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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > War fiction > Second World War fiction
The first rocket will take five minutes to hit London. You have six minutes to stop the second. Rudi Graf used to dream of sending a rocket to the moon. Instead, he has helped create the world's most sophisticated weapon: the V2 ballistic missile, capable of delivering a one-ton warhead at three times the speed of sound. In a desperate gamble to avoid defeat in the winter of 1944, Hitler orders ten thousand to be built. Haunted and disillusioned, Graf - who understands the volatile, deadly machine better than anyone - is tasked with firing these lethal 'vengeance weapons' at London. Kay Caton-Walsh is an officer in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and a survivor of a V2 strike. As the rockets devastate London, she joins a unit of WAAFs on a mission to newly liberated Belgium. Armed with little more than a slide rule and a few equations, Kay and her colleagues will attempt to locate and destroy the launch sites. But at this stage in the war it's hard to know who, if anyone, you can trust. As the death toll soars, Graf and Kay fight their grim, invisible war - until one final explosion of violence causes their destinies to collide.
Young Paul Goetz loves aeroplanes and so joins the Luftwaffe as soon as he can. Like so many, he's taken in, swept along in the unquestioning tide of excitement, keen to be airborne as a fighter pilot. His first posting sees him sent to Leningrad in December 1941. His squadron shoot down huge numbers of enemy aeroplanes and victory seems certain, but the war drags on for a second winter, becoming increasingly difficult. Comrades are lost or reported 'Vermisst' - missing - and he learns of terrible German activities across the east. Then, Paul's nightmare becomes reality, when his engine fails behind enemy lines, and he is captured... Vermisst: Missing in Russia is a rarity; an English-language novel written from a German viewpoint. Rich in historical details and packed with exciting aerial combat scenes, it is a gripping war story of extreme conditions, and survival in the harshest captivity.
Some secrets are better left buried... 2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is called to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian prisoner of war during WW2. It should be a quick job but when she and the owner's son, Nate Hartwell, discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing – her twin brother disappeared just before their eighteenth birthday, and she has been looking for him for nearly a decade. But when the threats start, it's clear someone doesn't want the secrets of Telton Hall to come to light. 1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Pregnant and alone she is sent away to hide her shame and taken in by Louise Hartwell who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. As the weeks pass, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it. And even though peace has been declared in Europe, the war at home is only just beginning...
Jean Paget, a young English woman, is captured by the Japanese army in Malaya during World War Two. She is forced on a brutal march across the country with a group of women and children. During this appalling ordeal she befriends Joe Harman, an Australian soldier who risks his own life to help the women. A few years later, and back in England, Jean receives an unexpected and substantial inheritance. She decides to use the money to repay the Malayan people who risked their lives to help her and her fellow prisoners during the war so she travels back to the village where they stayed. From there she travels on to Australia in search of lost love. Cut off in the Australian outback and thousands of miles from home, Jean once again draws on her admirable determination and entrepreneurial spirit when she sets out to build a thriving community. A heart-rending story of strength in adversity, A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute is a celebration of the overwhelming power of love. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an afterword by bestselling novelist, Jenny Colgan. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
The classic World War II trilogy: 'The finest fictional record of the war produced by a British writer' Anthony Burgess As Rommel advances in wartorn Egypt, the lives of the civilian population come under threat. One such couple are Guy and Harriet Pringle, who have escaped the war in Europe only to find the conflict once more on their doorstep, providing a volatile backdrop to their own personal battles. The civilian world meets the military through the figure of Simon Boulderstone, a young army officer who will witness the tragedy and tension of war on the frontier at first hand. An outstanding author of wartime fiction, Olivia Manning brilliantly evokes here the world of the Levant - Egypt, Jerusalem and Syria - with perception and subtlety, humour and humanity.
The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London revisits the dark early days of the German occupation in France in this haunting novel--a love story and a tale of high-stakes danger and incomparable courage--about a young American heiress who helps artists hunted by the Nazis escape from war-torn Europe. Wealthy, beautiful Nanee was born with a spirit of adventure that transcends her Midwestern roots. For her, learning to fly is freedom. When German tanks roll across the border and into Paris, this woman with an adorable dog and a generous heart joins the resistance. Known as the Postmistress because she delivers information to those in hiding, Nanee uses her charms and skill to house the hunted and deliver them to safety. Inspired by the real life Chicago heiress Mary Jayne Gold, who worked with American journalist Varian Fry to smuggle artists and intellectuals out of France, Meg Waite Clayton has fashioned a sweeping tale of romance and danger, set in a world aflame with personal and political passion. The Postmistress of Paris is the haunting story of an indomitable woman whose strength, bravery, and love is a beacon of hope in a time of terror.
One of PopSugar's Best Books of June! Two sisters join the Paris Resistance in this page-turning new novel inspired by the real-life bravery of Catherine Dior, sister of the fashion designer and a heroine of World War II France-perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Jennifer Chiaverini. "As dazzling as a Dior gown! With a gorgeous blend of fashion, heartbreak, heroism, and love this book will transport you to France..." -Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret Paris, 1944: The war is nearly over, but for members of the Resistance in occupied France, it is more dangerous than ever before. Twenty-five-year-old Gabby Foucher loathes the Nazis, though as the concierge of 10 rue Royale, she does her best to avoid conflict-unlike her bolder sister Yvette, who finds trouble at every turn. Then they are both recruited into the Resistance by Catherine Dior and swept into a treacherous world of spies, fugitives, and intrigue. While Gabby risks everything for the man she is hiding from the Nazis, Yvette must decide whether to trust an enigmatic diplomat who seems to have guessed her secret. As the threat of betrayal draws ever-closer, one slip could mean the deaths of many, and both sisters must make choices they might regret. Paris, 1947: Yvette returns from New York to reunite with Gabby and begin life anew as a mannequin for Dior, who is revolutionizing fashion with the New Look. But first she must discover the truth behind Catherine's terrible fate, while Gabby finds that there are many kinds of courage, and that love is always worth fighting for.
In 1943, sixteen German paratroopers landed in England. In three days, they nearly won the war . . . Discover The Eagle Has Landed, by international bestselling author Jack Higgins, the ultimate WWII pageturner and one of the bestselling thrillers of all time. In the early morning hours of 6 November 1943, SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler receives the coded message he has been waiting for: 'The Eagle has landed'. Operation Eagle: Himmler's audacious plan to kidnap Winston Churchill on British soil is underway in a remote corner of Norfolk. There, an elite unit is gathered. Ready to do battle for a nation against the most ruthless task force ever assembled . . . First published in 1975, The Eagle Has Landed is a classic tale of the ultimate act of wartime treachery. This 45th anniversary edition celebrates Jack Higgins' novel as one of the bestselling thrillers of all time. Praise for Jack Higgins: 'A thriller writer in a class of his own' Financial Times 'Higgins is a master of his craft' Daily Telegraph 'A compulsively readable storyteller' Sunday Express '100 per cent proof adventure' New York Times
"A group of deeply complex and beautifully written women . . . Aubray marries history, suspense and womanhood in a story perfect for devouring."-Newsweek For readers of Naomi Krupitsky's The Family! An irresistible, suspenseful novel about four women who marry into an elegant, prosperous Italian family, and then must take charge of the family's business when their husbands are forced to leave them during the war. Meet the Godmothers: Filomena is a clever and resourceful war refugee with a childhood secret. Amie, a beautiful and dreamy French girl from upstate New York, escapes an abusive husband for a new life. Lucy, a tough-as-nails Irish lass, runs away from a strict girls' home to become a nurse. And the glamorous Petrina, the family's only daughter, graduates with honors from Barnard College despite a past trauma that nearly caused a family scandal. All four women become godmothers to one another's children, finding hope and shelter in this prosperous family and their sumptuous Greenwich Village home. But the women's secret pasts lead to unforeseen consequences and betrayals that threaten to unravel all their carefully laid plans. And when they must unexpectedly contend with notorious gangsters like Frank Costello and Lucky Luciano, the four Godmothers learn to put aside their differences so that they can work together to protect their loved ones and find their own unique paths to the futures they've always dreamed of.
Whatever the indifference or brutality of the world, love still thrives. September 1942: Following the collapse of the Allied resistance in Burma, the full might of the Imperial Japanese Airforce has been unleashed on the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing, in an attempt to force the Chinese government to sue for peace. The brave actions of a squadron of Chinese pilots in their battered planes offer a glimmer of hope in these darkest of hours. May 2019: 29 year-old Torin Cameron from London meets 26 year-old Lu Chen Xi (Sunny) at a business conference in Chengdu. Reluctant at first, she becomes his guide on a journey of discovery, that takes them deep into the Sichuan countryside and opens Torin's eyes to China's heroic role in the second world war-and a family secret that has remained concealed for seventy-five years. Unravelling the threads between wartime China and Europe and modern-day Chengdu and London, Degrees of Separation explores the yin and yang of tangled human experience, the twists of fate and tendrils of connection that wind through generations and across cultures. An uplifting and inspirational story of love and reconciliation.
Following in the footsteps of C?line and Joyce, and anticipating the gritty worldview of Burroughs and Bukowski...
1941. War is raging in Europe and now sweeps through Southeast Asia. In Bangkok, Kate Fallon, an American nurse, who came to Thailand to leave her past of poverty and a broken heart behind, and Lawrence Gallet, a wealthy English journalist, are trapped in the chaos of conflict, believing their love can overcome their differences before being torn apart. Lawrence flees to China to escape the advancing Japanese army, while the net closes slowly around Kate, who has remained behind, increasingly threatened and forced to hide her identity. A sweeping saga moving from a Thailand uneasily poised between Japan and the west to the ravaged battlegrounds of Burma and India, from the charity ward of the Bangkok hospital to bombed airfields, from the Thai domestic resistance movement to the deadly jungles of the Arakan, Bangkok in Times of Love and War is the story of life and death, passion, loyalty and loss, and of a man and a woman caught up in the upheaval of history.
The stunning new story of love and secrets from the Number One bestselling author of The Forgotten Village Can one promise change the fate of two women decades apart? Scotland, 1940 War rages across Europe, but Invermoray House is at peace - until the night of Constance's 21st birthday, when she's the only person to see a Spitfire crash into the loch. Rescuing the pilot and vowing to keep him hidden, Constance finds herself torn between duty to her family and keeping a promise that could cost her everything. 2020 Kate arrives in the Highlands to turn Invermoray into a luxury B&B, only to find that the estate is more troubled than she'd imagined. But when Kate discovers the house has a dark history, with Constance's name struck from its records, she knows she can't leave until the mystery is solved . . . A sweeping tale of love and secrets, perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley. First readers love The Forbidden Promise . . . 'Compelling, dramatic, with a great twist - everyone who loved The Forgotten Village will be sure to love this too' Jenny Ashcroft, author of Beneath a Burning Sky 'Kept me turning the pages eagerly. A real treat!' Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow 'Entrancing . . . an evocative and romantic mystery' Woman's Weekly 'A wonderfully romantic love story, full of twists and turns' Nikola Scott, author of My Mother's Shadow 'A dual delight of love stories, with hugely likeable characters and a corker of a twist!' Mandy Robotham, author of A Woman of War 'A wonderful tale of forbidden love, full of cliffhangers that kept me reading late into the night. And it has a fabulous twist' Kathleen McGurl, author of The Forgotten Secret 'Nobody does cliffhangers like Lorna Cook does. I inhale everything she writes' Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop
Primo Levi was one of the most astonishing voices to emerge from the twentieth century: a man who survived one of the ugliest times in history, yet who was able to describe his own Auschwitz experience with an unaffected tenderness. Levi was a master storyteller but he did not write fairytales. These stories are an elegy to the human figures who stood out against the tragic background of Auschwitz, 'the ones in whom I had recognized the will and capacity to react, and hence a rudiment of virtue'. Each centres on an individual who - whether it be through a juggling trick, a slice of apple or a letter - discovers one of the 'bizarre, marginal moments of reprieve'.
In the aftermath of World War II, two women with unusual gifts must protect a mysterious baby in a poignant tale of family, sacrifice and magic. Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar -- two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret. But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne's long-lost husband -- who is not quite the man she thought she married. Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves -- and the child they think of as their own -- from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family. . . Praise for The Witch's Kind: "The strength of Morgan's powerful story is her depiction of this time and place and the everyday struggles of determined women. A great choice for readers who enjoy novels by Alice Hoffman and Barbara Kingsolver." --Booklist "Family, love, and ultimately personal strength. Fans of Morgan's The Secret History of Witches will appreciate this latest installment, and newcomers will be equally enchanted." --Historical Novel Society For more from Louisa Morgan, check out: A Secret History of Witches The Age of Witches
'We lived on a bunk built for four but in times of overcrowding, it slept seven and at times even eight. There was so little space on the berth that when one of us wanted to ease his hip, we all had to turn in a tangle of legs and chests and hollow bellies as if we were one many-limbed creature, a Hindu god or a centipede. We grow intimate not only in body but also in mind because we knew that though we were not born of one womb, we would certainly die together.' Alex Ehren is poet, a prisoner and a teacher in block 31 in Auschwitz-Birkenau, the children’s block. He spends his days trying to survive while illegally giving lessons to his young charges while shielding them as best he can from the impossible horrors of the camp. But trying to teach the children is not the only illicit activity that Alex is in volved in. Alex is keeping a diary… Originally published as THE PAINTED WALL, Otto Kraus’s autobiographical novel, tells the true story of 500 Jewish children who lived in the Czech Family Camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau between September 1943 and June 1944.
A heart-breaking story of survival, where life or death relies on the smallest chance and happiness can be found in the darkest times. Fans of The Choice and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will fall in love with this beautiful novel __________ 'She touched the photograph in its gilt frame that was always on her desk, of a young, thin woman with very short hair and a baby in her arms. She had one last story to tell. Theirs. And it began in hell on earth.' It is 1942 and Eva Adami has boarded a train to Auschwitz. Barely able to breathe due to the press of bodies and exhausted from standing up for two days, she can think only of her longed-for reunion with her husband Michal, who was sent there six months earlier. But when Eva arrives at Auschwitz, there is no sign of Michal and the stark reality of the camp comes crashing down upon her. As she lies heartbroken and shivering on a thin mattress, her head shaved by rough hands, she hears a whisper. Her bunkmate, Sofie, is reaching out her hand . . . As the days pass, the two women learn each other's hopes and dreams - Eva's is that she will find Michal alive in this terrible place, and Sofie's is that she will be reunited with her son Tomas, over the border in an orphanage in Austria. Sofie sees the chance to engineer one last meeting between Eva and Michal and knows she must take it even if means befriending the enemy. But when Eva realises she is pregnant she fears she has endangered both their lives. The women promise to protect each other's children, should the worst occur. For they are determined to hold on to the last flower of hope in the shadows and degradation: their precious children, who they pray will live to tell their story when they no longer can. __________ A heart-breaking story of survival, where life or death relies on the smallest chance and happiness can be found in the darkest times. Fans of The Choice and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will fall in love with this beautiful novel. Readers are captivated by The Child of Auschwitz: 'This hauntingly heart-breaking story is one of pure, instinctual survival. It is a story of fierce friendships, unbreakable spirits, and the most powerful love possible. In the terror of their world fallen into darkness, these women found the smallest cracks where the light came in and stepped into to it with their lives. I was so spellbound by this captivating, riveting read that I could not put it down until I read every last word. Highly recommend The Child of Auschwitz as a must-read' Goodreads Reviewer, ***** 'The Child of Auschwitz is a beautiful, emotional story of friendship, family, hope and love. I love reading historical fiction, so I had high hopes; Lily Graham did not disappoint! I love the way the story is written. It's hard to adequately put in to words how amazing this book is' Netgalley Reviewer, ***** 'This book grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let me go for the entire journey. I had goosebumps while reading . . . It is a beautiful story' Goodreads Reviewer, ***** 'What a beautiful emotive book . . . I couldn't put this book down and while it is all about people suffering at the hands of the Nazis it also shows the love and friendship that can be found' Goodreads Reviewer, ***** 'Hope and Promises in the most dire circumstances . . . What a tragic and realistic story this has been. Through all the evil there was hope, friendship and love. I highly recommend this book' Goodreads Reviewer, ????? 'Sensitively told, it's the story of heartbreak, suffering, starvation, cruelty and injustice but it's also the tale of the most amazing resilience, hope, determination and love . . . A most compelling read that will bring tears to your eyes and realisation of how lucky we are today' Goodreads Reviewer 'I have always loved a good historical fiction book, and this one did not disappoint! From the opening line of the book through the end I was hooked . . . The characters were well written and very relatable, and you found yourself rooting for Eva, and even crying at various points of the book' Goodreads Reviewer 'A deep and thought-provoking novel. It's remarkable in so many ways and heart-breaking in equal measure. A unique Holocaust read' The Book Trail 'The Child of Auschwitz is an emotional roller coaster of a read. Parts were horrific, saddening, shocking, heart warming, I think I went though every emotion possible whilst reading it. Even though fiction, for me, the author gives a very real account of what life was like in the camps as well as what took place inside them. An absolute must read' By the Letter Book Reviews
Some battles will be fought on the Homefront...The war has had a devastating effect on the Sweet Family with young Charlie Sweet, lost at sea, presumed dead and bombs falling on nearby Bristol. Still there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon in the form of Mary Sweet's upcoming wedding to her Canadian beau. But even that has failed to rouse their father from his grief. But in London a baby has been found in a bombed out house, sheltered in the arms of his dead mother. A child to make life worth living again... Discover the gripping, heartfelt second instalment in Lizzie Lane's bestselling Sweet Sisters trilogy. 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
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE SUMMER BY POPSUGAR, FROLIC, PARADE, TRAVEL & LEISURE, SHE KNOWS, and SHE READS! NAMED A REAL SIMPLE BEST BOOK OF 2020 (SO FAR). "Fast Girls is a compelling, thrilling look at what it takes to be a female Olympian in pre-war America...Brava to Elise Hooper for bringing these inspiring heroines to the wide audience they so richly deserve."--Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics and The House Girl Acclaimed author Elise Hooper explores the gripping, real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women's Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany. Perfect for readers who love untold stories of amazing women, such as The Only Woman in the Room, Hidden Figures, and The Lost Girls of Paris. In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago's Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women's delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America's Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything. Outside of Boston, Louise Stokes, one of the few black girls in her town, sees competing as an opportunity to overcome the limitations placed on her. Eager to prove that she has what it takes to be a champion, she risks everything to join the Olympic team. From Missouri, Helen Stephens, awkward, tomboyish, and poor, is considered an outcast by her schoolmates, but she dreams of escaping the hardships of her farm life through athletic success. Her aspirations appear impossible until a chance encounter changes her life. These three athletes will join with others to defy society's expectations of what women can achieve. As tensions bring the United States and Europe closer and closer to the brink of war, Betty, Louise, and Helen must fight for the chance to compete as the fastest women in the world amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Nazi-sponsored 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
'One of the greatest anti-heroes ever written' LEE CHILD Summer 1942. When Bernie Gunther is ordered to speak at an international police conference, an old acquaintance has a favour to ask. Little does Bernie suspect what this simple surveillance task will provoke... One year later, resurfacing from the hell of the Eastern Front, a superior gives him another task that seems straightforward: locating the father of Dalia Dresner, the rising star of German cinema. Bernie accepts the job. Not that he has much choice - the superior is Goebbels himself. But Dresner's father hails from Yugoslavia, a country so riven by sectarian horrors that even Bernie's stomach is turned. Yet even with monsters at home and abroad, one thing alone drives him on from Berlin to Zagreb to Zurich: Bernie Gunther has fallen in love. |
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