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  • Hornet Flight

  • Written by: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (64 ratings)

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Hornet Flight

Written by: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's Summary

It's June 1941, and the low point of the war. England throws wave after wave of RAF bombers across the Channel, but somehow the Luftwaffe is able to shoot them down at will. The skies, indeed, the war itself seem to belong to Hitler.

On a Danish island across the North Sea, Harald Olufsen stumbles upon a secret German installation. With England preparing its largest aerial assault, what Harald has discovered may turn the course of the war, but the race to convey the information could have terrible consequences for everyone close to him. For his older brother, Arne, a pilot in the Danish air force, and for Arne's fiancee, Hermia, an intelligence analyst desperate to resurrect the foundering Danish resistance. And most of all, for Harald himself.

Filled with knife-edge suspense and rich, tantalizing characters, this is Ken Follett writing at the top of his form, unforgettable storytelling from an unforgettable writer.

©2002 Ken Follett (P)2002 Penguin Audiobooks

What the critics say

"An intricately woven espionage yarn... a gritty picture of the spy game and wartime Europe." (People)

"Follett at his compelling best." (The Hartford Courant)

 "Zips along to an exhilarating climax." (Entertainment Weekly)

What listeners say about Hornet Flight

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Hornet Flight review

Great story with very exciting finish.
The characters capture your heart.
Based on a true story, apparently.

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Great, simple listen

This was a great book for when I wanted to hear something simple but it was still thoroughly entertaining.

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Dynamic Duo

excellent book, nice to have John Lee so another of Ken's books, gripping story, fun read.

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Not as good as I hoped

Having just finished the Century trilogy by the same author and narrator I had high hopes for this one, but to be honest I wasn't overly disappointed when it came to a end. John Lee was fantastic in the Century trilogy and managed to keep his voice both as a narrator and doing character voices consistent for close to 100 hours. In this book he is all over the place - almost sounds like he is trying to impersonate James Earl Jones. And the production quality is abysmal; it sounds like each chapter, and sometimes each paragraph, was recorded in a different room - or maybe in his car while driving. As for the story, it is certainly entertaining if a bit unbelievable and I didn't like the way it wrapped up - as if the author realized he was almost out of paper and had to cram it all into the last 2 pages. The characters were also a little unsatisfying - the cop who is chasing the hero goes from a loving husband to a crazed lunatic without any real explanation and the hero who despite being in extremely perilous situations still has time to daydream about the fact that the girl he likes called him darling and others who seemed as though they were going to be important just disappear from the story. Not being familiar with Follett until now, maybe this was his standard in 2005. I highly recommend the Century Trilogy and will listen to that one again sometime, but this one I will delete.

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Outstanding Story

Not much I can say but excellent. The story was thrilling, filled with suspense and twists. The Narrator was excellent. Highly recommend.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • C. McCoy
  • 2005-03-13

An Outstanding Spy Novel

As a fan of the spy novel, especially World War II spy stories, this is on top of my list with the best I have read. I enjoyed the reader, John Lee's, exceptional ability to read with appropriate accents for the Danish and German characters, it added much to the listen. This is the first time I have read anything by Kem Follett, but I guarentee it will not be the last. I was intrigued and captivated by the plot and the characters. It was a plausable plot, with very little strech on one's imagination, it could have been a true story. I recommend this to any Spy Novel fan as a book they are sure to enjoy! I Loved it.

49 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Erik
  • 2005-02-26

An entertaining listen

You can never go wrong with Ken Follett and this book does not disappoint. An interesting plot, exciting ending and a good reading all contribute to an enjoyable listen.

31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Wolfpacker
  • 2009-02-23

Never a Dull Moment

This is one of the better Audible books I have heard. It is set in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The author leads off with the statement, "Some of what follows really happened." Sometimes that is an indication that the plot will be preposterous. Not in this case. The story has an authentic feel to it. The characters are likeable or hatable as appropriate and well developed. Best of all, the story grabs you quickly and never lulls.
Try Hornet Flight; you will enjoy it.

24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Jim
  • 2009-12-30

A Fun WWII Yarn

But not one of Follett's best efforts. I always enjoy John Lee as reader and this book with keep you engaged but won't tax you much. Read in between some more difficult books to cleanse the palette, so to speak.

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Christopher
  • 2007-11-07

Thoroughly enjoyable

This was a long book, and honestly, all the action could probably have been written in half the length. And yet, I was never bored - the period details, the characterizations, and the highly detailed settings made for a compelling listen in addition to the excitement of the plot. As mentioned by others, this is rarely a edge-of-your-seat thriller, although at least one scene left my heart pounding. But it's a fascinating, entertaining, and unique tale. John Lee is not a narrator I believe I have heard before, but I may seek out more by him now - his deep baritone and subtle speaking accent were quite compelling (picture a mix of James Earl Jones and Sean Connery), and his choices of voicings for the characters were well-done and consistent.

21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Harry
  • 2009-08-18

Great story about brothers and lovers

I learned a lot about arial fights in WWII and about a Nazi resistance I never knew existed. The characters were well developed as I've come to expect from Ken Follett. I'd give it a five star, but there are other books out there like Pillar's of the Earth that get the fiver.

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Chris Luers
  • 2009-04-12

A Great Listen...

Listened to this driving to and from visting relatives out of state over the Easter weekend. Kept my attention the entire time, just as one would expect from Ken Follet. Good story, good narration. I recommend it!!

19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Richard
  • 2005-10-07

Good War Time Adventure

A fairly good story for those who want a drama set in war time, do not want to get overwhelmed by the technology of war, and don't mind seeing a relationship develop along the way. I would not say that the book was riveting or a real page turner, the flashes of intensity are few and far between. On the other hand, there are enough compelling characters and enough intertwining of events to keep you intrigued enough to move along and to begin cheering for the main character by the end. This is probably a real good recommendation for true Follett fans.

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Matthew
  • 2005-05-06

What a great adventure!

You won't be disappointed with this wonderful story. The plot had several interesting twists and the characters were very well portrayed. This spy novel really makes you feel connected to each and every character. Also, the narration was easy to understand and the accents were believeable. I found the story very entertaining and will definately try other Ken Follett titles.

15 people found this helpful

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  • Georgia
  • 2013-10-11

John Lee is the best narrator ever! Great Book Too

Would you consider the audio edition of Hornet Flight to be better than the print version?
Absolutely! The narrator somehow knows exactly how the book is to be read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hornet Flight?
I don't want to say without spoiling it for others.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?
Everything! He is a master at changing his voice for each character! How he does it is a mystery! Beautiful job!

12 people found this helpful