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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > War fiction > First World War fiction
If you love Katie Flynn and Pam Howes, you'll love Chrissie Walsh's
WWI story of love, loss and triumph!Kitty and Tom Conlon arrive in
Liverpool in July 1916 to claim the house Tom's great-uncle has
bequeathed him in his will. The move to England couldn't have come
at a better time. Dublin is in turmoil following the Easter
Uprising and Kitty's brother is now in prison. The house in Weaver
Street is all they hoped for, and after a shaky start with her new
neighbours, Kitty believes the world is her oyster. Until that is,
Tom is conscripted into the navy. With Tom away, it's up to Kitty
and the women of Weaver Street to get each other through the war.
Praise for Chrissie Walsh:'An authentic Yorkshire saga - you can
almost hear the clacking of the looms. Add a feisty mill girl,
determined to fight injustice, and you'll be reading through the
night' Alrene Hughes, on The Girl from the Mill. 'Full of joy,
sorrow and a big pinch of fun. I loved it' Elizabeth Gill, on The
Child from the Ash Pits 'A captivating story of family, relations
and the complexities of life. With truly heart-tugging moments that
make you shed a tear. The Child from the Ash Pits is everything a
good read should be' Diane Allen, on The Child from the Ash Pits
What readers say about Chrissie Walsh:'I could not fault any of
this book, as the author brings all the characters to life, its
such an interesting story that will engross readers all the way
through. Loved it.' 'Really well written and very enjoyable,
keeping the reader engrossed and gripped until the very last page.'
'Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was engrossed from start to
finish. Good strong characters, and strong storyline. Great author.
I recommend.' 'The author writes so descriptively about the
characters you feel you know them inside out. A brilliant read and
I can't wait for the next novel to be published.'
The Booker-shortlisted Royal Flying Corps classic, reissued for the
50th Anniversary of its first publication With an Introduction by
James Holland and an Afterword by Mike Petty "Robinson is probably
the best novelist ever to write about fighter combat: surprising,
hyper-realistic and very, very dark" Spectator World War One pilots
were the knights of the sky, and the press and public idolised them
as gallant young heroes. At just twenty-three, Major Stanley
Woolley is the old man and commanding officer of Goshawk Squadron.
He abhors any notion of chivalry in the clouds and is determined to
obliterate the decent, gentlemanly outlook of his young, public
school-educated pilots - for their own good. But as the war goes on
he is forced to throw greener and greener pilots into the meat
grinder. Goshawk Squadron finds its gallows humour and black
camaraderie no defence against a Spandau bullet to the back of the
head.
Tatiana L. Dubinskaya was a schoolgirl who ran away from home and
served on the Eastern Front from 1916-17 as a soldier in the
Russian army during World War I. She later became a writer and in
1930 recounted her personal experiences as a soldier in an
autobiographical novel, called In the Trenches, published in
Moscow. In 1936 she revised and republished a shorter version of
her story under a new title, Machine Gunner. Both versions of her
novel had much in common. Most of the characters and much of the
storyline remained essentially the same, but there were a few
notable exceptions, which included the addition of more
revolutionary zeal to the main characters in Machine Gunner, which
likely gave it greater appeal in Stalinist Russia. This revised
edition of In the Trenches has been edited using select portions
from Machine Gunner to provide greater clarity and context to
Dubinskaya's original story. In the Trenches received critical
acclaim when first published, being favorably compared with Erich
Maria Remarque's 1929 classic World War I novel, All Quiet on the
Western Front, which portrayed the stark realism of life in the
trenches through the eyes of a young German soldier. Dubinskaya's
character, Zinaida "Zina" Kramskaya, had similar experiences. In
the Trenches was significant as it marked the first major account
of a female soldier from World War I to be published in Russia. In
April 1930 the United Press International reported that an American
publisher had acquired the rights for an English edition of In the
Trenches, but it never went into print. Russian censorship may have
stopped the English edition. In the novel, Zina develops close ties
to her brothers in arms, endures the hardships and stresses of war,
is exposed to the undercurrents of revolutionary thinking in the
ranks, and comes to grips with the disruptive effects of the czar's
abdication in March 1917, which led to the wide-scale spread of a
socialist revolution in the army. After returning home for a visit
with her family, she wrestles with remaining and returning to a
normal life. Eventually, she is drawn back to the theater of war.
Back at the front in the wake of a revolution that overthrew the
czar and the Romanov dynasty, she sees widespread changes sweeping
across the army. The revolution has brought a provisional socialist
government to power whose new policies cause havoc in the army.
Soldiers' committees emerge to challenge traditional authority from
the officers, and in some cases disgruntled soldiers summarily
execute unfavorable officers without facing any repercussions.
These sudden changes cause a massive destabilization in the army
that leads many soldiers to desert and return home, including
Zina's regiment. Although she was exposed to revolutionary
propaganda, she is not an ardent revolutionary. Her story ends
abruptly in the summer of 1917, several months before the November
1917 Bolshevik revolution.
1913 Lydia Miller, daughter of a German doctor, is training to
become a nurse when she first meets debonair Robert Ravening, the
nephew of a Lord and a keen aviator and promptly falls in love.
When the Great War begins in 1914, Robert enlists with the Royal
Flying Corps and as a nurse, determined to help all she can, Lydia
is sent to France. But her love affair with Robert has more than
one consequence as secrets and sins are disclosed. Also being both
British and German Lydia finds herself in No Man's Land, suspected
by one and imprisoned by the other. Previously published as Home
for Christmas Praise for Lizzie Lane: 'A gripping saga and a
storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin 'The Tobacco
Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a
must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton 'Lizzie Lane opens the
door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming
friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they
were then.' Catrin Collier 'If you want an exciting, authentic
historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J
Miller
1913 Lydia Miller, daughter of a German doctor, is training to
become a nurse when she first meets debonair Robert Ravening, the
nephew of a Lord and a keen aviator and promptly falls in love.
When the Great War begins in 1914, Robert enlists with the Royal
Flying Corps and as a nurse, determined to help all she can, Lydia
is sent to France. But her love affair with Robert has more than
one consequence as secrets and sins are disclosed. Also being both
British and German Lydia finds herself in No Man's Land, suspected
by one and imprisoned by the other. Previously published as Home
for Christmas Praise for Lizzie Lane: 'A gripping saga and a
storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin 'The Tobacco
Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a
must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton 'Lizzie Lane opens the
door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming
friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they
were then.' Catrin Collier 'If you want an exciting, authentic
historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J
Miller
ENGLAND WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. Loosely based on the sad tale of
the cricketers of Clifton College, whose cricket first eleven all
volunteered for active service at the commencement of the First
World War, suffering the inevitable consequences. The story follows
the early adventures of the cricket-mad public schoolboys of
Wickham Dale, where sexual scandals are simmering beneath the
surface. The boys smutty, knockabout, knob-orientated humour is a
spoof of the 'Boy's Own' derring-do adventures in early C20 junior
fiction, as is the underlying morality of the time, cricket
etiquette and outdated values that perished on the bloody fields of
Flanders and France. Underpinning the story is the relationship
between shy, introverted would-be poet Jack Bigglesworth and his
childhood playmate, the liberated, free-spirited, audacious and
impetuous Kitty Ketteridge. Their subsequent fate, anguish and
disillusionment of the survivors is recounted in awful detail, as
is the deserved fate of the school miscreants.
In this powerful epistolary novel, acclaimed Anishinaabe author
Gerald Vizenor interweaves history, cultural stories, and irony to
reveal a shadow play of truth and politics. Basile Hudon Beaulieu
lives in a houseboat on the River Seine in Paris between 1932 and
1945. He observes the liberals, fascist, artists, and bohemians,
and presents puppet shows with his brother. His thoughts and
experiences are documented in the form of fifty letters to the
heirs of the fur trade. Vizenor is a unique voice of Native
American presence in the world of literature, and in his inimitable
creative style he delivers a moving, challenging, and darkly
humorous commentary on modernity.
8th August 1914... In the sequel to the acclaimed novel, The
Baker's Story, award-winning author Alan Reynolds continues the
historical drama following the Marsden family into the depths of
the First World War. Mildred Marsden, the family matriarch, can
only watch as the conflict takes her family in different directions
with mixed fortunes. Using detailed research, we are transported
back to the horrors of the trench warfare in Flanders and witness
the effects on the serving soldier. We learn too about the bravery
of the female volunteer ambulance crews as they strive to save the
lives of the wounded in what has been described as the first
example of 'industrial warfare'. At home, meanwhile, the social
divide is all too apparent as life for many continues as normal in
blissful ignorance of the sacrifices of others. Another gripping
tale, carefully crafted to provide the reader with an insight into
the world of our great, great grandparents at the time of their
greatest challenges.
As the end of the war nears, change arrives at Woodicombe
House...Kate Channer is settled in London helping half-sister,
Naomi, as her housekeeper while the Great War rages on. When
Naomi's brother, Ned, is sent home seriously injured it's up to
Kate to manage the household as well as Ned's rehabilitation. But
with the growing workload, Kate struggles to keep everything
running smoothly and yearns to return to Woodicombe House. And with
no word from her husband, Luke, fighting in France, it's becoming
increasingly difficult to stay positive. Hard times are ahead for
Kate and her family - when the realities of war land on their
doorstep, can Kate find the strength to keep going? The final book
in the Woodicombe House Saga trilogy, this story is perfect for
fans of Linda Finlay and Rosie Goodwin.
The Booker Prize-winning modern classic of contemporary war fiction
from the Women's Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the
Girls Recommended by Richard Osman 'One of the few real
masterpieces of late twentieth-century British fiction' Jonathan
Coe 'Original, delicate and unforgettable' Independent 'A new
vision of what the First World War did to human beings, male and
female, soldiers and civilians. Constantly surprising and formally
superb' A. S. Byatt, Daily Telegraph 1917, Scotland. At
Craiglockhart War Hospital in Scotland, army psychiatrist William
Rivers treats shell-shocked soldiers before sending them back to
the front. In his care are poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred
Owen, and Billy Prior, who is only able to communicate by means of
pencil and paper. . . Regeneration, The Eye in the Door and The
Ghost Road follow the stories of these men until the last months of
the war. Widely acclaimed and admired, Pat Barker's Regeneration
trilogy paints with moving detail the far-reaching consequences of
a conflict which decimated a generation. The Regeneration trilogy:
Regeneration The Eye in the Door The Ghost Road
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