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The Last Hurrah: The 1947 Royal Tour of Southern Africa and the End of Empire
by Graham VineyYoung Elizabeth captures in vivid detail perhaps the single-most important formative experience in Queen Elizabeth's life, the 1947 royal tour of southern Africa with her parents King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, during which she celebrated her twenty-first birthday.The year of the royal tour of southern Africa, 1947, marked both the high-water mark of the British Empire and the very moment at which it began to unravel. Graham Viney has written an intimate, revealing portrait of the young princess on tour with her parents and sister, Princess Margaret, hard at work in the national interest, and succeeding triumphantly against all odds. In the words of Rian Malan, South African author of My Traitor's Heart, it is 'a story about a country teetering on the brink of convulsive change and yet almost united, at least for a moment, by love for a king and queen who weren't really ours.' The year 1947 was a pivotal moment not just in the history of the Union of South Africa, but of the British Empire itself. Later that same year India gained independence and just one year later the Afrikaner Nationalist victory in South Africa would lead inexorably to the Republic of South Africa in 1961 and its departure from the Commonwealth. The present Queen Elizabeth must have learned a great deal about statecraft from her father, and about duty, tact and hard work from both her parents in the course of this three-month tour, during which the then princess celebrated her twenty-first birthday. It was also the family's first real experience of multiculturalism. Graham Viney's book gives us an intimate and revealing portrait of the royal family, while also superbly capturing a moment in the life of a fractious, recently formed 'nation', before its descent into over four decades of darkness. The royal family travelled ceaselessly, from February to April, on a specially commissioned, white-and-gold train, meeting thousands of people at every stop along the way. The tour was a show of imperial solidarity and a recognition of South Africa's contribution to the Allied cause during the Second World War, specifically that of South African prime minister Jan Smuts, who had served in both British war cabinets.Young Elizabeth draws skilfully on many diverse sources, not least the Royal Archive at Windsor, and includes many photographs of the royal family not previously published, such as stills from film footage held by the South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives in Pretoria.
The Last Invasion of Canada: The Fenian Raids, 1866 – 1870 (Canadian War Museum Historical Publication #27)
by Hereward SeniorIn the turbulent decade which produced the Canadian Confederation of 1867, a group of seasoned veterans of the American Civil War turned their attention to the conquest of Canada. They were Irish-American revolutionaries — unique because they fought under their own flag. They were know as the Fenians and they believed that the first step on the road to the liberation of Ireland was to invade Canada. The Last Invasion of Canada vividly recaptures the drama of the decade. It recounts the fledgling nation’s rag-tag, but patriotic, defence against an enemy committed to a glorious cause, but with only scattered resources. It is a story of courage, espionage and petty crime, and of mismatched motivations and goals.
The Last Kingdom (Last Kingdom (formerly Saxon Tales) #1)
by Bernard CornwellThe first installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England, “like Game of Thrones, but real” (The Observer, London)—the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit Netflix series.This is the exciting—yet little known—story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them so that, by the time the Northmen begin their assault on Wessex (Alfred’s kingdom and the last territory in English hands) Uhtred almost thinks of himself as a Dane. He certainly has no love for Alfred, whom he considers a pious weakling and no match for Viking savagery, yet when Alfred unexpectedly defeats the Danes and the Danes themselves turn on Uhtred, he is finally forced to choose sides. By now he is a young man, in love, trained to fight and ready to take his place in the dreaded shield wall. Above all, though, he wishes to recover his father’s land, the enchanting fort of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea.This thrilling adventure—based on existing records of Bernard Cornwell’s ancestors—depicts a time when law and order were ripped violently apart by a pagan assault on Christian England, an assault that came very close to destroying England.
The Last Legion
by Chris BunchThe human Confederation empire stretches across the endless night between the stars, slowly rotting from within even as it faces threats from without. And at its farthest reaches stand the forgotten men and women of the Last Legion - all that stands between the empire and chaos.As violence between factions escalates and the Legion strives to keep the peace, a planet on the edge of nowhere will set the stage for the empire's final stand . . .
The Last Legion: Book One of the Last Legion Series
by Chris BunchThe human Confederation empire stretches across the endless night between the stars, slowly rotting from within even as it faces threats from without. And at its farthest reaches stand the forgotten men and women of the Last Legion - all that stands between the empire and chaos. As violence between factions escalates and the Legion strives to keep the peace, a planet on the edge of nowhere will set the stage for the empire's final stand . . .
The Last Legion: Book One of the Last Legion Series
by Chris BunchThe human Confederation empire stretches across the endless night between the stars, slowly rotting from within even as it faces threats from without. And at its farthest reaches stand the forgotten men and women of the Last Legion - all that stands between the empire and chaos.As violence between factions escalates and the Legion strives to keep the peace, a planet on the edge of nowhere will set the stage for the empire’s final stand . . .
The Last Letter
by Rebecca Yarros“The Last Letter is a haunting, heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational love story.“—InTouch WeeklyBeckett,If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.Please don’t make her go through it alone. Ryan
The Last Letters from Villa Clara: A moving and sweeping story of love, betrayal and sacrifice
by Sarah Steele'A well-written and fascinating narrative about love and loss, courage and betrayal, the past and secrets, art and reproductions' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is certainly a wow of a read . . . interesting, insightful, suspenseful' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐CAN THE SEARCH FOR A WARTIME SECRET UNLOCK HER FUTURE?1939. Europe is on the brink of change and in the fear and chaos of pre-war Italy, a painting disappears and is never seen again.1963. London is on the cusp of change in the swinging 60s. Nightclubs and exclusive parties are in their heyday, as are the art thieves of the East End underworld. But when a lowly boarding-house landlady attempts to take on the upper-crust establishment, and is accused of spying for the Russians, she can save only one thing - her reputation, or the love of her life.1989. Phoebe Cato is on the verge of losing everything she cares about: her labour of love, the struggling Cato Museum that houses Bruce Cato's collection of masterful reproductions, and worse than that, her beloved uncle Bruce himself. With only months to live, Phoebe may not be able to save Bruce's life, but little does she know that he had planned on saving hers all along.Following Bruce's final trail of clues, hidden in a series of paintings, Phoebe embarks on a journey to uncover a long-held family secret and a sweeping love story that encompassed the decades . . .The moving and captivating new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel sweeps us from an Italy simmering on the brink of war through to 1960s London at a time of shadows and Russian spies, taking us on an extraordinary journey of love, courage and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Natasha Lester, Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.
The Last Letters from Villa Clara: A moving and sweeping story of love, betrayal and sacrifice
by Sarah Steele'A well-written and fascinating narrative about love and loss, courage and betrayal, the past and secrets, art and reproductions' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is certainly a wow of a read . . . interesting, insightful, suspenseful' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐CAN THE SEARCH FOR A WARTIME SECRET UNLOCK HER FUTURE?1939. Europe is on the brink of change and in the fear and chaos of pre-war Italy, a painting disappears and is never seen again.1963. London is on the cusp of change in the swinging 60s. Nightclubs and exclusive parties are in their heyday, as are the art thieves of the East End underworld. But when a lowly boarding-house landlady attempts to take on the upper-crust establishment, and is accused of spying for the Russians, she can save only one thing - her reputation, or the love of her life.1989. Phoebe Cato is on the verge of losing everything she cares about: her labour of love, the struggling Cato Museum that houses Bruce Cato's collection of masterful reproductions, and worse than that, her beloved uncle Bruce himself. With only months to live, Phoebe may not be able to save Bruce's life, but little does she know that he had planned on saving hers all along.Following Bruce's final trail of clues, hidden in a series of paintings, Phoebe embarks on a journey to uncover a long-held family secret and a sweeping love story that encompassed the decades . . .The moving and captivating new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel sweeps us from an Italy simmering on the brink of war through to 1960s London at a time of shadows and Russian spies, taking us on an extraordinary journey of love, courage and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Natasha Lester, Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.
The Last Letters from Villa Clara: A moving and sweeping story of love, betrayal and sacrifice
by Sarah Steele'A well-written and fascinating narrative about love and loss, courage and betrayal, the past and secrets, art and reproductions' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is certainly a wow of a read . . . interesting, insightful, suspenseful' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐CAN THE SEARCH FOR A WARTIME SECRET UNLOCK HER FUTURE?1939. Europe is on the brink of change and in the fear and chaos of pre-war Italy, a painting disappears and is never seen again.1963. London is on the cusp of change in the swinging 60s. Nightclubs and exclusive parties are in their heyday, as are the art thieves of the East End underworld. But when a lowly boarding-house landlady attempts to take on the upper-crust establishment, and is accused of spying for the Russians, she can save only one thing - her reputation, or the love of her life.1989. Phoebe Cato is on the verge of losing everything she cares about: her labour of love, the struggling Cato Museum that houses Bruce Cato's collection of masterful reproductions, and worse than that, her beloved uncle Bruce himself. With only months to live, Phoebe may not be able to save Bruce's life, but little does she know that he had planned on saving hers all along.Following Bruce's final trail of clues, hidden in a series of paintings, Phoebe embarks on a journey to uncover a long-held family secret and a sweeping love story that encompassed the decades . . .The moving and captivating new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel sweeps us from an Italy simmering on the brink of war through to 1960s London at a time of shadows and Russian spies, taking us on an extraordinary journey of love, courage and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Natasha Lester, Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.
The Last Lifeboat
by Hazel GaynorA Most Anticipated Book by Real Simple ∙ SheReads ∙ BookBub ∙ and more!Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters, in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor. 1940, Kent: Alice King is not brave or daring—she&’s happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she&’d long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher—to help evacuate Britain&’s children overseas. 1940, London: Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily&’s humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible choice: keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away. When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another&’s very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.
The Last Light over Oslo: A Novel
by Alix RickloffBased on true events, this gripping historical novel set in Norway and Sweden in 1940, follows one of the first female US Ministers, Daisy Harriman, and her niece as the two are unexpectedly caught up in the German invasion of Norway.Cleo Jaffray was an American. A war in Europe had nothing to do with her. She told herself that right up until the man she loved went missing in Poland and Cleo was forced to turn to the only person who might be able to help—her aunt Daisy, the US Minister to Norway.Daisy Harriman has never shied away from a challenge, be it canvassing for women’s suffrage or driving Red Cross ambulances in WWI, so as only the second woman ambassador, she is determined to prove the naysayers wrong and succeed in her post. When her disgraced niece Cleo lands on her doorstep, penniless and demanding help to find her lost lover, Daisy must balance her responsibilities as a diplomat with her desire to help her family.Their search for answers is interrupted when Germany invades Norway and the pair find themselves on the run in a countryside that is quickly becoming a battleground. Then as Daisy is given the task of escorting the Norwegian Crown Princess and her young children to America, Cleo’s lover resurfaces with a story that doesn’t add up and dangerous enemies on his trail.This riveting historical novel, based on the astounding life of Daisy Harriman and a real-life royal rescue, vividly captures a desperate time and a fearless heroine.
The Last Line: A gripping WWII noir thriller for fans of Lee Child and Robert Harris (John Cook)
by Stephen RonsonIn Britain's darkest hour of the war a veteran left behind from the fighting discovers evacuee children haven't been arriving at their destinations.May 1940. With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow. In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen. But even as the foreign threat looms, it's rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she's just the tip of the iceberg - countless evacuees haven't made it to their host families. As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don't cross. THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Last Line: A totally gripping WW2 historical fiction thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat (John Cook)
by Stephen Ronson'WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart... Completely gripping... A narrative that is as taut as piano wire!... Not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A country prepared to fight. A secret mission. An enemy within... England, May 1940: With Nazi forces sweeping across Europe, war veteran John Cook knows it is only a matter of time before they land on British soil.Every day, more and more children arrive at neighbouring farms in the Sussex countryside, evacuated from the threat of bombs in towns and cities across the nation. Unable to stand by and wait for the worst to happen, Cook volunteers to be among the first sent to the front lines. Only to be told the army has very a different job for him.Cook will join a secret group of operatives who will lead the resistance effort when Hitler's forces reach their shores. He is to wait until his fellow operatives make contact. When they finally do, Cook is taken aback to find that the aristocratic Lady Margaret will be among them. But as Cook and Margaret prepare to face down the Germans, they are troubled by rumours of a missing evacuee. They are shocked to find that a number of children haven't made it to their host families.Who is behind these disappearances? Could there already be deadly enemies on the home front? A completely gripping and unputdownable WWII thriller, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Rory Clements and Robert Harris. Everyone is gripped by The Last Line:'My God, this was great. It left me with a book hangover. I felt like I was there in 1940s England... I learned so much from this book... The writing is really 3D. You really feel like you're there. It's very immersive, and I love the witty humour. John Cook is a wonderful character' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I felt like I was right in the action, helping to solve the murder and kidnapping... So full of action, suspense and thrills that it became a quick read and also an enjoyable one. The gunfight had me on the edge of my seat at times, it was suspenseful, you couldn't tell who was going to make it out alive' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a fantastic read! Set during WWII, packed with action, history and wonderful characters, this is a must read for historical thriller enthusiasts but for those that like a good thriller as well!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of the most unputdownable books I have read this year!... Fast paced mystery/thriller which caught me up in the narrative... I just didn't want to put this down!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940's Britain' Damien Lewis'Breathtakingly tense action scenes and taut, intricately plotted storyline... A gripping, vividly atmospheric historical thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Packed with action, superb characters and a real feel for the time and place for the setting... everything you would want from an intelligent war-time thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A brilliant noir thriller set in the darkest days of the Second World War' Stephen Leather'This is an absolute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read, great characters, great plot, gripping from start to finish... Once you start this you won't be able to stop' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Line: A totally gripping WW2 historical fiction thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat (John Cook)
by Stephen Ronson'WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart... Completely gripping... A narrative that is as taut as piano wire!... Not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐A country prepared to fight. A secret mission. An enemy within... England, May 1940: With Nazi forces sweeping across Europe, war veteran John Cook knows it is only a matter of time before they land on British soil.Every day, more and more children arrive at neighbouring farms in the Sussex countryside, evacuated from the threat of bombs in towns and cities across the nation. Unable to stand by and wait for the worst to happen, Cook volunteers to be among the first sent to the front lines. Only to be told the army has very a different job for him.Cook will join a secret group of operatives who will lead the resistance effort when Hitler's forces reach their shores. He is to wait until his fellow operatives make contact. When they finally do, Cook is taken aback to find that the aristocratic Lady Margaret will be among them. But as Cook and Margaret prepare to face down the Germans, they are troubled by rumours of a missing evacuee. They are shocked to find that a number of children haven't made it to their host families.Who is behind these disappearances? Could there already be deadly enemies on the home front? A completely gripping and unputdownable WWII thriller, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Rory Clements and Robert Harris. Everyone is gripped by The Last Line:'My God, this was great. It left me with a book hangover. I felt like I was there in 1940s England... I learned so much from this book... The writing is really 3D. You really feel like you're there. It's very immersive, and I love the witty humour. John Cook is a wonderful character' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I felt like I was right in the action, helping to solve the murder and kidnapping... So full of action, suspense and thrills that it became a quick read and also an enjoyable one. The gunfight had me on the edge of my seat at times, it was suspenseful, you couldn't tell who was going to make it out alive' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a fantastic read! Set during WWII, packed with action, history and wonderful characters, this is a must read for historical thriller enthusiasts but for those that like a good thriller as well!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of the most unputdownable books I have read this year!... Fast paced mystery/thriller which caught me up in the narrative... I just didn't want to put this down!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940's Britain' Damien Lewis'Breathtakingly tense action scenes and taut, intricately plotted storyline... A gripping, vividly atmospheric historical thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Packed with action, superb characters and a real feel for the time and place for the setting... everything you would want from an intelligent war-time thriller' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A brilliant noir thriller set in the darkest days of the Second World War' Stephen Leather'This is an absolute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read, great characters, great plot, gripping from start to finish... Once you start this you won't be able to stop' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Lion Box Set: Winston Spencer Churchill, 1874 - 1965
by William Manchester Paul ReidSpanning the years of 1940-1965, THE LAST LION picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister-when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill conjured up by William Manchester and Paul Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action. THE LAST LION brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense; compelled FDR into supporting America's beleaguered cousins, and personified the "never surrender" ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States. More than twenty years in the making, THE LAST LION presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring.ST LION is the definitive work on this remarkable man whose courageous vision guided the destiny of a nation during darkly troubled times-and who looms as one of the greatest figures of our century.
The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932
by William R. ManchesterEarly life of Winston Churchill.
The Last Lion: Volume 1
by William ManchesterWilliam Manchester met Winston Churchill on January 24, 1953. Their encounter on the Queen Mary sparked an intense curiosity in Manchester that would eventually result in his classic three-volume magnum opus The Last Lion. In this, the first volume, we follow Churchill from his birth to 1932, when he began to warn against the remilitarization of Germany. Born of a lovely, wanton American mother and a gifted but unstable son of a duke, his childhood was one of wretched neglect. He sought glory on the battlefields of Cuba, Sudan, India, South Africa and the trenches of France. In Parliament he was the prime force behind the creation of Iraq and Jordan, laid the groundwork for the birth of Israel, and negotiated the independence of the Irish Free State. Yet, as Chancellor of the Exchequer he plunged England into economic crisis, and his fruitless attempt to suppress Gandhi's quest for Indian independence brought political chaos to Britain.Throughout, Churchill learned the lessons that would prepare him for the storm to come, and as the 1930's began, he readied himself for the coming battle against Nazism--an evil the world had never before seen.
The Last Lion: Winston Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874 - 1932
by William ManchesterWilliam Manchester met Winston Churchill on January 24, 1953. Their encounter on the Queen Mary sparked an intense curiosity in Manchester that would eventually result in his classic three-volume magnum opus The Last Lion. In this, the first volume, we follow Churchill from his birth to 1932, when he began to warn against the remilitarization of Germany. Born of a lovely, wanton American mother and a gifted but unstable son of a duke, his childhood was one of wretched neglect. He sought glory on the battlefields of Cuba, Sudan, India, South Africa and the trenches of France. In Parliament he was the prime force behind the creation of Iraq and Jordan, laid the groundwork for the birth of Israel, and negotiated the independence of the Irish Free State. Yet, as Chancellor of the Exchequer he plunged England into economic crisis, and his fruitless attempt to suppress Gandhi's quest for Indian independence brought political chaos to Britain.Throughout, Churchill learned the lessons that would prepare him for the storm to come, and as the 1930's began, he readied himself for the coming battle against Nazism--an evil the world had never before seen.
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965 (The\last Lion Ser. #3)
by William Manchester Paul ReidSpanning the years of 1940-1965, THE LAST LION picks up shortly after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister-when his tiny island nation stood alone against the overwhelming might of Nazi Germany. The Churchill conjured up by William Manchester and Paul Reid is a man of indomitable courage, lightning fast intellect, and an irresistible will to action. THE LAST LION brilliantly recounts how Churchill organized his nation's military response and defense; compelled FDR into supporting America's beleaguered cousins, and personified the "never surrender" ethos that helped the Allies win the war, while at the same time adapting himself and his country to the inevitable shift of world power from the British Empire to the United States. More than twenty years in the making, THE LAST LION presents a revelatory and unparalleled portrait of this brilliant, flawed, and dynamic leader. This is popular history at its most stirring.
The Last Love
by Thomas B. CostainA FASCINATING NOVEL DRAWN FROM THE LIVING FABRIC OF HISTORY…THE MASTER OF THE HISTORICAL NOVELCutting a colorful swath through the misty past, Thomas B. Costain weaves a charming, bittersweet tale of a defeated hero, a remote island exile, and a lovely young girl who enriches the great man’s final years.THE LAST LOVE begins as Napoleon, defeated and a prisoner, arrives at the island of St. Helena to begin his exile. But while Longwood—a broken-down, rat-infested farmhouse—is being readied for the captive hero and his entourage, he stays at an Englishman’s country mansion, where he meets lovely young Betsy Balcombe—high-spirited, outspoken, and the only French-speaking member of the family. Betsy acts as interpreter for the hero, and through this inspired rendering of their great friendship, this colorful conqueror emerges as a compelling human figure...an extraordinary man and a transcendent genius. Here is a stirring narrative of magnificent tenderness and understanding, the moving story of the great man—andTHE LAST LOVE“Absorbing...Costain’s skill at giving intimate insights into a great historical character has never been better shown. Betsy...should certainly take her place as one of literature’s charming feminine characters, if not a newly revealed flower of history...”—Christian Science Monitor“Costain paints a tremendous canvas filled with warm color and life...As those know who have read his many vigorous recreations of the past, Costain has a magnificent talent for breathing life into history...”—Chicago Sunday Tribune
The Last Mandarin: The Chinese Bandit, The Last Mandarin, And The Blue-eyed Shan (The Far East Trilogy #2)
by Stephen BeckerAn American soldier of fortune pursues a Japanese war criminal through the streets and alleyways of war-torn Peking in this edge-of-your-seat thrill ride from the author of The Chinese Bandit Peking, 1948. In the midst of a brutal winter, the Communists tighten their stranglehold on the ancient capital, preparing to strike. Peasants starve, students riot, police crack down, and an entire city shivers on the edge of revolt. A decade ago, Maj. Jack Burnham was an American civilian living in China when the Japanese invaded. Now, he has returned on a mission to capture a notorious war criminal before Peking falls to the Red Army. Kanamori Shoichi raped, murdered, and pillaged his way through China during World War II—he also broke Burnham&’s nose. If caught, Kanamori will be brought before a tribunal and made to pay for his crimes, large and small. But finding one man in a devastated city of millions is no simple task. Luckily, Burnham has the help of a beautiful Chinese doctor eager to help her people find justice, as well as his own expert knowledge of the language and culture. But when he finally locates Kanamori, the showdown Burnham has sought for so long will be far stranger and more dangerous than he ever imagined. The Last Mandarin is the 2nd book in the Far East Trilogy, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
The Last Masterpiece: A Novel of World War II Italy
by Laura MorelliIn a race across Nazi-occupied Italy, two women—a German photographer and an American stenographer—hunt for priceless masterpieces looted from the Florentine art collections.In the summer of 1943, Eva Brunner is taking photographs of Nazi-looted art hidden in the salt mines of the Austrian hinterland. Across the ocean in Connecticut, Josephine Evans is working as a humble typist at the Yale Art Gallery.When both women are called to Italy to contribute to the war effort, neither imagines she will hold the fate of some of the world’s greatest masterpieces torn from the Uffizi Galleries and other Florentine art collections in her hands.But as Italy turns from ally to enemy and Hitler’s plan to destroy irreplaceable monuments and works of art becomes frighteningly clear, each woman’s race against the clock—and against one another—might demand more than they were prepared to give.The Last Masterpiece takes readers on a heart-pumping adventure up the Italian peninsula, where nothing is as it seems and some of the greatest works of art and human achievement are at stake. Who might steal and who might save a work of art—and at what cost?Inspired by the incredible true story of the Monuments Women, the Fifth Army WACs, and the looted Florentine art collections during World War II, the latest historical novel by USA Today bestselling author and art historian Laura Morelli plunges readers into the heart of war-torn Italy.
The Last Million: Europe's Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War
by David NasawFrom bestselling author David Nasaw, a sweeping new history of the one million refugees left behind in Germany after WWIIIn May 1945, German forces surrendered to the Allied powers, putting an end to World War II in Europe. But the aftershocks of global military conflict did not cease with the German capitulation. Millions of lost and homeless concentration camp survivors, POWs, slave laborers, political prisoners, and Nazi collaborators in flight from the Red Army overwhelmed Germany, a nation in ruins. British and American soldiers gathered the malnourished and desperate refugees and attempted to repatriate them. But after exhaustive efforts, there remained more than a million displaced persons left behind in Germany: Jews, Poles, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and other Eastern Europeans who refused to go home or had no homes to return to. The Last Million would spend the next three to five years in displaced persons camps, temporary homelands in exile, divided by nationality, with their own police forces, churches and synagogues, schools, newspapers, theaters, and infirmaries. The international community could not agree on the fate of the Last Million, and after a year of debate and inaction, the International Refugee Organization was created to resettle them in lands suffering from postwar labor shortages. But no nations were willing to accept the 200,000 to 250,000 Jewish men, women, and children who remained trapped in Germany. In 1948, the United States, among the last countries to accept refugees for resettlement, finally passed a displaced persons bill. With Cold War fears supplanting memories of World War II atrocities, the bill granted the vast majority of visas to those who were reliably anti-Communist, including thousands of former Nazi collaborators and war criminals, while severely limiting the entry of Jews, who were suspected of being Communist sympathizers or agents because they had been recent residents of Soviet-dominated Poland. Only after the controversial partition of Palestine and Israel's declaration of independence were the remaining Jewish survivors able to leave their displaced persons camps in Germany.A masterwork from acclaimed historian David Nasaw, The Last Million tells the gripping yet until now largely hidden story of postwar displacement and statelessness. By 1952, the Last Million were scattered around the world. As they crossed from their broken past into an unknowable future, they carried with them their wounds, their fears, their hope, and their secrets. Here for the first time, Nasaw illuminates their incredible history and, with profound contemporary resonance, shows us that it is our history as well.
The Last Mission
by Harry MazerIn 1944, as World War II is raging across Europe, fifteen-year-old Jack Raab dreams of being a hero. Leaving New York City, his family, and his boyhood behind, Jack uses a false I.D. and lies his way into the U.S. Air Force.From their base in England, he and his crew fly twenty-four treacherous bombing missions over occupied Europe. The war is almost over and Hitler near defeat when they fly their last mission -- a mission destined for disaster. Shot down far behind enemy lines, Jack is taken prisoner and sent to a German POW camp, where his experiences are more terrifying than anything he'd ever imagined.From the Paperback edition.