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Eye of the Needle
Unavailable
Eye of the Needle
Unavailable
Eye of the Needle
Audiobook9 hours

Eye of the Needle

Written by Ken Follett

Narrated by Eric Lincoln

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

One enemy spy knows the secret of the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin—code name: "The Needle"—who holds the key to the ultimate Nazi victory.

Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is coming to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.

Ken Follett's unsurpassed and unforgettable masterwork of suspense, intrigue, and dangerous machinations of the human heart.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 16, 2017
ISBN9781543611335
Unavailable
Eye of the Needle
Author

Ken Follett

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can.

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Reviews for Eye of the Needle

Rating: 3.9895491699542784 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,531 ratings59 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a classic World War II spy suspense story first published in 1978. Set in the UK, German spy Henry Faber (the Needle) is really a super spy and what he discovers about British plans to invade Europe will determine who wins the war - the Allies or the Nazis. Faber is brilliant and ruthless but turns out to be no match for a beautiful, lonely English housewife and mother named Lucy. This book is much better written than the average spy story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After a bit of a leisurely start, 'Eye of the Needle' accelerates relentlessly to a sustained and thrilling climax. The characters are starkly, even harshly drawn and the intensity is palpable.

    Follett's novels exemplify the term "page-turner," and at times this one borders on cheesy. The villain's ruthlessness and superhuman efficiency, and the heroine's honor and pulchritude, are stressed quite more than necessary. Nor did I need so many scenes with real World War II figures -- Churchill, Hitler, Rommell (where was Eisenhower?) -- telling each other portentiously that the 'whole war depends on this one spy.' All a little forced and unconvincing.

    But the bulk of the story, focused on the main characters and their spy hunting, pursuit, wars of nerves, and games of cat and mouse, was excellent.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good thriller.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    WW2 British spy novel
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Brilliant book, excellent story, great addition to my collection.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the best WWII books I’ve read in a long time. I was truly astonished to learn that Follett was only 27 years old when he wrote it. Incredible plot, characters, tension, just everything about the book is amazing. I was biting my nails near the end! You must read it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of Ken Follett's best ever.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Pretty lame, honestly. Super plot heavy spy thriller where the plot and the setting carry everything. The only issue is the plot was decent, but rather predictable and cliche. The setting and premise was good, but I'm just not that interested in WWII. The characters were super shallow. The writing was decent at times, and just cringy and bad at other times.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book on CD narrated by Eric Lincoln and performed by a full cast.4.5**** From the book jacket: One enemy spy knows the secret to the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin -- code name: "The Needle" -- who holds the key to ultimate Nazi victory. Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is beginning to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.My reactions:Wow. Just, WOW.Fast-paced and engaging, this was Follett’s first successful endeavor as a novelist; he wrote it when he was only 27 years old! Follet uses three story arcs which converge in a heart-stopping scenario. He begins with Henry Faber, the pseudonym used by the German spy known as The Needle, and quickly shows the reader just how determined, ruthless and dangerous this man is. Then he starts the story of Percival Godliman, an aging professor of history, with a background the British want to employ to help them catch spies, and Detective Inspector Bloggs, who will act as Godliman’s man on the ground during the big chase. And finally the third side of the triangle: Lucy, a young woman about to be married and embark on the life of a war bride. Follet continues to craft the story moving from one story line to the other, keeping the reader off balance and eager to find out more. Virtually every chapter ends in a cliffhanger. The audiobook is much like a radio drama. Erik Lincoln narrates the story, but each time there is dialogue, internal or external, the character is played by a different, talented voice artist. I found it a little off at first, but quickly grew used to it, and I found it really entertaining in the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A real page-turner and includes an aspect of WWII that I just recently learned - the creation of a fake military build-up to misinform Germany as to where D-Day would be launched. The audio was unique because characters’ dialogue was acted out reminiscent of a radio show. Not a big fan of that format. Still recommend the novel written in the 1970s.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good easy read - I got through it quickly. It was exactly what I was looking for after trying to slog through Wolf Hall. If you like WW II fiction, you’ll like this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Decent war time spy story, but not up to Ken Follett's usual standard. I had higher expecations!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a person who had only ever seen the movie, with Donald Sutherland, this was so much better.

    The film is one of my favorite WWII movies. Now the book is add to my favorites, as well.

    I'd suggest that if you've seen the film, definitely read this. If you've never seen the film, watch it, I think it's worth it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kinda wonder if this could have been real. The prologue mentioned it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Started slow, but then the plot developed and I enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    “The Needle” an enemy spy, aristocrat, and ruthless assassin. One person standing in his way. A lonely Englishwoman on an isolated Scottish Island who falls in love with him. Another Follett masterpiece. Full of suspense, intrigue, and adventure. Best WWII spy novel. Atmospheric and thrilling. A must read. I‘ve been reading Follett‘s books. Love them all!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    First read about 10 years ago and really enjoyed. Picked at the library and tried to re-read recently but it didn't hold up. Once you know how the story goes the characters are too flat and the writing not strong enough to hold my attention.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great audiobook. Finished in less than a week due to entertaining tale and a good road trip. A little slow at the start but picks up.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Saw the movie years ago. Enjoyed the book much more. Follet keeps you in his work.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Inhaltsangabe:Heinrich Rudolf Hans von Müller-Güder, in England eher bekannt unter dem Namen „Die Nadel“ oder auch Henry Faber, ist ein Profi-Agent. Während er schon 1940 in London lebte und die militärischen Aktivitäten ausspionierte, entsandte die deutsche Abwehr eine Reihe von „Amateur-Agenten“.1944 bekommt er den Auftrag, die Truppenstärke auszuforschen. Die Alliierten planen eine Invasion aufs europäische Festland. Bislang haben die Engländer es geschafft, alle Agenten zu täuschen. Doch Faber ist dem Geheimnis auf die Spur gekommen und versucht somit, seine Beweise ins Heimatland zu bringen.Dabei hinterlässt er eine Blutspur quer durch England. Er ist kaltblütig, präzise und schnell. Das MI5, allen voran Goodliman, ist ihm stets auf den Fersen, aber immer wieder entwischt die Nadel ihnen. Als Faber nach einem Sturm auf einer kleinen Insel -Storm Island- landet, scheint er erstmal sicher zu sein. Dort lebt die unglückliche Lucy mit ihrem behinderten Mann David und ihrem kleinen Jungen.Als Lucy und Faber sich sehen, ist sofort eine Spannung zwischen ihnen und tatsächlich gibt sie sich ihm hin. Doch dann stellt sie fest, weshalb er wirklich auf Storm Island ist.Mein Fazit:Dies ist für mich erste Roman von Follett, den ich gelesen habe. Und ich bin angenehm überrascht. Der Autor beweist großes Geschick, was das Erzählen angeht. Er geht nicht zu sehr ins Detail, lässt aber auch keine Fragen offen. Er macht keine unnötigen Zeitsprünge, sondern schließt eine Handlung stets im Kapitel ab.Seine Protagonisten haben sehr viel Tiefgang und Charakter. Auch Faber, den man anfänglich ablehnt aufgrund seiner brutalen Vorgehensweise, lernte ich kennen. Er widerfuhr im Laufe der Geschichte eine leichte Verwandlung. Zwar war er noch immer eiskalt und brutal, aber der Autor hat ihm Gefühle gegeben. Und die spannende Jagd quer durch England machte ihn eigentlich sympathischer.Lucy lebte in einer lieblosen Ehe, bedingt durch die Behinderung ihres Mannes. Am Tag ihrer Hochzeit hatten sie einen Autounfall und er verlor beide Beine. Sie begegnet Faber in einer Situation, wo sie sich nach Leben sehnte, nach Menschen und nach Gedankenaustausch. Und er hatte die Gabe, ihre Körpersprache richtig zu deuten.Das Ende des Buches möchte ich nicht verraten, aber es war für mich sehr überraschend. Ich habe an einigen Stellen schmunzeln müssen. Ich empfinde das Buch als gut recherchiert, obwohl ich nicht alles so genau weiß, wie es damals in London war. Aber die Detail-Beschreibungen waren schon sehr interssant. Dieses Buch ist für mich ein Juwell in den Agenten-Thrillern und ich hoffe, ich kann noch mehr von Ken Follett lesen.Das Buch bekommt 5 von 5 Sternchen.Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt aus April 2009.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    one of my favorite books and the best of Ken Follett; also made into a good movie with Donald Sutherland as the bad guy which kept me on the edge of my seat even though I had read the book before.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Harry Faber is a German spy in England during WW II. His assignment is to see if the build up in eastern England is for real so Hitler and company can decide if the Calais area is the real invasion target. In his travels in that area, he sees the fake tanks, planes and barracks and realizes that that General Patton's army that is supposedly training in the area is a fake too. He tries to reach a U-boat in northern Scotland with the photographic evidence and that is the gist of this fast moving, tense and violent novel that examines the premise what if the Germans had discovered that Normandy was the invasion destination.There are some unlikely heroes and heroines including an unhappy English woman isolated a remote island with an unloving husband, a lonely widower who is an intelligent agent on the trail of Faber and most unlikely the Medieval History professor who unravels who Faber is.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The novel was published in 1978 and way back in 1981 this book was turned into a movie with Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. Although I have not seen the film in quite a long time I thought it excellent when I first saw it and re-watched it on cable more than once. After first seeing the film I picked up the novel and liked it every bit as much as the film and probably more. Film and novel are both excellent. The story is told about about several characters with three focal points so to speak, but the story is about a German agent embedded in England who has been told to discover if there is a false show being put on by the allies to confuse Germany about where the D-Day invasion will be. It was an elaborate scheme of deception. Equally important is a young (and tragic) married couple living on an island in the North Sea. British MI hunts down the needle before he can discover and relay the truth. The story is tightly woven and the novel is truly a suspense filled thriller with several heart racing scenes. Each character is well written and I was very glad to read it again. A real page turner at times after a very good buildup.Terrific book. Highly recommended. This certainly holds up 40 years after first publication.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First book of the year was a real page turner! I really enjoyed this spy-thriller set in the time of World War II England. This book is basically told from three points of view. First, from that of a German spy and his actions in England. Second, from the point of view of the British MI-5 man tasked with tracking him down. And third, from the point of view of a young married couple at the time. There are also a few random chapters that share the story of others (including Rommel and Hitler), but those are done to move the plot along.

    While I found the ending to be fairly predictable (not the actual action, but the result), I think this was a fantastic short novel. Each of the characters were interesting and true to themselves, and I found myself rooting for the good guys and against the bad guys. This was my second Ken Follett book and I will be sure to read more.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set in England, just before D-day, this is the story of the efforts of Britain to fool the Germans into thinking they would invade anywhere but Normandy. One spy stands between in their way, and they can't find him.A well told tale, the suspense builds nicely, even when you know how it must end. My feelings veered wildly with the characters. I would be impatient and annoyed with them, and then rooting for them. Even though I wanted to hate the spy, I couldn't quite manage it. The fact that it was a very good story is all that kept me listening to it. I did not care for the production choices. The narrator read only the narrative (and Eric Lincoln was a wonderful narrator), and all the dialog was provided by actors. This threw me right out of the story, and at times made it extremely difficult to understand what was being said. So, I recommend a print version of this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good read.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of Follett's first few books, this was the novel that put him on the map. A well written thriller with good incorporation of the events surrounding the leadup to D-Day, its a good light read.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    St. Bart's 2015 #5 - Loved this book! I know I read it during a 1983 trip through Europe, but I did not remember a single fact from this book. A great steady read that kept my interest start to finish. And again, this random island vacation selection, unbeknownst to me, has a huge part of the exciting plot take place on an island!!! Lots of insight into the humanity of ordinary folks asked to do extraordinary things in wartime, and I really appreciated that. Good yarn about what could have happened. I would certainly recommend.....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am a Ken Follett fan and have enjoyed all his books. This book starts off slowly, whilst he is introducing his characters and setting the scene, but then starts gathering pace and becomes the type of novel I expect from Follett.A thoroughly enjoyable WWII spy thriller!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A German spy in World War II is trying to get important information to Hitler regarding an Allied invasion in France. British Military Intelligence is trying to stop him. After a terrible accident on their wedding night, Lucy and David Rose move to a secluded island, accompanied by only sheep and an ancient shepherd. These three come together in a compelling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.