A FINE WW1 NOVEL AND A GREAT READ
934777
THIS BOOK IS ENGAGING AND WELL CRAFTED.  TOO MANY WW1 NARRATIVES ARE CAUGHT UP IN TRENCHES AND BATTLE FIELDS. THIS NOVEL TAKES YOU BEHIND THE LINES AND INTO THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES OF THE SURGEONS ALL MIXED WITHIN ENGLAND'S CLASS SYSTEM AND THE LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES IT BROUGHT TO BRITISH SOCIETY FOLLOWING THE EDWARDIAN AGE AND INTO THE 20TH CENTURY. IT HAS THE TONE OF DOWNTON ABBEY...I RECOMMEND IT.
1766434
This story follows a young man named Ben Stack as he fights in the trenches of World War I from the beginning of the war until the armistice.  The story also has shifts back to England to show what is happening there. We see an angry young girl shaming young teenage boys into lying about their ages to enlist and the tragic consequences that result. As Stack's  friends and relatives are killed or maimed in the war, Ben Stack becomes a leader  with the thought to protect his men and see them through to the end.

 This novel is very reminiscent of "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque.  Life and war in the trenches is very graphically displayed.  Despite the horrid living conditions the men persevere and keep their humanity with  hopes and dreams and occasional humor.  One can get a very good idea of what it was like to live in the trenches with all the mud and filth or to be inside a WWI tank with all the noise, heat and suffocating exhaust fumes.  The characters are all well described with believable dialogue.  It is sad to  see them go, one by one, as war takes its toll.  But, that is the essence of war and this book does a very good job of bring that to the fore.
2557639
This well written mystery was as much a snapshot of post WW1 England, and the struggles of the protagonist to deal with his PTSD.  I enjoyed the development of the various characters as well.  This was not a 'shock' based novel, full of depraved killing as one is so often immersed in these days, yet it was very real.
1828008
This was a great ww1 book and that it surprised me on how good it was. I mean the detail they put into this book is incredible and they did great with the Romanian Campign and how the Central Powers fully cop-orated together to inflict a crushing defeat on the Romanian's. I therefore I give this book a 5/5 perfect rating.
2053899
This was a very well written book, based historically on World War I and its aftermath. It is written sensitively from the point of ex-soldiers and their life altering experiences in the war. When a sister of a soldier suffering from shell-shock contacts an old friend, Laurence Bartram, to look into the apparent suicide of her brother, they never knew what a chain reaction that the investigation would take. Laurence's wife died in childbirth along with his newborn son prior to his returning uninjured from the war. He had been spending his time supposedly writing a book about the great churches of Britain, although in reality he was suffering from depression and nightmares. So he was glad to have something else to focus on. With the help of his friend Charles, they investigate Captain John Emmett's death and the circumstances surrounding it. Feeling that it went back to something that happened during the war, they tried to identify and locate the soldiers in a picture that John had in his possession. As they investigated, they found that several of the men in it had been murdered in basically the same manner and that the group in the picture had been an execution squad assigned to execute a British officer for desertion. The story takes the men throughout Great Britain, and they hear the stories of the men involved in both the war and the execution and the difficulties they still experienced from that situation that they had been forced to do.

The book is loosely based on the execution of two officers of the three that were executed during World War I along with around 300 enlisted men. I find it hard to think that in the midst of the horror of the war that they were struggling through, that these men were tried and sentenced. The sentence was carried out within sight and sound of enemy fire within weeks of being accused with the accused man not having adequate legal help or defense.

This was a well written book, but certainly not entertaining as many mystery books tend to be. It is a book that makes you think and a book that totally erases the 'glamour' of war.
719753
Based on the tremendous contributions women of all ages and backgrounds made as volunteers during the first World War, Somewhere in France was an appropriate read during this particular phase of the Centenary.
Jennifer Robson does an excellent job of painting life as it was prior to the conflict and showed how social upheavals happen almost over night as entire nations faced those changes.

There is always something enticing in discovering the ups and downs of manor life of course and the privileges and obligations such a life demanded. Lilly was every bit the high society young English lady but reality hits all classes without distinction. She chose to contribute to the war effort by volunteering for overseas duties. She is not altogether altruistic however and has a very definite reason for requesting a post on French soil and thus begins a love story stretching the length of a savage war. The young English girl never forgot the Scot surgeon she met a lifetime ago and treasured his letters from the front.

Lilly and Robbie are good solid, well defined characters certain to please any female reader. The author does not shy from sketching a grim background for such a romance and I found myself turning page after page wishing to know how far she would take our two protagonists.

Indeed I found no fault but for a propensity in elaborating on one particular sexual encounter. Frankly, it put me off. I am no prude but find such details a little too private and a more delicate suggestion of the act far better.

I enjoyed otherwise the novel but will add a caution: Due to thematic contents including a sexual explicit scene and a couple of strong words, consider this book to be adult material only.

Reducing my rating to 4 stars due to the above!

Note: Be sure to check insights, interviews and more included in the book!

Note: This was a library loan and all opinions are mine only!
179720
Mr. Cordaro keeps the story moving in this fictional account of a British Naval family during WWI and WWII. It centers around the decisions made in war and the consequences of those decisions. The novel an easy read and well researched. I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.
1735070
This is an amazing book. It starts out very slowly. In fact, I almost put it down but I'm really glad that I stuck with it as it turned out to be one of the better "first in series" I've read.

The first quarter or so is set in 1929 England and involves the title character, a woman who is starting out as a sort of a private investigator. Nothing very exciting, somewhat dull.

Then, there's a flashback to her pre-World War 1 and WW1 life. I don't want to give away too much here but Maisie was a maid to a rich family who is caught sneak reading books in their library. During World War 1, Maisie was a battlefield nurse in France. The entire roughly 50 percent of the book that was a flashback was the best part, I thought.

The final quarter or so moves back/ahead to the 1929 mystery and the reader has a much better understanding.

I don't think I'm doing this book justice but it really is fabulous in how it deals with the ravages of war. Though I'd call it a mystery, it's not a typical whodunnit.

I am definitely going to continue reading in this series. An outstanding debut.
886686
One of the best novels about world war.  We are going to be diisscussing this books  imreread this book.  For the book club. It was amazing how much I enjoyed again
2344905
Mr. Hynes has written several fine books, of which this is the latest. His experience as a WWII military aviator give him a good perspective on the use of air power during war, and his skill as a writer allows him to tell the story of American aviators engaged in WWI very well. This is not only history, it is also beautifully crafted literature.
3887374
First of all, I want to preface this review of 1914 by saying that I have generally shied away from historical books, fiction or otherwise, as my tastes are more suited toward other subjects. When I first received my copy of this book, I eased into it slowly, reading a few pages here and there for the first month.

As I cleared more time to read it, I immediately became engrossed in the story of its heroes, set in real battles from the Great War. This novel is a refreshing take on a bloody episode in the pages of human history, painting the protagonists from many backgrounds and all sides of the war with vast attention to detail, as well as a depth not often seen in historical works.

Smith paints a vivid and comprehensive picture of the historical context in which the protagonists find themselves. By weaving a calendrical progression of the bigger picture of the various armies and their movements, as well as the political tension brewing on all fronts, the scenes are set immaculately for the various windows of time in which we find the various characters.

As to the protagonists themselves, what I enjoyed immensely was that each one was painted with his humanity on his sleeve. All of the nine men who are followed throughout the novel felt like multifaceted, real people to me, and I found myself in tears many times in living the traumatic, heartwrenching moments with each man. Smith did a wonderful job of developing these characters, and their interactions with the supporting characters was also a joy to read. The men's internal monologues offered a further glimpse into their character, and what they really thought about the geopolitical chess game they were involved in versus their essential humanity as it related to their fellow men on the other side of the battlefield.

Make no mistake, though: this book is an intense read, and realistically portrays the grisly side of World War I in all its forms. From despicable atrocities done from one man to another; to the emotional stress the men endure, which metamorphoses into hatred at times; to the gruesome injuries and deaths each man witnesses unfolding, this novel will leave the more empathetic reader with a firmer sense of just what men in the heat of battle must endure and overcome if they are to remain not only alive, but emotionally intact when all is said and done.

For war buffs or casual readers alike, 1914 is an emotionally gripping, beautiful narrative, woven with marvelous attention to historical details, identifiable, likeable characters, and a wonderful supporting cast to round out the human equation.
4717028
British Lady of privilege leaves the bosom of her family to become an ambulance driver in France during the Great War falls in love with a commoner, Scottish doctor, endures mud-filled, bloody horrors of war.

If you're looking for a romance, this ain't your cuppa. While the romance is central to the book's story, really the strength of this novel is the slice-of-horror of war and the war-time morals and gender roles of the time.

The author's strength is in the details like slang such as "clippie" for the heroine when she's a tram driver, and all the military acronyms, as well as the sense of "normality" she conveys in the condescending and paternal attitude the women endured as they fought for the chance to be anything other than wife and mother.

The romance is fairly tame, although the point where the hero and heroine finally do the deed is graphic enough I wouldn't want my 5th grader to accidentally read this (no worries, there, probably, as the tendency for the narrative to fixate on clothing, cups of tea, and people telling the heroine she needs to think for herself alternated with gory wounds would probably not interest her).

A sweet, light-reading (if war stories can ever be light reading) take on World War I focusing mostly on the role of women as nurses and auxiliary workers.
3978200
This book was beautifully written and the story line was compelling, which is why I gave the full five stars.  I am a huge fan of novels set around both the World Wars, and particularly enjoy stories told about the people in enemy countries, just from Great Britain and her allies.  It is good to learn how all the normal citizens suffered during these horrific wars, no matter which side you were on.

The Nazi youth organizations were appalling, and I feel it is too easy to jump to the conclusion that all involved were there of their own free will.  This book amougst others, show that clearly some of the individuals were left with no choice but to be press ganged into joining groups of which they disapprove.

 The author's lovely descriptions conjured up for me how very difficult the life of a blind person can be, whilst at the creating wonderful pictures of the scenes at the same time.

It is quite a long book, but it keeps the interest level going, and I was desperate to get to the end and find out what happened to main characters.
2904823
All Quiet on the Western Front is a war novel that can technically be read my most people; however, it takes a really focused and analytical reader to understand the true meanings and features behind the book.  The average reader would probably not find a "climax" in the novel.  In order to comprehend the book, it is almost critical and significant that one must know its background information.  The setting is on the western front(specifically Germany) during the time of WWI.  The narrator and main character, Paul Baumer matures throughout the book.  One of the themes, other than that of war, is the coming of age which is illustrated in the novel.  Paul learns about life, love, grief, happiness, death, and the concept of moving on.  The brutal lessons and events that occured in the book well depicted the life of those back then.  Remarque got into the minds of those men and truly expressed realistic, intellectual, and sentimental perspectives of all soldiers.
3762058
Derek Robinson is one of those writers with an unerring knack for creating in his novels compelling and complex characters, whose black humor attests to the absurdities of war. Love or hate them, the characters of "A Splendid Little War" serve as a colorful backdrop to an incredible historical event that is little known today. The event of which I speak is the Allied Intervention in Russia, which began in the summer of 1918 --- when Britain, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, and America sent troops and other material support to force Lenin's Bolsheviks (i.e. the "Reds") out of power and assist the Russian counter-revolutionary forces (the "Whites") in re-establishing in Russia a government sympathetic to (and supportive of) Allied interests --- and ended in 1920.

This novel is centered around a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron made up of volunteers who left Britain in the Spring of 1919 in anticipation of an exciting and colorful time in Russia. Their commanding officer (C.O.), Wing Commander Griffin, is a rather no-nonsense type, not lacking in bravery, but set on doing things his way, even if this sometimes means offending his Russian compatriots. There is also a merry array of characters consisting of the adjutant, Brazier (often referred to affectionately as "Uncle" by his squadron mates), who helps keep the squadron running smoothly on a daily basis as it is moved by rail to various parts of Southern Russia, wherever the fighting is heaviest; Lacey, who is responsible for maintaining the squadron's radio contacts with the British Military Mission and keeping it fully supplied (through fair and 'slick' means); a young doctor, Susan Perry; James Hackett, a wise-ass Australian fighter pilot; Tiger Wragge, a fellow fighter pilot who is like a sidekick to Hackett; and Tusker Oliphant, the senior bomber pilot in the squadron.

The situation the squadron is thrown into upon arrival in Russia is fraught with many dangers. The "Whites" for a time have the Reds on the run. But they are hardly a unified force in a country that is teetering on the edge. Corruption is everywhere. Yet through it all, the RAF squadron bravely carries out the missions it has been been given, from Tsaritsyn (later known as Stalingrad) to Kursk and Orel. There are the occasional dogfights with scattered elements of the Red Air Force, which Robinson describes with word-pictures that make combat so tellingly real to the reader. Indeed, Robinson knows how to convey the moves pilots make in managing and controlling aircraft as they are put through their paces. The squadron itself is hard-pressed as the tide of war changes and the "Reds" gain the upper hand.

In rounding out this review, I'd like to cite the following comments Robinson put into the mouth of the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George, in London whilst chatting with an aide who had been closely monitoring the British contribution to the Allied Intervention (which was the largest and most extensive of all the Allied powers in Russia, for the Army, Royal Navy, and RAF all played a part): "History teaches us that war does not travel in a straight line. Obstacles spring up that never before existed, and so armies ricochet,and leaders must duck and dodge or they suffer. Last year we nearly joined forces with the Bolsheviks. Even Winston was for it. He wanted to offer them a formula that would protect their revolution and consolidate their power, if only they would re-start their war against Germany. We desperately needed someone to fight for the Allies in the east, and the Bolsheviks seemed the most warlike. But, alas, not for long. Then the Huns collapsed, a very large surprise indeed, since most of us expected the war to go on for another five or ten years. Now we no longer needed an eastern front. But - a little ricochet - Bolshevik revolutions began breaking out in Europe like chicken pox, so we put our money on the anti-Red forces in Russia. Worth a gamble. Nearly paid off..."

Thrills, chills, and spills, this novel has it all and comes highly recommended.
2199451
There have been a number of wonderful novels published lately about women's experiences during World War II. Those that have been outstanding include "All the light we cannot see" and "The Nightingale," but there have been others also worthy of praise. "A bridge across the ocean" is clearly meant to fit into that popular genre. It is certainly enjoyable to read, and its main characters are survivors who are brave, engaging women. However, and this is a significant however, it is necessary to completely suspend disbelief in order to immerse oneself into their stories and the plot as a whole, because a main plot device requires an acceptance that spirits, that is ghosts, live among us. As a secular rather than supernatural believer, that was a major barricade for me, but because the characters are fairly rich, I decided not to resist the plot and just treat the book as a quick read.

The main characters are women who meet and travel together as war brides on the Queen Mary, a Cunard ocean liner that was converted into a troop ship to carry servicemen across the Atlantic from America to England; a woman in disguise trying to hide from her abusive Nazi husband; and a modern day woman who inherited her family's gift of "the Sight," an ability to see and communicate with souls who haven't completely crossed over from life to the next life. The time frame of the novel moves frequently from the beginning of the war to the end, to the present day in orde to detail the lives of the main characters.

At war's end, prior to returning to life as a luxury liner, the Queen Mary was used to transport European  women who had married American servicemen to the United States. Of three women who room together for the crossing from England, we learn a great deal about two: Simone, a Frenchwoman who has lost a great deal to the Nazis and worked for the Resistance; and Annalise, who was forced to marry an abusive Nazi, and, in order to escape him, is posing as a woman who was her best friend but was recently killed in an auto accident. The third woman, Phoebe, sometimes seems like comic relief, but because of the secrets both Simone and Anneliese hold, her words and actions help move the plot along. Brette, the modern day woman who sees dead people, is full of contradictions and fears. She has tried hard most of her life to pretend she doesn't see ghosts, or "Drifters" between two worlds, as she refers to them. However, two things make her acknowledge that she must address the Sight; her husband's wish to have a baby, even though Brette fears a child will inherit her ability; and an encounter with a ghost on the Queen Mary, which is now operated as a museum and hotel in Long Beach, California.

Brette's conflicts and involvement bring all pieces of the various plot twists and turns together, to a satisfactory, if somewhat overly romantic, ending.

For a reader not put off by the supernatural deus ex machine aspects of the novel, the book is a quick and somewhat informative read, well written and engaging.
4718089
4 and 1/2 stars. In this book we examine the issue of WWI-era dead - and more! Ruth is called in on a buried plane from WWII. In it, is a dead man - shot in the forehead. When the DNA comes back it is discovered that he is related to a local family who lives in Blackstock Hall.

What follows is a remarkably good who-done-it complete with bodies, old and new and confusing family relationships. It is quite a romp. All of your old favorites are here: Ruth, Kate, Nelson, Cathbad, Judy, Clough and the newcomer, Tim.

Very well written, paced and plotted, this is one of Elly Griffiths' best!!