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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > War fiction > Second World War fiction
Find the truth; risk everything. A gripping WWII spy novel full of intrigue and peril from a modern master.1942: A German spy comes ashore on a desolate stretch of Lincolnshire beach. But he is hunted down by a young detective, Richard Prince. The secret services have need of a man like him... In occupied Europe, Denmark is a hotbed of problems for British intelligence. Rumours of a war-ending weapon being developed by the Germans are rife. Sent to Copenhagen, Prince is soon caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Dodging Gestapo agents, SS muscle and the danger of betrayal, his survival - and the war effort - hangs in the balance. Gripping and intense, Prince of Spies is the first in a new espionage series that will delight fans of Alan Furst, Philip Kerr and John le Carre.
As the Second World War enters its final stages, millions in Germany are forced from their homes by bombing, compelled to seek shelter in the countryside where there are barely the resources to feed them. Twelve-year-old Luisa, her mother, and her older sister Billie have escaped the devastation of the city for the relative safety of a dairy farm. But even here the power struggles of the war play out: the family depend on the goodwill of Luisa’s brother-in-law, an SS officer, who in expectation of payment turns his attention away from his wife and towards Billie. Luisa immerses herself in books, but even she notices the Allied bombers flying east above them, the gauntness of the prisoners at the camp nearby, the disappearance of fresh-faced boys from the milk shed – hastily shipped off to a war that’s already lost. Living on the farm teaches Luisa about life and death, but it’s man’s capacity for violence that provides the ultimate lesson, that robs her of her innocent ignorance. When, at a birthday celebration, her worst fears are realized, Luisa collapses under the weight of the inexplicable. Ralf Rothmann’s previous novel, To Die in Spring, described the horror of war and the damage done on the battlefield. The God of that Summer tells the devastating story of civilians caught up in the chaos of defeat, of events that might lead a twelve-year-old child to justifiably say: ‘I have experienced everything.’
'One of the most reliable thriller writers in the world' Daily Mail To do what is right, she risks losing everything... 1937 Sibil Hellinger is enjoying market day in the small Spanish town of Guernica when clouds of German planes suddenly fill the sky. As the bombs rain down, Sibil escapes with her sister but her mother is tragically killed. 1944 The world is at war and Sibil has grown into a beautiful young woman fuelled by a dark rage. Working with her father, a scientist and member of the undercover German resistance, she is the perfect spy to fight back against those responsible for her mother's death - the Nazis. To avenge the family she lost and protect those she loves, she must risk everything. From the bestselling author of The Black Swan of Paris, Fire in the Sky comes an absorbing novel of bravery, danger, love and women's unbelievable reserves of strength. PRAISE FOR THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS 'A truly outstanding novel, brilliantly written, that captured me and held me in its grip from page one. The Black Swan of Paris reminds us of the power of love, hope and courage' Heather Morris, #1 bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'Emotional and powerful' Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris 'Beautifully written and completely absorbing. ' Noelle Salazar, bestselling author of The Flight Girls 'An extraordinarily suspenseful, emotional read' Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE OSCAR-NOMINATED MOTION PICTURE 'JOJO RABBIT' NOMINATED FOR 6 ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY This extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes, an avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s. After he is severely injured in a raid, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna. His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession. After the disappearance of his parents, Johannes finds he is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house, the only one responsible for her survival. Both manipulating and manipulated, Johannes dreads the end of the war: with it will come the prospect of losing Elsa and their relationship, which ranges through passion and obsession, dependence and indifference, love and hate. This gripping, masterful work examines truth and lies at both political and personal levels, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.
A deserting soldier treks through the torn-up countryside and abandoned villages, trying to distance himself from the atrocities of war. An elderly man sits beneath lime trees, remembering his first sexual encounter one summer night with a female stranger who whispered another man's name. A young woman takes up a job in a care home, spending monotonous days scrubbing floors and yearning to dance at the local nightclub. The artist Franz Marc lives on in an imagined life as a patient at an asylum, before falling victim to Hitler's policy of Gnadentod. Finally, a young Jewish girl, the life she once knew destroyed, holds her memories close as she finds refuge in wreckage of her homeland. And throughout there is the shadowy presence of Viktor - one man or many? A looming figure in Germany's own reckoning with its past. Through these five interconnected stories, Philippe Claudel reflects on Germany's complex history and the experiences of its people, dismantling the idea of "a nation" or "a people" and exploring the malleability of memory.
A BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK 'A fascinating, beautiful, heartwarming novel. It kept me gripped from the very first chapter' -- BETH O'LEARY In Second World War Bath, young, naive wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, and at last his life seems to make sense . . . until, soon after, the newly married couple's home is bombed, and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone. No one has heard of Elsa Klein. They say he was never married. Seventy years later, social worker Laura is battling her way out of depression and off medication. Her new case is a strange, isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war. A man who insists his wife vanished many, many years before. Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia. But Laura begins to suspect otherwise . . . From Keith Stuart, author of the much-loved Richard & Judy bestseller A Boy Made of Blocks, comes a stunning, emotional novel about an impossible mystery and a true love that refuses to die. 'Enthralling, a real thing of beauty. Dazzling' -- JOSIE SILVER 'The Frequency of Us is a novel with a bit of everything: a sweeping love story, wonderfully complex characters, and a sprinkling of the supernatural. I loved it, and know it'll stay with me for some time' -- CLARE POOLEY 'A complete joy! An intelligent, intricate and emotive mystery' -- LOUISE JENSON
A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected. Paris, 1944 Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, her position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance. When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve is shaken. She knows it won't be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary - including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected - and in time to save Lillian's life. For fans of Danielle Steele's The Spy, Jane Thynne's Black Roses and Heather Morris' The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this exquisite novel illuminates three women's strength, courage and capacity for unconditional love.
Magnus is a deeply moving and enigmatic novel about the Holocaust. Magnus is a man searching for his own identity, attempting to piece together the complex puzzle of his life. But his true story turns out to be closer to a painting by Edward Munch than the romantic tale of family heroism and self-sacrifice on which he was nurtured by the woman he believed was his mother. In Magnus, Sylvie Germain uses imagination and intuition to unlock the enigma of human life and confer on history the power of myth and fable.
War is declared, and Biggles is ready for action!September 1939. Britain has declared war on Germany. Major James Bigglesworth, known to his friends as 'Biggles', is eager to get straight into the action alongside old friends Algernon 'Algy' Lacey and 'Ginger' Hebblethwaite. They don't have to wait long. The British government has covertly acquired a small island in the Baltic, off the north coast of Germany. The island is unremarkable save for one feature: a natural sea cave, unknown to the Germans, large enough to house several aircraft. Biggles' orders: wreak havoc on German forces for as long as possible without compromising the location of the secret base. It's a dangerous mission, for the might of the enemy military machine will be bent on finding them, led by Biggles' old nemesis, Erich von Stalhein. Take to the skies in a classic Biggles adventure packed with heroism and feats of derring-do. Perfect for fans of Derek Robinson and Max Hennessy.
BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AND 2022 WOMEN'S FICTION PRIZE-SHORTLISTED GREAT CIRCLE 'The same chilling brilliance of Daphne du Maurier's most unsettling short fiction' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Has an innate charm of its own. Beautifully realised' DAILY MAIL 'It's a rare writer who can create a world as convincingly over a few pages as in a 600-page novel; Shipstead's fluency in both forms is testament to the skill she modestly casts as a work in progress' Stephanie Merritt, GUARDIAN 'Maggie Shipstead combines cinematic scope with a poet's attention to detail' THE TIMES A collection of sparkling award-winning stories from Maggie Shipstead, epic storyteller and astonishing chronicler of the daring and the damaged. Diving into eclectic and vivid settings, from an Olympic village to a deathbed in Paris to a Pacific atoll, and illuminating a cast of unforgettable characters, Shipstead traverses the ordinary and extraordinary with cunning, compassion, and wit. Meet the silent cowgirl and horse wrangler escaping an ugly home life, only to fall into a decade-long triangle of unrequited love; a male novelist who is just reckoning with his own pretentiousness as his debut novel goes to print; a honeymoon couple's time in the hills of Romania builds into a moment of shattering tragedy. In the title story, a famous child actress breaks away from a religious cult, as she tells - with brittle candour - her tale of childhood damage and the dark side of fame. Exuding both tenderness and bite, Shipstead exposes complicated truths in this dazzling collection sealing her reputation as an astonishingly versatile master of fiction. --------------------- 'Shipstead is a writer who can vividly summon whatever she chooses, taking the reader deep inside the world she creates' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Shipstead observes people beautifully' THE TIMES
PRAISE FOR NATASHA LESTER... 'A fantastically engrossing story. I love it' KELLY RIMMER 'Intrigue, heartbreak... I cannot tell you how much I loved this book' RACHEL BURTON 'A gorgeously rich and romantic novel' KATE FORSYTH Her Mother's Secret is the story of a brave young woman chasing her dream against society's disapproval, perfect for fans of Gill Paul, Kate Furnivall and Penny Vincenzi. ********* 1918, England. Armistice Day should bring peace into Leonora East's life. Rather than making cosmetics secretly in her father's chemist shop, Leo hopes to now display her wares openly. Instead, Spanish flu arrives in the village, claiming her father's life. Determined to start over she boards a ship to New York City, where she meets debonair department store heir Everett Forsyth . . . 1939, New York City. Everett's daughter, Alice, a promising ballerina, receives a mysterious letter inviting her to star in a series of advertisements for a cosmetics line. If she accepts she will be immortalized like dancers such as Zelda Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker and Ginger Rogers. Why, then, are her parents so quick to forbid it? MORE PRAISE FOR NATASHA LESTER... 'If you enjoy historical fiction (and even if you don't) you will love this book' Sally Hepworth 'Stunning . . . Will have you captivated' Liz Byrski 'This romance will have you enchanted' Woman's Day 'Natasha Lester is our generation's Louisa May Alcott' Tess Woods 'What a GEM!' Sara Foster 'Natasha Lester brings bold, brave women to life' Courier Mail 'I love this book' Rachael Johns 'Exquisite!' Vanessa Carnevale 'Engaging' Herald Sun 'An essential addition to Australian fiction' AusRomToday 'Utterly compelling' Good Reading 'Emotion that will touch your heart and soul deeply' Jodi Gibson 'Fascinating, evocative and meticulously researched' Annabel Abbs 'Entertaining and provocative' Perth Festival 'Lester has woven a fine, original story of everlasting quality.' BetterReading 'A captivating tale' Daily Examiner 'A delightful and multi-faceted romp through the jazz era' Natalie Salvo 'Excellent historical fiction' The Book Muse 'You will love this even if you're not a regular reader of historical fiction' Jess Just Reads 'Storytelling at its finest' Great Reads & Tea Leaves
General Dwight Eisenhower commands a diverse army that must destroy Hitler's European fortress. On the coast of France, German commander Erwin Rommel prepares for the coming invasion, as the Fuhrer thwarts the strategies Rommel knows will succeed. Meanwhile, Sergeant Jesse Adams, a veteran of the 82nd Airborne, parachutes with his men behind German lines. And as the invasion force surges toward the beaches of Normandy, Private Tom Thorne of the 29th Infantry Division faces the horrifying prospect of fighting his way ashore on Omaha Beach, a stretch of coast more heavily defended than the Allied commanders anticipate. From G.I. to general, The Steel Wave carries us through the war's most crucial juncture, the invasion that altered the flow of the war and, ultimately, changed history.
The war taught her to fight. The children taught her to hope... *The Lost Song of Paris, the new novel from Sarah Steele, is available to pre-order now!* Inspired by real acts of bravery and resistance, The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel is a heartrending and deeply moving story of one woman's courage and sacrifice during World War II, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Missing Piece of Nancy Moon. This exquisitely beautiful novel is perfect for readers of The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, The Postmistress, Lilac Girls and The Girl from Vichy. 'A beautifully worked tale of bravery, woven into the reality of a time we can't forget' Mandy Robotham, author of The Berlin Girl 'An emotional, beautifully constructed read. I loved the way the clues from the past and present slowly knitted together, answering the questions that had been missing their answers for so long' Sunday Times bestselling author Jill Mansell 'Gripping, at times heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, I found this beautifully written novel impossible to put down' Sunday Times bestselling author Katie Fforde ______ 'My darling girl, I need you to find someone for me . . .' France, 1942. At the end of the day, the schoolteacher releases her pupils. She checks they have their identity passes, and warns them not to stop until the German guards have let them through the barrier that separates occupied France from Free France. As the little ones fly across the border and into their mothers' arms, she breathes a sigh of relief. No one is safe now. Not even the children. Berkshire, present day. A letter left to her by her beloved late grandmother Gigi takes Hannah Stone on a journey deep into the heart of the Dordogne landscape. As she begins to unravel a forgotten history of wartime bravery and sacrifice, she discovers the heartrending secret that binds her grandmother to a village schoolteacher, the remarkable Lucie Laval . . . ______ 'An engaging tale of courage and friendship. A triumph!' Gill Paul 'Evocative writing and the storytelling is masterful. It really draws the reader in' Felicity Hayes-McCoy 'A gripping journey about the quiet triumphs and breathtaking courage of so many women in wartime' Jane Bailey Readers ADORE The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel: 'I loved this book, I finished reading it on VE Day. It is certainly a fitting tribute to the everyday people in France who resisted the German occupation in WW2. 5 stars' 'Absolutely fabulous. Highly recommend this. I've read The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon - this is even better' 'Such a poignant story and beautiful characters. I can highly recommend this book' 'A lovely book, by turns emotional, exciting and heart-rending. The story is beautifully told. A book that will stay with me. Definitely recommended, particularly to anyone with an interest in World War II historical novels' 'A lovely story of courage and hope at a time of extreme adversity. Wonderfully written, descriptive and poignant. This one is special' 'Sheer escapism, beautifully written. I highly recommend it'
From the INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING author of The Paris Seamstress comes a story of courage, family and forgiveness from New York to war-torn Europe. Perfect for fans of Kate Furnivall, Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton and Gill Paul 'Divine' GILL PAUL, bestselling author of The Secret Wife 'An emotional and sweeping tale' CHANEL CLEETON, bestselling author of Next Year in Havana 'A splendid, breathtaking novel, full of mystery and passion...a must read!' JEANNE MACKIN, author of The Last Collection ******** 1942 When Jessica May's successful modelling career is abruptly cut short, Vogue send her to war-torn Paris to cover the conflict as a correspondent. She's courageous and a fast-learner, but of course the military men make her life as difficult as possible. Three friendships change that: journalist Martha Gellhorn encourages Jess to bend the rules; paratrooper Dan Hallworth shows her how to take pictures and write stories that matter; and a little girl, Victorine, who shows Jess how to open hear heart. 2005 Australian curator D'Arcy Hallworth arrives at a beautiful French chateau to manage a famous collection of photographs. What begins as just another job becomes far more disquieting as D'Arcy uncovers the true identity of the mysterious French photographer...
'Fascinating ... a poignant book ... an unusual and absolutely authentic view of those convulsive years' OBSERVER 'Each story in Wave Me Goodbye is a relic of the Second World War' SUNDAY TIMES 'This is as stark and acidic a collection of war stories as you will read ... Stripped bare of the sentimentalism attached to love in wartime' SCOTSMAN This collection of wartime stories includes some of the finest writers of a generation. War had traditionally been seen as a masculine occupation, but these stories show how women were equal if different participants. Here, war is less about progress on the frontline of battle than about the daily struggle to keep homes, families and relationships alive; to snatch pleasure from danger, and strength from shared experience. The stories are about saying goodbye to husbands, lovers, brothers and sons - and sometimes years later trying to remake their lives anew. By turn comical, stoical, compassionate, angry and subversive, these intensely individual voices bring a human dimension to the momentous events that reverberated around them and each opens a window on to a hidden landscape of war. Writers include: Jean Rhys, Beryl Bainbridge, Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Smith, Rosamond Lehmann, Barbara Pym, Angela Thirkell, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Dorothy Parker, Doris Lessing, Olivia Manning, Rose Macaulay and Stevie Smith
In occupied France, two people sacrificed everything. Now their granddaughter has come looking for the truth... Ruth's childhood was a happy one, and her family-on her mother's side-large and loving. But her father's French origins have always remained a mystery. Now, with aged relatives beginning to die, Ruth decides to research her father's family before it's too late. When she discovers a series of long-lost cassettes, everything she thought she knew about them shatters. The tapes expose an unimaginable truth - an epic wartime story of hidden love and sacrifice, stretching back to occupied France. These long-buried confessions will rock Ruth's family-and finally piece together the puzzle of her father's heritage. But are any of them ready for the truth? |
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