Reviews - Riverside Public Library

Booklist Reviews

The author of Nazi Hunters (2013) tackles another part of WWII in this crackerjack young reader's adaptation of his latest nonfiction work for adults, The Winter Fortress (2016). In 1940 in the midst of Germany's race to invent an atomic reactor, German physicists discovered the importance of heavy water, an isotope produced only at Vemork, a hydroelectric plant in newly Nazi-occupied Norway. As the Allies sought to halt Nazi atomic research, they turned their attention to Vemork, sending small teams of resistance fighters to sabotage the plant's operations. Relating the story in suspenseful prose with only occasional departures into stats and figures, Bascomb tells of the heroic teams of Norwegian and British resistance fighters who braved a harsh Scandinavian winter and harrowing bouts of hunger while lying in wait to carry out their plans. While the descriptions of the science behind heavy water might befuddle some readers, Bascomb's clear-eyed account of the thrilling mission and its many challenges, cast against the backdrop of WWII—and helped along by photos, maps, and diagrams—will handily engage teens. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

This young readers' edition of The Winter Fortress focuses on a single, crucial Allied operation of WWII: the disruption of the Nazis' atomic program by eliminating their supply of heavy water. There is much information to process, but Bascomb admirably balances dramatic tension and context throughout. Appended with archival photographs and a wealth of back matter. Bib., ind. Copyright 2016 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

In this young readers' edition of The Winter Fortress, Bascomb (The Nazi Hunters, rev. 9/13) turns his attention to a single, crucial Allied operation of WWII: the disruption of the Nazis' atomic program by eliminating their supply of heavy water. Bascomb opens with a suspenseful prologue in which nine commandos ski through Nazi-occupied Norway in the dead of winter, getting their first sight of their target, the remote, seemingly impregnable factory at Vemork. "High on the icy crag, its dark silhouette looked like a winter fortress." Bascomb then backtracks, describing the Nazi invasion of Norway and the Resistance movement that opposed it; the basics of the German atomic program and the properties of heavy water that were necessary to its development. He introduces and then follows each member of the coordinated missions intent on destroying the heavy water: Grouse, which set up the initial camp near Vemork; Gunnerside, trained to attack the factory; and later, the team that sank a passenger ferry transporting heavy water to Germany. There are many names to keep straight and much information to process, but Bascomb admirably balances dramatic tension and context throughout. We hold our breath to see if the ferry bombing is successful, but we are also confronted with the ethics of sacrificing civilian passengers' lives. Sabotage will find its place in a growing body of narrative nonfiction centering on military and political history, including Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (rev. 11/12), of which this operation forms one strand. Appended with archival photographs and a wealth of back matter: an author's note, an extensive bibliography, an index (unseen), and, most notably, twenty-one pages of source notes. martha v. parravano

Kirkus Reviews

An isolated factory in Nazi-occupied Norway is an important link in a plan to deliver a nuclear weapon for Hitler until Norwegian resistance fighters embark on a dangerous mission to stop it.The reach of Nazi Germany into Norway did not mean just another country for Hitler's domination; it also provided access to the "heavy water" that would allow the Third Reich to develop an atomic bomb. The stories of the Norwegian men who joined forces with the British to cripple the efforts at Vemork, an isolated but essential industrial fortress, are at the center of this story. Their dramatic first failure and the subsequent successful mission make for a harrowing tale. The impact of weather, near starvation, and communication difficulties contribute to page-turning tension. The fact that the first success slowed but did not stop Nazi efforts, requiring yet another mission, delivers even more for the unfolding narrative. In this young-readers adaptation of The Winter Fortress (2016), B ascomb successfully describes the story's technical details: the process of making heavy water and its importance in creating a nuclear weapon, the strategies to disrupt the process, and the weather and topography, which played such crucial roles in the mission's execution and the saboteurs' escapes. The book is enhanced by impressive supplemental material, including a helpful list of participants, photographs, maps, and an intriguing author's note. A rich, well-paced narrative. (bibliography, source note, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

PW Annex Reviews

In a young readers' companion to The Winter Fortress, Bascomb offers a riveting account of Norwegian resistance efforts to prevent Germany from developing the atomic bomb by sabotaging a Norsk Hydro plant in Vemork, the world's sole producer in 1939 of "heavy water." Developing an explosive using nuclear fission depended on this critical ingredient, and on April 9, 1940—soon after the Nazis' increased orders for heavy water were refused by Norsk Hydro's management—Germany invaded and seized control of Norway's industrial sector. In response, Norwegian saboteurs trained in the U.K. to destroy Vemork's heavy water production, under the direction of the British Special Operations Executive and Capt. Leif Tronstad, an exiled Norwegian professor and well-connected informant. Bascomb's detailed narrative builds tension through each attempt, narrow escape, and comeback. Clear summaries of the science involved and the wartime interests of both the Allies and Germany accompany vivid descriptions of the principal participants and their motivations, the rigors of Norway's climate and terrain, and the risks calculated (and those unforeseen), producing a gripping account of individual and collective heroic effort. Ages 12–up. (May)

School Library Connection

This title is the young reader's edition of The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016). It is a thrilling, meticulously researched work of narrative nonfiction about the invasion of Norway by the Nazis in April, 1940, and the subsequent Allied efforts to sabotage Norway's Norsk hydroelectric plant in Vemork. Fearful that the Germans would be able to develop nuclear weapons using the crucial element of heavy water manufactured only in Vemork, the British recruited, trained, and outfitted Norwegian resistance members and British soldiers to carry out missions to destroy the plant, situated like a fortress in a freezing, remote gorge. Several raids were conducted over two years by bombers, gliders, spies, paratroopers, expert skiers and demolitions experts all operating through devastating periods of extreme weather, challenging geography, starvation, and German manhunts. Photos and maps illustrate the challenging terrain, equipment, and individuals involved. This would be an excellent choice for students interested in World War II and wartime underground resistance movements. Bibliography. Index.

- Grades 8-12 - Karen Leon - Recommended

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 8 Up—The people of Norway had hoped to remain neutral during World War II as they had in the Great War, but that hope was shattered when Nazi Germany invaded Norway's ports in the early days of April 1940. In addition to taking over Norway's land and exiling their king, Germany also intended to capture the hydroelectric plant at Vemork in Norway's frozen highlands. The plant was one of the only places in the world that produced a substance called heavy water, an extremely important ingredient in Germany's race to develop an atomic bomb. It would take the Allies several unsuccessful attempts before a time bomb planted on the ferry transporting the heavy water and production equipment across a deep lake spelled the demise of Germany's atomic research. Bascomb is a master of taking complicated histories and turning them into exciting works of nonfiction. By exploring the various backgrounds of each of the Norwegian resistance fighters and scientists, he gives readers a chance to understand their motivations and properly empathize with their struggles. This investment pays off as the stakes get higher, and the narrative deftly switches between their perspectives, creating a dramatic and suspenseful tension like no other. A generous amount of captioned black-and-white photos of the men, buildings, and artifacts help to guide readers through the text. VERDICT This excellent treatise on a little-known episode of World War II is a first choice.—Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 8 Up—A small team of average Joes escape out of their native Norway, undergo espionage training in Britain, and parachute into their Nazi-occupied homeland. Their high-risk mission: to destroy a hydroelectric plant in the remote, wintry mountains that produces a vital component, heavy water, for constructing an atomic bomb. Chock-full of archival photos and maps, this absorbing account sheds light on a lesser-known and vital chapter of World War II history and serves as a memorable tribute to the skiing spies.. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.