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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > War fiction > Second World War fiction
Sonia Riccardi, impetuous and sensual, was a woman no man could resist. And Larry Astell, heir to a champagne fortune, knew their passion was the most important part of his life. Until war placed in jeopardy all they held dear - love, family and country. From the Left Bank of the 1930s to Nazi-occupied Paris, A FAREWELL TO FRANCE is a magnificent epic, played out against the tumultuous background of the time: a decadent French government, the life of a foreign correspondent, the grandeur of the champagne regions and the glory of the French Resistance.
A dazzling literary thriller set in Japan-occupied China from the most translated Chinese novelist of our time. China, 1941. At the height of the Second World War, Japan rules over China. In Hangzhou, a puppet government propped up by the Japanese wages an underground war against the Communist resistance. Late one night, five intelligence officers, employed as codebreakers by the regime, are escorted to an isolated mansion outside the city. The secret police are certain that one of them is a communist spy. None of them is leaving until the traitor is unmasked. It should be a straightforward case of sifting truth from lies. But as each codebreaker spins a story that proves their innocence, what really happened is called into question again and again. Praise for Mai Jia: 'A spy novel on a grand scale in which nothing is as it seems' The Times on The Message 'Jia's playful mix of tradecraft, puzzle-solving and human folly brings an original twist to the spy fiction canon' Sunday Times on The Message 'A page-turner with a gripping plot, otherworldy aura, and flamboyant detail' New York Times on Decoded 'A mix of spy thriller, historical saga and mathematical puzzle that coheres into a powerful whole' Financial Times on Decoded 'A literary superstar' Telegraph
'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
'Effortlessly enjoyable . . . an emotionally rewarding novel so succulent with detail that you can almost feel the Tripoli sand storms whipping across your face' Daily Mail The Fourth Shore: the sliver of fertile land along the Tripoli coast, the 'lost' territory Mussolini promised to reclaim for Italy. Which is how, in 1929, seventeen-year-old Liliana Cattaneo arrives there from Rome on a ship filled with eager colonists to join her brother and his new wife. Liliana is sure she was on the brink of a great adventure, but what awaits her is not the Mediterranean idyll of cocktail parties, smart dances, dashing officers and romantic intrigues she had imagined. Instead she finds a world of persecution, violence, repression, corruption and deceptions both great and small. A child of fascist Italy, blown about by the winds of fascism and Catholicism, Liliana becomes enmeshed in a dark liaison which has terrible consequences both for her and those she loves most. The Fourth Shore is the engrossing and intensely poignant story of Liliana's journey from Rome to Tripoli to a north London suburb where, as plain Lily Jones, she begins to uncover a secret she has buried so deeply that even she is far from certain what it is. Praise for Early One Morning by Virginia Baily: 'As gripping as any thriller...really, really good' Daily Mail 'A big, generous and absorbing piece of storytelling' Samantha Harvey, Guardian 'A real treat' Philip Hensher, Observer 'Wonderful' Tessa Hadley
Inspired by the incredible true story of the most decorated servicewoman of the second world war. Nancy Wake was an Australian girl who, aged, 16 ran away from her abusive mother to the other side of the world. Nancy Wake was a wife who, when her husband was snatched by the Gestapo, fought to be trained by SOE and returned to France to take her revenge. Nancy Wake was a soldier who led a battalion of 7,000 French Resistance fighters who called her Field Marshall. Who had a 5-million Franc bounty on her head. Who killed a Nazi with her bare hands. Who defeated 22,000 Germans with the loss of only 100 men. Who sold her medals because, "I'll probably go to hell and they'd melt anyway." Discover the roots of her legend in a thriller about one woman's incredible quest to turn the tide of the war, save the man she loves and take revenge on those who have wronged her.
Counter-intelligence agent Jacob Welker recruits a number of civilians to help foil a suspected terrorist attack by German spies in New York in 1938. March, 1938. Otto Lehman arrives in New York on the S.S. Osthafen to be immediately confronted by two men with FBI badges . . . only, that isn't his real name and the men aren't with the FBI. The next day Lehman is found tied to a chair, beaten to death and naked, in an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse. The sole witness to the crime, Andrew Blake, a homeless man struggling through the Great Depression, claims those responsible were speaking German. With the threat of the perpetrators being Nazis, President Roosevelt's own covert counter-intelligence agent Jacob Welker is brought in to investigate. Welker recruits Blake along with Lord Geoffrey Saboy, a British 'cultural attache', and his wife Lady Patricia, to help him to thwart a Nazi terrorist attack. But who exactly are the Nazis, what is their target and when will they strike?
Discover the bestselling Mulberry Lane historical series by Rosie Clarke.London 1958 Life has moved on since the war and the youngsters of Mulberry Lane are growing up fast. Peggy's Ronaski's family is struggling with growing pains but she is always there, strong, reliable and ready to help whenever a crisis hits. Meanwhile, Maureen Hart has family problems of her own to contend with. Together they will work hard to conquer all of what life has to throw at them... Join Peggy and Maureen as their siblings embark on life's new adventures and try to forge a partnerships for success. What does the future hold for the families and friends of Mulberry Lane? Praise for the Mulberry Lane series: 'When it comes to writing sagas, Rosie Clarke is up there with some of the best in the business' Bookish Jottings. 'Full of drama, romance and secrets ... A perfect example of its genre' That Thing She Reads. 'This is wonderful historical fiction that is so character-driven you'll wish these women lived on your street' 'Absolutely loved this latest instalment and revisiting the ladies of the Lane. Another great story of love and heartache'
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
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
'A gripping story of the unravelling of a mother's secrets as her daughter searches for answers to a decades-old mystery of a local girl's disappearance. Evocative, suspenseful and beautifully written. I couldn't put it down.' Adrienne Chinn 'I was hooked from the very first page. The emotional layers of this beautifully written book are woven together seamlessly. Absolutely superb!' Clare Marchant 'An absolutely fascinating tale of a fractured family, and the hurts and secrets that they carry. McCarron's observations and characterizations are sublime.' Jenni Keer A gripping and emotional story of family and the secrets we keep from the ones we love. For fans of Kristin Hannah and Delia Owens. When you're lost sometimes the only way to look forward is to look back... Three women. Two generations apart. One secret they share. Maine, 1997. As the people of Fort Meadow Beach celebrate the Fourth of July, four-year-old Daisy Wright disappears and is never seen again. Maine, Present Day. Fired from her job and heart-broken, Peyton Winchester moves back home for the summer. Bored and aimless, she finds a renewed sense of purpose when an ad for a journalism course reminds her of a path not taken. Returning to life in her hometown brings back all kinds of memories - including Daisy's vanishing when she was a young girl herself. As Peyton begins her search for the truth, new discoveries begin to intertwine Daisy's past and her present with irreversible consequences. Readers love The Shimmer on the Water: 'Magic... I felt like gnawing on my arm to get to the end! And what an ending it was. Loved it... Arresting book. Marina McCarron's writing has me absolutely hooked!' Goodreads Reviewer, ***** 'Wow what a fantastic read... A great story which will keep you gripped from the beginning. I really loved it and highly recommend this book.' NetGalley Reviewer, ***** 'Mesmerizing... Tons of family drama, and the disappearance of a little girl. Highly recommend!' Tara Leigh Books, ***** 'Riveting... A young girl who vanished, but it was also about a family with so many secrets... Captured my attention and reeled me in until the end... Amazing... Took me down a path with twist, turns, and unbelievable things happening.' NetGalley Reviewer, ***** 'An incredible, dual timeline family saga. It kept me gripped the whole time... Eualla's story really pulled at my heart... I thoroughly enjoyed this book.' @thesapphiccelticbookworm, ***** 'Absolutely loved this book... A great read with strong characters and a fabulous story.' NetGalley Reviewer, ***** 'Intriguing... Great characters... Brilliantly interwoven. Highly recommended.' NetGalley Reviewer, ***** 'Loved it and will strongly recommend!' Goodreads Reviewer, *****
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.
"The Blackout Book Club is a fabulous novel that will warm the hearts of readers everywhere. Amy Lynn Green gives us a poignant look at life on the home front during WWII and how comfort and camaraderie can be found in the shared love of books. This will be a wonderful book club read!"--MADELINE MARTIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London In 1942, an impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn't be more different--a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker. At first, the struggles of the home front are all the club members have in common, but over time, the books they choose become more than an escape from the hardships of life and the fear of the U-boat battles that rage just past their shores. As the women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger, they find they have more in common than they think. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost. Includes a book club discussion guide and The Blackout Book Club book list "A salute to the power of books and of friendship!"--SARAH SUNDIN, bestselling and award-winning author of Until Leaves Fall in Paris "The Blackout Book Club is an engaging story that illustrates the power of books to unite and encourage us in trying times. . . . A wonderful read."--LYNN AUSTIN, author of Long Way Home
A classic thriller featuring the most daring escape of the Second World War, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Eagle Has Landed. American Colonel Hugh Kelso is washed ashore on German-held Jersey in Spring 1944, with top-secret D-Day plans in his possession. To get him back, the most daring escape of the Second World War must be planned and executed. Harry Martineau, bilingual philosophy professor turned assassin, and Sarah Drayton, a beautiful, half-French Jersey native, are selected to carry out the mission, and set off to steal the most precious Allied asset from under the noses of the Nazis...
A heartwarming WW2 saga of courage and friendship When war breaks out, three spirited women must set aside their differences to help Britain win the war. Fighting from the forests, they find new depths of courage, strength and love. But - when war threatens everything - would you risk your life to save a friend? When feisty, bohemian Keeva signs up for war work in the forest, she's already learnt the hard way that people can't be trusted. For Rosie, a factory girl from London's East End, the forest is an escape - but she can't stop her big mouth getting her into trouble. And Beatrice, a wealthy debutante, wants to use her brain, not ruin her fine hands felling trees. Meanwhile, Lady Denman, director of the Women's Land Army, battles with bureaucrats in Whitehall to defend the Lumberjills. As these strong women struggle to survive in a tough men's world, it seems they really may succeed in their dangerous war work... when a terrible disaster strikes and threatens everything they have achieved. The Lumberjills Stronger Together is inspired by the incredible and heroic true stories of the Women's Timber Corps, a branch of the Women's Land Army. Author Joanna Foat researched and interviewed sixty women who served as Lumberjills in World War II. These first-hand accounts, and her own passion for wild landscapes, bring a rugged authenticity to this emotionally rousing novel of female courage, strength and determination. A World War II novel for fans of Rosie Archer, Suzanne Goldring, Nancy Revell and Jennifer Worth.
'I loved this heart-in-your-mouth story of forbidden love, courage and hope. A heart-wrenching book about family bonds facing the toughest of trials during WW2' KERRY FISHER 'A stunning tale about sisters, courage, and sacrifice that will keep you enthralled until the very last page' ANDIE NEWTON 'Really brought a lump to my throat. It has stayed with me since finishing it' SUZANNE GOLDRING 'Heart-wrenching, immersive, beautifully researched. I thoroughly recommend, together with a tissue for this emotional read!' LOUISE FEIN 'They were there for each other during the war just like the lighthouse, a source of hope and protection over the years.' 1940: For sisters Alice and Jenny life is just beginning when the Nazis seize control of the island of Jersey, driving the girls down separate paths. While Alice is forced by the enemy to work in the German hospital, Jenny is attracted to the circle of islanders rising up to resist the occupiers. And as the war tightens its grip, it will cause each of the sisters to make an extraordinary choice, experience unimaginable heartbreak and emerge forever changed... 1996: The war may have ended decades earlier, but for the elegant woman sitting alone now, the images live on in her memory: her sister's carefree laughter, the inky black of a German soldier's boots, the little boats that never came back. And the one constant through it all: the lighthouse that always guided them back to the island... A gripping, heartbreaking story of two sisters in occupied Jersey during WWII - one a nurse, who is transported to Nazi Germany, the other, who volunteers for the island's resistance movement - from the author of The Child on Platform One. Perfect for readers of The Nightingale and The Midwife of Auschwitz. ______ What real readers are saying about The Lighthouse Sisters: 'What an emotional read, I felt like I was actually living along the characters, I absolutely loved this book ' 'I was gripped. I couldn't put it down. Heart-wrenching at times and so full of hope and resilience at others. I really enjoyed it ' 'A real page-turner ' 'A wonderful read from the first page '
1941, Estonia. As Stalin's brutal Red Army crushes everything in its path, Katarina and her family survive only because their precious farm produce is needed to feed the occupying forces. Fiercely partisan, Katarina battles to protect her grandmother's precious legacy - the weaving of gossamer lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations. While Katarina struggles to survive the daily oppression, another young woman is suffocating in her prison of privilege in Moscow. Yearning for freedom and to discover her beloved mother's Baltic heritage, Lydia escapes to Estonia. Facing the threat of invasion by Hitler's encroaching Third Reich, Katarina and Lydia and two idealistic young soldiers, insurgents in the battle for their homeland, find themselves in a fight for life, liberty and love.
Summer, 1942. The Second World War rages on but Britain now faces the Nazi threat with America at its side. In a bombed-out London swarming with gangsters and spies, DCI Frank Merlin continues his battle against rampant wartime crime. A mangled body is found in the Thames just as some items of priceless art go mysteriously missing. What sinister connection links the two? Merlin and his team follow a twisting trail of secrets and lies as they investigate a baffling and deadly puzzle . 'This is to my shame the first Mark Ellis book I've read. If the others evoke a vanished London so impressively, are graced with such complex plots and deep characterisation, and, above all, are written so well I shall have to read them all.' THE TIMES - PICKS OF THE WEEK 'Extraordinarily atmospheric and compelling, DEAD IN THE WATER is a wonderfully intelligent and complex story' CHRIS LLOYD, HWA Gold Crown Award winner. 'A very satisfying puzzle, expertly crafted' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY Praise for the DCI Frank Merlin series: 'Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard's Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy' SUNDAY MIRROR
They were the men and women of the Royal Navy's Special Operations units... Carrying out lightening raids on hostile coasts, they became a navy within a navy - each hand picked for their individual skills, and all of them courageous. Against the backdrop of World War II they per- formed their small but deadly operations - living often beyond hope, sometimes beyond mercy. This is the dramatic story of a handful of such people...THE VOLUNTEERS
Three women, a nation seduced by a madman, and the Nazi breeding program to create a so-called master race At Heim Hochland, a Nazi breeding home in Bavaria, three women's fates are irrevocably intertwined. Gundi is a pregnant university student from Berlin. An Aryan beauty, she's secretly a member of a resistance group. Hilde, only eighteen, is a true believer in the cause and is thrilled to carry a Nazi official's child. And Irma, a 44-year-old nurse, is desperate to build a new life for herself after personal devastation. All three have everything to lose. Based on untold historical events, this novel brings us intimately inside the Lebensborn Society maternity homes that actually existed in several countries during World War II, where thousands of "racially fit" babies were bred and taken from their mothers to be raised as part of the new Germany. But it proves that in a dark period of history, the connections women forge can carry us through, even driving us to heroism we didn't know we had within us.
'Miraculously right: catching precisely the tone of the relationship . . . thrilling' - The Times 'A must for all Wimsey lovers . . . an entertaining read' - Northern Echo It's 1940, and while the Second World War rages on, Harriet Vane - now Lady Peter Wimsey - has taken her children to safety in the country. But the war has followed them: glamorous RAF pilots and even more glamorous land-girls scandalise the villagers, and the blackout makes the night-time lanes as sinister as the back alleys of London. Then the village's first air raid practice ends with a very real body on the ground - and it's not a war casualty, but a case of plain, old-fashioned murder. And it's not long before a second body is found . . . |
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