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Series

Jack Tanner

The Jack Tanner series follows a sergeant in the fictional King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers through the British Army’s changing fortunes between 1940 and 1943. The Odin Mission begins during the retreat from Norway, Darkest Hour moves through the fall of France and Dunkirk, and Blood of Honour places Tanner on Crete as German airborne forces attack.

Hellfire follows the desert war and the struggle against Rommel, while The Devil’s Pact carries Tanner into Sicily and Fascist Italy. Across five novels, Holland combines infantry action with intelligence work, betrayal and command failure, using Tanner’s professional competence to examine how ordinary soldiers adapt when strategy, equipment and political alliances repeatedly change around them.

Reading order

Books in this series (5 books)

The Odin Mission cover

#1 – The Odin Mission

James Holland

In April 1940, Sergeant Jack Tanner and the King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers are sent to Norway as German forces seize ports and airfields. Poor planning, weak communications and enemy air superiority place the British expedition in retreat before it can establish a secure position. Tanner is…

Darkest Hour cover

#2 – Darkest Hour

James Holland

In May 1940, Jack Tanner’s battalion is sent into Belgium as German armoured forces break through the Ardennes and cut the Allied armies away from their supply lines. Tanner recognises that the official orders no longer match the battlefield and attempts to keep his men together…

Blood of Honour cover

#3 – Blood of Honour

James Holland

In 1941, Jack Tanner reaches Crete after the evacuation from Greece and finds Allied forces preparing for a German airborne assault. The island’s defence depends on scattered units, limited equipment and commanders uncertain where the main attack will fall. Tanner becomes involved with Cretan resistance and…

Hellfire cover

#4 – Hellfire

James Holland

Jack Tanner is transferred to the North African campaign as British forces confront Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Desert warfare exposes infantry to long supply lines, sudden armoured attacks and a landscape where movement can be seen for miles. Tanner’s unit is drawn into a mission involving…

The Devil’s Pact cover

#5 – The Devil’s Pact

James Holland

In July 1943, Jack Tanner lands in Sicily as Allied forces open a new front against the Axis. The campaign brings British troops into contact with Italian civilians, Fascist officials and German units preparing to withdraw while inflicting as much delay as possible. Tanner is pulled…