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Breaking Point #3
A Slender Thread
1942: Amid the Siege of Malta, one of the most crucial battles in modern history, only extraordinary courage and willpower can turn looming defeat into victory.
The war in the Mediterranean, 1942: The outcome of World War II hangs, as Churchill says, by “a slender thread.” Erwin Rommel, Hitler’s “Desert Fox,” is poised to defeat the reeling British army in Egypt and thwart America’s first operation in Europe. Only the tiny, embattled, half-starved Mediterranean island of Malta stands in Rommel’s way.
Will heroism and devotion be enough to stave off the implacable forces of Hitler’s all-conquering Third Reich and Mussolini’s new Roman Empire? And, as the battle rages, the relentless strains of war threaten not only the survival of Malta but also the survival of Johnnie and Eleanor’s relationship. Will their future together be yet another casualty of war?
John Rhodes, author of the award-winning Breaking Point series, weaves the fictional story of fighter pilot Johnnie Shaux and military strategist Eleanor Rand into the heartbreaking, inspiring historical fabric of World War II.
The war in the Mediterranean, 1942: The outcome of World War II hangs, as Churchill says, by “a slender thread.” Erwin Rommel, Hitler’s “Desert Fox,” is poised to defeat the reeling British army in Egypt and thwart America’s first operation in Europe. Only the tiny, embattled, half-starved Mediterranean island of Malta stands in Rommel’s way.
Will heroism and devotion be enough to stave off the implacable forces of Hitler’s all-conquering Third Reich and Mussolini’s new Roman Empire? And, as the battle rages, the relentless strains of war threaten not only the survival of Malta but also the survival of Johnnie and Eleanor’s relationship. Will their future together be yet another casualty of war?
John Rhodes, author of the award-winning Breaking Point series, weaves the fictional story of fighter pilot Johnnie Shaux and military strategist Eleanor Rand into the heartbreaking, inspiring historical fabric of World War II.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 1, 2022
Once again, I have done myself a disservice. Recently, I received an e-book Advanced Reading Copy of a book from an author I had not read before. I thank Roundel, the publisher, for the book by author JOHN RHODES. Where is the disservice? It is book three of his World War II series and I always dislike beginning a series not at the beginning. The title is based on a WWII quote from Winston Churchill, A SLENDER THREAD. I hope that I will be able to backtrack into the first two books. I know I will continue forward.
I knew very little about the role that the island country of Malta played in WWII. Malta sits in the Mediterranean Sea roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the southeast coast of Sicily. It is slightly further away from the north coast of Africa. The location is at the point where the Mediterranean Sea is the narrowest. It is equidistant from Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria, Egypt to the east.
It was home to units of the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. In area, it is much smaller than New York City. Its role in WWII was much bigger than its size could account for. From Malta, British military units could help stop the Axis from supplying Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps in North Africa. Malta was under air attack for two years. Supplies were thin because they had to be brought in by planes, submarines and surface ship convoys. Most of the supplies did not reach the island due to Axis intervention.
The Allies needed to keep Rommel and the Germans from gaining control of Egypt’s Suez Canal. If the Germans got the canal, the oil fields of the Middle East would surely fall into their desperate hands. The outcome of the war would tilt to the Axis side if that happened.
It is August 1942 when the book picks up the story of Johnnie Faux, a Royal Air Force fighter pilot ace and squadron commander of Spitfire fighter aircraft in Malta. He had gained fame during the air Battle of Britain and subsequent capture/escape from the Germans in France. Johnnie is diagnosed, by a new to Malta, young military doctor, as having what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He is told he is grounded. That was unacceptable to Faux.
His wife Eleanor is Chief of Staff to General Keith Park (Park is real, the Fauxs are not). In 1940, Park had commanded a major fighter plane component during the Battle of Britain helping the country survive the Axis attempt to bomb the country into submission. Eleanor had used her mathematics background to help Park design the British air defenses. For some reason, Park fell into disfavor and was assigned the impossible task of defending Malta with obsolete aircraft and an extreme lack of supplies. Eleanor suggests a counter-offensive scheme named Operation Counterpunch that will put Maltese forces on the offensive rather defensive side of the war.
Penelope Dryden is the daughter of the late owner of a major small boat manufacturer in Malta. After her father is killed in a bombing raid, she turns over the company’s facilities to the Royal Navy and in turn, she is given a commission in the Navy. Her job, as low woman in the hierarchy, is to assign personnel where the need is greatest. In that role, she meets Petty Officer Miller. He is an expert on engines and a talented machinist. He had been assigned to a Motor Torpedo Boat that had been destroyed in a convoy and so he is without a job. “Digger” Digby is Johnnie’s wingman and best friend. The Fauxs also have a dog named Charlie who doubles as a Search and Rescue dog. Charlie is my favorite character. Read the book and you will see why.
A great story about a little-known part of WWII. If you like military history, this is for you. If you would like to know about little known WWII theaters of action, this is for you. If you like strong female characters, this is for you. There is action and romance aplenty. The history is very interesting. Mr. Rhodes includes an extensive epilogue with the real story. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
I knew very little about the role that the island country of Malta played in WWII. Malta sits in the Mediterranean Sea roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the southeast coast of Sicily. It is slightly further away from the north coast of Africa. The location is at the point where the Mediterranean Sea is the narrowest. It is equidistant from Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria, Egypt to the east.
It was home to units of the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. In area, it is much smaller than New York City. Its role in WWII was much bigger than its size could account for. From Malta, British military units could help stop the Axis from supplying Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps in North Africa. Malta was under air attack for two years. Supplies were thin because they had to be brought in by planes, submarines and surface ship convoys. Most of the supplies did not reach the island due to Axis intervention.
The Allies needed to keep Rommel and the Germans from gaining control of Egypt’s Suez Canal. If the Germans got the canal, the oil fields of the Middle East would surely fall into their desperate hands. The outcome of the war would tilt to the Axis side if that happened.
It is August 1942 when the book picks up the story of Johnnie Faux, a Royal Air Force fighter pilot ace and squadron commander of Spitfire fighter aircraft in Malta. He had gained fame during the air Battle of Britain and subsequent capture/escape from the Germans in France. Johnnie is diagnosed, by a new to Malta, young military doctor, as having what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He is told he is grounded. That was unacceptable to Faux.
His wife Eleanor is Chief of Staff to General Keith Park (Park is real, the Fauxs are not). In 1940, Park had commanded a major fighter plane component during the Battle of Britain helping the country survive the Axis attempt to bomb the country into submission. Eleanor had used her mathematics background to help Park design the British air defenses. For some reason, Park fell into disfavor and was assigned the impossible task of defending Malta with obsolete aircraft and an extreme lack of supplies. Eleanor suggests a counter-offensive scheme named Operation Counterpunch that will put Maltese forces on the offensive rather defensive side of the war.
Penelope Dryden is the daughter of the late owner of a major small boat manufacturer in Malta. After her father is killed in a bombing raid, she turns over the company’s facilities to the Royal Navy and in turn, she is given a commission in the Navy. Her job, as low woman in the hierarchy, is to assign personnel where the need is greatest. In that role, she meets Petty Officer Miller. He is an expert on engines and a talented machinist. He had been assigned to a Motor Torpedo Boat that had been destroyed in a convoy and so he is without a job. “Digger” Digby is Johnnie’s wingman and best friend. The Fauxs also have a dog named Charlie who doubles as a Search and Rescue dog. Charlie is my favorite character. Read the book and you will see why.
A great story about a little-known part of WWII. If you like military history, this is for you. If you would like to know about little known WWII theaters of action, this is for you. If you like strong female characters, this is for you. There is action and romance aplenty. The history is very interesting. Mr. Rhodes includes an extensive epilogue with the real story. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!
April 27, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of A Slender Thread by John Rhodes.
I didn't realize this was the third book in the series when I started reading. I struggled with this one. It felt like the book spent more time on the mechanics and action of wartime than character introductions or development. Not having read the first two, I'm unsure if this was due to the writing style or if more character development had already taken place.
I would consider going back and reading the first 2 books.
I would recommend this book for fans of WW2 historical/action fiction.
I didn't realize this was the third book in the series when I started reading. I struggled with this one. It felt like the book spent more time on the mechanics and action of wartime than character introductions or development. Not having read the first two, I'm unsure if this was due to the writing style or if more character development had already taken place.
I would consider going back and reading the first 2 books.
I would recommend this book for fans of WW2 historical/action fiction.
April 18, 2022
the siege of Malta
What a great series. These books take a few well developed characters and they face all the Axis can assemble with fortitude and valour.
sorry that a few good folk die in the process.
What a great series. These books take a few well developed characters and they face all the Axis can assemble with fortitude and valour.
sorry that a few good folk die in the process.
April 4, 2022
Another great book in this series
Very well-written account of the siege of Malta, continuing the stories of Eleanor and Johnnie Shaun and Keith Parks. Eagerly awaiting the next book.
Very well-written account of the siege of Malta, continuing the stories of Eleanor and Johnnie Shaun and Keith Parks. Eagerly awaiting the next book.
March 1, 2024
Would have been a 3.5 if there were half stars available, although this is still half a star short of my four-star views of the first two stories in this series.
The two main characters and the descriptions of the wartime activities they are caught up in remain as compelling and grimly fascinating as ever, and the privations and violence suffered by the inhabitants of Malta were duly shocking. The unexpected loss of two excellent supporting characters caught me completely by surprise, and was genuinely shocking. With the story poised and set to bring some hanging threads to some sort of emotional close, I am definitely looking forward to a four-star conclusion to this superior series. Recommended.
The two main characters and the descriptions of the wartime activities they are caught up in remain as compelling and grimly fascinating as ever, and the privations and violence suffered by the inhabitants of Malta were duly shocking. The unexpected loss of two excellent supporting characters caught me completely by surprise, and was genuinely shocking. With the story poised and set to bring some hanging threads to some sort of emotional close, I am definitely looking forward to a four-star conclusion to this superior series. Recommended.
March 17, 2023
Excellent third installment
The war goes on for RAF pilot and his wife Elanor, an intelligence for the RAF. He has den shot down three times and survived, but his stock stiff upper lip has become dark fatalism. Both he and Elaborate have seen so many friends killed. Both know that Britain is at dark moment. Good writing; good reading.
There is some technical stuff,but it is offset by a moving love story and insights into people pushed to the edge.
Recommended for all.
The war goes on for RAF pilot and his wife Elanor, an intelligence for the RAF. He has den shot down three times and survived, but his stock stiff upper lip has become dark fatalism. Both he and Elaborate have seen so many friends killed. Both know that Britain is at dark moment. Good writing; good reading.
There is some technical stuff,but it is offset by a moving love story and insights into people pushed to the edge.
Recommended for all.
June 27, 2023
Following the lives of Johnnie and Eleanor during the war has been an eye-opener. Instead of just glossing over the lives of those in the RAF and those working in administration, the author gives amazing detail. I have been given understanding to some of the struggles, the stresses. While reading this series I couldn't help but wonder how the British and allies won the war. Correction, wonder how the allies did not lose. The battles and conflicts behind the scenes left me needing to know so much more. Thankfully there are more books to come.
March 24, 2022
I enjoyed the first half of this book, but an accumulation of minor irritations started getting to me. In an attempt to be realistic it felt like the author was constantly looking for the next disaster or unpleasant way to kill another of the characters. Perhaps I should have realised where this was going, but unfortunately I didn’t and kept reading. By the end I was really depressed and was left me wishing I had never started this book.
February 8, 2022
An very good novel of the hardships faced by the people of Malta during the early stages of the war. The story is well developed and there is sufficient action to keep your interest. A good read.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 14, 2022
A bit of a boy's own adventure. Perfect for some young person wanting to read a comic.
There were too many storylines in the book to really grasp what was going on in the tale itself. As for the adventures of the main character well they were rather unbelievable! Still it passed a few hours whilst on holiday.
There were too many storylines in the book to really grasp what was going on in the tale itself. As for the adventures of the main character well they were rather unbelievable! Still it passed a few hours whilst on holiday.
February 16, 2023
Disjointed. A somewhat ambiguous ending. It seemed to be a story with a romance plot line. Not so much. And if the romance is dismissed as a nothing, the entire point of the novel is pretty much moot. But if you like cockpit action, this is the tome for you.
July 16, 2023
I devoured the first two books, but this one was hard to get into. The author stopped putting time and date stamps in this book compared to the previous books and it wasn't entirely clear when he jumped around with flashbacks. It has a cliffhanger, though, so I'm jumping right into the next one.
January 21, 2025
This series continues nicely focusing this episode on Malta, a critical battle few Americans know much about. The Eleanor and John team put their analytical skills to work at just the right time and in the right places even as their losses mount.
May 6, 2022
Better for an action movie
It was tedious for me to read in a lot of places. I felt like this would be better as a movie than a book (for me).
It was tedious for me to read in a lot of places. I felt like this would be better as a movie than a book (for me).
May 16, 2022
I loved this book. I don’t typically read war novels, but this one I won a copy of here on goodreads. It is a worthy read, and I highly recommend it. Highly emotional, and gripping.
March 9, 2023
great WWII read
Well written and gives some new perspectives to what occurred on Malta during a critical period. I recommend the book.
Well written and gives some new perspectives to what occurred on Malta during a critical period. I recommend the book.
December 30, 2023
The story continues
A continuation of the breaking point series. The action moves to Malta and the descions of the defence and eventual offense mounted by Park.
A continuation of the breaking point series. The action moves to Malta and the descions of the defence and eventual offense mounted by Park.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews