For readers enchanted by the bestsellers The Astronaut Wives Club; The Girls of Atomic City; and Summer at Tiffany’s; an absorbing tale of romance and resilience—the true story of four British women who crossed the Atlantic for love; coming to America at the end of World War II to make a new life with the American servicemen they married.The “friendly invasion†of Britain by over a million American G.I.s bewitched a generation of young women deprived of male company during the Second World War. With their exotic accents; smart uniforms; and aura of Hollywood glamour; the G.I.s easily conquered their hearts; leaving British boys fighting abroad green with envy. But for girls like Sylvia; Margaret; Gwendolyn; and even the skeptical Rae; American soldiers offered something even more tantalizing than chocolate; chewing gum; and nylon stockings: an escape route from Blitz-ravaged Britain; an opportunity for a new life in affluent; modern America.Through the stories of these four women; G.I. Brides illuminates the experiences of war brides who found themselves in a foreign culture thousands of miles away from family and friends; with men they hardly knew. Some struggled with the isolation of life in rural America; or found their soldier less than heroic in civilian life. But most persevered; determined to turn their wartime romance into a lifelong love affair; and prove to those back home that a Hollywood ending of their own was possible.G.I. Brides includes an eight-pages insert that features 45-black-and-white photos.
#86049 in Books Cornwell Bernard 2016-05-10 2016-05-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .98 x 5.31l; .0 #File Name: 0062312065368 pagesWaterloo The History of Four Days Three Armies and Three Battles
Review
83 of 85 people found the following review helpful. A Well-told story; leading to understandingBy R. W. LevesqueAs to be expected from such a successful fiction author; Waterloo is an easy-to-read book whose narrative helps make sense of a very confusing battlefield. Cornwell does a great job of not only setting the strategic and operational stage; helping us understand Wellington; Blucher; and Napoleon; but also weaving in personal anecdotes of the soldiers who fought and died on the battlefield.Waterloo; as can be imagined in a battle its size; was confusing. Many accounts contradict each other or; at least; can't agree on the timing and sequence of events. Cornwell addresses many of the key disconnects and lays out what he believed happened all while telling a story. When it's done you can begin to feel how the battle flowed; not in neat phases but as a series of often overlapping events played out over the battlefield. In this the storyteller comes to the fore because he's able to weave together a variety of multiple events; perspectives; and people in such a way that you see the whole and not the part. It's not just a story of the British or Prussian or French armies; or the common soldier; or the three great leaders. In the end it's a story about how that all came together. In this Cornwell was able to rely on the original work of historians - Cornwell's strength in this book is not original research; there's nothing new historically; but what makes his book worth reading is the way he painlessly tells the tale in a very understandable manner.If I had one complaint; and it's a relatively small one; it's that he switches between the past and present tenses in his writing; sometimes within the same paragraph. I think he periodically switched to the present tense to try to increase the immediacy of what he was describing; but; for me; it tended to interrupt the moment; rather than staying caught up in the story; it reminded me I was reading a book.If you're familiar with some of the post-war finger-pointing among the allies you'll understand; after reading the book; Cornwell's conclusion that; "The battle of Waterloo was an allied victory. That was how it was planned and that was how it turned out. Wellington would never have made his stand if he thought for one moment that the Prussians would not let him down. Blucher would never have marched if he thought Wellington would cut and run."This is one of those books that I still recommend even if you're familiar with Waterloo. Cornwell's ability to tell a story really pulls together the historical elements in a way that allows understanding.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Perfect mix of background; characterization and action!By CharlieThis is an excellent description of one of the most significant battles in history. Bernard Cornwell provides a perfect mix of background information; character descriptions; terrain layout; troop formations and action.Briefly; Napoleon is attempting to conquer all of Europe and the European countries have allied together to resist him. Waterloo pits Napoleon and the French against the Duke of Wellington and the British combined with Blucher and the Prussians. These are three of the most colorful and exciting commanders you will read about. Cornwell does a flawless job of describing the troop movements and weapons used to provide a novice reader with a good understanding of what the battlefield looked like without going too far into the weeds. His expertise as a writer shines throughout.This book is action packed and eventhough we all know how it ends; Cornwell demonstrates just how close the battle was. The Duke of Wellington stated afterwards he was never involved in such a close match. The book uses first hand sources from combatants that provides the reader with a vivid picture of the brutality of the four days.Another amazing aspect of the book is the illumination of how complex battles were back then versus now. Generalship required great anticipation and forethought about the enemy's troop movements and battle formations. Time was critical and communication was slow.Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in significant historical events that shaped the world we live in today!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very readable and easy to follow account of a complex and important battle of the Napoleonic eraBy kettlemanvery readable account of the battle (including key events before and after)Author gives one a very good understanding of the high level strategy of the battle as well as a good understanding of the experience of soldiers involved in the battle and the weapons and tactics of the Napoleonic era.. Great use of quotes from journals and other accounts of the battles written by participants in the conflict.What i thought was particularly notable is that the author did such a good job of describing the positions and movements of the three armies (British; Prussian; French) at different stages of the battle that I did not need to repeatedly look at the maps in the book to understand what was going on. That is no small feat given the complexity of the battle.My main knowledge of the battle of Waterloo prior to reading this book goes back 45+ years to when I saw the famous movie about the battle and regularly played an Avalon Hill war-game about the battle. It was nice to re-acquaint myself with the battle by reading this book.
