Ken Follett, author of best-selling thrillers such as Eye of the Needle, Triple, The Key to Rebecca, The Man from St. Petersburg, The Third Twin, The Hammer of Eden, Code to Zero, and the 2001 title, Jackdaws, has created a winning blend of historical events and action-adventure fiction. Many of his books are set during war time, World War II being a favorite motif. Follett has, however, never ventured onto a battlefield or dangerous situation, a la Ernest Hemingway, in pursuit of a story. "I don't think I would have found any battle or wartime situation congenial," Follett told David Bowman in a Salon.com interview. "I've always been fond of creature comforts. Hot baths. I never liked danger."

Follett's fictional creations, however, are often weaned on danger; their creator has the knack of making his bad guys understandable if not almost likable, and his female characters strong movers...