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Series · thriller

World War Two

by Greg Iles

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

Books
2 known books (2 novels)
Published
2
First published
1993
Status
completed
Shelved under
Thriller
Start here: Spandau Phoenix (1993) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Spandau Phoenix
Spandau Phoenix (1993)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Spandau Phoenix

    Novel
    Spandau Phoenix, Iles's 1993 debut, runs 695 pages and is set in 1987 around a conspiracy surrounding Rudolf Hess's death in Spandau Prison, with Jonas Stern's wartime past -- laid out fully in Black Cross -- resurfacing to drive the present-day plot.
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  2. Black Cross

    Novel
    Though published second, Black Cross (1995) is chronologically the earlier story and, per Greg Iles's own recommendation, the better starting point: a 556-page account of a 1944 mission to sabotage a Nazi chemical-weapons program, centered on Zionist agent Jonas Stern.
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The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.

  1. Black Cross

    Novel
    Though published second, Black Cross (1995) is chronologically the earlier story and, per Greg Iles's own recommendation, the better starting point: a 556-page account of a 1944 mission to sabotage a Nazi chemical-weapons program, centered on Zionist agent Jonas Stern.
    View book

  2. Spandau Phoenix

    Novel
    Spandau Phoenix, Iles's 1993 debut, runs 695 pages and is set in 1987 around a conspiracy surrounding Rudolf Hess's death in Spandau Prison, with Jonas Stern's wartime past -- laid out fully in Black Cross -- resurfacing to drive the present-day plot.
    View book

Key facts about the World War Two series

Our list has 2 books in the World War Two series. Since all 2 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Spandau Phoenix, since it opens the publication order in 1993. Black Cross is book 2, from 1995.

However, the story's own timeline begins with Black Cross. Use the order switch above to see that timeline. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 1993 and 1995, while their length runs from 556 to 695 pages. That is a run of 2 years.

Greg Iles has 19 books on our list. Additionally, they write Penn Cage. We shelve the books under thriller.

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.

How many books are in the World War Two series?

Two: Spandau Phoenix (1993) and Black Cross (1995).

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