over 500 pages, but I didn't feel it was too long. But more than the story line, I was quite taken by Meade's recreation of the atmosphere of wartime Egypt and Cairo. The book is all the more interesting because, as Meade states in his Author's Note, it is based on an actual plan conceived by the Nazis. I'll be looking for other books by this author.
July 12, 2016
For those of you who have read my book reviews you know that I mainly review Christian Fiction novels. This story doesn’t have a spiritual thread but is just a fun nail biting adventure. It reminded me of the first Indiana Jones movie but on steroids. I was hooked from the start and that’s saying something since I get overwhelmed by the site of such a thick novel. This book has 578 pages that were broken into five sections. It didn’t seem like a long read at all with so much history, suspense, and drama happening all around the back drop of WWII. My eyes were glued to each page.
There was a romance thread running throughout the story like the first Indiana Jones movie but in this novel two close friends are in love with the same woman. The author does a great job of having the reader instantly care about the three main characters. It starts out back to when the three met working on an archeological dig in Cairo Egypt. Rachel Stern’s dad is running the site. Jack Halder flew in from Germany and Harry Weaver from America to work on the dig. Surprise to all both men fell in love with the country and Rachel Stern. Rachel liked them both. They all had a photo showing “three young smiling people, their arms around one another, standing in the desert sands at Sakkar. Each claiming that the summer of 1939 was the happiest of their lives.” Little did they realize how true that was.
I just want to say here that there were a few romance scenes that were mainly left up to your imagination and they were chased through a brothel but nothing is described in detail. There were 4 or 5 times (throughout the 578 pages) the author used the word Damn; we are talking war here - it was used in context to the situation. Along with smoking cigarettes and drinking; all signs of the times.
Life changed for everyone when WWII began; everyone was affected including these three friends. Each went their separate ways after 1939. None of them would have guessed they’d ever meet up again. War has a funny way of creating impossible situations.
The mission that took place in this novel was embellished through the authors’ imagination. The author says, “The Cairo code is a work of fiction tempered with a measure of truth…that the Nazis intended to assassinate President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill during a series of important allied conferences that took place in the Middle East in late 1943 is a historical fact.”
This was news to me. I’m not a history buff but this fascinated me. I had known many attempts were made to wipe out Hitler but I had no idea about the attempts on Roosevelt and Churchill.
This was a terrific gripping story masterfully written; a thrilling read I couldn’t put down.
It’s a heart-wrenching tale of friendship, love and treachery. Set against the exotic and intriguing back drop of wartime Egypt. .
This is a new author to me. Glen Meade was born in Dublin, in 1957. He worked in the field as a pilot training for air Lingus for many years and as a journalist for the Irish times. I’m so glad the authors’ book was recently translated into English so more people can enjoy his work.
This would make a great book club pick, there is so much to discuss. It’s rich in characterization and plot as they maneuvered the crazy, horrifying situations of WWII.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Howard Books publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
There was a romance thread running throughout the story like the first Indiana Jones movie but in this novel two close friends are in love with the same woman. The author does a great job of having the reader instantly care about the three main characters. It starts out back to when the three met working on an archeological dig in Cairo Egypt. Rachel Stern’s dad is running the site. Jack Halder flew in from Germany and Harry Weaver from America to work on the dig. Surprise to all both men fell in love with the country and Rachel Stern. Rachel liked them both. They all had a photo showing “three young smiling people, their arms around one another, standing in the desert sands at Sakkar. Each claiming that the summer of 1939 was the happiest of their lives.” Little did they realize how true that was.
I just want to say here that there were a few romance scenes that were mainly left up to your imagination and they were chased through a brothel but nothing is described in detail. There were 4 or 5 times (throughout the 578 pages) the author used the word Damn; we are talking war here - it was used in context to the situation. Along with smoking cigarettes and drinking; all signs of the times.
Life changed for everyone when WWII began; everyone was affected including these three friends. Each went their separate ways after 1939. None of them would have guessed they’d ever meet up again. War has a funny way of creating impossible situations.
The mission that took place in this novel was embellished through the authors’ imagination. The author says, “The Cairo code is a work of fiction tempered with a measure of truth…that the Nazis intended to assassinate President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill during a series of important allied conferences that took place in the Middle East in late 1943 is a historical fact.”
This was news to me. I’m not a history buff but this fascinated me. I had known many attempts were made to wipe out Hitler but I had no idea about the attempts on Roosevelt and Churchill.
This was a terrific gripping story masterfully written; a thrilling read I couldn’t put down.
It’s a heart-wrenching tale of friendship, love and treachery. Set against the exotic and intriguing back drop of wartime Egypt. .
This is a new author to me. Glen Meade was born in Dublin, in 1957. He worked in the field as a pilot training for air Lingus for many years and as a journalist for the Irish times. I’m so glad the authors’ book was recently translated into English so more people can enjoy his work.
This would make a great book club pick, there is so much to discuss. It’s rich in characterization and plot as they maneuvered the crazy, horrifying situations of WWII.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Howard Books publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
December 22, 2015
This novel has been described as “A heart-wrenching tale of friendship, love and treachery set against the exotic and intriguing backdrop of wartime Egypt”, and that sums up my own experience perfectly. The Cairo Code will linger in your thoughts long after you close the pages. Nevertheless, I have argued with myself over how to rate the novel. The plot gets five stars, no question about it, but I was not convinced the execution was of the same calibre in the early stages of the novel. As a Christian reader, there were also some aspects of the story that made me a little uncomfortable. (Based on the book’s publisher I selected this book for review under the incorrect assumption that it was a Christian novel.) But when all is said and done, this novel got under my skin in a way that made anything less than five stars seem dishonest.
In 1939, Jack (Johann) Halder, Harry Weaver, and Rachel Stern took part in an archaeological dig that forged a strong friendship. Four years later they find themselves caught up on opposite sides of WWII, unknowingly pitted against each other in an assignment that none of them can afford to fail. We know that neither Roosevelt nor Churchill were assassinated, so to a certain extent we know what the outcome must be, and yet the further I got into the novel the more urgently I needed to discover just how all the chips would fall.
As compelling as the action was, it was the emotional tension that had me propping up my eyelids with matchsticks in order to finish the book. I guess that’s females for you! If I had to choose one word to sum up this story I would say ‘poignant’, but I don’t think that does justice to the depth or array of emotions I had experienced by the end. I mean, what do you do when your best friend and the woman you love (and thought had died) turn out to be involved in a plot to assassinate the President of the United States? One thing’s for sure: There are no easy answers!
It did take a little while for this story to get to the action, so much so that I began to wonder whether the categorisation of ‘thriller’ was really warranted. This was largely because the author took the time to introduce several of the major players in the story, not just Jack, Harry, and Rachel, which, in turn, meant following several seemingly disconnected characters at first. But it was time well spent because the friction between these characters and their differing agendas and personalities was a large part of what drove the action forward. Once the assignment got underway any doubts about the label ‘thriller’ were left in the dust.
My main reservation stems from being a Christian reader and reviewer. Having assumed this was a Christian novel, I was initially surprised to find some rather frank acknowledgements of sexual attraction, as well as several references to sexual activity outside of marriage (including at clubs and brothels). That being said, there were no descriptive bedroom scenes and most direct references were limited to a few sentences within a larger scene. The word ‘bloody’ also appeared frequently as a mild expletive, but this was the worst expletive used in the novel. While I did not necessarily enjoy these aspects, I did feel that they were true to the characters and the plot, and I only mention them as a courtesy to other like-minded readers who may make the same assumption I did based on the publisher.
This book was an affecting portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and the truth that there are no winners in war. Thank you to Howard Books for providing a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
In 1939, Jack (Johann) Halder, Harry Weaver, and Rachel Stern took part in an archaeological dig that forged a strong friendship. Four years later they find themselves caught up on opposite sides of WWII, unknowingly pitted against each other in an assignment that none of them can afford to fail. We know that neither Roosevelt nor Churchill were assassinated, so to a certain extent we know what the outcome must be, and yet the further I got into the novel the more urgently I needed to discover just how all the chips would fall.
As compelling as the action was, it was the emotional tension that had me propping up my eyelids with matchsticks in order to finish the book. I guess that’s females for you! If I had to choose one word to sum up this story I would say ‘poignant’, but I don’t think that does justice to the depth or array of emotions I had experienced by the end. I mean, what do you do when your best friend and the woman you love (and thought had died) turn out to be involved in a plot to assassinate the President of the United States? One thing’s for sure: There are no easy answers!
It did take a little while for this story to get to the action, so much so that I began to wonder whether the categorisation of ‘thriller’ was really warranted. This was largely because the author took the time to introduce several of the major players in the story, not just Jack, Harry, and Rachel, which, in turn, meant following several seemingly disconnected characters at first. But it was time well spent because the friction between these characters and their differing agendas and personalities was a large part of what drove the action forward. Once the assignment got underway any doubts about the label ‘thriller’ were left in the dust.
My main reservation stems from being a Christian reader and reviewer. Having assumed this was a Christian novel, I was initially surprised to find some rather frank acknowledgements of sexual attraction, as well as several references to sexual activity outside of marriage (including at clubs and brothels). That being said, there were no descriptive bedroom scenes and most direct references were limited to a few sentences within a larger scene. The word ‘bloody’ also appeared frequently as a mild expletive, but this was the worst expletive used in the novel. While I did not necessarily enjoy these aspects, I did feel that they were true to the characters and the plot, and I only mention them as a courtesy to other like-minded readers who may make the same assumption I did based on the publisher.
This book was an affecting portrayal of friendship, loyalty, and the truth that there are no winners in war. Thank you to Howard Books for providing a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
June 22, 2018
Bad timing for the attempt to get this one done; life happens. But finally finished this one, and I really loved it. Another fascinating Glenn Meade history lesson. What's real, and what isn't? I will leave that for readers to discover, but another clever tale has been told. Highly recommend.
January 24, 2021
Il mio primo libro iniziato in questo 2021 acquistato per pochissimi euro su eBay.
Che dire....!? Mamma mia!
Una storia che prende in maniera sconvolgente sin dalle prime pagine.
L'autore ha il talento di far rimanere con gli occhi appiccicati alle pagine per tutto il corso della narrazione.
Ricco di colpi di scena in quasi ogni capitolo, Glenn Meade, ci presenta una realtà di cui pochissimi al mondo sono a conoscenza, l' "operazione Sfinge" messa in atto da Hitler per assassinare i presidenti Roosvelt e Churchill a Saqqara.
Due ragazzi innamorati della stessa donna che da amici di infanzia, diventano per cause di forza maggiore e contro la loro volontà acerrimi nemici.
Una storia fatta di tensione, adrenalina, avventura, sorprese e di avvenimenti mai scontati il tutto descritto minuziosamente e in maniera esemplare, degno di uno scrittore di talento!
Le meraviglie d'Egitto, la sfinge, le piramidi, le tombe dei Re, la sabbia del deserto, le palme che lo delimitano insieme alle descrizioni delle ambientazioni delle strade de Il Cairo, fanno da sfondo alla storia del libro stesso addizionando anche un pizzico di misticismo degli Antichi Egizi.
La fine l'ho trovata un poi' sbrigativa, ma allo stesso tempo commovente oltre che naturalmente misteriosa.
Sarebbe stato bello se ci avessero fatto un film per il grande schermo!
Un libro travolgente e scritto davvero in maniera impeccabile e per questo do volentieri 5 stelle!
Tuttavia almeno per questa edizione cartacea è scritto TROPPO piccolo a livello di formato ed è comunque una lettura PESANTE parlando di Nazismo, bombe, esplosioni, morti e in generale la tristezza che si viveva a quel tempo oltre che i molti riferimenti politici che si possono trovare quasi ad ogni pagina, tant'è che più volte ho pensato di abbandonarlo, fortunatamente ho sempre desistito arrivando alla fine gondendomela tutta!
Bellissima opera, vorrei scrivere anche io opere strutturate in maniera così bella, precisa, lineare e beh, ottima!
Che dire....!? Mamma mia!
Una storia che prende in maniera sconvolgente sin dalle prime pagine.
L'autore ha il talento di far rimanere con gli occhi appiccicati alle pagine per tutto il corso della narrazione.
Ricco di colpi di scena in quasi ogni capitolo, Glenn Meade, ci presenta una realtà di cui pochissimi al mondo sono a conoscenza, l' "operazione Sfinge" messa in atto da Hitler per assassinare i presidenti Roosvelt e Churchill a Saqqara.
Due ragazzi innamorati della stessa donna che da amici di infanzia, diventano per cause di forza maggiore e contro la loro volontà acerrimi nemici.
Una storia fatta di tensione, adrenalina, avventura, sorprese e di avvenimenti mai scontati il tutto descritto minuziosamente e in maniera esemplare, degno di uno scrittore di talento!
Le meraviglie d'Egitto, la sfinge, le piramidi, le tombe dei Re, la sabbia del deserto, le palme che lo delimitano insieme alle descrizioni delle ambientazioni delle strade de Il Cairo, fanno da sfondo alla storia del libro stesso addizionando anche un pizzico di misticismo degli Antichi Egizi.
La fine l'ho trovata un poi' sbrigativa, ma allo stesso tempo commovente oltre che naturalmente misteriosa.
Sarebbe stato bello se ci avessero fatto un film per il grande schermo!
Un libro travolgente e scritto davvero in maniera impeccabile e per questo do volentieri 5 stelle!
Tuttavia almeno per questa edizione cartacea è scritto TROPPO piccolo a livello di formato ed è comunque una lettura PESANTE parlando di Nazismo, bombe, esplosioni, morti e in generale la tristezza che si viveva a quel tempo oltre che i molti riferimenti politici che si possono trovare quasi ad ogni pagina, tant'è che più volte ho pensato di abbandonarlo, fortunatamente ho sempre desistito arrivando alla fine gondendomela tutta!
Bellissima opera, vorrei scrivere anche io opere strutturate in maniera così bella, precisa, lineare e beh, ottima!
July 5, 2012
Disclosure! Reason for the 5 star rating: Sentiment was responsible.
My dad served in the US army Corps of engineers near Cairo as support for the
British effort against Rommel before operation Torch was launched. I've seen
photos of the sandbagged Sphinx, the camels, the vehicles, and the general area
during the war. In addition I have fairly intensively studied the history of
migration and naval warfare in the eastern Mediterranean, which included Africa
and descriptions of the archaeology over large parts of the kingdoms there. For
those reasons I had an unexpected background interest in the book.
I thought that the author of this book did a very good job of portraying the
area, the warfare, the mechanical equipment, and the social pressures of the
early 1940's. However an impartial evaluator should classify this book as a
romance novel written for men, as I suspect that the majority of readers who
finish the book will be men.
The story of 2 kids who grew up together in the US, one the son of a working man
who worked for the wealthy father of the other kid, would be acceptable up to
the point that they were both on the same archaeological project in an exotic
location and fell for the same girl just before the war and just as they were
coming out of their teenage years. However for both of them to become military
intelligence officers for opposing sides and be unexpectedly brought into direct
conflict against each other is too improbable except in fantasy fiction. For the
girl to be exposed as a leading spy for the Nazi's throughout the time-frame of
the book, and for both young men to be totally unaware of her status until the
end of the book added an exciting and unexpected twist, but also undermined the
practicality of a of an actual historical story line. The fact that in the
middle of an intense manhunt-evasion sequence, the author kept referring to the
idea that both guys were in love with the girl, whom neither had seen for over
three years and both believed to be dead, gave the impression of reading about
pining teenagers.
Nonetheless I thought that this was an articulate and well written book. It had
a fast pace despite having almost too many mundane details which required
reading through. Those details did provide a rich background for a very good
action plot. The characters and actions in general were very believable, and
without the fantasy romance overtones, would have moved this novel more firmly
into the classification of historical fiction. This has no super hero characters
and no action grabbing shoot-um-ups. There were chase sequences on open desert
roads and limited action wartime violence which resulted in killings, but these
elements were in character with real small unit war time actions.
My dad served in the US army Corps of engineers near Cairo as support for the
British effort against Rommel before operation Torch was launched. I've seen
photos of the sandbagged Sphinx, the camels, the vehicles, and the general area
during the war. In addition I have fairly intensively studied the history of
migration and naval warfare in the eastern Mediterranean, which included Africa
and descriptions of the archaeology over large parts of the kingdoms there. For
those reasons I had an unexpected background interest in the book.
I thought that the author of this book did a very good job of portraying the
area, the warfare, the mechanical equipment, and the social pressures of the
early 1940's. However an impartial evaluator should classify this book as a
romance novel written for men, as I suspect that the majority of readers who
finish the book will be men.
The story of 2 kids who grew up together in the US, one the son of a working man
who worked for the wealthy father of the other kid, would be acceptable up to
the point that they were both on the same archaeological project in an exotic
location and fell for the same girl just before the war and just as they were
coming out of their teenage years. However for both of them to become military
intelligence officers for opposing sides and be unexpectedly brought into direct
conflict against each other is too improbable except in fantasy fiction. For the
girl to be exposed as a leading spy for the Nazi's throughout the time-frame of
the book, and for both young men to be totally unaware of her status until the
end of the book added an exciting and unexpected twist, but also undermined the
practicality of a of an actual historical story line. The fact that in the
middle of an intense manhunt-evasion sequence, the author kept referring to the
idea that both guys were in love with the girl, whom neither had seen for over
three years and both believed to be dead, gave the impression of reading about
pining teenagers.
Nonetheless I thought that this was an articulate and well written book. It had
a fast pace despite having almost too many mundane details which required
reading through. Those details did provide a rich background for a very good
action plot. The characters and actions in general were very believable, and
without the fantasy romance overtones, would have moved this novel more firmly
into the classification of historical fiction. This has no super hero characters
and no action grabbing shoot-um-ups. There were chase sequences on open desert
roads and limited action wartime violence which resulted in killings, but these
elements were in character with real small unit war time actions.
October 6, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
November 1943: Adolf Hitler sanctioned his most audacious mission ever—to kill US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill while they visit Cairo for a secret conference to plan the Allied invasion of Europe, an invasion which threatens imminent defeat for Germany.
Only one man is capable of leading the defiant Nazi mission—Major Johann Halder, one of the Abwehr’s most brilliant and daring agents. He is a man with a tortured soul and a talent for the impossible. Accompanied by an expert undercover team and Rachael Stern, the young and beautiful Egyptologist, Halder must race against time across a hostile desert to reach Cairo and successfully complete the assignment, or else forfeit his life and the life of his son.
When US military intelligence hears about the plan, they assign Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Weaver, one of their best officers, to hunt down and eliminate Halder and his team. But for Weaver, as well as for Halder and Stern, there’s more than the balance of war and the lives of the Allied leaders at stake—a pact of love and friendship will be tested in the frantic, high-stakes chase to the death.
Well, this was one of those occasions when you realise that you can't always go back when it comes to books...
When I saw this book was available on Net Galley, I thought, "Cool, haven't read one of his books for ages. I really enjoyed Brandenburg (and one or two others) back in the day. This should be cool..." Turns out I was wrong...
Turns out, this is a reprint of a book that was previously called "Sands Of Sakkara" - just been given a new name and a new cover. I kinda remember enjoying it a few years back so I thought, "Well, why not?" I can tell you why not...
It isn't a very good book. The plot sounds great (if you are into that kind of thing) and I do like getting stuck into a big, thick book - as long as the story is there...
And it wasn't. It was messy, full of clichés and it felt like the author had seen some cool WW2 films on TV one night and decided to write a book the next morning...without sleep. It is WAYYYYYYY too long - some 600 pages in total - and could have done being 450 or so. Too much waffle and too little action.
So, my lesson from this is - always be careful going back to reading books you read 20 years ago - they may not be quite what you remembered!
Paul
ARH
November 1943: Adolf Hitler sanctioned his most audacious mission ever—to kill US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill while they visit Cairo for a secret conference to plan the Allied invasion of Europe, an invasion which threatens imminent defeat for Germany.
Only one man is capable of leading the defiant Nazi mission—Major Johann Halder, one of the Abwehr’s most brilliant and daring agents. He is a man with a tortured soul and a talent for the impossible. Accompanied by an expert undercover team and Rachael Stern, the young and beautiful Egyptologist, Halder must race against time across a hostile desert to reach Cairo and successfully complete the assignment, or else forfeit his life and the life of his son.
When US military intelligence hears about the plan, they assign Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Weaver, one of their best officers, to hunt down and eliminate Halder and his team. But for Weaver, as well as for Halder and Stern, there’s more than the balance of war and the lives of the Allied leaders at stake—a pact of love and friendship will be tested in the frantic, high-stakes chase to the death.
Well, this was one of those occasions when you realise that you can't always go back when it comes to books...
When I saw this book was available on Net Galley, I thought, "Cool, haven't read one of his books for ages. I really enjoyed Brandenburg (and one or two others) back in the day. This should be cool..." Turns out I was wrong...
Turns out, this is a reprint of a book that was previously called "Sands Of Sakkara" - just been given a new name and a new cover. I kinda remember enjoying it a few years back so I thought, "Well, why not?" I can tell you why not...
It isn't a very good book. The plot sounds great (if you are into that kind of thing) and I do like getting stuck into a big, thick book - as long as the story is there...
And it wasn't. It was messy, full of clichés and it felt like the author had seen some cool WW2 films on TV one night and decided to write a book the next morning...without sleep. It is WAYYYYYYY too long - some 600 pages in total - and could have done being 450 or so. Too much waffle and too little action.
So, my lesson from this is - always be careful going back to reading books you read 20 years ago - they may not be quite what you remembered!
Paul
ARH
March 28, 2016
A genuinely entertaining read
Roughly based on a real attempt by the Nazis to assassinate President Roosevelt, this novel simply romps along with pace and panache. Originally published in 1999 under the title “The Sands of Sakkara”, we have a trio of young friends working on an archaeological dig in Cairo in 1939.
Johann (Jack) Halder, the product of German/American parents, Rachael Stern, the beautiful and captivating daughter of the professor who is leading the dig, and Harry Weaver, the American lifelong friend of Jack are the three people who will revisit Cairo and put their friendships to the ultimate test. Add to the melting pot the fact that both men are madly in love with Rachael, and we can see from the off that the course of true love will definitely not run smoothly.
Four years later, in 1943, Germany is struggling to cope with the vicious pounding the Allies are giving them on the water and on the ground from the Allied Air Forces. Jack Halder has been called back to Germany and is serving in the Abwehr, Germany’s wartime military intelligence, Rachael was reportedly lost when the vessel she and her parents were travelling in was sunk, and Harry is now working for the American military intelligence.
When SS General Walter Schellenberg cooks up a seemingly impossible plan to take out both Roosevelt and Churchill when they meet together in Cairo – a similar plan successfully extricated Mussolini from Abruzzo in Italy - the three friends meet up again in altogether different circumstances.
Glenn Meade has written a fine and fluent story in “The Cairo Code”. The main characters are well-defined and the sub-characters are also a vital part of the book. The plot is well set out and the threads are easily followed. We are also able to see the resentment and even the hatred that many Egyptians felt towards the colonial power of Great Britain. If I have one slight criticism it is that I felt the story was slightly over-long, but that is mild in the overall impact of the book.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Roughly based on a real attempt by the Nazis to assassinate President Roosevelt, this novel simply romps along with pace and panache. Originally published in 1999 under the title “The Sands of Sakkara”, we have a trio of young friends working on an archaeological dig in Cairo in 1939.
Johann (Jack) Halder, the product of German/American parents, Rachael Stern, the beautiful and captivating daughter of the professor who is leading the dig, and Harry Weaver, the American lifelong friend of Jack are the three people who will revisit Cairo and put their friendships to the ultimate test. Add to the melting pot the fact that both men are madly in love with Rachael, and we can see from the off that the course of true love will definitely not run smoothly.
Four years later, in 1943, Germany is struggling to cope with the vicious pounding the Allies are giving them on the water and on the ground from the Allied Air Forces. Jack Halder has been called back to Germany and is serving in the Abwehr, Germany’s wartime military intelligence, Rachael was reportedly lost when the vessel she and her parents were travelling in was sunk, and Harry is now working for the American military intelligence.
When SS General Walter Schellenberg cooks up a seemingly impossible plan to take out both Roosevelt and Churchill when they meet together in Cairo – a similar plan successfully extricated Mussolini from Abruzzo in Italy - the three friends meet up again in altogether different circumstances.
Glenn Meade has written a fine and fluent story in “The Cairo Code”. The main characters are well-defined and the sub-characters are also a vital part of the book. The plot is well set out and the threads are easily followed. We are also able to see the resentment and even the hatred that many Egyptians felt towards the colonial power of Great Britain. If I have one slight criticism it is that I felt the story was slightly over-long, but that is mild in the overall impact of the book.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
February 24, 2018
First half is a bit of a slough to get through, second half finds a quicker pace with some excitement and thrills. As one reader mentioned earlier however, the ally intelligence come off as something closer to the three stooges than actual intelligence. Out-smarted, out-gunned,out-planned, outmaneuvered for pretty much the entire book, the good guys come off as being a bunch of dumb-dumbs more than anything. Its a wonder Pres. Roosevelt actually survived this novel.
If you want to read Meade at his best, skip this one and read "Snow Wolf" instead.
If you want to read Meade at his best, skip this one and read "Snow Wolf" instead.
July 25, 2016
I feel like 4 stars isn't enough, but 5 is a bit too much. Either way a great read. Recommended highly for those that like historical fiction. Meade has found his niche of recreating real historical events, and adding exciting, and believable supposition. A fascinating sub-genre, in any event.
December 29, 2024
There is a certain disadvantage in reading a novel set in a place where one has actually lived, worked, studied, knows the language, or some combination of the above. I fear this might apply to me in reading "The Sands of Sakkara" (1998), which I came upon recently. In such a case, the reader familiar with the country may be too demanding, too nit-picking, too critical.
Egypt also has the disadvantage--if it can be called that--of a certain over-exposure. Everybody at one time or another feels tempted to write a novel or thriller set in Egypt (including me), and everybody without exception wants to read such items. However, in this case, concerning the state of Egypt in the WWII period (the setting for "Justine," and so many other books), probably the best espionage treatment of the period is Ken Follett's "The Key to Rebecca" (1980), which was also made into a t.v. movie (1985). I would humbly suggest readers go to the Follett work, and put "Sakkara" on your second tier.
So what's wrong with "The Sands of Sakkara"? In novels of this sort, it is helpful if the authors have actually visited the locations in question, to get a feel for the country, or the city. I don't get the impression Meade has done this. And clearly he knows no Arabic, or even much of the layout of the cities and locales in question. These are problems for the story.
Secondly, and I don't mean to sound like a "politically correct" watchdog, in descriptions of the Egyptian towns and inhabitants, they are always described as "dirty," buildings are "falling apart," garbage is everywhere, etc. Egypt has its problems but at least give us some appreciation of the warmth of the inhabitants, remarks on the engineering accomplishments of the ancients, love of Egyptian music or nightlife or cuisine. Give us something to like.
For the above and several other reasons, I found this to be a less than compelling read.
But see what you think.
Egypt also has the disadvantage--if it can be called that--of a certain over-exposure. Everybody at one time or another feels tempted to write a novel or thriller set in Egypt (including me), and everybody without exception wants to read such items. However, in this case, concerning the state of Egypt in the WWII period (the setting for "Justine," and so many other books), probably the best espionage treatment of the period is Ken Follett's "The Key to Rebecca" (1980), which was also made into a t.v. movie (1985). I would humbly suggest readers go to the Follett work, and put "Sakkara" on your second tier.
So what's wrong with "The Sands of Sakkara"? In novels of this sort, it is helpful if the authors have actually visited the locations in question, to get a feel for the country, or the city. I don't get the impression Meade has done this. And clearly he knows no Arabic, or even much of the layout of the cities and locales in question. These are problems for the story.
Secondly, and I don't mean to sound like a "politically correct" watchdog, in descriptions of the Egyptian towns and inhabitants, they are always described as "dirty," buildings are "falling apart," garbage is everywhere, etc. Egypt has its problems but at least give us some appreciation of the warmth of the inhabitants, remarks on the engineering accomplishments of the ancients, love of Egyptian music or nightlife or cuisine. Give us something to like.
For the above and several other reasons, I found this to be a less than compelling read.
But see what you think.
May 27, 2025
I start each of Glenn Meade’s books with a certain sense of hopefulness and as pages move along that hope fades away gradually.
First off: if you have read any of his other novels, you would see what I am talking about. There is a precise formula Glenn Meade is following in (most) of his books. It is something like this.
- start with an impossible mission. In this book it was assassination of Roosevelt during WW2.
- recruit “one” guy who actually can pull this off. In this case it was Jack Halder.
- pair this protagonist with an unlikely female character. This female character is always smart, has at least one unique skill, obviously very beautiful. This particular unique skill is always the reason of her recruit. At Sakkara it is Rachel Stein.
- than add a backup team to original protagonist and female character duo.
- of course this team needs to travel to “action” area. This travel is always difficult and almost impossible. At Sakkara it was a flight from Rome to Cairo in extreme fog situation.
- invariably things go south during travel. This mishap starts a series of another set of problems, challenges.
- at this stage, plan becomes untenable and team starts planning on their feet.
- in the closing scene, despite all mishaps, original set of characters find a tiny tiny opening to execute original plan. But of course they fail.
You can apply this formula to Sands of Sakkara, Snow Wolf, Romanov Conspiracy.
I do understand why a writer would resort to formula but i believe this is extreme. When reading the book, a sense of what will come next - even if I don’t know the details- diminishes the pleasure of the book itself. No more Glenn for me…
First off: if you have read any of his other novels, you would see what I am talking about. There is a precise formula Glenn Meade is following in (most) of his books. It is something like this.
- start with an impossible mission. In this book it was assassination of Roosevelt during WW2.
- recruit “one” guy who actually can pull this off. In this case it was Jack Halder.
- pair this protagonist with an unlikely female character. This female character is always smart, has at least one unique skill, obviously very beautiful. This particular unique skill is always the reason of her recruit. At Sakkara it is Rachel Stein.
- than add a backup team to original protagonist and female character duo.
- of course this team needs to travel to “action” area. This travel is always difficult and almost impossible. At Sakkara it was a flight from Rome to Cairo in extreme fog situation.
- invariably things go south during travel. This mishap starts a series of another set of problems, challenges.
- at this stage, plan becomes untenable and team starts planning on their feet.
- in the closing scene, despite all mishaps, original set of characters find a tiny tiny opening to execute original plan. But of course they fail.
You can apply this formula to Sands of Sakkara, Snow Wolf, Romanov Conspiracy.
I do understand why a writer would resort to formula but i believe this is extreme. When reading the book, a sense of what will come next - even if I don’t know the details- diminishes the pleasure of the book itself. No more Glenn for me…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2025
This is an interesting historical thriller, set around famous features in Egypt like the pyramids and the Mena House, during WW2. A plot is under way for Nazi agents to kill Roosevelt and Churchill or either one, during a meeting between the allies. The story is told to a newspaper correspondent, many years later.
First, everyone has to get there, and the constant shuffling among heads is actually hard to keep up with and seems to pad the storyline. We see the teams on both sides and the pilot of a fighter plane who doesn't live longer than a chapter or two, we see Roosevelt and German commanders, all earnestly giving their point of view and hoping to stay alive, which some don't. A woman is included.
My favourite character was actually the depiction of Roosevelt, who was popular with his staff and cared about everyone on his team, also finding sorrow in the waste of young life on both sides of the conflict.
The landscape is a large part of the story, and the Arab people shown (men) just have their way of life, and their baksheesh is equated with black market food selling by non-Arabs.
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.
First, everyone has to get there, and the constant shuffling among heads is actually hard to keep up with and seems to pad the storyline. We see the teams on both sides and the pilot of a fighter plane who doesn't live longer than a chapter or two, we see Roosevelt and German commanders, all earnestly giving their point of view and hoping to stay alive, which some don't. A woman is included.
My favourite character was actually the depiction of Roosevelt, who was popular with his staff and cared about everyone on his team, also finding sorrow in the waste of young life on both sides of the conflict.
The landscape is a large part of the story, and the Arab people shown (men) just have their way of life, and their baksheesh is equated with black market food selling by non-Arabs.
I read a paperback. This is an unbiased review.
February 19, 2018
Really enjoyed reading this book. Three friends are on a dig in Egypt, two men and a women, the men both fall in love with the women, but is she really who they think she is? It is before WWII, one man returns to the USA, and the second to Germany, the two friends are to find themselves on different sides during WWII. But what of the girl, Rachel, who is suppose to be a German Jew, and who has been living in a concentration camp, what is her part in this undercover operation to kill the two world leaders of GB and USA?
Both men find themselves back in Egypt, the American, Harry is in Intelligence, the other, Jack who had an American mother, German Father is out to kill for the Father Land. Can Harry stop them, and will his love for Rachel screw it all up? Exciting page turning adventure.
Both men find themselves back in Egypt, the American, Harry is in Intelligence, the other, Jack who had an American mother, German Father is out to kill for the Father Land. Can Harry stop them, and will his love for Rachel screw it all up? Exciting page turning adventure.
October 7, 2021
Esta novela es una interesante mezcla de espionaje, acción y suspense aunque no por ello es perfecta ya que adolece de ciertos problemas.
Partir parcialmente de un suceso real de la época lo hace muy interesante pero también lastra en parte la novela al entrar en el terreno de la pura especulación de lo que realmente sucedió.
Por otra parte durante toda la lectura he notado unos personajes un tanto planos en su desarrollo y también un tanto básicos y estereotipados en su planteamiento.
Es cierto que tiene partes perfectas para su disfrute pero otras no tanto sumado a que muy probablemente le sobren unas cuantas páginas deja en la suma total una experiencia un tanto desigual pero aceptable.
Partir parcialmente de un suceso real de la época lo hace muy interesante pero también lastra en parte la novela al entrar en el terreno de la pura especulación de lo que realmente sucedió.
Por otra parte durante toda la lectura he notado unos personajes un tanto planos en su desarrollo y también un tanto básicos y estereotipados en su planteamiento.
Es cierto que tiene partes perfectas para su disfrute pero otras no tanto sumado a que muy probablemente le sobren unas cuantas páginas deja en la suma total una experiencia un tanto desigual pero aceptable.
July 22, 2021
I generally find that every single Glenn Meade book follows the same sort of structure, just the time, place and objective is different. Nevertheless, credit where credit is due, it's not a bad formula to base every single book on, it's just to the more astute literary eye it stands out as being just a bit too obvious.
I would however recommend this book, as back drop is interesting and the author does his usual good job of creating several plotlines all converging into one, in your typical race against time.
I would however recommend this book, as back drop is interesting and the author does his usual good job of creating several plotlines all converging into one, in your typical race against time.
August 18, 2024
Glenn Meade nos brinda nuevamente a mi juicio un 5 estrellas. Una trama envolvente, sumamente bien elaborada, repleta de acción, vuelcos, y sobretodo entretenimiento.
Personajes notables, claramente definidos y una ambientación sublime del Egipto de la segunda guerra mundial.
Con aspectos negativos casi nulos, no me queda más que recomendarlo encarecidamente sobretodo para aquellos que gustan de historias basadas en operaciones ocultas durante la segunda guerra mundial.
Un 5 🌟de principio a fin.
Personajes notables, claramente definidos y una ambientación sublime del Egipto de la segunda guerra mundial.
Con aspectos negativos casi nulos, no me queda más que recomendarlo encarecidamente sobretodo para aquellos que gustan de historias basadas en operaciones ocultas durante la segunda guerra mundial.
Un 5 🌟de principio a fin.
January 15, 2019
It is a great story with an action-packed ending. The author note about the historically real aspects of the book is also impressive. However, Glenn Meade failed to convince me that Halder and Weaver are quite skilled soldiers up to a certain point in the book. There is nothing hinting at their skills other than their official titles, which should not be the case in my opinion if someone intends to write a spy novel.
March 24, 2020
Una emocionante novela. Mezcla suspenso y acción enredando una historia de amistad y amor. Ambientada en plena Segunda Guerra desarrolla una misión alemana destinada a matar a Roosevelt y Churchill. Solo no me gustó que la personaje principal con tantos atributos se volviera una antagonista tan baja, ruin y con poco sentido. Pero en resumen una gran historia y una gran ambientación y temporalidad.
November 26, 2025
Kitap, tarihsel açıdan ele alındığında II.Dünya Savaşını kaybetmeye çok yakın Almanların son bir hamleyle Amerikan ve İngiliz Başkanlarının Kahire buluşmasında bir suikast ile sansasyon yaratarak savaşı kendi lehlerine çevirmeye çalışmasını aksiyon filmi tadında anlatıyor. Açıkçası bunda da başarılı oluyor, beğendiğim bir kitap oldu.
June 19, 2017
I originally thought the characters and situation so blatantly contrived, uhm, more cardboard, cookie cutter, no depth, caricatures and the dialogue the same. But it grew on me. it's strength was the atmosphere of Egypt/Cairo during World War 2. Decent suspense, enough to finish it.
March 4, 2018
Aksiyon filmi gibi bir kitap. Olaylar o kadar hizli ve akici anlatiliyor ki, her saati heyecanla takip ediyorsunuz.
Ben kitabi begendim ama yazarin diger kitaplarindan “Romanov komplosu” ve “Kar kurdu” daha guzel diyebilirim.
Ben kitabi begendim ama yazarin diger kitaplarindan “Romanov komplosu” ve “Kar kurdu” daha guzel diyebilirim.
December 30, 2018
Ich verstehe die guten Bewertungen des Buches nicht. Für mich ist die Geschichte einfach zu schlecht erzählt, jede Einzelheit ist ausgewälzt und am Schluss belanglos. Auch der Twist war jetzt nicht zu überraschend. Ein zu langer Roman für eine zu dünne Story.
May 30, 2022
I loved the main setting of the book (WW2 Egypt) and thought there was a good amount of action, suspense, and surprise.
It took me a while to get fully into the narrative and I felt like the book was long overall, but I really enjoyed the story.
It took me a while to get fully into the narrative and I felt like the book was long overall, but I really enjoyed the story.
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