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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > War fiction > Second World War fiction
"Instantly absorbing, suspenseful, romantic, and stylish-like binge-watching a great British drama on Masterpiece Theater." -Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author Winner of the Left Coast Crime Award winner for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel. World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility. As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela's family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela's help, stop them before England falls? Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal.
A moving and nostalgic saga about post office girls in wartime London. Perfect for readers of Katie Flynn, Kitty Neale and Dilly Court. It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs rain down on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive. Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers' spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there's nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead. Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she's sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won't settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends - with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost - before they can dare to dream of a brighter future... Readers love Pam Evans heartwarming family sagas: 'A touching novel' Daily Express 'An unforgettable tale of life during the war' Our Time 'Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients of an engrossing novel' Bolton News 'There's a special kind of warmth that shines through the characters' Lancashire Evening Post 'This book touched me very, very much. It's lovely' North Wales Chronicle
'Moving, complex, romantic, and beautifully written, Karen Campbell's saga ... is a triumph' Allan Massie, Scotsman Divided by loyalties, brought together by war September, 1943. Tuscany, Italy. In the hilltop town of Barga, everyone holds their breath. Even the bells fall silent. Everything Vittoria Guidi knows and loves is at risk. German troops occupy the mountains around her home, as America's Buffalo Soldiers prepare to invade. As Vittoria's country is torn in two, so is her conscience. Should she side with her Scots-Italian father or her Fascist mother? Should she do what she is told - or what she believes in? Frank Chapel, a young, black American soldier fighting with the Buffalo soldiers for a country that refuses him the vote, is unlike anyone Vittoria has ever met. In the chaos, they find each other - but can their growing love overcome prejudice and war?
Set in Morocco and England, a story of espionage, veiled truths and retribution, and how the sins of our forebears haunt the generations of the present. 1936. Newlyweds Beatrice and Gerard Le Tourneau leave France for Morocco and a new life. But as World War Two unfolds and pollutes, their lives become entwined with those around them with devastating results. Oxford 2002. Nicholas Budgeon, a retired Special Branch detective, learns of his ex-wife's suicide. He finds himself in Morocco, retracing the paths of her ancestors in an effort to uncover the truth and unearthing some nasty surprises along the way. PRAISE FOR DANIEL EASTERMAN: 'There are shades of Graham Greene in the climate of brooding terror which Easterman conjures so very nicely.' 'He can weave a web of suspense, laced with historical and mythological references that bait the imagination, satisfactorily embroidered with bullet hole and bloodshed.' 'A master of spooky suspense and of the chapter cliffhanger.'
An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller. From the USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Road comes a spellbinding novel about one woman's love, loss, and courage during wartime. After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a much-needed escape, but when she finds an old photograph of her grandmother in the arms of a Nazi officer, Gillian's life gets even more complicated. Rattled by the discovery, Gillian attempts to unravel the truth behind the photos, setting her off on an epic journey through the past... 1939. England is on the brink of war as Vivian Hughes falls in love with a handsome British official, but when bombs begin to fall and Vivian's happy life is destroyed in the blitz, she will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves... As Gillian learns more about her grandmother's past, the old photo begins to make more sense. But for every question answered, a new one takes its place. Faced with a truth that is not at all what she expected, Gillian attempts to shine a light not only on the mysteries of her family's past but also on her own future. This gorgeously written multigenerational saga is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful examination of one woman's struggle to survive, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky.
1943, Wartime Italy. Trattoria di Luca sits at the heart of the small Umbrian town of Amatino. For decades it has been run by the di Luca and Capaldi patriarchs and become a byword not only for fabulous food, but also wine from the Capaldi vineyard. But now the last of these great men is dead, Italy is consumed by war and everything must change. Sophie di Luca has always assumed her beloved father would leave the trattoria to her, a fine chef in her own right. But in Mussolini's Italy a woman's place is strictly in the home, and Sophie's father has secretly arranged for Giorgio Capaldi to come back from Rome to take over Trattoria di Luca. Charismatic, forceful, grieving the loss of his wife and unborn baby in an Allied bombing raid, Giorgio is in no mood to compromise with Sophie. As conflict within the family rises, Mussolini falls and the Germans march in. Life is about to become very dangerous indeed. An atmospheric and moving novel, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Victoria Hislop. 'A joyous read, which really spoke to me about the indomitability of the human spirit. A wonderful book.' Elizabeth Enfield, author of Ivy and Abe Praise for Annabelle Thorpe: 'Unputdownable!' Claire Dyer, author of The Last Day 'A pacy, engaging tale of human weakness and of passion so overwhelming it can make fools of us all' Daily Express
From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival. The Philippines, 1941. When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they're living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war. Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy's blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope- and their fellow inmates-alive, though not without great cost. In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed "the Angels of Bataan," three women shift in and out of each other's lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation. "Three of the biggest powerhouses in historical fiction come together to pen this breathtaking story of three nurses serving in the Philippines during the Second World War." -PAM JENOFF, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star World War II historical fiction Stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 128,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs
'Probably the best thing ever written about the wartime air campaign against Germany' Max Hastings 'Magnificent ... rich with historical detail' The Times 31 June, 1943. An RAF crew prepare for their next bombing raid on Germany. It is a night that many will never forget. Len Deighton's devastating novel is a gripping minute-by-minute account of what happens over the next twenty-four hours. Told through the eyes of ordinary people in the air and on the ground - from a young pilot to the inhabitants of a small town in the Ruhr - Bomber is an unforgettable portrayal of individuals caught up in the wreckage of war. 'A superbly mobilised tragedy of the machines which men make to destroy themselves. Masterly' Spectator
International Trade Paper Edition From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival. The Philippines, 1941. When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they're living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war. Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy's blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope- and their fellow inmates-alive, though not without great cost. In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed "the Angels of Bataan," three women shift in and out of each other's lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation. "Three of the biggest powerhouses in historical fiction come together to pen this breathtaking story of three nurses serving in the Philippines during the Second World War." -PAM JENOFF, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star World War II historical fiction Stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 128,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs
'A word of advice: don't start reading this page-turner at bedtime, or you'll be staying up all night.' Psychologies, France WINNER OF THE GRAND PRIX DU ROMAN AND THE ACQUI STORIA PRIZE. Werner Zilch was adopted as an infant, and knows nothing of his biological family. But when, in 1970s New York, he meets the family of Rebecca, the woman he has fallen in love with, a mysterious link means he must uncover the truth of his past, or run the risk of losing her. Spanning 1945 Dresden, the Bavarian Alps and uncovering Operation Paperclip, this is a riveting novel of family and love, for anyone who loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Storyteller, beautifully translated from French by Adriana Hunter. 'Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre weaves an enigmatic, funny, sensuous web, crossed by characters which we will struggle to forget' Le Figaro
NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING TOM HANKS Discover the acclaimed wartime classic from C. S. Forester - originally published as The Good Shepherd 'Unbelievably good' James Holland, bestselling author of Normandy '44 It's 1942. America has just joined the war. Greyhound, an international convoy of thirty-seven allied ships, is in operation. Captain Krause must lead his first command of a US destroyer as the convoy ploughs through the icy, submarine-infested North Atlantic seas. For forty-eight hours, Krause will play a desperate cat and mouse game against the wolf packs of German U-boats. His mission looks doomed to fail. But armed with extraordinary courage and grit, hope may just be on the horizon. . . This is a riveting classic of naval warfare from the author of the legendary Hornblower series. 'High and glittering excitement' New York Times
'Master of the wartime spy thriller' - FINANCIAL TIMES In the gripping new spy thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Hitler's Secret, a Cambridge spy must unravel a dangerous mystery that goes all the way to the heart of the Third Reich - and the British Monarchy. ________________ Sweden, 1942 - Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hessen, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler. Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident - but not everyone is convinced. There is even a suggestion that the Duke's plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . . Dramatic, intelligent, and brilliantly compelling, A PRINCE AND A SPY is Rory's best WWII thriller yet - perfect for readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and Joseph Kanon. _____________________________ Praise for Rory Clements: 'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' - The Times 'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' - Daily Express 'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' - Guardian 'A dramatic, twisty thriller' - Daily Mail 'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' - Sunday Telegraph
'We'd heard stories about the nurses in tent seven. A secret mission, stolen money, and spies...' In 1944, four American nurses disappeared for five days. No one knew what happened to them. Until now. When Kit and Red set foot on French soil during the Normandy landings, they know they have to rely on each other. As they head for the battlefield, their aim is simple: save lives. But when they're called away on a top-secret mission to patch up a few men behind enemy lines, everything changes. Alongside fellow nurses, Roxy and Gail, they're told to prepare for the worst, trading in their nurses' fatigues for civilian clothes and hiding medical supplies under their skirts. But it's a lie. Their real mission tasks them with the impossible - to infiltrate the Reich and steal something the Nazis desperately need to win their losing war. In an ultimate test of courage and comradeship, each woman must decide what she is prepared to risk and what she has to live for.
The new blockbuster thriller from Graham Hurley set against the final stages of the Second World War. Confidant of Goebbels. Instrument of Stalin. What's the worst that could happen? January 1945. Wherever you look on the map, the Thousand Year Reich is shrinking. Even Goebbels has run out of lies to sweeten the reckoning to come. An Allied victory is inevitable, but who will reap the spoils of war? Two years ago, Werner Nehmann's war came to an abrupt end in Stalingrad. With the city in ruins, the remains of General Paulus' Sixth Army surrendered to the Soviets, and Nehmann was taken captive. But now he's riding on the back of one of Marshal Zhukov's T-34 tanks, heading home with a message for the man who consigned him to the Stalingrad Cauldron. With the Red Army about to fall on Berlin, Stalin fears his sometime allies are conspiring to deny him his prize. He needs to speak to Goebbels - and who better to broker the contact than Nehmann, Goebbels' one-time confidant? Having swapped the ruins of Stalingrad for the wreckage of Berlin, the influence of Goebbels for the machinations of Stalin, and Gulag rags for a Red Army uniform, Nehmann's war has taken a turn for the worse. The Germans have a word for it: Katastrophe. Katastrophe is part of the SPOILS OF WAR Collection, a thrilling, beguiling blend of fact and fiction born of some of the most tragic, suspenseful, and action-packed events of World War II. From the mind of highly acclaimed thriller author GRAHAM HURLEY, this blockbuster non-chronological collection allows the reader to explore Hurley's masterful storytelling in any order, with compelling recurring characters whose fragmented lives mirror the war that shattered the globe. Reviewers on Katastrophe: 'A taut, detailed and compelling read' The Sun 'A penetrating, compelling, and skilfully vivid slice of historical fiction' LoveReading Expert Review 'An immaculately researched historical thriller... This series cannot be recommended too highly' Mike Ripley 'Inventive and thought provoking' Crime Time Reviewers on Graham Hurley: 'Historical fiction of a high order' The Times 'Tense, absorbing and faultlessly plotted' Sunday Times 'Beautifully constructed... This is one of Hurley's finest' Daily Mail 'Hurley's capable and understated characterization makes his lead's story plausible and engaging' Publishers Weekly
The second in the new 'War Picture Library' series showcasing the finest combat comics illustrated by legendary and iconic artists. Two true stories of aviation heroism and derring-do - 'Never Say Die' and 'Steel Bats' - set during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and drawn by comics legend Ian Kennedy! A talented pilot who never loses his determination to defend his country against immense obstacles both technical and personal. A squadron undertakes heart-stopping missions to combat the intense night-time assaults of the Axis air force. Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain comes an enthralling collection of aviation and heroism featuring daredevil pilots and the lengths they go to stop the German Luftwaffe attacking Britain.
'A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.' ANDREW TAYLOR *WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTION* *SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD* 'Terrific' SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of the Month 'A thoughtful, haunting thriller' MICK HERRON 'Sharp and compelling' THE SUN * * * * * Paris, Friday 14th June 1940. The day the Nazis march into Paris, making headlines around the globe. Paris police detective Eddie Giral - a survivor of the last World War - watches helplessly on as his world changes forever. But there is something he still has control over. Finding whoever is responsible for the murder of four refugees. The unwanted dead, who no one wants to claim. To do so, he must tread carefully between the Occupation and the Resistance, between truth and lies, between the man he is and the man he was. All the while becoming whoever he must be to survive in this new and terrible order descending on his home... * * * * * 'Lloyd's Second World War Paris is rougher than Alan Furst's, and Eddie Giral, his French detective, is way edgier than Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther ... Ranks alongside both for its convincingly cloying atmosphere of a city subjugated to a foreign power, a plot that reaches across war-torn Europe and into the rifts in the Nazi factions, and a hero who tries to be a good man in a bad world. Powerful stuff.' THE TIMES 'A tense and gripping mystery which hums with menace and dark humour as well as immersing the reader in the life of occupied Paris' Judges, HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD 'Excellent ... In Eddie Giral, Lloyd has created a character reminiscent of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, oozing with attitude and a conflicted morality that powers a complex, polished plot. Historical crime at its finest.' VASEEM KHAN, author of Midnight at Malabar House 'Monumentally impressive ... A truly wonderful book. If somebody'd given it to me and told me it was the latest Robert Harris, I wouldn't have been surprised. Eddie Giral is a wonderful creation.' ALIS HAWKINS 'A terrific read - gripping and well-paced. The period atmosphere is excellent.' MARK ELLIS 'The best kind of crime novel: gripping, thought-provoking and moving. In Detective Eddie Giral, Chris Lloyd has created a flawed hero not just for occupied Paris, but for our own times, too.' KATHERINE STANSFIELD
A compelling wartime drama for fans of Lucinda Riley and Dilly Court 'Yet another gripping, moving and impeccably researched read' Jill Mansell, author of This Could Change Everything One winter morning in Germany in early 1945, Detta passes a group of exhausted British prisoners of war who are being force-marched westwards. One man catches her eye and she cannot forget him. The following day she receives an urgent message to contact the local priest: he needs her help. Miranda is a photography student in Berlin in 1989 as the Wall falls. Trapped in an abusive relationship, her one hope for escape is an old postcard of the village her grandmother, Detta, was born in. As Miranda flees through the rubble of the Berlin wall and into the East, she begins to suspect she's being followed by the Stasi. Two very different timelines; two women who share a history and a dark secret. Can they save each other now the time has come to reveal it? Acclaim for Clare Harvey's novels: 'Had me enthralled' Kate Furnivall 'Will delight all those who love a good wartime story' Dilly Court 'A gripping story' Julie Cohen 'An exceptional talent' Kate Rhodes 'A triumph' Jill Mansell 'Heartwarming, enjoyable and full of surprises' Elizabeth Chadwick 'A real page-turner' Ellie Dean
"Kirsty Manning weaves together little-known threads of World War II history, family secrets, the past and the present into a page-turning, beautiful novel."-- Heather Morris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz A gripping historical novel that tells the little-known story of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai during WWII. 1939 Two young girls meet in Shanghai, also known as the "Paris of the East." Beautiful local Li and Jewish refugee Romy form a fierce friendship, but the deepening shadows of World War II fall over the women as they slip between the city's glamorous French Concession district and the teeming streets of the Shanghai Ghetto. Yet soon the realities of war prove to be too much for these close friends as they are torn apart. 2016: Fleeing London with a broken heart, Alexandra returns to Australia to be with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm. Her grandfather is dying, and over the coming weeks Romy and Wilhelm begin to reveal the family mysteries they have kept secret for more than half a century. As fragments of her mother's history finally become clear, Alexandra struggles with what she learns while more is also revealed about her grandmother's own past in Shanghai. After Wilhelm dies, Alexandra flies to Shanghai, determined to trace her grandparents' past. Peeling back the layers of their hidden lives, she is forced to question what she knows about her family--and herself. The Song of the Jade Lily is a lush, provocative, and beautiful story of friendship, motherhood, the price of love, and the power of hardship and courage that can shape us all.
THE TIN DRUM presents Hitler's rise and fall through the eyes of the dwarfish narrator whose magic powers become symbolic of the dark forces dominating the German nation in the period. Like Thomas Mann's DOCTOR FAUSTUS, Grass's novel explores the dark roots of power and creativity. An early advocate of 'magic realism'. Gunter Grass is the most powerful and celebrated novelist to appear in post-war Germany. His home city of Danzig is a powerful presence in this novel. |
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