WWII Based Books

[ritzbiscuits]

I fancy reading a couple of books about WWII this year, as it's a subject I'm fascinated in.

I have 'All The Light We Cannot See' on my bookshelf unread. Can you lovely bunch recommend any others?

From Sand and Ash - Amy Harmon

Story of a Catholic boy and Jewish girl growing up in Italy in the years inbetwern the wars, and how the war impacts this relationship. Lots of historical context and well researched background. I couldn’t put it down. I had to adkDH to drive the long way round on the way back from holiday do I could finish it!

What sort of thing are you looking for? Lived experience in occupied territory: Christabel Bielenberg, The Past Is Myself. For kids, though also good for adults, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and its sequels, based on Judith Kerr's experience as a refugee in Paris then U.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Simon Mawer, about an SOE agent in France (fiction).
When The Siren Wailed by Noel Streatfeild is also a kids book but about the evacuee experience.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society about life in occupied Guernsey

'if not now when?' Primo Levi. Russian, Polish and Jewish partisans trapped behind enemy lines.

'Charlotte Gray' Sebastian Faulks. Scottish woman working for the resistance in France.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'll look them all up.

I'm open to ideas really, maybe a 'true' story of someone's experience.

I loved 'Dear Mrs Bird' which came out last year.

'Suite Francaise' and 'Charlotte Gray' are very good.

Ooh ooh, and I also recommend, Nikola Scott's Summer of Secrets, Sharon Maas 'The Soldier's girl' and Lorna Cook's forthcoming debut, 'The Forgotten village' - which is about a requisitioned village in Tyneham, Dorset.

Citadel by Kate Mosse about the French resistance is very good. Good Night Mr Tom more for kids I guess though I love it.

It's out of print, but lots of copies available second-hand - Hearts Undefeated. It's a Virago anthology of contemporary non-fiction writing by women from a wide range of backgrounds. One of my all-time favourite books.

Carve Her Name With Pride.

Whatever you do, don't read "Mr Churchill's Secretary" - what a lot of dross, and totally inaccurate. There are apparently 3 books in the series, so she may have improved, but terrible waste of money. I liked the "Small Change" trilogy, by Jo Walton - a "what if Great Britain had surrendered" series. I really like the Philip Kerr Bertie Gunther books, which are set in Germany, and continue after the war, and the Jane Thynne series of books with Clara Vine are also good. And also the Tom Tyler series by Maureen Jennings

Sorry didn't realise it was non fiction! The Colonel of Tamarkan, Our Uninvited Guests, Jambusters - all Julie Summers, A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm

Working for Victory edited by Sue Bruley, Spitfire Women by Giles Whittell, and for a look at Russian Women pilots - Night Witches by Bruce Myles.

Wow! A great list of books thanks :-)

Dear Mrs Bird is an enjoyable book set in the Blitz.

Rosamunde Pilcher wrote a really good WWII book called 'Coming Home'.

'The Siege' by Helen Dunmore is an excellent fictional account of the siege of Leningrad.

If you want to read about the holocaust, I'd recommend 'If this is a Man' and 'The Truce' by Primo Levi. And of course, 'The Diary of Anne Frank'.

Nella Last’s War is brilliant (true diary of a housewife in war in a shipbuilding district) Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden about evacuees, Goodnight Mr Tom for same.

I've been reading into WWII too. Currently reading 'When Paris went dark' about the occupation of Paris. There's also a book about women in Paris at this time by Anne Seba

Anne Seba, Les Parisiennes.

Life after Life and A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson both have sections set during the 2nd world war. THe first one focused on the Blitz and the latter on the bombing campaigns from the POV of the pilots.

I'd love to read more about the blitz if anyone has any recommendations....sorry to hijack op!

I second God in Ruins and Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson. Also Night Watch by Sarah Waters, great fictional account of ambulance drivers. Two of my fav authors.

Another by Simon Mawer is The Glass Room. Set mostly in Czechoslovakia. I like it better than the SOE story but it’s good too.PS - the latter has a There are loads more .......

Farleigh Fields

In Farleigh Fields - recently read and enjoyed this book.

Children books worth reading are Dolphin Crossing and Machine Gunners.

That should be ‚has a sequel‘.

Anyone mentioned Suite Francaise yet - an all time favourite of mine (especially poignant given the author's own back-story)

For facts, I think ‘wartime Britain’ by Juliet Gardiner is exceptional. V readable/informative.