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Occupied: European and Asian Responses to Axis Conquest, 1937–1945
by Aviel RoshwaldFor most of the population of Europe and East and Southeast Asia, the most persistent and significant aspect of their experience of the Second World War was that of occupation by one or more of the Axis powers. In this ambitious and wide-ranging study, Aviel Roshwald brings us the first single-authored, comparative treatment of European and Asian responses to German and Japanese occupation during the war. He illustrates how patriotic, ethno-national, and internationalist identities were manipulated, exploited, reconstructed and reinvented as a result of the wholesale dismantling of states and redrawing of borders. Using eleven case studies from across the two continents, he examines how behavioral choices around collaboration and resistance were conditioned by existing identities or loyalties as well as by short-term cost–benefit calculations, opportunism, or coercion.
Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority
by James Dobbins Seth G. Jones Benjamin Runkle Siddharth MohandasFocuses on the activities of the Coalition Provisional Authority during the first year of the occupation of Iraq. Based on interviews and nearly 100,000 never-before-released documents from CPA archives, the book recounts and evaluates the efforts of the United States and its coalition partners to restore public services, counter a burgeoning insurgency, and create the basis for representative government.
Ocean Boundary Making: Regional Issues and Developments (Routledge Revivals)
by Douglas M. Johnston Phillip M. SaundersOriginally published in 1988, this book was written at a time when many nations were engaged in various forms of ocean boundary making. This created new regional pressures and the need for collective regional responses to these issues. This book examines the issues at stake and the boundary making processes. It discusses these in a general way, showing how the Third UN conference on the Law of the Sea helped resolve the problems whilst leaving some issues unresolved. The book goes onto examine the issues and boundary making processes in 7 important areas of the world
Ocean: The Ocean Cycle Omnibus
by Brian Herbert Jan HerbertFrom a New York Times–bestselling author, an ecological thriller about human animal hybrids battling to rescue the ocean from environmental impact. In 2024, Earth is consumed by a great War of Ocean Liberation: a military force of sea creatures attacks naval installations, shuts down shipping lanes and fishing operations, and destroys offshore oil-drilling rigs. Huge blue whales, sharks, dolphins, and even monstrous creatures thought to be extinct—all strike with ferocity and surprising strength. The marine armada is led by hybrid, transformed humans who call themselves Sea Warriors, ocean-rights zealots who can swim to the deepest regions of the sea and live off the bounty of the waters. Their commander, Kimo Pohaku, announces his startling intention: The complete liberation of the seas from human control. Finally, the ocean is fighting back, but it might be too late . . .
Oceanography And Mine Warfare
by National Research CouncilBased on a 1999 symposium, this report reviews how oceanographic data are used in US mine warfare, and the current and future capability of research to enhance such operations. Coverage includes doctrine, training issues, data collection/database capabilities, and modeling capabilities. Appends information on the symposium, a wargame scenario, the Office of Naval Research Program, and supporting research programs. Lacks an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Oceans Apart: Stories of Overseas Evacuees in World War Two
by Penny StarnsFrom May 1940, the Children’s Overseas Reception Board began to move children to Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand for their own safety during the Second World War. The scheme was extremely popular, and over 200,000 applications were made within just four months, while thousands of children were also sent to be privately evacuated overseas. The ‘sea-vacs’, as they became known, had a variety of experiences.After weeks at sea, they began new lives thousands of miles away. Letters home took up to twelve weeks to reach their destination, and many children were totally cut off from their families in the UK. While most were well cared for, others found their time abroad a miserable, difficult or frightening experience as they encountered homesickness, prejudice and even abuse.Using a range of primary source material, including diaries, letters and interviews, Penny Starns reveals in heart-breaking detail the unique and personal experiences of sea-vacs, as well as their surprising influence on international wartime policy in their power to elicit international sympathy and financial support for the British war effort.
Oceans Ventured: Winning The Cold War At Sea
by John LehmanA thrilling story of the Cold War, told by a former navy secretary on the basis of recently declassified documents. When Ronald Reagan took office in January 1981, the United States and NATO were losing the Cold War. The USSR had superiority in conventional weapons and manpower in Europe, and had embarked on a massive program to gain naval preeminence. But Reagan already had a plan to end the Cold War without armed conflict. Reagan led a bipartisan Congress to restore American command of the seas by building the navy back to six hundred major ships and fifteen aircraft carriers. He adopted a bold new strategy to deploy the growing fleet to northern waters around the periphery of the Soviet Union and demonstrate that the NATO fleet could sink Soviet submarines, defeat Soviet bomber and missile forces, and strike aggressively deep into the Soviet homeland if the USSR attacked NATO in Central Europe. New technology in radars, sensors, and electronic warfare made ghosts of American submarines and surface fleets. The United States proved that it could effectively operate carriers and aircraft in the ice and storms of Arctic waters, which no other navy had attempted. The Soviets, suffocated by this naval strategy, were forced to bankrupt their economy trying to keep pace. Shortly thereafter the Berlin Wall fell, and the USSR disbanded. In Oceans Ventured, John Lehman reveals for the first time the untold story of the naval operations that played a major role in winning the Cold War.
Oceans of Fate: Peace and Peril Aboard the Steamship Empress of Asia
by Dan BlackThe remarkable story of how one ship — doomed by war — intersected lives and crossed into history. Completed in 1913 for Canadian Pacific, the Empress of Asia plied the oceans for nearly 30 years. Built for long-haul ocean travel during peace-time, she saw wartime service as an armed merchant cruiser and troopship before Japanese dive-bombers destroyed her in 1942. Through the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, she brought continents and people together, delivering mail and multimillion-dollar consignments of silk. As a luxurious passenger liner, she was a “Greyhound of the Pacific,” braving epic storms and smashing transpacific speed records. From stokehold to bridge, steerage to first-class staterooms, she steamed with a kaleidoscope of lives, including courageous and recalcitrant crew, immigrants and refugees seeking a better life or relief from disaster, drug smugglers, weapons dealers, and the idle and not-so-idle rich. This is the dramatic story of how that one ship and the lives of those on board intersected during a tumultuous period of world history, culminating in her sinking off Singapore in the Second World War.
Oceans of Fire (Stony Man #86)
by Don PendletonStony Man is the last line of defense in a new age of terror. The covert ops teams that make up the clandestine anti-terrorist group are the elite in the field. Backed by superior cybernetic and real-time intelligence, the men of Phoenix Force and Able Team strike with relentless precision, fighting the worst the world has to offer, whenever and wherever it leads them. The trail to recapture stolen Russian nukes puts Stony Man on a mission that's turning suicidal. Using covert and hardball tactics, the nukes are traced to a source inside the Middle East, but it's soon discovered that the Arab extremists are merely financiers in an operation laced with wrong turns, double dealings and the changing face of an enemy clever enough to stay one step ahead. Stony Man is up against a deadly chimera: Russian mafiya, Afghan warlords and a mysterious German corporate magnate whose desire for revenge threatens to wipe America's eastern seaboard off the map.
Oceans, Seas, Shorelines and Warfare (Oceans, Seas, and Shorelines)
by Ross Anderson Richard Harding Mick de RuyterFor as long as humanity has ventured on the seas, naval warfare has been an integral part of their activities and the focal point for many histories and ideas of heritage. This book presents a rarely explored aspect: the long‑term impact of those battles on shorelines, seas and oceans.Dramatic and altering, the physical scars of battles remain with us today in the form of cultural landscapes and archaeological sites, while the geopolitical consequences of warfare have been world‑changing. The migrations of peoples across the seas, accompanied by violence, have done more to shape the demographic and cultural map of the modern world than almost anything else. Both seaborne opportunities and threats have influenced the way of life of coastal communities. Today, technology has seen these threats extend far into the deepest ocean and reach across continents. This book shows how, despite being virtually invisible to an increasing percentage of the world’s population, the ocean is more significant now than it has ever been.Ranging from the world of antiquity to the present day with a global perspective, the volume is intended to appeal to those interested in history, archaeology, social sciences and the environment.
Ocho días de mayo: De la muerte de Hitler al final del Tercer Reich
by Volker UllrichEl relato trepidante de los ocho días que cambiaron el rumbo del mundo. Uno de los mejores libros que se han escrito sobre la locura nazi. 30 de abril de 1945. En un búnker en las profundidades de la cancillería del Tercer Reich, Adolf Hitler y Eva Braun se suicidan. Pero la Alemania nazi sobrevive, la guerra no ha terminado. Todo parece detenerse y, sin embargo, todo se mueve a un ritmo frenético. Volker Ullrich relata jornada a jornada este tiempo fuera del tiempo y adentra al lector en un mundo que se derrumba, lleno de drama, violencia, esperanza y miedo.Los siguientes ocho días, entre los más turbulentos de la historia, fueron testigo de las batallas finales de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y el colapso de la Wehrmacht, pero también de las últimas marchas de la muerte, de una epidemia de suicidios y violaciones masivas, de los intentos fanáticos de una última resistencia, de la desesperada huida de los peces gordos nazis, de la liberación de los campos de concentración...En esta narración vibrante y conmovedora, el prestigioso historiador y periodista Volker Ullrich nos lleva al régimen fantasmagórico del almirante Karl Dönitz, sucesor de Hitler, que huye hacia Flensburgo mientras las fuerzas aliadas avanzan inexorablemente. Berlín capitula, el científico y diseñador de cohetes Wernher von Braun es detenido, Marlene Dietrich busca a su hermana en Bergen-Belsen. El relato de estos ocho días de mayo, basado en una asombrosa variedad de nuevas fuentes primarias y elaborado a partir de miniaturas históricas que forman un amplio mosaico, resulta más cautivador que muchas novelas de suspense. La crítica ha dicho:«Ullrich demuestra que los historiadores alemanes también saben escribir de forma elegante y cautivadora. Más emocionante que muchas novelas de suspense».Der Spiegel «Apasionante, impecablemente investigado».The Wall Street Journal «Excelente. Una síntesis admirable».The Times«Volker Ullrich ordena los hechos de tal manera que la lectura se convierte en un paseo histórico que ni resulta complaciente ni sermonea».Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung «Cautivador. Muestra adónde conducen la locura política y la decadencia moral, la violencia y la guerra».Frankfurter Rundschau «Un cambio de perspectiva revelador. Pocos serán los lectores que, aún creyendo conocer bien estos meses tan explorados, no se encuentren una y otra vez con detalles o episodios nuevos para ellos».Die Welt «Un libro vivo, de ritmo rápido y magníficamente investigado».The Spectator «Un relato vibrante de ocho días en los que toda Europa quedó suspendida en la confusión y el caos».Kirkus Reviews«La crónica brillante, cautivadora y a menudo inquietante de un momento surrealista de la historia».Publishers Weekly «Escrito con maestría».Library Journal «Un apasionante rompecabezas escénico».Der Spiegel«Inteligente y agudo. Un retrato vivaz basado en la observación precisa, el dominio de las fuentes y una mirada amplia».Süddeutsche Zeitung «Con un gran sentido de la narración, Ullrich funde los testimonios privados y la bibliografía histórica, las memorias y los archivos en una panorámica completa y muy lograda de un periodo tumultuoso».Die Tageszeitung «Ofrece fabulosas lecciones de historia para los tiempos actuales».Tagesspiegel «Un libro emocionante que nos deja casi sin aliento, y literalmente nos obliga a seguir leyendo».Stuttgarter Zeitung
Odette
by Jerrard Tickell'I am a very ordinary woman to whom a chance was given to see human beings at their best and at their worst... I completely believe in the potential nobility of the human spirit.'During some of the darkest days of the Second World War, a young Frenchwoman living as a mother and housewife in England left her ordinary life to become a British agent, working covertly in France to aid the Resistance. Entering a murky and deadly world of espionage and double-dealing, she was betrayed to the Germans, only to endure torture by the Gestapo and the hell of the infamous concentration camp of Ravensbruck. Yet she retained a compassion, grace and spiritedness that mystified her captors; and, living to see the liberation of Europe, she kept, in the direst circumstances, her fundamental trust in goodness. ODETTE tells the moving and inspirational story of a woman, who, in her courage and her ability to hold on to hope, was far from ordinary.
Odette
by Jerrard Tickell'I am a very ordinary woman to whom a chance was given to see human beings at their best and at their worst... I completely believe in the potential nobility of the human spirit.'During some of the darkest days of the Second World War, a young Frenchwoman living as a mother and housewife in England left her ordinary life to become a British agent, working covertly in France to aid the Resistance. Entering a murky and deadly world of espionage and double-dealing, she was betrayed to the Germans, only to endure torture by the Gestapo and the hell of the infamous concentration camp of Ravensbruck. Yet she retained a compassion, grace and spiritedness that mystified her captors; and, living to see the liberation of Europe, she kept, in the direst circumstances, her fundamental trust in goodness. ODETTE tells the moving and inspirational story of a woman, who, in her courage and her ability to hold on to hope, was far from ordinary.
Odette's Secrets
by Maryann MacdonaldWhen Odette's father becomes a Nazi prisoner of war and the Paris police begin arresting Jews, her mother sends Odette to hide in the Catholic French countryside where she must keep many secrets to survive.
Odor of Violets: A Duncan Maclain Mystery
by Baynard KendrickIt's world war 2, and a blind detective follows unseen clues to solve a murder and undermine a German spy plot.'Thrilling and perilous adventures' NEW YORK TIMESCaptain Duncan Maclain was blinded during his service in the first World War. Now he is one of New York City's most sought-after detectives, achieving a mastery of the subtle unseen clues often missed by those who see only with their eyes. Now, with the outbreak of a second world war, Maclain is pulled into a case unlike any he's investigated before. Aided by his dogs Schnucke and Driest, the Captain puts the intelligence-gathering techniques he learned in the Army to work on a case involving German spies, where it is almost impossible to tell whose side anyone is on.
Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming
by Jonathan Shay<p>In his acclaimed book <i>Achilles in Vietnam</i>, Dr. Jonathan Shay used the Iliad as a prism through which to examine how ancient and modern wars have battered the psychology of the men who fight. Now he turns his attention to the Odyssey, Homer's classic story of a soldier's homecoming, to illuminate the real problems faced by combat veterans reentering civilian society. <p>Drawing on his years of experience working with Vietnam veterans, Shay illustrates how the Odyssey can be read as a metaphor for the pitfalls that trap many veterans on the road back to civilian life. He also explains how veterans recover, and advocates changes to American military practice that will protect future servicemen and servicewomen while increasing their fighting power. <p>The Odyssey, Shay argues, offers explicit portrayals of behavior common among returning soldiers in our own culture -- danger-seeking, womanizing, explosive violence, drug abuse, visitation by the dead, obsession, vagrancy, and homelessness. Supporting his reading with examples from his fifteen-year practice treating Vietnam combat veterans, Shay shows how Odysseus's mistrustfulness, his lies, and his constant need to conceal his thoughts and emotions foreshadow the experiences of many of today's veterans. Throughout, Homer strengthens our understanding of what a combat veteran must overcome to return to and flourish in civilian life, just as the heartbreaking stories of the veterans Shay treats give us a new understanding of one of the world's greatest classics. <p>With a foreword by Vietnam veteran U.S. Senators John McCain and Max Cleland, representing bipartisan support for what Dr. Shay is trying to accomplish, <i>Odysseus in America</i> is an impassioned and cogent plea to renovate American military institutions -- and a brilliant rereading of Homer's epic. </p>
Odysseus: The Oath (Odysseus Ser. #1)
by Valerio Massimo ManfrediThis historical adventure trilogy opener follows an ancient Greek boy as he grows into a legendary hero with a hand in the fall of Troy. As a young boy in Ithaca, Odysseus listens in wonder to his grandfather Autolykos, a man feared by many across the land as a ruthless fighter. He learns of his heritage and a lifelong passion is sparked: to become an adventurer and warrior. In Mycenae, he meets King Eurystheus and learns the terrible story of Hercules—the man with god-like strength who slaughtered his family and was punished by the King to undertake impossible tasks to earn absolution. But is Eurystheus the man he says he is? When a child comes to Odysseus in the middle of the night, with another, very disturbing, version of what happened that fateful night, Odysseus embarks on the first of his extraordinary quests...So begins the epic story of Odysseus, the first of two volumes: an adventure of love, war, courage and heroism, weaving from a small rocky island in Greece, to the mighty fall of Troy.Praise for Odysseus: The Oath“A tantalizing story. . . . This is a beautifully told tale, and fans of novels about the great characters of Greek mythology will relish the story and eagerly await the final volume.” —Booklist“If you love the classics, you will enjoy Professor Manfredi’s rendition of the tale of Odysseus. . . . The story is beautifully told. . . . The author’s descriptions of the journey and battles are as exciting as Homer’s (I thought) but softened by Odysseus’ and Penelope’s love story. All in all, a first-rate book that really shouldn’t be missed.” —Historical Novel Society
Of Bone and Thunder: A Novel
by Chris EvansA land of thick jungle and mist-swirled mountains. An enemy moving unseen beneath the lush canopy. The growing threat of thaumics--a magic wielded by few that threatens to destabilize all. The youth of a kingdom sent to fight in a faraway hell while back home, discord and disillusionment reign...Fantasy author Chris Evans masterfully pushes the boundaries of the genre in his brilliant, groundbreaking new epic, a unique and penetrating vision channeling the cultural upheaval, racial animus, and wholesale destruction of the Vietnam War. Here, in the distant nation of Luitox, which is wracked by rebellion, thaumic users copilot mammoth armored dragons alongside fliers who do not trust their strange methods. Warriors trained in crossbow, stealth, and catapult are plunged into sudden chaotic battles with the mysterious Forest Collective, an elusive enemy with a powerful magic of its own. And the Kingdom's most downtrodden citizens, only recently granted equality, fight for the dignity they were supposed to have won at home while questioning who the real enemy is. Of Bone and Thunder is the story of Thaum Jawn Rathim, whose idealized view of the war clashes with its harsh realities and his realization that victory may cost him everything...of conscripted soldier Carny, awash in a hallucinogenic haze of fear and anger...of Breeze, the red-haired graduate from the Royal Academy of Thaumology, certain she can transform the very nature of warfare--if only she can win the trust of the man holding her fate in his hands...and of Ugen Listowk, a veteran crossbowman who finds solace in the darkest shadows of the jungle and whose greatest fear is failing the men he leads into battle.Plunging deep into the heart of a moral and mortal darkness, these reluctant soldiers struggle for survival and for meaning amid a blazing drama of blood and magic. They will duel a ghostly enemy, fight to understand their roles in a sprawling maelstrom, and ultimately wage the war their way--not for glory or the Kingdom, but for one another.
Of Cabbages and Kings: The History of Allotments
by Caroline Foley“An excellent account” of Britain’s tradition of parceling out land for the public to grow food on, and the colorful history behind it (The Independent).This lively book tells the story of the private garden plots known as allotments—from their origin in the seventeenth century, when new enclosures that deprived the peasantry of access to common lands were fiercely protested, to the victory gardens of the world wars, and into the present day, when they serve less as a means of survival than as a respite from the modern world. While delving into the effects of the Napoleonic Wars, the Corn Laws, and the utopian dissenters known as the Diggers, the author reveals the multiple roles of allotments—and champions their history in the hope of protecting them for the future. “Foley’s book reminds us that the right to share the earth has always been an asymmetric struggle.” —The Guardian“Fascinating and handsomely illustrated.” —Daily Mail“Well-told . . . . [a] gallop through the history of useful rather than ornamental crops.” —Spectator Australia
Of Courage and Determination: The First Special Service Force, "The Devil's Brigade," 1942-44
by Colonel Bernd Horn Michel Wyczynski Charlie MannAn Allied unit comprised of Canadian and American troops, the First Special Service Force or "Devil’s Brigade" struck fear into the very heart of the Axis. In the dark, early days of the Second World War, the Allies found themselves with their backs against the wall. With their armies, tactics, doctrine, and equipment in tatters, the Allies turned to special operations forces to carry the fight to the Axis enemy until their conventional forces could be built up once again. Specially selected and trained, these forces struck fear into the hearts of the enemy. One such unit, the First Special Service Force (FSSF) or Devil’s Brigade, was created for a hazardous mission in Norway. This unique formation was composed of both Americans and Canadians who served side by side without distinction of nationality. A killer elite, the FSSF consistently demonstrated courage and determination and earned itself an unrivaled combat record at Monte la Difensa and Anzio in Italy and in the invasion of southern France.
Of Gods and Mortals - Mythological Wargame Rules
by Mark Stacey Andrea SfiligoiFactions represented in the rulebook include: Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Japanese, Aztecs, Pre-Islamic Arabs (Arabian Nights), Norse, Celts and Chinese. For every army list, a list suitable models from various manufacturers and scales will be included. New armies may be added as free PDF add-ons, keeping the game fresh for years.Two armies clash: Thor, surrounded by crackling lighting, leads the assault of a horde of Viking berserkers. Preparing to receive this charge stands a wall of grim-faced, determined Spartan hoplites, commanded by Ares. Of Gods and Mortals is a scalable skirmish rules set where the average scenario plays in about one hour using up to 20 models per player on a 4'x4' table. Each player controls one god, 1-3 Legends (priests, demigods, heroes, monsters or other mythical creatures), and 10 to 20 men (infantry, cavalry, and the occasional artillery piece). This creates a three-tiered structure in the warband. The three troop types are interdependent in more than one way.Gods lead men by their powers, while at the same time men give power to the gods by their faith in them. A God cannot exist without its Faithful. The Faithful cannot win without the help of their God. There is no automatic winning strategy: the player must balance his limited resources and outguess his opponent. A bit of luck helps, too!Gods may seem all-powerful but they lose power as their troops are killed. At the same time, if the God is defeated, the mortals' morale is weakened. Gods do not die but they disappear if defeated. Legends are a sort of middle ground and provide special abilities to the warband. Mortals are more effective when used against other mortals - kill your opponent's mortal forces and you will deprive his god of much needed energy.The faith level of the warband is tracked with dice at the side of the table. When the faith level is at the maximum, the army is bolstered, priests may invoke miracles and curses, mortal troops activate at +1, and so on. When the faith level is severely reduced, the power level of the god is reduced too, and priests may not perform miracles or use spells. When the faith level drops to zero, the god disappears and all the troops still in play must make a rout test.Combat between gods is conducted like normal, but in certain cases (if both roll a six), an explosion of power hits all mortal models in range. Combat between gods use a colored dice mechanic so they can battle each other for an extened time. Combat between mortals and legends use normal Song mechanics - opposed die rolls plus modifiers, with different game results based on how much the contest is won by. The game also introduces a mechanic in which a hero or other personality may swear an oath or boast that he will accomplish something within a set number of turns. If he manages to fulfill his oath, his army gets a morale bonus.
Of Little Comfort: War Widows, Fallen Soldiers, and the Remaking of the Nation after the Great War
by Erika KuhlmanDuring and especially after World War I, the millions of black-clad widows on the streets of Europe’s cities were a constant reminder that war caused carnage on a vast scale. But widows were far more than just a reminder of the war’s fallen soldiers; they were literal and figurative actresses in how nations crafted their identities in the interwar era. In this extremely original study, Erika Kuhlman compares the ways in which German and American widows experienced their postwar status, and how that played into the cultures of mourning in their two nations: one defeated, the other victorious. Each nation used widows and war dead as symbols to either uphold their victory or disengage from their defeat, but Kuhlman, parsing both German and U.S. primary sources, compares widows’ lived experiences to public memory. For some widows, government compensation in the form of military-style awards sufficed. For others, their own deprivations, combined with those suffered by widows living in other nations, became the touchstone of a transnational awareness of the absurdity of war and the need to prevent it.
Of Living Valour
by Barney White-SpunnerPublishing to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, for the first time a modern British history tells the story of the against-the-odds triumph through the accounts of the regimental officers and soldiers whose bravery and resolution achieved victory. The author has used many unpublished sources, letters and diaries of ordinary British soldiers, in the vein of Stephen Ambrose's highly successful Band of Brothers.. With a concise, fast-moving account covering, ex-Commander of the British Army Barney White-Spunner tells the story through the experiences of those who fought there and their families, offering his unique perspective on the events. The story focuses on mens' personal feelings and their relationships, with each other, their families, their leaders and their enemies. It tells the stories of their lives, what they had left behind and why and what they went back to. It vividly captures their daily routine, their life in camp and how they fought at first hand, their fear, excitement and exhaustion. The Battle of Waterloo was one of the most significant ever fought by a British army, but it was also one of the most bloody with about 50,000 men losing their lives over three days. What was it like for those who fought and for their families waiting at home? This is their story.
Of Love and Other Wars
by Sophie HardachLondon, 1937. The profoundly moving story of a Quaker family and a Jewish family in love and at war during WWII. At a rally in the Royal Albert Hall, two Quaker brothers, Paul and Charlie Lamb, sign a pledge of peace that only one of them will honour. Meanwhile, in a draughty Victorian mansion in Hampstead, Mr. Morningstar wonders why his wife, a crystallographer from dynasty of diamond cutters, turns into a cursing somnambulist at night, while their daughter, Miriam, comes home from her shifts at the munitions factory with her stockings inside out. As the streets throng with khaki, the Lambs and the Morningstars must decide how to do good in a world transformed by evil. Should a scientist use her skills to maximise civilian casualties? Should a Quaker stand by as millions are murdered? And is it possible to love someone if you hate their convictions? When the two families are torn apart by war, Paul is forced to choose between his conscience and the woman he loves. Of Love and Other Wars is a profoundly moving tale of faith, longing, and decisions made in the split second of silence between bullets, whose repercussions last a lifetime. With distinctive flair and dazzling creative energy, Sophie Hardach pulls us into lives upended by betrayal, violence and passion. 'Tender and absorbing. An intriguing glimpse into the pacifist's world' Esther Freud'Poignant without ever being sentimental, morally complex and deftly woven - this is a book that gets better and better with every chapter' Gavin Extence, author of The Universe versus Alex Woods