Lezersrecensie
Blackout
In 1958, the space program is still in its infancy. The Russians have already succeeded in launching Sputnik into space, but the American government does not want to fall behind. That’s why the launch of the Explorer rocket is scheduled. Four friends from Harvard find themselves at the center of this struggle between the two powers. However, if the launch of the Explorer fails, it will be the end of the United States’ space dream.
A man wakes up on the floor of the restrooms at Union Station in Washington D.C., dressed in rags. He has no idea how he got there or who he is. He remembers nothing. The man, who turns out to be Luke Lucas, is one of the four from Harvard, and he must find a way to recover his memory—and as quickly as possible, because he alone possesses knowledge that could endanger the rocket launch. Pursued by his own government, he must get in touch as soon as possible with the people who can help him regain his memory and thus prevent a major disaster!
This was the first time I read a story by Ken Follett—something that had been on my list for quite a while. (The Kingsbridge series has been waiting patiently for ages, but so far I haven’t gotten around to it.) Countdown combines the best elements of a Jason Bourne story with those of John le Carré or Ian Fleming. The story is set entirely during the height of the Cold War, a time filled with distrust toward anyone who thought differently. It was an era in which communism was openly condemned, and anyone even suspected of having sympathies for Russia or communist ideas was imprisoned and/or sentenced to death.
The book is incredibly suspenseful, and thanks to the flashbacks to the past of the “Harvard Four,” we get a lot of background that is crucial to the story. But Follett keeps his readers so much on the edge of their seats, revealing so little along the way, that you only find out at the very end what—and who—is really behind it all.
In any case, it has really made me want to read more of Follett’s work.
By the way, the Explorer rocket is not a creation of the author. It really was launched into space, after a few delays, and marked the beginning of the American space race—and ultimately, their landing on the Moon.
A man wakes up on the floor of the restrooms at Union Station in Washington D.C., dressed in rags. He has no idea how he got there or who he is. He remembers nothing. The man, who turns out to be Luke Lucas, is one of the four from Harvard, and he must find a way to recover his memory—and as quickly as possible, because he alone possesses knowledge that could endanger the rocket launch. Pursued by his own government, he must get in touch as soon as possible with the people who can help him regain his memory and thus prevent a major disaster!
This was the first time I read a story by Ken Follett—something that had been on my list for quite a while. (The Kingsbridge series has been waiting patiently for ages, but so far I haven’t gotten around to it.) Countdown combines the best elements of a Jason Bourne story with those of John le Carré or Ian Fleming. The story is set entirely during the height of the Cold War, a time filled with distrust toward anyone who thought differently. It was an era in which communism was openly condemned, and anyone even suspected of having sympathies for Russia or communist ideas was imprisoned and/or sentenced to death.
The book is incredibly suspenseful, and thanks to the flashbacks to the past of the “Harvard Four,” we get a lot of background that is crucial to the story. But Follett keeps his readers so much on the edge of their seats, revealing so little along the way, that you only find out at the very end what—and who—is really behind it all.
In any case, it has really made me want to read more of Follett’s work.
By the way, the Explorer rocket is not a creation of the author. It really was launched into space, after a few delays, and marked the beginning of the American space race—and ultimately, their landing on the Moon.
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