This book had been on my TBR list since I heard about it on the History Extra podcast in mid-2020…I bought it for my father for Christmas that December and he kindly loaned it back to me!
About V2
V2 is a tense, fascinating thriller full of rigorously researched details about the Nazi terror weapons program in the dying days of World War II and the Allied effort to thwart it. The program was a precursor to modern Intercontinental Ballistic Missile programs. But it was established by rocket scientists who were initially more interested in sending rockets into space than developing weapons. Because the V2 missiles had a parabolic trajectory, the Allies realised that if the knew the target (London) and the trajectory of the missile, they could use geometry to work out the launch site. If they calculated quickly enough they could bomb the launch site before it was dismantled. Kay Caton-Walsh is a WAAF Officer who ends up as part of a team in Holland tasked with doing the complex mathematics required to trace the sites. Here’s what I loved.
Cosy reading for the long weekend
1) A cracking pace
This was a cracker of a read. It had me gripped from beginning to end.
2) A fantastic heroine
I also read Robert Harris’s book Munich these holidays and couldn’t get into it as easily as this book. Despite the fact I loved the political intrigue in Munich, I missed the feminine viewpoint that V2 had. Kay isn’t perfect…she makes a few questionable choices in men, but ultimately she had plenty of gumption, which is what I like in my heroines.
3) Technical detail
This book was layered with a lot of technical details that made everything ring true. Obviously, I don’t know much about rocket engineering but complex details were compellingly conveyed (and Harris has a reputation for thorough research.) I feel like I have some very deep insights into the V2 weapons program.
Romance rating
Only one heart out of five for this book. There were some dubious sexual encounters but no real romance. I mean I loved Kaye but the girl made some very poor choices.
