Sky Crash

Some thrillers begin with a mysterious stranger. Others begin with a coded message or a missing briefcase. The Hour of the Donkey begins with one of the Second World War’s greatest unanswered questions and quietly suggests that perhaps history has not been telling us absolutely everything. Anthony Price, one of Britain’s undisputed masters of the intelligent espionage novel, takes a real historical mystery and transforms it into a gripping tale where every clue matters and every assumption deserves a second look.

The novel centres upon the dramatic collapse of France in 1940, when two young British officers find themselves trapped behind advancing German lines after witnessing something they were never supposed to see. As they struggle to survive, they become unwilling custodians of information that could reshape the understanding of one of the war’s most controversial moments. Suddenly, escaping the enemy is only part of the challenge. Deciding whom they can trust becomes considerably more dangerous.

Price’s genius lies in treating espionage as a contest of intellect rather than explosions. There are no indestructible heroes leaping from moving trains while adjusting their cufflinks. Instead, there are ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances, forced to think their way through a labyrinth of deception, military bureaucracy and hidden agendas. The tension comes not from spectacular action scenes but from the unnerving realisation that every conversation may conceal another layer of the puzzle.

There is a wonderfully understated irony running through the book. Nations spend fortunes gathering intelligence, employing brilliant strategists and constructing elaborate plans, only for history to hinge upon a handful of frightened individuals trying desperately to understand events unfolding around them. The grand machinery of war, Price suggests, is often propelled by people who are making it up as they go along with varying degrees of success.

Blending meticulous historical research with compelling fiction, The Hour of the Donkey rewards readers who enjoy novels that challenge as much as they entertain. The real historical backdrop gives the conspiracy an unsettling plausibility, leaving you wondering where documented fact quietly hands the story over to imaginative speculation. It is the sort of novel that sends many readers searching through history books after they’ve turned the final page.

This 1983 Futura edition is in Good condition. It has clearly been read and appreciated over the years but remains a clean, solid and thoroughly enjoyable copy, ready to introduce another reader to one of Anthony Price’s finest historical thrillers.

Perfect for fans of espionage fiction, military history and intelligent page-turners where brains consistently outperform bullets. Add it to your shelves today and discover why Anthony Price remains one of the most respected names in British thriller writing, proving that the most dangerous weapon in any conflict is often a well-kept secret. As always from Crappy Old Books—where history’s mysteries are always in stock, and the conspiracies are mercifully confined to the pages.

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