About this item
Highlights
- The beautifully rendered fiction debut in the U.S. of preeminent WWII historian James Holland offers a unique angle on the conflict, chronicling the impact of the war on one British family and their small village The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castells for generations.
- About the Author: One of WWII's finest historians, JAMES HOLLAND is the author of Cassino '44, The Savage Storm, Brothers in Arms, Sicily '43, Normandy '44, Big Week, The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike Back in the War in the West trilogy, Burma '44, and Dam Busters.
- 448 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Historical
Description
Book Synopsis
The beautifully rendered fiction debut in the U.S. of preeminent WWII historian James Holland offers a unique angle on the conflict, chronicling the impact of the war on one British family and their small village
The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castells for generations. But the year is 1939, and peace and tranquility are about to be shattered once more by the storm clouds of war in Europe. As three generations of the family gather, they must face the prospect of their lives being transformed beyond recognition.
When Britain declares war on Germany, the younger members of the family and farm workers are called up to fight. Those who remain must battle to keep the home fires burning and the farm afloat. The gentle certainties of rural life are replaced by the urgent clamor of war in the air, at sea, and on land, where events unfold with dizzying rapidity and unexpected consequences.
Stretching from the glorious summer of 1939 to the Battle of Britain the following year, and with his unparalleled insight and storytelling about World War II, acclaimed historian James Holland's novel paints a compelling and immersive portrait of a family and a community whose way of life will be forever transformed by the horrors of war.
Review Quotes
Praise for Alvesdon:
"The depth and breadth of [Holland's] knowledge is evident in the vivid portrayal of all the varied theatres of conflict . . . Holland's skill is such that, as they turn the last page, the reader is left with a visceral dread that not all the Castells will make it home."--Sunday Times
"A beautiful, evocative novel that captures the fear and mood of the early days of the war."--Dermot O'Leary
Praise for James Holland:
"Detail and scope are the twin strengths of Normandy '44 . . . Mr. Holland effectively balances human drama with the science of war as the Allies knew it."--Jonathan W. Jordan, Wall Street Journal
"Academic histories are all very well, but at times it is a pleasure to sit back and wallow in an old-school military tale of flinty-eyed men doing battle. That is what James Holland, a seasoned craftsman, offers in Sicily '43."--Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Book Review
"This hefty, scrupulously balanced history of the Allied invasion of northern France goes beyond some of the well-known events of D-Day, thanks to Holland's meticulous research and clear-eyed view of the big picture . . . An excellent and engrossing new look at the Normandy invasion."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), on Normandy '44
"Holland's great skill lies in bringing these warriors back to life with vivid prose. He's an enormously prolific historian of the war, but each book he produces is constructed with great care and emotional commitment . . . Holland is obsessed with war, but fortunately does not seem to love it. He recognizes its beauty, but also its vileness."--Gerard DeGroot, Times (UK) on Sicily '43
"Highly detailed . . . The interplay of personal stories with the broader strategic picture makes this book especially illuminating . . . A fascinating must-read for World War II aficionados."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review), on Big Week
"James Holland's The War in the West is set fair to become one of the truly great multivolume histories of the Second World War."--Andrew Roberts, New York Times-bestselling author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War and Napoleon: A Life
"A fascinating story of how the fortunes of war changed in obvious--and particularly not so obvious--ways."--Col. Eric M. Walters, Military Review on The Allies Strike Back
"Holland puts the case for Allied technological and military skills as a vital factor in turning the war's tide . . . Ranks as a towering work of historical research and writing."--BBC History Magazine on The Allies Strike Back
"This is narrative history as intimate, intricate tapestry . . . Mr. Holland's success is built in part on an engaging writing style and in part on a genuinely fresh approach to events that have been so often--and apparently definitively--recounted . . . Exceptional . . . Epic."--Wall Street Journal on The Rise of Germany
"Impeccably researched and superbly written . . . Holland's fascinating saga offers a mixture of captivating new research and well-considered revisionism."--Guardian on The Rise of Germany
About the Author
One of WWII's finest historians, JAMES HOLLAND is the author of Cassino '44, The Savage Storm, Brothers in Arms, Sicily '43, Normandy '44, Big Week, The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike Back in the War in the West trilogy, Burma '44, and Dam Busters. He has written and presented the BAFTA shortlisted documentaries Battle of Britain and Dam Busters for the BBC, and his WWII podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk, now has millions of listeners.