Flight of the Shearwater

The Sturmtaucher Trilogy #2

by Alan Jones

Flight of the Shearwater is the second book in the Sturmtaucher Trilogy: a powerful and compelling story of two families torn apart by evil.

‘With Poland divided between Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Union of Soviet Republics, the increasingly confident Third Reich flexes its military muscles northwards into Denmark and Norway, while the rest of Europe watches anxiously over its shoulders.

General Erich Kästner, in his key role in the Abwehr, is fast becoming aware of the mass expulsion of Jews and other minority groups from Germany and from northern Poland, to the new ghettos of the Generalgouverment area of southern Poland, and has an inkling of what the National Socialists' have in mind for Europe's Jews.

As Holland and Belgium fall, and the British are routed at Dunkirk, barely escaping across the channel, the seemingly impregnable France collapses under the Wehrmacht Blitzkrieg, sealing the fate of millions of Jews, now trapped under Hitler's rule.

The Nussbaums, thwarted in their attempts to escape to Denmark, desperately seek other routes out of Germany but, one by one, they are closed off, and they realise they have left it all too late...'

Genres: Historical Fiction

870 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2021

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wondered, doubted maybe even, if Book 1 could be beaten, then I read this, I cant recall a book ever making me so emotive, angry, sad and horrified with stabs of elation mixed in, ever
The war is progressing but now the threats Hitler has made to Jews are carried out and life is intolerable for them, ‘work camps’ open, people are investigated and ‘interviewed’ and it’s no exaggeration to say life has ended for almost all Jewish people in Germany and the surrounding Countries they have invaded
And as we re meet the Kastners ( General and his wife/family ) and their Jewish workers and friends the Nussbaums the race is on ( from the General ) to try and protect them, add to this both families children trying to eacape to the UK and an evil SS man and his sidekick doing all they can to stop them it makes for a tense, powerful read
There are countless sub stories and characters throughout, some good, some pure evil, some neutral but all playing a part in this epic 2nd book
I felt I was part of it, it was the strangest thing/feeling and I wanted to do all I could to help the Jewish people’s plight, I think the fact that although fiction we know it happened made it so real and so raw you just couldn’t help being involved in it
It is very, really very sad in parts and extremely moving at times, there are also moments of joy and yes humour, and it was/is needed
This book has affected me, it is outstanding and to say the author has done a ‘good job’ is to belittle the effort, time and research that has gone into it
I await Book 3 and wont get the characters out of my mind until find out what is happening to them next
Never a more deserved
10/10
5 Stars

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again I am absolutely blown away by the writing of this author. The five years he has spent researching this trilogy, in my honest opinion, was time very well spent.

I will admit to approaching this second book with some trepidation, I was so hooked by the first book, The Gathering Storm, and I wondered if I would like the second book as much. I have to say that it is another amazing book.

If you have read the first book you will be aware of the two main families. The Kastner’s are a well-respected family with links to the German Navy and Army. Their housekeepers and friends are the Nassbaum’s they are German Jews who have been under the protection of General Erich Kastner. As the Jewish are being persecuted more and more it is getting harder for them to remain safe. I would suggest that you do need to read these books in order.

Flight of the Shearwater continues the story of the Kastner and Nussbaum families. In some ways, the writing in this second book feels a little different and a very good different. While the author still keeps the style, the feeling and the observations, he also displays some wonderful descriptive passages. I won't say too much about these passages and chapters, but the vivid imagery he builds up through his storytelling is simply amazing. I can close my eyes and I can see stormy seas, feel the chill, experience the dread and fear, and I got angry, frustrated and was appalled at what various characters find themselves experiencing.

While the story does focus more on the younger member of the families, there are some vivid and horrific events that are described. It keeps the reader up to date with events unfolding during the most turbulent time in world history. For families having to make decisions as to how best to give their children a chance for survival, when this chance also leads them into danger is an awful choice to make. It is working out which is the lesser of two evils.

Once again I am stumped for words when it comes to writing a review. Once again I want to shout about various aspects of the story, well the story as a whole actually!

This is a superb book in the trilogy. It held my attention as fully as the first one and in some ways even more so as I needed to know what was going to happen to the characters I have come to care about. This author knows how to bring several emotions out in a reader. Research is amazing and there is a good section at the end for further reading. The storytelling is sublime. It is another amazing read.

If you are interested in reading about WWII, the differing views of the Germans, the treatment of the Jewish people and how the war affected the lives of people then this is a trilogy you seriously do need to pick up. Yes, it is hard reading at times as you would expect, but there is a glimmer of hope.

A stunning first two books and it has left me wanting, no, needing to know what becomes of these two families and the others they have met. Again it is a book I cannot recommend highly enough.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flight of The Shearwater is the second book in the Der Sturmtaucher, The Shearwater Trilogy. It follows on from the first novel, The Gathering Storm, so would recommend that they are read in order.


The first book introduces us to two families. The Nussbaums and the Kastners. Both families are German of which the Nussbaums are Jewish. In this book we are further into WW2 and the danger for the Nussbaums has increased. General Kastner can only use his position to a certain extent to help the family that have not only been a huge part of their family’s life with the parents working in their household but are good friends also.


I read this book with a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach that kept growing. Heinrich Gullich and his sidekick, Carl Meyer infuriated me. They are hell bent on proving that Kastner is a lover of Jews and are trying their best to not only destroy Kastner and his family but also eradicate the Nussbaums. This book was so much harder to read due to all of the emotions I was experiencing. The adults and the children we have come to know are both very much separated in this story with the children of both families putting their lives at risk and my heart was in my mouth so many times.


There are so many times I was on tenterhooks as I wondered if these characters were going to survive the constant threat that is always around them. The author brings to live what life was like for Jewish people and the constant fear that they lived in. It reminded me how brave so many of these people were and would risk everything for the safety of their loved ones.


The Flight of The Shearwater is a story that will pull on every emotion. It is a heartbreaking read that was also inspiring. Reading of people putting their lives on the line for what is right was both terrifying and endearing. I love how it brings history back to life and is a reminder of an horrific time that we all should have learned from and to make sure it never happens again. Hands down these books are some of the best books I have read in the genre. They will leave you desperate for the next book as you get enveloped with the plight of the Nussbaums. An absolute must read for readers of historical fiction. Informative, heartbreaking yet truly inspiring!

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

At over 800 pages long, the second book in the Sturmtaucher trilogy, Flight of the Shearwater is even longer than The Gathering Storm, and yet I feel bereft now I've finished it. For a few days, I lived and breathed this exceptional novel and even when I wasn't reading it, my thoughts were dominated by the plight of the Nussbaums and Kästners.
This is a story of incredible courage but it's also a visceral, uncompromising account of evil and as such, there were points in the book where I found it almost too painful to read. I was already invested in the lives of these families after The Gathering Storm but with life becoming even more dangerous for Jews living under the Third Reich - and those who help them - I read most of Flight of the Shearwater with my heart pounding and a terrible sense of foreboding.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and as the noose tightens still further around Kiel's Jewish residents. there arises an opportunity to offer a means of escape to at least some members of the Nussbaum family. To be separated from loved ones, particularly during such dangerous times is utterly heartbreaking to read about and although this is fiction, it's impossible not to consider that this was the reality for millions of people. Families were torn apart, either in an attempt to save themselves or because they were transported to ghettos and concentration camps. Alan Jones describes the devastating uncertainty as to the fate of relatives and friends with piercing empathy, made even more unbearable because hindsight means we know that unimaginable numbers of families were never reunited. The escalating sense of fear that is evoked throughout the book intensifies at times as near-misses and unquenchable hatred ensures that we are never in any doubt as to the risks the Kästners and Nussbaums are taking here - or that they have any other choice.
The level of research that informs a book of such authenticity as this is apparent throughout as is the author's knowledge of sailing. There are several chapters set at sea which are so consummately and powerfully described, I felt as if I was right there with them. Der Sturmtaucher and the North Sea almost become characters in the novel such is their importance here and as with the rest of the book, the sense of place is never less than immaculate.
Flight of the Shearwater is a commemoration of extraordinary bravery and resourcefulness, recognising not just the more audacious undertakings but also the sheer courage of merely trying to survive. However, it is also a sobering reflection on the nature of evil, exploring how some people are empowered and fanaticised by the brutal treatment of others, while more are willing to turn a blind eye. While General Erich Kästner's moral fortitude can never be doubted, his wife Maria is further damned by her actions here. It was already made clear in The Gathering Storm that she isn't willing to risk her social standing to protect the Nussbaums but as she becomes increasingly angered by her husband's staunch support of their staff, it becomes harder to excuse her refusal to acknowledge the evidence before her or to ignore that the complicity of the masses is ultimately just as shameful as the extreme acts of violence inflicted by the Gestapo and SS.
Flight of the Shearwater is a remarkable novel; the nerve-wracking, dramatic storyline is riveting from start to finish and the characters so vividly brought to life that it's easy to forget they're (mostly) fictional but throughout Alan Jones remembers the millions of real-life victims of the Holocaust and he ensures that this harrowing, moving book bears testimony to their suffering and honours their memory. With the final chapter of the trilogy, The Turn of the Tide still to come and with it, the heinous acts carried out as part of Hitler's 'Final Solution' I have no doubt that this outstanding series will conclude with the same searing honesty and principled authenticity and will be just as memorably compelling.

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

As World War 2 continues, the Jews are using all means possible to escape from Germany. General Kastner is still trying to get the Nussbaums out, and at the same time, stay one step ahead of the Gestapo.

Trying to keep on the right side of his wife and children, General Kastner certainly has his work cut out, his strength and determination know no bounds.

I thought The Gathering Story was difficult to read but Flight of the Shearwater was tougher. I went through so many emotions reading this. The strength of the Jews shines through in this story.

This is an emotionally charged story. It has been beautifully and sympathetically written by the author. These books don’t leave you when you finish reading them, they stay with you and haunt you. I eagerly await the final part of the trilogy.

[Yvonne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A powerful and compelling story of two families torn apart by evil”


Part Two of a trilogy of epic proportions, where to be honest, my reviews could never do true justice to the sheer range or depth of the storyline, or the majestic writing within its pages.

As I indicated in my review of Part One, The Gathering Storm, I still really believe that the books work eminently well as stand alone stories, which due to scheduling constraints is how I have needed to treat them, as each is a monster read of some 800+ pages. However, for the true WWII enthusiast, or lover of intricately detailed and nuanced family sagas, I am certain that reading all three books back to back would definitely provide the most satisfying and fulfilling experience.

It would also help in the understanding of this particular instalment and to get the most out of it, if the reader was a keen yachtsman, as the action is quite evenly divided between land and water, and author Alan Jones, has clearly immersed himself in his maritime research, alongside his wartime investigations, so precisely and arrestingly detailed is the narrative. For me personally, a self-confessed landlubber, the many sailing terms, rituals and routines, on their own, wouldn’t have overly inspired me to carefully read each and every word on the page and there just might have been a little ‘speed reading’ going on. However Alan worked his magic and made excellent use of his exuberant writing skills, in weaving this section into the very fabric of the storyline, until it was impossible to read one without the other, without running the risk of feeling ‘short-changed’. Water flows through the veins of the Kastner men in equal quantities as blood, so I often found myself entranced, standing shoulder to shoulder with Franz and Johann, as they plotted and charted their meandering and thoroughly dangerous course, around the waters, channels and coastline harbours of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, towards their final destination, until the ‘armchair traveller’ in me was well and truly sated.

The lives of the German Kastner family, have been intrinsically linked with that of the Jewish Nussbaum family, for three generations, almost to the point where the lines between them being employers and employees, have become blurred enough for them to refer to one another as friends. The Nussbaum’s live in the grounds of the Kastner house, so are never really off duty and can always be relied on in an emergency or crisis. The children of both families have grown up alongside one another and played together, with obvious differences in culture and religion having always been respected and accommodated by both sides. Now, in 1941, with the war across Europe ramping up and Hitler firmly ensconced in his role as German Chancellor, life for both families has reached a crisis point, with the Nussbaum’s fighting for their very existence and the Kastners becoming evermore divided as conscience threatens to overwhelm duty to their new masters for some, whilst for Frau Kastner and the couple’s eldest daughter, Eva, the new order offers a chance for personal advancement and social climbing, if only her husband would cooperate and toe the party line, so that she is no longer ashamed of the person he is becoming.

Coming from an esteemed lineage of soldiers and having excelled in his service to Germany throughout the devastation and human loss of World War I, being highly decorated and rewarded for his efforts, Erich Kastner remains loyal to his country, but is having difficulty in reconciling his ideology with the direction in which Hitler is taking his homeland, in his quest to create the perfect Aryan race. His two sons, Franz and Johann, themselves having already earned high accolades and promotions in the present conflict, are forced to search their hearts, and also find themselves shamed and sickened by the massacres and genocide they are forced to witness in their beloved country, by their fellow countrymen, on their own people. So along with their younger sister, they resolve to assist their father in helping the Nussbaum’s make good their escape, before it is too late.

For their part, the Nussbaum’s also have some heart-wrenching, highly emotional and they accept, maybe fatal decisions to make, knowing that they have probably left it too late to escape from the Reich as a family unit. However, with their quiet and dignified, yet determined stoicism to do what is right, no matter the ultimate personal cost to themselves, Miriam and Yosef accept the lifeline the Kastner’s offer them, in the knowledge that both families will be changed forever, have everything to lose and will never be able to go back to life as it was before.

That is the scene, set in a very small nutshell, from which this chapter in the saga, rises and triumphs, as a supreme tour de force, on its way to what will no doubt be a stunning climax in book #3, the final episode. There were so many layers waiting to be peeled back, to reveal the many controversial and intersecting strands of this gripping, powerfully presented, desperately intense, wonderfully structured and emotionally textured storyline. The sheer volume and quality of the research author Alan Jones has undertaken in preparation for writing the series, truly makes this an important work of societal and cultural, historic and political fiction. The fluent chapters are well signposted and concise enough, despite making every single word count, to provide plenty of natural reading breaks, whilst the tragic story evolves agonisingly slowly, making this an almost diarised account of events over a relatively short time period. There are some profoundly evocative, touching and emotional moments, with both happy and sad causes, which made my heart beat faster and my pulse race, as I just knew that things were never going to end well, no matter how hard I wished and crossed my fingers. Fast forward and there are also a few interjections from an interview with Ruth Nussbaum in the year 2001, as her own reminiscences of the times are also deftly woven into the narrative of the story, which in itself gives away a little of the endgame, although to whom she is giving voice to her memories, remains as yet, unknown.

Disturbing, perceptive, compelling and rich in detail narrative and dialogue, afford a genuine sense of time and place and a great immersive visual depth, as the net closes in on a minority and persecuted race, which is not able to sustain the interminable onslaught of an administration hellbent on its extinction, not only inside Germany itself, but on any foreign soil where the advancing forces of the Reich prevail, making escape from its deadly clutches, almost impossible.

Oh! how Alan made me love to hate Gullich and Meyer, the epitomes of model German Gestapo Officers. I could just tell that it was making them choke to have to cut Erich Kastner so much slack, as he is an officer held in such high esteem, suspecting but being unable to irrefutably prove that he and his sons had a hand in attempting to get the Nussbaum children to safety. I cheered each time Erich managed to get one over on them, in their seemingly futile search, however I grudgingly had to give them ten out of ten for sheer perseverance, by which point it was inevitable that there would be dreadful repercussions for anyone who had duped them.

Alan has created a sprawling cast of core characters, who are growing in stature with each passing chapter, whose voices are becoming ever louder and stronger and who demand to have their story heard by the outside world. That they need to operate clandestinely, often from inside the administration, only hones and sharpens their resolve to make a difference and make every move count. Now that the storyline has taken us outside the borders of the Fatherland, as the war in Europe intensifies and draws more nations into its arena, smaller pockets of resistance are forming, who add their fledgling voices to the call for justice. Complex and emotionally driven, raw and passionate, often fragile and vulnerable; they are nonetheless completely genuine and believable, reliable and authentic, with a stoicism and loyalty born of necessity.

What makes reading such wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors, who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. For a single author to achieve all that with one book, is surely testament to the sheer quality of the writing and storyline. Surely an important work of cultural and societal fiction, based on and wrapped around, the reality of some well established historical facts, written sympathetically from the heart, with care and deference to the subject.

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[The Book Review Café · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight of the Shearwater is the second book in The Sturmtaucher trilogy, and what an incredible, emotional read it turned out to be. Alan Jones painstaking years of research are clear to see, the attention to historical detail is extraordinary, as a reader you feel like your living one of the most appalling and darkest periods of history, as we observe the Nussbaum’s and Kastner family’s through the Second World War. I laughed, I cried, I vented, and then I cried some more. Based on facts, it makes Flight Of The Shearwater such an emotive and raw read. I couldn’t help but think of the millions of Jews whose lives were lost.

Flight Of The Shearwater is a fascinating story of two families torn apart by the worse kind of evil. In this book, the war is progressing, life is intolerable for the Nussbaums who live in perpetual fear. As France collapses under the Wehrmacht Blitzkrieg, the Nussbaum’s along with millions of Jews, are trapped under Hitler’s rule. They desperately seek a way out of Germany with the help of General Kastner, who puts his and his family’s lives at risk, as he attempts to help them.

We learn first hand through the eyes of the Nussbaums just how challenging life was for Jews. The atrocities that they faced give the book a palatable sense of horror that constantly stays with the reader. Flight Of The Shearwater is a book like no other I have read, Alan Jones brings the plight of the Jews during WW2 to life. It’s a difficult read but so it should be, as there’s no hiding the atrocities that were committed during this period. The narrative is cinematic in its telling. The scenes are so vivid you feel you are alongside the Nussbaums living every horrifying moment of their persecution at the hands of the Nazis.

Don’t think for one minute this is a depressing read, yes it’s heartbreaking and harrowing in parts, but there are heartwarming scenes that lift the mood. As I reached the last page, I felt a sense of loss, which has left me desperate to read the ultimate book in the series. Flight Of The Shearwater is a story of human resilience, hope and survival, and good versus evil during one of the darkest periods in history. A MUST read for fans of historical fiction or for those looking for an all-consuming read.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Sturmtaucher Trilogy. The first book, The Gathering Storm, hit my number 1 spot for the year, and now with the second book, it takes the best series of the year.

The story continues to follow the lives of two German families. General Erich Kästner, a high ranking German officer and his family. A hero, defending and protecting the Jewish family that has been in service for his family through generations. And the Nussbaums, a Jewish family who are now becoming fully aware that they have left their escape to safety far too late.

As Hitler’s troops march through Europe, their horrific assault on anyone that did conform with what they saw as perfection would be extinguished. Whereas in the first novel, it had been rumours of what the Gestapo did to anyone they took in for questioning, now becomes first-hand experiences. One particular Gestapo Officer takes a personal dislike to both the General and the Nussbaums, to the point that it becomes an obsession with him.

The General is in a position that allows him inside information about the plans of the Führer. He knows that his sons will be in great danger if Hitler marches on Russia, and so devises a plan to keep them and the Nussbaums children safe.

The book gradually eases you into the brutality of the story, but nothing could prepare you for this. I openly wept through whole chapters, not just of the horrific tortures but of the bravery of these people. It seems that war gives the perverse, and psychopaths, a free hand because what they did, a normal person couldn’t live with. Both families are split up, but some won’t make it back together.

This series has taken the author five years to research and write, it is all finished with just the final book to be released, and for as large as it is, I don’t think it will be enough for me. This author has given me a thirst that I can’t quench no matter how much there is. I can’t think how this will all come to an end. The research on so many topics in this book is tremendous, accurate and engrossing. Fantastic.

The first book was the equivalent of three books long, this is bigger still, at about five books. But don’t be put off. This series is superb.

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book!

Flight of the Shearwater continues the journey of the Kästners – the relationship between Erich and youngest daughter Antje and their mother Maria and sister Eva declining all the time. This disagreement revolves around the relationship with their lifelong friends and housekeepers – the Nussbaums who happen to be Jewish. While I do understand that Maria and Eva are afraid of repercussions – who can say if any of us would have been brave enough in the face of the SS or the Gestapo – I can’t help feeling that in their case it was more about their standing in society and Maria’s relationship with the Countess and finding Eva a well-connected husband.

In the meantime son Major Franz Kästner is hatching a plot with his father and sister Antje, to remove the Nussbaum’s two children Ruth and Manny from Nazi Germany to a place of safety eg England. By sheer (or should it be shear) coincidence, Franz and younger brother Johann are asked by a friend of their father’s if they would sail his boat The Shearwater to Norway. What an opportunity this presents! Just two problems – how to smuggle the children on board and keep them hidden, and how to involve Johann in the plot. Franz, like Erich, has seen first-hand the unbelievable cruelty dished out to the Jews in Germany, as they are systematically stripped of all their rights, their homes, their savings, are forbidden to travel or work and frequently shot, tortured and shipped to relocation ‘camps’ in Poland. And we all know what that meant. But Johann is still torn between helping Franz and remaining with his comrades in the army.

We knew in book one that Poland had been annexed, along with Austria, Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland, but Holland and Belgium have also fallen, the British have been routed at Dunkirk, and France has collapsed under the Wehrmacht Blitzkrieg, sealing the fate of millions of Jews, now trapped under Hitler’s rule. But Hitler has set his sights even higher. He’s determined to invade the Soviet Union – this is not yet known publicly – but Erich has inroads into the Reich’s future plans through his friend Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr.

Without saying too much more or giving anything away, Franz and Johann begin the journey to Norway, hoping to detour to England and get captured or ‘lost at sea’. This will mean being picked up as deserters by the Royal Navy and spending the rest of the war in a POW camp. But at least Ruth and Manny will be safe. Both Erich and Antje will help but Maria and Eva must never know the truth. Unfortunately, they encounter the worst storm in a decade and so the flight of the Shearwater begins in earnest.

But that’s not all! We are introduced to two of the most hateful characters I have ever encountered in literature – even worse than SS Officer Rudolph Mey who viciously beat and raped his wife Lise in book one. They are Gestapo Kriminalassistant Heinrich Güllich and his sidekick, the snivelling rat Carl Meyer. Obsessed with proving that Ruth and Manny were smuggled out of Kiel on the Shearwater, Güllich will go to any lengths to find some evidence. But even more so he is determined to bring down the ‘Jew-loving’ General Erich Kästner, because if there is one thing he hates more than Jews it’s over-privileged rich people with friends in high places who think they are untouchable. I just wanted someone to shoot them both.

Rape of Jewish women plays an even bigger role in the second book and will remain the most harrowing aspect for me (and I suspect for all women). Some were prepared to allow themselves to be taken by soldiers of the SS to stay alive, while others would rather have died. However, in many cases, rape, often in front of the husband and children was used as a means of torture and I can’t bring myself to go into further details – it’s too upsetting.

[Susan Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The brilliant Sturmtaucher Trilogy continues with the second instalment, Flight of the Shearwater.
Nazi Germany are becoming ever more powerful and have a strong foothold throughout Europe. The harrowing shocking treatment of the Jewish community continues. General Erich Kastner in his position in the Abwehr, is becoming aware of the danger and what is actually happening to the Jewish community. The Nussbaum’s , his Jewish friends and employees and their families and friends are desperate to escape Germany, but can Kastner help them?
Flight of the Shearwater is as powerful as the first book The Gathering Storm, but the danger and desperation to escape Germany increases in this book.
I honestly can’t do this Trilogy justice with any review I write. It is just phenomenal!
The in depth research by the author, the writing of the actual historic events and introducing the fictional characters into the history of this superb trilogy is outstanding. It was exceptionally hard to put this book down. A thrilling read , but then you realise many of these events did happen to so many families , it’s just heartbreaking.
It’s certainly a book I will never forget.
I highly recommend this Trilogy , regardless of whether you are a fan of historical fiction or not, you will not forget it too!

[Jaqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I feel this book is a bit of a marathon and requires time and commitment to read at around 1,600 pages. However, the book is many things. - It is full of depth, facts, and information, and the story is compelling, chilling - at times - and incredibly well researched. I really hope lots more people with an interest in World War Two and the holocaust read it. I was gripped.

This is the second book in the Sturmtaucher trilogy. I read the first book this time last year. It was the first book I read last year, and this is my first book this year.

The Sturmtaucher is a boat sailed in a desperate attempt to help two Jewish children escape Nazi Germany in wild seas to Britain.

The writer successfully and brilliantly keeps all the many strands of the story in hand and space for a huge number of characters and their interwoven stories. If I had one small criticism, it would be the details of boats and sailing - a lot of detailed facts - technical stuff got a bit too much, and could have been cut back on some, and trimmed with editing , without spoling any of the main stories - especially given the length of the book - but his knowledge and love of boats and the sea comes across strongly.

"When history looks back on the third reich, it is the SS and the Gestapo's part in it that will be remembered. " Indeed. And books like this keep the memory alive lest we should forget. The political, social, and historical facts of the era are mesmerisingly captured, interweaved seamlessly, and the fanaticism of the SS hammered home. The relentlessness of the hunters and the persecution of the innocent is well conveyed.

All in all, it's a terrific read I recommend. I look forward to reading the third and final book in the trilogy. The characters are going to haunt me for a long time, I think.

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight of the Shearwater, the 2nd in The Sturmtaucher trilogy, neatly picks up the story from the 1st book. Once I'd finished book 1, The Gathering Storm, I worried away at the tale, in my head, trying to work out where Alan Jones would go. I was not expecting the happenings in book 2. It's not just that the detail is so precise, so intricately researched that the reader has complete faith in the story-teller. It's not even the characters, so vividly painted that I can see them in my mind's eye and predict their reactions to certain events. For me, it's the emotion packed into every word, sentence and paragraph. I felt the Nussbaum's terror, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The evil of Gullich and Meyer was so tangible I felt sick and the innate goodness of General Kastner and Antje soothed my troubled soul. This is NOT your average WW11 fictional novel. It incorporates real people, real events and real places into the story. There are no liberties taken with timeline or location. What this book does is bring home the deranged and abhorrent nature of the crimes committed and makes it personal, something a reader with no connection to WW11 can feel and understand. By doing that so brilliantly, Mr Jones has constructed a vital cog in the ongoing and never ending battle of anti-Semitism. This book should be on secondary schools' curriculum. It has the ability to make the world a better place and should be recognised as such.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The war has started and the Nausbaums are becoming limited in what they can do. Fortunately food and shelter aren't a problem as they work for General Erich Kästner. More and more limitations are being put upon the Jewish community and many have fled- not always sucessfully. The General ’s boys are both in the army and whilst they have seen some action things are getting a little more difficult as nations begin to resist rather than surrender as they have so far. The General has been able to help the Nausbaums and got them out of a couple of sticky situations but this is only temporary. The Nazis are getting tougher and anti semistism is becoming rife which also put the Generals family in a difficult position. The family needs to get away quickly. Maybe there is a way for the children but this could put everyone at risk.
Book one I found fascinating with the lead up to the war and how politically things were in Germany and how they changed under Hitlers Rule. Whilst there were some emotional scenes in book one, it really didn't prepare me for the drama in book two. Yes this is fiction- but based on fact. I saw recently that some teenagers didn’t even know who had won the war let alone how people were treated. Let us learn from the past to pave the right road for the future. This book doesn't pull any punches where facts are concerned. Incredibly well researched and whilst horrific things happen, it's a fascinating read that kept me between the pages wanting to turn more and more. I'm in awe of Alan and the time and effort it must have taken to write these.The war and sailing- so intricately researched and documented so very well. I give my own special 5** to books that have that something extra- that impact, ones I will remember for all the right reasons. This series deserves this in spades. 10* if I could

[Jackie Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the trilogy did not disappoint. A stunning achievement yet again from this author. It starts where The Gathering Storm left off and Hitler and his henchmen are tightening the screws on the remaining Jewish population. Authentically and meticulously researched this book is far from being dry. In fact, through the vehicle of the Kastners and the Nussbaums we feel a visceral connection to these horrifying events as they unfold. Maria Kastner and her daughter Eva seem to be more concerned about their social standing than the plight of their staff and neighbours. Maria is consumed by rage that her husband will not be deflected from his quest to save the Nussbaums. The Nussbaums realise that there is now no chance of keeping the family together and a plot is hatched at great risk to all to smuggle their children out on a sailing vessel called The Shearwater. The trip is fraught with danger at every turn. It seems impossible that they will succeed and it felt as though I was right alongside them every step of the way. Meanwhile a Gestapo Officer, Gillich, and his hateful sidekick, Meyer, develop an obsession with bringing down General Kastner through his loyalty to the Kastners. The scenes of torture were difficult to read but needed to be included in this searing account. Like many others have said, it felt like I journeyed alongside the characters and they have taken up residence in my head for ever. I will never forget these books or the very real tragedy that they portray to such devastating effect. These books deserve to be made into a film.

[Lynn Mccarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the tribology i read the first book and loved it but thought sometimes the second doesn't live up to the first but i was wrong it was a brilliant book.
Flight of the Shearwater continues the story of the Kastner and Nussbaum families.
Both books are quiet long books but i like that you can get your teeth into the story and its great to follow the 2 familys through the journey they take in the time of hatred and hardships...
Can not wait for book 3 to come out to see how it all ends up....

[Rory Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the trilogy more than maintained the high standard and depth of characterisation of the first book. In addition, as a sailor who has also sailed my own boat across the North Sea to Denmark the description of the storm and the other sailing experiences was very realistic, yet at the same time accessible to non-sailors.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is amazing . What a story teller is Alan Jones . Attention to detail and the harrowing treatment of Jews is both fascinating and recasting . The story of the general and his Jewish friends in is exceptional . Highly recommend ! Now on the the final chapter ❤️

[Gail Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in this magnificent trilogy.
Alan Jones has continues to write an enthralling series. I don't I have ever hated a fictional character as much as I have with Heinrich Gullich. Such a brilliant piece of writing.
I personally travelled through the storm, the description was fault less.
In a time of hatred and dispair, it was great to know that some people were able to see/hear the truth and fight for their beliefs.
I eagerally awaited the final book; I just hope that there is some happiness to be found deep within.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read the first one of this series, and couldn't wait for the next. Its a long book,but don't let that disappoint you. Every page is worth the time. This one is as good as the first one. Will anxiously await the next one

[K G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the first book in this trilogy, I was taken into all of the story, the characters, and the feeling of emotions; all in knowing that, as much as this is fiction, it is also historical, and horrendous things did happen to real people.

Add an intriguing and relatable plot, and I knew the second book would be more impactful, as we are taken to the "center" of both the story and the rawness of the events that happened and which, as much as no one will have an accurate idea of what they felt like, unless they were actually there, the author does a great job in transmitting and developing them.

I can't wait to get to the third book in the series, I am so hoping for the best for both families, that is how 'real' they are to me now.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is such an absorbing book to read. I’ve experienced so many emotions while reading - anger, sadness, happiness and hate to name a few. Every spare minute I’ve had in the last week has been spent reading more and more of this haunting book.

It picks up where The Gathering Storm ended. More and more restrictions are being placed on the Jewish people and their lives. Have the Nussbaums left it too late to flee from Germany? With protection from General Kastner Josef and Miriam have fared better so far than some of their Jewish friends and here they come under the spotlight from the Gestapo where an Officer makes life for the General and the Nussbaums very difficult. This is not an easy read, but it is a very compelling one. As always there are characters I loved, liked or absolutely loathed. The author writes his story very, very well, I struggled to put my kindle down and when I wasn’t reading I was thinking of the characters and I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I could feel the fear the Nussbaum family were facing through the pages. There are so many different story threads here which I really liked. The author knows how to ramp up the tension and suspense and I had many ‘wow’ and ‘no’ moments when reading.

I like historical fiction, and I have to say this series has got to be one of the best I’ve ever read. I’m not sure anyone could read this series and be unaffected by it. The author, in my opinion, has created such wonderful characters that I was just rooting for all the way through. This has been a great series so far and I look forward to reading the final book over the next few weeks.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5*read from this exceptional author!
This is the second book in the trilogy and the amount of research that the author has done shines through every page. It’s absolutely gripping.
I loved the way the same characters and families were at the centre of the story and cannot put into words just how well articulated this book is.
Absolutely amazing

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

to follow

[Lorraine Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought book 1 of the trilogy was Wow but as you get deeper into this compelling story, the good versus evil of the characters just takes your breath away. The research that has gone into the writing of this is just brilliant. I can honestly say that I haven't read a book in years that has really got under my skin like this has. I know only too well what happened during this time in History and the sad thing is that the Hatred is still out there! If I could give this 10 stars I would. The only problem is I now have to wait until December for the third and final chapter. Alan Jones you have surpassed yourself **********

[Fiona Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that I couldn’t put down. I got a bit confused with the trip across Europe but the way the author write the characters draws the reader in.

Another thing I really like is the way that it shows all the sides of the conflict. Canaries is such an intriguing character even though I know what becomes of him. I wonder if he’ll bring the general down with him?

Eagerly looking forward to part 3 now and thanks again to the author for the opportunity to pre read it!

[Madeleine Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a compelling story told with meticulous detail and historical research by the author.
Reading it I forgot it was fiction and find it so hard to stop thinking about the Nussbaum's and the Kastners plight

This was not an easy read for me as I remember my Father's stories of his neighbours turning against them, raiding their house when they were taken to the Ghetto's and his opinion that Churchill knew and did nothing to help the Jewish people.

This fictional story was too lifelike for me and found myself thinking of my father and his family in the same predicament which was painful. But as a second generation of a holocaust survivor I have such gratitude for the author in sharing these evil stories.

We need to learn from yesterday for a better tomorrow.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight of the Shearwater is the second book in The Sturmtaucher trilogy and I would recommend that you read the books in order. These books are very long, but they need to be, this was a shameful period in history that was so harrowing with the politics, pain, cruelty and acceptance of all of it by many. Anything less would feel like the events were being glossed over.

Whilst there is continuing focus on Erich, Yosef and Miriam, this novel also concentrates on some of the younger members of both families. You get to see the horror and guilt that both Franz and Johann feel when they realise what they have become involved in as part of the German army and the turmoil faced by Ruth and Manny when they have to leave behind their parents and overcome danger hoping for safety.

Sadly, it also had to focus on some of the characters who believed in Hitler and everything he stood for. Maria, Eva and the female members of the once friendly Bohm family all made me cringe as I read. I found it fascinating but I was also increasingly upset by the attitudes and the amount of venom displayed. Especially when I read how Maria had no remorse or compassion for her former friends. I found their attitudes had more of an impact on me than the Gestapo and their determination to find out what was happening with the Kästners and Nussbaums on their sea trip.

The novel is extremely detailed, with historical facts and the complexity of the early years of the war. The author shows how everyday people were duped by propaganda and the insider bulletins about how the Jewish community were being cut off and what the plans for them were. I was aware of certain aspects but I also learned a lot. I had no idea about the amount of control Germany had over Northern Europe, that there was a Jewish community on the Isle of Man or where any of the prisoner of war camps were in the UK.

I am happy that the third book in the series is available to read. I plan on reading it as soon as possible, I need to know what happens to all of the people who feature in this outstanding series.

[Judith Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read The Gathering Storm last year, I wondered if Alan Jones would keep the momentum going. Just a few pages in, this was in no doubt. Another fantastically written book. I was surprisingly engrossed in the descriptions of the voyage of The Shearwater and felt as though I was on board with Franz, Joseph, Manny & Ruth, travelling through the storms. The development of the characters of Gullich & Meyer was terrifying. Their hatred for Gen Kastner was immense & I felt for Nassbaums as every inch of their diginty was stripped away.
Thank you for a wonderful, well-researched & fascinating book Alan. I'm looking forward to reading The Turn of the Tide soon.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

These books just keep getting better. The books are lenghty and sometimes tech about the sail boats. But, the storyline is suberb. And of course the love for others shown in these books is wonderful and in the worst of times.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant sequel to the first book. Can’t wait to read the final book.