Max Hennessy 4 Book Set Army of Shadows, Take or Destroy, Sword Point, The Fox From His Lair

Army of Shadows, Swordpoint, The Fox From His Lair and Take or Destroy are presented together in a four-book set by Max Hennessy. Set during the Second World War, the collection moves across multiple theatres of conflict, from occupied France to the Italian campaign and the North African desert.

Across the four novels, the action ranges from winter 1944, when a Lancaster bomber crew is attacked at night and only Neville and Urqhart survive to parachute into occupied territory, to the battle for Monte Cassino, where the shattered abbey still overlooks the valleys and blocks the road to Rome. Elsewhere, a German agent known as “The Fox” emerges as a dangerous presence, while the Eighth Army prepares an assault and Lieutenant-Colonel George Hockold identifies the port of Qaba as a strategic objective.

Included titles

• Army of Shadows
• Take or Destroy
• Swordpoint
• The Fox From His Lair

Key details

• Four-book set
• Author: Max Hennessy
• Set during the Second World War
• Settings include France, Italy and the Nile delta

Synopses

Army of Shadows

France, winter 1944: liberation is close. After a run of successful bombing missions, a Lancaster bomber crew begins to ease off, until a Messerschmitt strikes from the darkness. Of the nine men, only Neville and Urqhart survive, parachuting into occupied France.

Swordpoint

Monte Cassino’s hilltop monastery becomes synonymous with a German defensive position against the Allied advance in Italy. Even after aerial bombardment in February 1944 reduces the abbey buildings to rubble, the mountain continues to dominate the river valleys and block the road to Rome.

The Fox From His Lair

“The Fox” is a German agent known for multiple names and disguises, as well as resource and ingenuity. His existence goes unnoticed until an unexpected E-Boat attack results in hundreds of casualties and the loss of top-secret invasion plans.

Take or Destroy

The Eighth Army builds its strength in the Nile delta, preparing a major assault against Rommel’s Afrika Korps. The Korps controls the small port of Qaba, two hundred miles west of Cairo, and Lieutenant-Colonel George Hockold plans an offensive intended to distract the enemy and cut off essential fuel supplies.