Author:Catherine Bailey
**Formerly published as The Lost Boys**
'Remarkable. A powerful, engrossing story of a journey into the heart of darkness and final escape from it' Sunday Times
In September, 1944, the SS march into a remote Italian castle, arrest a mother and seize her two sons, aged just two and three. If Hitler has his way she will never see them again. For Fey Pirzio-Biroli is the daughter of Ulrich von Hassell, executed days before after the failed assassination of the Fuhrer. Mercilessly cast into the Nazi death machine, Fey must cling to the hope that one day she will escape and rescue her lost children . . .
'Riveting, important, reads like a terrifying thriller' Daily Telegraph
'Heartbreaking. It started with a plot to kill Hitler. It ended in one of the most astonishing and moving stories of the war' Daily Mail
'Extraordinary. A rich, deep, gripping read' Guardian
'As thrilling as any novel. Bailey has an extraordinary talent for bringing history to life' Kate Atkinson
To say that Catherine Bailey makes history come alive is such a cliché and yet it's so true, she is absolutely one of my favourite writers
—— Kate AtkinsonBailey has an extraordinary talent for bringing history to life and The Lost Boys is as thrilling as any novel
—— Daily MailExtraordinary. A rich and deep portrait. . . a gripping read
—— GuardianRiveting, important, reads like a terrifying thriller. So harrowing there were moments I had to put the book down. Bailey has an extraordinary ability to penetrate right to the heart of a family and uncover painful stories
—— Daily TelegraphBailey has a knack for bringing characters to life . . . Fascinating
—— TimesA brilliant analysis of senseless cruelty, and an inspiring account of how hope can still triumph over all odds
—— Julian FellowesAs Andrew Roberts reminds us in this epic biography ... Churchill's career provides ample proof that fact can be far more extraordinary than fiction
—— Nick Rennison , Daily MailA work of unequalled scholarship. Read it and you will not have to bother with the previous 1,000 biographies
—— Paul Routledge , TabletA heroic biography, appropriately matched to the ambition, egotism and undoubted achievement of the life it describes
—— John Campbell , Finest HourBrilliant, breathtaking, unputdownable ... All Roberts's past life has been but a preparation for this hour and this work, and this brilliant book is a fitting crown to his own career
—— Michael Gove , Evening StandardIn a single volume, Andrew Roberts has captured the essence of one of the world's most impactful, most memorable statesmen. It is the crowning achievement of his career - and will become the definitive biography of its subject.
—— Henry KissingerIt is a rare writer who is not afraid to deal with the toughest conflicts, ask the hardest questions, show the darkest side of even heroes, and still manage to renew our faith in humanity.
—— Elif Shafak, author of The Bastard of IstanbulElliot Ackerman was a young Marine Corps officer during the battle of Fallujah in 2004. I was an embedded journalist with his unit, which lost 20 men in the first week of fighting. I remember him as clever, direct and sometimes playfully ironic, all qualities on display in his book about what he has seen of war, Places and Names. His account of how he won a Silver Star is gripping, the chaotic reality on the ground contrasting with the po-faced and supremely uninformative official citation. His descriptions of Syria, which he visited as a writer, were so painfully evocative for me that I had to stop reading for a time. His vivid, sparse prose bears comparison to that of Tim O'Brien in The Things They Carried or Norman Lewis in Naples '44; Places and Names has the same clear-eyed view of what war is.
—— Paul Wood , The SpectatorBeautiful writing about combat and humanity and what it means to 'win' a war.
—— Mary Louise Kelly , NPR, All Things ConsideredGreen on Blue is harrowing, brutal, and utterly absorbing. With spare prose, Ackerman has spun a morally complex tale of revenge, loyalty, and brotherly love ... a disturbing glimpse into one of the world's most troubled regions.
—— Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite RunnerThis novel as a whole attests to Mr. Ackerman's breadth of understanding - an understanding not just of the seasonal rhythms of war in Afghanistan and the harsh, unforgiving beauty of that land, not just of the hardships of being a soldier there, but a bone-deep understanding of the toll that a seemingly endless war has taken on ordinary Afghans who have known no other reality for decades.
—— Michiko Kakutani, New York TimesElliot Ackerman has done something brave as a writer and even braver as a soldier: He has touched, for real, the culture and soul of his enemy
—— Tom Bissell, (The New York Times Book Review)Bouverie… retells [the story of appeasement] with gusto
—— Dominic Sandbrook , Sunday TimesBouverie gives a lucid account… [and] skilfully traces each shameful step to war… which he describes in moving and dramatic detail
—— Lewis Jones , Sunday TelegraphGripping.. Bouverie has written a searching, wide-ranging, and above all readable chronology of a shameful era of British history… a very cautionary tale
—— Nigel Jones , Spectator[An] impressive and very readable account
—— Tony Rennell , Daily MailTim Bouverie’s first historical work… is a well-argued, lucid case for the prosecution of the appeasers
—— David Aaronovitch , The Times, *Book of the Week*So assured is Bouverie’s writing, and so sound his judgments, that it is hard to believe that Appeasing Hitler is his first book. It is a wonderful debut that marks the arrival of a young historian to watch
—— Saul David , Evening Standard, *Book of the Week*[An] accomplished and lucid account
—— Josh Ireland , ProspectBouverie’s well-written Appeasing Hitler aims to provide a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression.
—— Jo Johnson , Financial TimesBouverie has mined an impressive range of sources and quotes from them judiciously. His narrative is lucid, his prose efficient, his put-downs witty… [he] tells an important story well.
—— Lucy Hughes-Hallett , New StatesmanThe skill with which Tim Bouverie navigates here through the worlds of politics, officialdom and diplomacy is quite exemplary… his explanations of complex issues are always lucid; his narrative style is thoughtful, unshowy and always a pleasure to read… This is, quite simply, the best book ever to have appeared on this whole subject
—— Noel Malcolm , OldieBouverie’s Appeasing Hitler provides a meticulous picture of a Britain that faced very different problems from our own
—— Thelma Lovell , Catholic HeraldScrupulously fair, [and a] readable account… [an] excellent book
—— Marcus Tanner , TabletAppeasing Hitler…is a staggeringly good account of the build-up to the Second World War… gripping, dramatic and revelatory
—— Christian May , City AMBouverie’s prose is fluent and assured throughout. Those in search of an entertaining read will find one… an admirable retelling of traditional history
—— Robert Crowcroft , History TodayAn enthralling, nuanced tale… the narrative is absolutely compelling
—— Times Literary SupplementAn elegantly written account by a rising young historian
—— The Times, *Summer reads of 2019*This is a gripping account of the wishful thinking that led us to the precipice
—— Neil Armstrong and Hephzibah Anderson , Mail on Sunday, *Summer reads of 2019*There is a sure command of narrative and judgment in faultlessly lucid prose, with subtexts of pathos
—— Bruce Anderson , SpectatorA fascinating narrative on the politics of wishful thinking and the law of unintended consequences in international relations
—— Ali Ansari , History Today, *Books of the Year*[A] finely researched and well-argued book
—— Daily Mail, *Books of the Year*[A] phenomenal book
—— William Keegan , ObserverExcellent
—— Andrew Roberts , Wall Street JournalExcellent and compelling
—— William Leith , Evening Standard