Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read Shadow of War

An epic . . . the book on the conflict remembered this year 100 years on

Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story

A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction . . . this is storytelling at its best

Stewart's books always leave me with a sense of pride for my country, and this book is no exception, but this is tempered by the individual courage and the individual loss. The personal tales that inspire and horrify in equal measure. By the time I finished the book I felt entertained and educated, which for me form the key pillars of a great Historical Fiction novel. Once again Stewart Binns has managed to create something unique, entertaining and eye-opening, I'm very much looking forward to book 2.

The whole thing is a tour de force of writing brilliance, and it's great to know that in five years' time, Stewart will have delivered a book for each of the first world war years. A totally enjoyable experience, a brilliant start to a terrific project.

Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride

Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author

Binn takes readers deep into historical events . . . bring[ing] history alive

This novel has clever narrative, lively dialogue and lyrical imagery. I loved the author's highly polished prose, whether sparkling with wit or achingly poignant. She creates a magical blend of humour and pathos. I enjoyed every page.

His faith in the transformative power of storytelling bestows this gentle but worthwhile novel with its own narrative strength and power.

Absorbing and searing

A major achievement

Deserves a place on the shelf with The Diary of Anne Frank - set to become a classic

Zusak makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable in the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse 5, with grim, darkly consoling humour

Zusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme more resonant - words can save your life ...It's a measure of how sucessfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them

One of the most highly anticipated young-adult books in years

'Elegant, philosophical and moving. A work to read slowly and savour. Beautiful and important

Both gripping and touching, a work that kept me up late into the night feverishly reading the last 300 pages

Zusak's novel is a highwire act of inventiveness and emotional suppleness

A triumph of control ...one of the most unusual and compelling of recent Australian novels

...the much talked about The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak...should soon have the UK under its spell.

...this is a novel to touch even the coldest of hearts - definitely 2007's first must-read book.

A compelling tale from the start...definitely 2007's first must-read book.

A moving story from the German perspective of everyday civilian hardship and surivival under the Third Reich. It celebrates the power of words and love, in the face of unutterable suffering

Death turns out to be a tender narrator in Zusak's 'The Book Thief' [...] This novel movingly depicts the Himmel Street community, and its orphaned book thief, Liesel Meminger

Your emotions by the end of this novel are shot to pieces, but it's well worth it.

Although already a bestselling children's book, THE BOOK THIEF's insightful and poignant tone and appealing characters...are amply equipped to capture adults, too.