The heroic image of Churchill leading the Allies to victory in World War II is turned on its head when Hitler gains air supremacy, to inflict an ignominious defeat on his sworn enemy. Shocked and humiliated, Churchill is forced to seek American assistance to drive the Germans out. Can Churchill convince the Americans to intervene? Will Churchill overcome formidable opposition and be able to return home victorious? Indeed, will he return at all? In this gripping new thriller, fact and fiction are welded together, stretching the imagination into a surprising outcome. If you have ever asked yourself what would have happened if the Battle of Britain had been lost, the unfolding of events and dramatic climax will provide a fascinating possibility. It will leave you pondering what could have been, long after you finish the book.
“McCarten's pulse-pounding narrative transports the reader to those springtime weeks in 1940 when the fate of the world rested on the shoulders of Winston Churchill. A true story thrillingly told. Thoroughly researched and compulsively readable.”—Michael F. Bishop, Executive Director of the International Churchill Society From the acclaimed novelist and screenwriter of The Theory of Everything comes a revelatory look at the period immediately following Winston Churchill’s ascendancy to Prime Minister “He was speaking to the nation, the world, and indeed to history....” May, 1940. Britain is at war. The horrors of blitzkrieg have seen one western European democracy after another fall in rapid succession to Nazi boot and shell. Invasion seems mere hours away. Just days after becoming Prime Minister, Winston Churchill must deal with this horror—as well as a skeptical King, a party plotting against him, and an unprepared public. Pen in hand and typist-secretary at the ready, how could he change the mood and shore up the will of a nervous people? In this gripping day-by-day, often hour-by-hour account of how an often uncertain Churchill turned Britain around, the celebrated Bafta-winning writer Anthony McCarten exposes sides of the great man never seen before. He reveals how he practiced and re-wrote his key speeches, from ‘Blood, toil, tears and sweat’ to ‘We shall fight on the beaches’; his consideration of a peace treaty with Nazi Germany, and his underappreciated role in the Dunkirk evacuation; and, above all, how 25 days helped make one man an icon. Using new archive material, McCarten reveals the crucial behind-the-scenes moments that changed the course of history. It’s a scarier—and more human—story than has ever been told.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis “One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • The Globe & Mail • Fortune • Bloomberg • New York Post • The New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • LibraryReads • PopMatters On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally—and willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports—some released only recently—Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments. The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.
From the bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic, this thrilling biographical account of the life and legacy of Wintson Churchill is a "nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one" (The New York Times). At the age of twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England. He arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels and jumpstart his political career. But just two weeks later, Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape—traversing hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate, and his wits to guide him. Bestselling author Candice Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters—including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener, and Mohandas Gandhi—with whom Churchill would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an extraordinary adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect twentieth century history.
My name is Lucie Blaise.I am sixteen years old.I have many aliases, but I am none of the girls you see.What I am is the newest recruit of Covert Ops.And we are here to take down Hitler.After the Nazis killed my brother on the North African front, I volunteered at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington to do my part for the war effort. Only instead of a desk job at the OSS, I was tapped to join the Clandestine Operations--a secret espionage and sabotage organization of girls. Six months ago, I was deployed to German-occupied France to gather intelligence and eliminate Nazi targets.My current mission: Track down and interrogate a Nazi traitor about a weapon that threatens to wipe out all of Western Europe. Then find and dismantle the weapon before Hitler detonates it. But the deeper I investigate, the more danger I'm in. Because the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, and trusting the wrong person could cause millions of lives to be lost. Including my own.
As a young man Winston Churchill set out to become a hero, to make a name for himself in the public eye as a soldier and so make possible a life of politics and statesmanship. There were many chances to fail and many close calls in the face of sword, spear and bullet along the way. Yet Churchill survived and succeeded – an early measure of his courage and stubborn will that the world would come to know so well in the Second World War. This is the first full-length, fully-researched biography of Churchill's colourful military career. Using an unrivalled range of sources, and with previously unpublished photographs, and detailed maps by Sir Martin Gilbert, it brings to life Churchill's motives, abilities, experiences, successes and failures, and his unswerving sense of destiny as an officer in the British Army. The result is a story to echo the man himself – rich in action, courage, charismatic self-belief, patriotism and humour. Making extensive use of the contemporary accounts of Churchill and his fellow soldiers and archival documents from three continents, illustrated with many maps and previously unpublished photographs, Douglas S. Russell vividly brings to life the military career of the vigorous young officer of hussars who later became the greatest Briton of the twentieth century. From Sandhurst to the mountainous North-West Frontier of India, to the charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, from the South African veldt to the deadly trench warfare of the Great War, the author – whom Sir Martin Gilbert calls 'a keen portraitist' – tells the gripping story of Churchill's army life with careful attention to historical detail and all the drama that the real life adventures of his subject deserve.
Suburban Chicago widow Jane Jeffry hates cooking, but loves food. She can't think of a worse fate than a rustic outing in a Wisconsin resort where she discovers a corpse, seemingly bludgeoned by a frying pan. When the body disappears and the "victim" reappears, Jane sets out to find out what's going on in this wacky wilderness wonderland.
The reader does not need a scientific background to follow the gist of the story. The book describes how Winston Churchill was able to gain access to enough fissionable uranium to make several atomic bombs before the USA's Manhattan Program began and how eventually he gained control of the USA's atomic bomb. The inspiration for this book was the recent discovery by the author that by November 1943 a chemical company in England, known at that time as Imperial Chemical Industries, had manufactured 2965 lbs. of a metal they referred to as massive metal. Extensive searches of the literature and the UK Archives at Kew, London established that massive metal was the uranium isotope 235U, the active ingredient in the atomic bomb that the USA dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945. All contemporary narratives of World War 2 make no mention of this. It was truly Churchill's Greatest Secret. This book attempts to explain how this came about. The events of World War 2 are now viewed by most people as though they are in a far distant rear view mirror. It is surprising that new information is still being discovered that shines new light on how the USA and the UK co-operated in their joint programs aimed at beating Hitler and the Japanese to the atomic bomb. New facts are revealed. As an example the author shows that when French scientists published a concept for an atomic bomb Hitler was forced to bring forward his plans for Liebestraume.......The German Dream and precipitate World War 2 sooner than he wanted. As a second example the author, connecting the dots again, shows that FDR's decision to provoke Japan was the result of his fear that Japan could build an atomic bomb. A list of patent applications that gave the British and French a dominant post war patent position are published for the first time.
A Free Contemporary Romantic Drama/ Suspense/ Thriller/ Romance Series. Life has seldom been kind to Coral Stevens. Yet after years of hard work, therapy and friends - she is standing on her own two feet, somewhat comfortable and in control of her own destiny...Or so she thinks. When her boss and good friend of fifteen years chooses to sell the company, it sets Coral's small world spinning, shattering her carefully constructed routine - and places her in the sights of business mogul Tristan Freeman, a man too handsome for his own good...And her new boss. Sparks fly and fate whispers when they meet, sending them both reeling with the intensity of their reactions. Tristan follows his heart and pursues her, but Coral doesn't trust anything - especially her own heart. How can she let him in after everything that has happened? Her life is her own, yet it's on shaky ground, easily jarred by fear, love and the never ending pull of destiny. Fate, it seems will help Tristan along the way and put him in Coral's path when she least expects it, and when she needs him more than she knows. But with the ghosts of her past still haunting her, can Coral finally exorcise these demons, face her darkest fears and allow the irresistible Tristan into her heart? This is a British Novel and is written in UK English. Reviews For Fallen For Him: "I cannot rave about this trilogy enough! It sizzles with longing, intensity and love. Tristan is amazing, sweet, handsome, funny and sooo sexy!!! He is my new book boyfriend!" 5 stars - LibraryThing "This is the first installment of the series and it packs a powerful punch! I am in love with Tristan myself. He is just so perfect. I love Coral's character also. She's sweet, witty and has a caring heart. This is a wonderful story that's going to go far in the world of romance reading." 5 stars - Goodreads "This romance was very real, very raw, and very readable." 5 stars - Amazon.co.uk "A captivating and heartfelt story of trying to move on and survive the past, when all you can see is how impossible a struggle that is. I've not been drawn into, or been this emotionally invested in a book for a long time." 5 stars - Goodreads "Great Read!" 5 stars - Barnes & Noble "Bought the trilogy all together. Fantastic read. Lovely story and not your typical romance. I cannot recommend highly enough." 5 stars - Amazon.co.uk "The last few pages had my eyes glossing over as I was becoming so engrossed with each step Coral was taking. It's like I'm there, holding her hand and willing her to take a chance with her heart. I finished this and went straight to Amazon and bought book two." 5 stars - Goodreads "One of my favourite." 5 stars - Barnes & Noble Get Fallen For Him for Free Today!
Fallen For Him (Book One) Life has seldom been kind to Coral Stevens. Yet after years of hard work, therapy and friends, she is standing on her own two feet, somewhat comfortable and in control of her own destiny...Or so she thinks. When her boss and good friend of fifteen years chooses to sell the company, it sets Coral's small world spinning, shattering her carefully constructed routine - and places her in the sights of business mogul Tristan Freeman, a man too handsome for his own good...And her new boss. But with the ghosts of the past still haunting her, can Coral finally exorcise these demons, face her darkest fears and allow the irresistible Tristan into her heart? Freed By Him (Book Two) When the past felt too big to bear, Coral Stevens walked away from the burgeoning love between her and Tristan Freeman, handsome mogul - and her new boss. Heartbroken, yet resolute, she feels she has made the right choice...too bad Tristan doesn't. Trusting him may be the hardest thing that Coral has ever done, yet the love that has grown between them cannot be denied - nor can the flammable passion that explodes whenever they touch. Then just when Coral thinks that things can't get any better, danger weaves its way around them...With her happiness and their very lives on the line, how far can she go to protect the one she loves? Forever With Him (Book Three) Coral Stevens had no idea that meeting Tristan Freeman would lead her to challenge every aspect of her life - Including her own mortality. As she begins to recover from her ordeal, she must learn to let go of her need to control, and allow Tristan to take care of her, for he is the one that managed to break down her walls, whilst patiently wearing down the barriers she threw between them - until Coral's heart was firmly caught in his grasp. Now together they must prove to each other, no matter how hard it gets, that they have become intrinsically woven into the web of each other's lives - Forever. Or will fate take over again and play a hand neither one of them can see? Reviews For Darkest Fears Trilogy "I cannot rave about this trilogy enough! It sizzles with longing, intensity and love. Tristan is amazing, sweet, handsome, funny and sooo sexy!!! He is my new book boyfriend!..." 5 stars - LibraryThing "Fantastic trilogy. Lovely story and not your typical romance. I cannot recommend highly enough..." 5 stars - Amazon.co.uk "Author Clair Delaney's latest series was recommended to me and I am so glad that I took a chance on this one because it is exactly the sort of story that grabs me and doesn't let go..." 5 stars - Amazon.com "Intense and very engaging romance trilogy. I was so easily pulled into the steamy relationship between Coral and Tristan. A great read that delivered on both the dramatic and erotic fronts. Love the characters and the story..." 5 stars - Amazon.com "One of the best series I have read in a long time. I loved the scenes and how powerful the story was..." 5 stars - Barnes & Noble "The term 'never let me go' was never so aptly used as it was in this, on both their counts. I truly loved and connected with how this played out..." 5 stars - Goodreads "This trilogy captures your attention, not just a load of romance. It's got intrigue, psychology, and the girly stuff as well - Loved it!..." 5 stars - Amazon.co.uk "I loved this entire trilogy, so much. An excellent romance series that I would highly recommend..." 5 stars - Amazon.com Buy Darkest Fears Trilogy Today!
