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.The Burning Blue

by: James Holland

June 17, 2004
Loved it. Joss was a wonderfully drawn character as were most of the secondary characters. Wasn't so sure about Stella, who seemed to fall in and out of love far too easily. But it didn't really spoil the story, apart from giving me a slight pause towards the end. Still a five star read and I'm very much looking forward to JH's next book.
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.Charlie's War

by: David Fiddimore

December 01, 2006
I really enjoyed this book. It seemed, in some ways less focussed than it's prequel, Tuesday's War, but it talked about the chaos, destruction and horror of Europe in early 1945 without being overwhelming and depressing. Some of the humour in it was a bit trite and there were some future-echoes, which always annoy me in historical novels, like lots of catchprases of the later 20th century being used, then noted in a little book by one of the characters.
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.The Forgotten War

by: David Fiddimore

March 07, 2008
The trilogy reaches its peak with panache. Charlie has lived in a world where truth is stranger than fiction, so where it is fiction it is extremely difficult to portray with balance and conviction and David Fiddimore has improved with each book. Does it have to remain a trilogy? There is plenty of material out there for Charlie to be involved with and plenty of decades in which it could happen. I hope to meet him again, Mr. Fiddimore, if you should ever happen across this. I'll say it again. EXCELLENT!!!
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.That Summer

by: Andrew Greig

July 09, 2001
The immediacy of life during the Battle of Britain springs vividly from the pages of this beautifully narrated book. The main characters, Len and Stella, narrate their interactions, their feelings, as they live every minute as though it could be their last. And that is the reality of war.

Their most intimate thoughts are brilliantly brought to the reader so that you feel that you know their friends and acquaintances, especially Tad and Maddy, and you cannot help but care for them. They muse about their opposite numbers and this delicately bares the usually thorny subject of the futility of war and conflict.

Such a beautifully written story is bound to stir the emotions of any reader, and my memories of this book, both happy and ... Read More:
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.Tuesday's War

by: David Fiddimore

September 16, 2005
I have now read all three of the Charlie Bassett chronicles.I am now starting to read them for the second time.One or two phrases used brought back my service life vividly.Marvellous reading and recommended.
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.Odin Mission

by: James Holland

May 19, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Great action scenes set in a fascinating and horrific period of our history.
Jack Tanner and his sidekick are brilliant characters and you'll find yourself cheering them along as they attempt to thwart those nasty Nazis.
The pace is terrific and the scenery incredibly vivid.
This is an incredibly entertaining WW2 action book and I eagerly anticipate the next one. Hope I don't have to wait to long, Mr Holland?
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.Winter of Spies

by: David Newham

April 29, 2005
In terms of number of words to the pound (sterling) it's hard to beat and a tremendous output for a first novel. There's three books in there! I couldn't find it in me to give it 5 stars, as previous reviewers have, but it is very readable and fun. I was, for want of a better word, confused between what I think are two styles; the self depracating 'Boy's Own' hero and a straight fiction of the Jack Higgins type. The tendency to 'wordiness' is what gives it the period feel and takes away some of the punch that should be there if it is to compete in the Higgins arena. There is a good, plausable plot, enjoyable characters and a good sense of the times, but I kept on wanting to edit it as I read it. The ending, too, is unnecassary and very bitter. Never-the-less, ... Read More:
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.Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945

by: Patrick Bishop

March 03, 2008
It is very easy to lament the work done by Bomber Command in the mid to end years of the Second World War in Europe. This book does just that. But it also delves into the hearts of those who flew the bombers, the emotions of those who let loose the bomb doors, the feelings of those who shot at night-fighters. And the book's great achievement is in presenting a view that not only helps us understand the great personal sacrifice these men made, but the even greater emotional sacrifice they have suffered since the end of the war.
With some glaring grammatical mistakes, the book's editors should be sacked, but all in all, this is a highly endearing yet incisive account of one of the ugliest aspects of war, yet an aspect that greatly hastened the end of the suffering ... Read More:
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.After Berlin

by: Martin Corrick

April 03, 2006
Martin Corrick is a genius wordsmith.
In this, his second book, he explores post-war Britain and Germany, both physically and emotionally from the perspective of the two main characters Lizzie and Charlie.
I laughed and I cried but most of all I came away with a real sense of the time and places about which he writes. The characters are beautifully written and difficult topics are not shied away from.

Beautiful prose.

I highly recommend it - read 'Navigation Log' by the same author first if you get the chance.
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.Italy's Sorrow: A Year of War 1944-45

by: James Holland

March 03, 2008
James Holland's generosity of spirit and indefatiguable labour has created one of the best general histories I've read recently--and there's a lot of stiff competition about. As well as using writen sources, Holland personally interviewed survivors from all sides of the conflict; Germans, Poles, Canadians, Britons, Americans, Italian partisans and fascists. These accounts give a vivid picture of the heroism and brutality of war, and instil a sense of sympathy for (almost) all of the participants. Their stories are skillfully blended into the larger narrative, which explains what happened, and why the major players (Alexander, Mark Clark, Kesselring, Churchill, Roosevelt, Mussolini, etc) made crucial decisions. Holland is immenently fair-minded; the controversy surrounding ... Read More:
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