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Charlie Bassett #4
The Hidden War
It's 1948. The war is over but there is still tension in Germany. The allied forces have been divided by politics and economics. Now there is a new enemy lurking on the horizon. Charlie thought he'd done his part for the war effort and could enjoy peacetime with a bit of grace. Having a job with a commercial airline means he can do what he does best, but without getting shot at. Or so he thinks. When the situation in Berlin between the allies and the Russian forces begins to escalate, every company with aircraft and able pilots is pulled back to the action. Plane after plane is flown into Germany making essential drops of food and medicine to help the starving populace survive. Charlie has a girl in each airport and a scheme in every country. But when the people he loves are threatened by the effects of the blockade he must take a desperate chance to smuggle them out of the country.
- GenresWar
496 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 25, 2018
Hadn't come across this author before but this book about the Berlin Airlift sparked my interest. It is clearly one of a series as there is reference to characters it seems we ought to know about already. It is told in a gentle way without too much drama. However, there is quite a lot of detail about the hero's encounters with ladies which was a little too much for me!
June 27, 2020
Another great book. Shame they ended the series
Great book well written.
Have enjoyed the series and just wished there was more .
Please write then if you can
Great book well written.
Have enjoyed the series and just wished there was more .
Please write then if you can
February 1, 2021
A really good read . Read it twice during lockdown. Complicated but full of philosophy about what is war or life about.
September 4, 2016
The Hidden War is a post WWII adventure set in 1948 during the Berlin Airlift, called by the British Operation Plainfare.
Charlie Bassett is a veteran radio operator now working for a commercial outfit that flies in through the 'safe' air corridor to Gatow and other airfields, bringing essential supplies to Berliners following the closing of roads, rail and canal links to western Berlin by the Soviets.
Sometimes, of course, the air corridor is not quite as safe as it's supposed to be, and some of the aircraft somewhat less than air worthy.
Fiddimore's hero undergoes adventures both humorous and dangerous (sometimes both) in the company of a large cast of rotating characters. Some of them are female, and Charlie is as susceptible as the next man when it comes to a pretty girl.
The Hidden War reads like a rapid fire boys' own adventure for adults, with plenty of insights into real history incorporated into the narrative. Just how much of the improbable people and events are based on fact is surprising - be sure to read the author's 'Afterword' to find out.
Charlie Bassett is a veteran radio operator now working for a commercial outfit that flies in through the 'safe' air corridor to Gatow and other airfields, bringing essential supplies to Berliners following the closing of roads, rail and canal links to western Berlin by the Soviets.
Sometimes, of course, the air corridor is not quite as safe as it's supposed to be, and some of the aircraft somewhat less than air worthy.
Fiddimore's hero undergoes adventures both humorous and dangerous (sometimes both) in the company of a large cast of rotating characters. Some of them are female, and Charlie is as susceptible as the next man when it comes to a pretty girl.
The Hidden War reads like a rapid fire boys' own adventure for adults, with plenty of insights into real history incorporated into the narrative. Just how much of the improbable people and events are based on fact is surprising - be sure to read the author's 'Afterword' to find out.
August 19, 2010
David Fiddimore's "Charlie Bassett's wars" books become more James Bond meets Harry Potter with every new edition tto this excellent series.
"The Hidden War" deals with the post- Second World War Berlin airlifts as a vague backdrop to the narrative. Charlie's womanizing, his drinking, his odd foray on an aeroplane and his increasing "magical" encounters are what this series is all about. It's a bit of escapism set in an historical context, and as such, it's always a good read.
I think my favourite line in this novel was when Charlie and his lady friend Frieda were taken into the Russian sector of Berlin. Of course, they had to go through a checkpoint, and their Russian sponsor quipped that it might be an idea to name the checkpoint after one of them - and that "Checkpoint Frieda" didn't sound like a viable option.
Great fun - I can'twait to read the next one!
"The Hidden War" deals with the post- Second World War Berlin airlifts as a vague backdrop to the narrative. Charlie's womanizing, his drinking, his odd foray on an aeroplane and his increasing "magical" encounters are what this series is all about. It's a bit of escapism set in an historical context, and as such, it's always a good read.
I think my favourite line in this novel was when Charlie and his lady friend Frieda were taken into the Russian sector of Berlin. Of course, they had to go through a checkpoint, and their Russian sponsor quipped that it might be an idea to name the checkpoint after one of them - and that "Checkpoint Frieda" didn't sound like a viable option.
Great fun - I can'twait to read the next one!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews