Showing titles in 20th Century

It is 1940 and Britain is fighting alone against the Germans. With the RAF fighting above the skies of England, it is down to the Commandos to go back to France and cause as much trouble to the Germans as possible. When the Italians join in alongside the Germans, it seems that Britain is about to sink beneath a sea of Fascists.

Brought to you by Penguin. From renowned author Paul Theroux comes the fascinating, atmospheric tale of George Orwell's years in Burma 'There is a short period in everyone's life when his character is fixed forever . . . ' George Orwell Before George Orwell was Orwell - the pen name he took on...

Claudia Hampton - beautiful, famous, independent, dying. But she remains defiant to the last, telling her nurses that she will write a 'history of the world...and in the process, my own'. And it is her story, from a childhood just after the First World War through the Second and beyond. But Claudia's life is entwined with others, and she must allow those who knew her, loved her, the chance to speak. There is Gordon, brother and adversary; Jasper, her untrustworthy lover and father of Lisa, her cool conventional daughter; and then there is Tom, her one great love.

When Cora provides a safe haven for Jewish refugee children, she discovers that opening her doors means risking everything, including her heart. In 1939 Georgia, far removed from the war brewing overseas, Cora Cain's world feels small—and shrinking. There, she runs The Brunswick, her family's...

Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

1940: When the island of Guernsey is invaded by the Nazis, two sisters are determined to rebel in any way they can. But when forced to take in a German soldier, they are shocked to find a familiar face on their doorstep. 2016: Two generations later, Lucy returns to Guernsey after the death of a distant cousin. As she prepares the old family house for sale, Lucy discovers a box of handwritten notes, one word standing out: resistance. Lucy’s search for the author will uncover the story of a forgotten sister who vanished from the island one night, never to be seen again. 

Beth Cohen wants to make the most of the months she has left with her elderly father, Max. His only request of his daughter is to go through the long-forgotten box of memorabilia from his days as a medic on the western front. Then, among his wartime souvenirs, Beth finds a photograph of her father with an adoring and beautiful stranger - a photograph worth a thousand questions.

From the pen of bestselling author and historian James Holland comes this action-packed page-turner of a wartime thriller. Jam-packed with sharp dialogue, dynamic and authentic scenes and unforgettable characterisation, this is perfect for fans of Robert Harris, Bernard Cornwell and Ken Follett...

When Clara Newton’s fiancé died during World War Two, she thought her life was over. But now, she looks after orphans who, like her, lost everything during the war. Children like sweet little Peg, who won’t speak, and Joyce, whose body was scarred by polio. But then, Clara receives some terrible news. The orphanage is going to be sold and the children sent far away. With wealthy buyers lined up to purchase Shilling Grange and a ship already docked waiting to carry the children away, Clara is desperate. She must find loving new homes for them quickly, but time is running out.

The phenomenal new novel, based on a true story, from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and Three Sisters. 1942. Singapore is falling to the Japanese Army. English musician Norah Chambers places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship...

‘A superbly plotted historical drama… highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra… England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father...

Brought to you by Penguin. THE GUNS ARE SILENT. THE DEAD ARE NOT. 1919. On the desolate battlefields of northern France, the guns of the Great War are silent. Special battalions now face the dangerous task of gathering up the dead for mass burial. Captain Mackenzie, a survivor of the war, cannot...

Amsterdam, 1941. German forces have invaded Amsterdam. As the tension in the city increases, the Dutch Resistance is born. Tormented by what is happening in his city, Christiaan joins the Resistance. He risks everything to shield the oppressed and fight for the freedom of his beloved nation. His brother—Floris—is ruthless and driven to succeed. Promoted to the Bureau of Jewish Affairs, he becomes instrumental in hunting Jews to transport them to the Nazi death camps.

Will she make it on her own? Her strength is all she has left… When Dorothy meets Robbie, he sweeps her off her feet. The pair’s whirlwind romance soon leads to an engagement, but then an unexpected pregnancy changes everything. Robbie disappears without a word, leaving Dorothy to face the...

December 1940. Down Street underground station, in the heart of London's Mayfair, is now a secret retreat for Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his cabinet from the relentless air raids overhead. In this supposedly secure location, the body of a woman is found, stabbed in the heart. The victim, fortune-teller Lady Za Za, did not see this one coming. Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called to investigate but whispers of treason and corruption succeed in muddying the waters of the case.

Brought to you by Penguin. The sea stole him from her. Could it bring him back? Winter, 1900. A little boy washes up on the beach of a small fishing village in Scotland, barely alive. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy's son, lost to the sea many years before. When the village is...

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of the second novel in Pat Barker's acclaimed 'Life Class' trilogy - a dark and compelling examination of desire, friendship and the horror of war, from one of our greatest writers on war and the human heart From the Booker...

Tommaso is just about making it work: travelling abroad for his job, helping his girlfriend with her two unruly sons, and keeping up with the eccentricities of his Italian grandmother, Alma. But as Alma grows increasingly troubled by strange and unsettling memories, Tommaso realises that there...

Haunted by the Past, Pursued by the Reich.In the thrilling second instalment of the Fernsby’s War Series, Alderauge catapults listeners into the tumultuous summer of 1939. Michael Fernsby, burdened by the ghosts of his past, plunges back into Nazi Germany with dual objectives: aiding a high-ranking Nazi defector for the British government, and rescuing his family's legacy. Treading a treacherous path from Munich's ominous facilities to England's peaceful countryside, Michael navigates dangerous alliances, chilling Nazi secrets, and seeks vengeance against those who wronged him.

Brought to you by Penguin. THE NEW SPRINGTIME ROMANCE FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR KATIE FLYNN It's 1938, and Cadi is chosen to be Rose Queen in the annual Rose Fete. She is thrilled to be treated like royalty for the day. But deep down she is desperate to leave the Welsh mining community where she...