Atlantic Monthly Press
Atlantic Monthly Press
Atlantic Monthly Press
NEW!
Even at home, the war is never far away . . .
The beautifully rendered new novel from preeminent WWII historian James Holland, chronicling the impact of the war on one British family and their small village
The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castell family for generations. But in 1939, the village’s tranquility is about to be shattered once more by the storm clouds of war. As three generations of the family gather, they must all face the prospect of their lives being transformed beyond recognition.
As rumors of the conflict give way to reality and the younger members of the family are called up to fight, those who remain must battle to keep the home fires burning and the farm afloat, and relationships are tested as never before. The gentle certainties of rural life are replaced by the urgent clamor of battle, in the air, at sea and on land, where events unfold with dizzying rapidity and unexpected consequences.
Stretching from the glorious yet uneasy summer of 1939 to the Battle of Britain the following year, Alvesdon paints a compelling and immersive portrait of how World War II upended everything. For one family and for a community, their way of life will never be the same.
“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.”—The Sunday Times
“A beautiful, evocative novel that captures the fear and mood of the early days of the war.”—Dermot O’Leary
“The depth and breadth of [Holland’s] knowledge is evident in the vivid portrayal of all the varied theatres of conflict.”—The Times (UK)
“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
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