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World War Two

by Greg Iles

The World War Two series by Greg Iles has 2 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Spandau Phoenix (1993).

Books
2 books
First published
1993
Status
completed
Last checked

Start here: Spandau Phoenix (1993) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Spandau Phoenix, the first book in World War Two

Spandau Phoenix (1993)

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. Spandau Phoenix

    Novel

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  2. Black Cross

    Novel

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The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.

  1. Black Cross

    Novel

    View book

  2. Spandau Phoenix

    Novel

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About the World War Two series

Greg Iles's first two published novels are linked historical thrillers built around Jonas Stern, a Zionist agent whose actions during and after the Second World War connect both books. Spandau Phoenix (1993), Iles's debut, is set in 1987 and centers on a conspiracy surrounding the death of Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison, with Stern's wartime past resurfacing to drive the present-day plot. Black Cross (1995) goes back to the war itself: a 1944 mission to sabotage a Nazi chemical-weapons program, with Stern as one of its central characters, chronologically preceding the events referenced in Spandau Phoenix by roughly fifty years.

Iles himself has recommended reading Black Cross first despite Spandau Phoenix's earlier publication date, since it establishes Stern's history before Spandau Phoenix's plot draws on it.

Frequently asked questions

How are Spandau Phoenix and Black Cross connected?

Both feature Jonas Stern, a Zionist agent; Black Cross (set in 1944) shows his wartime past, and Spandau Phoenix (set in 1987, published first) draws on that history in its present-day conspiracy plot.

Which should I read first?

Greg Iles has recommended Black Cross first, despite Spandau Phoenix being published two years earlier, since Black Cross comes chronologically first in Stern's story.

Reading order last verified .