A marvellously readable book

Impeccably researched and superbly written . . . Holland’s fascinating saga offers a mixture of captivating new research and well-considered revisionism. The next two volumes should be unmissable.

Holland’s history is a work of revisionism with a vengeance. Through his emphasis on logistical support and technology, he continually demolishes cherished myths about the war . . . This is a magnificent, authoritative contribution to the study of the Second World War.

This brilliant, lucid and intimate history is a game-changer, the Second World War will never seem the same again. If you think you know the real history of the Second World War this book will astonish you: it renders other popular histories redundant

The most refreshing and engaging book about the Second World War that I have read in a long time. The absorbing narrative is laced with a passion and enthusiasm and stands head and shoulders above the current crop of titles in the genre

James Holland is the best of the new generation of WW2 historians. His epic new venture convincingly challenges many received ideas about the war and draws some exciting new conclusions

James Holland’s War in the West takes a fresh look at the familiar and finds much food for thought – turning several conventions on their heads in a compelling and revelatory way

This book stands apart and for all the right reasons: Holland has something new to say. Every page is alive with a level of excitement and enthusiasm. Here is a perspective that turns on its head what I thought I understood about those astonishing years - filled with insight and detail

With this magnificent, hugely readable debut, James Holland’s War in the West is set fair to become one of the truly great multi-volume histories of the Second World War

James Holland has produced a gripping multi-layered study of the War in West. It weaves together accounts from all levels of those caught up in the opening stages of the war and provides an accessible and captivating narrative. More importantly still it offers a challenging reappraisal that forces us to rethink our attitudes to the conduct of the most destructive and important war in history. Essential reading

A hugely engaging, scholarly and ambitious book that strips away the myths surrounding the Second World War and - uniquely - tells the human stories, not just the political and military history. A must-read for anyone with an interest in this turbulent and transformative period.

In The War in the West, James Holland weds his typically deft writing to years of research and thought. He seeks - and finds - that elusive middle ground between the high politics of Hitler, Churchill, and Roosevelt and the personal experience of the soldier in the field. I am already making room on my shelf for volumes two and three. I would read anything Holland writes.

James Holland’s excellent first volume in his new trilogy The War in the West skewers many myths about the beginning of the Second World War, not least that of invincible Nazi superiority and comparative Allied incompetence

Brilliantly captures the actions of an astonishing, taciturn wartime community

A story of courage and determination, of heroic individuals…and of what can be done when people come together to oppose tyranny

A unique story of courage and determination

Elegant style

Moorehead’s account makes for frequently moving and, at times, harrowing reading… Fascinating

[Moorehead is a] brilliant investigative journalist

A work of remembrance and a moving tribute

Moorehead skillfully intersperses layer after layer of historical fact with narratives of deeply human stories

A moving piece, splendidly told

It’s an inspiring story

Moorehead does an expert job in pulling together testimonies from survivors to filter myths and memories from fact to retell an extraordinary tale

Story of courage and determination, of a small number of heroic individuals who risked their lives to save others, and of what can be done when people come together to oppose tyranny

Village of Secrets is crammed full of stories from survivors, tales of courage, betrayal, failure, success, hope, despair. It is a helter-skelter ride through the most extreme of human experiences