The Sentinels: Fortunes of War

By Gordon Zuckerman

Book Overview

Set during the perennially popular world war II era, the sentinels is a thriller spawned from historical speculation -- a unique twist in the genre. In the financial devastation of the 1930s, a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1929774648
• ISBN13: 9781929774647
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

First in Series

The Sentinels: Fortunes of War by Gordon Zuckerman begins with a flashback to a meeting of group of German industrialists who decide to back a new fellow on the scene, Hitler for financial reason. They are concerned about their own pockets, not what is best for the country. Jump forward and it appears that World War II is about to end and these same industrialists want to get their money out of the country safely without Hitler knowing. The want to be able to use their money once the Reich is no more. Getting in their way are the Sentinels, a group of six very intelligent young people who attended grad school together and were quite a think tank. They have since stayed in touch but each has been involved in their own way changing the world. They realize that if these men get their money out of Germany they will again back someone else and it will only be a matter of time before the cycle begins again. Thus, they develop a plot to stop these men from profiting further. They have financial and business connections and develop a plan to take the industrialists' money and use it in a more positive manner. They are a likeable group of four young men and two women. As they put their plan into effect it soon becomes clear their lives are in danger. They are hunted down, some kidnapped but they are determined to carry through with their plans despite the danger. I could not put the book down as there are many plot twists and turns, there is political intrigue, conspiracy, and romance. As I finished reading it I realized I really didn't want to leave the Sentinels and then I read that more books were forthcoming and I was excited. Gordon Zuckerman is in the same class as other thriller writers including Robert Ludlum and David Baldacci. He has a clear understanding of history, creates an interesting page turner and develops likable characters. I am looking forward to the next one in The Sentinel series.

Gordon Zuckerman is a masterful story teller.

Gordon Zuckerman's "The Sentinels: Fortunes of War" takes the German homeland from 1932 to the end of the World War II. The plot is captivating. The author starts introducing the key characters one by one. They are some of the best and brightest from their countries and some from some of the most influential and powerful families. The year is 1932. The previously dominant German nation was on the brink of financial and societal collapse. An influential collection of prosperous and well-placed businessmen decided it was time to do something. They have a simple plan. They will choose a potential leader for the nation who was sympathetic to the notion of rearmament. They will make available ample monetary support to make certain of a victorious rise to power. Their motivation is for succeeding is their profits during the rearmament would be enormous. The prospective leader they decided to sponsor was Adolf Hitler. At the time he was the rising star of the National Socialist German Workers Party. But what if Germany lost the war and the businessmen took their profits out of the country before it fell? A group of young doctoral students at University of California at Berkeley hypothesized that such funds would eventually find their way to another military conflict elsewhere in the world. The called their idea The Power Theory. The Power Theory is just that, a theory, in1938. But by early 1945, it becomes apparent that it is about to become an actuality in Nazi Germany. That's when the group makes a decision to reunite and implement a plan to thwart war profits leaving the country. Gordon Zuckerman is a masterful story teller. He provides ample political intrigue, romance and forceful exploits. The action takes place across Europe and America. "The Sentinels: Fortunes of War" is a very well written international thriller.

Political Intrigue, Romance and Action

Zuckerman, Gordon. "The Sentinels: Fortunes of War", Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2009. Political Intrigue, Romance and Action Amos Lassen In 1938, the Sentinels, a group of six economic doctoral students at the University of California at Berkeley, announce that they have discovered a pattern that explains and can predict cycles of the rise and fall of world powers. They particularly maintain that German industrialists are pushing Europe into war and they propose a watchdog organization that can get rid of these trends. However, they are a bit too late to stop World War II from happening. When the enemies hear about this group, they try to get the Sentinels into a stalemate and forestall any happenings. We go behind the scenes of financial maneuverings and the creation of puppet leaders. Although the plot is set in World War II, we can easily see how it could happen today. This is quite a serious story but Zuckerman has quite a wit to him and the story provokes thought. It's a fast paced thriller novel that is written excellently with extraordinary characters--a real page-turner.

Riveting Read

This book is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader on the page! A superb historical piece. Wonderful summer read!