Extraordinary. A rich and deep portrait. . . a gripping read

Catherine Bailey has already demonstrated a truly remarkable ability to intertwine searing family histories with great historical events. With The Lost Boys she outdoes even herself, with a true story that simultaneously shows huge personal empathy with the fate of two toddler brothers as well as a profound understanding of the pure evil that lurked at the heart of the Third Reich

I was gripped by The Lost Boys - it contained more tension, more plot in fact - than any thriller and was written with her usual extraordinary clarity and panache. To say that she makes history come alive is such a cliché and yet it's so true, she is absolutely one of my favourite writers

Bailey has an extraordinary talent for bringing history to life and The Lost Boys is as thrilling as any novel

Remarkable . . . The Lost Boys is a powerful, engrossing story of a journey into the heart of darkness and final escape from it

Bailey has a knack for bringing characters to life . . . Fascinating

One of the most harrowing, beautifully written and brilliantly researched books I have read in a very long time. I was completely absorbed from first page to last, and I enormously admire both Catherine Bailey's dedication to her subject and her expertise in recounting such a complex narrative. She is brilliant at conveying both character and location, and maintains an extraordinary control over every section of the story

Bailey has an extraordinary ability to penetrate right to the heart of a family and uncover often painful stories. An important book [that] reads like a terrifying thriller

Compelling. A remarkable piece of research which throws a bright shaft of light on powerful people, hypocrisy and the First World War

Gripping. Reads like the best kind of mystery story.

Extraordinary, fascinating, harrowing. A truly compelling read

Black Diamonds has the great gift of bringing to life personal histories...wonderfully paced and wholly satisfying

On holiday I read and am wholly absorbed by Antony Beevor's Arnhem. Though I am defeated by much of the military detail, the human side of the action, the troops in the gliders, their fears and all too often their fates, are beautifully told, with some of the bloodshed and killing unbearable

This is destined to be a World War II military history classic . . . Beevor's superb latest offering, in keeping with his established record of excellence, is a must-read

Arnhem brings a wealth of new detail to a major World War II disaster . . . Beevor brings to the familiar story a vast amount of research in German, British, American, Polish, and Dutch archives. As usual, his narrative bristles with specifics, including countless observations gleaned from eyewitnesses to every stage of Market Garden. Devoted readers of military history will enjoy the wealth of details

With devastating command of his subject, Antony Beevor shows how one commander's hubris destroyed an army . . . No one beats Beevor at recreating the bewildering cacophony of war

Arnhem was one of the most epic engagements of WW2 and Antony Beevor gives it his usual excellent and fascinating big battle treatment, which makes for a gripping read

Accomplished

Rich and colourful . . . [there is] a vividness and poignancy that other accounts have lacked

McKay's book is better than narrative history. It is biography, but of place, rather than person. He makes Dresden come alive, before, during, and after the infernal 13th

A passionate and original account of the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, one of the most controversial evens of the Second World War

A weighty and considered investigation of events . . . an excellent book . . . providing a reliable, engaging, informative and, above all, sober narrative of events. The book will enable readers to make up their own minds - should they so desire - on the rights and wrongs of the matter. It is highly recommended

This minute-by-minute retelling tackles the big questions, but also - by drawing on the letters and diaries from the Dresden City Archive - never loosed sight of the experiences of people who witnessed, and suffered, the attach first-hand

It's a wonderful book, so absorbing, thoughtful and thought provoking, I didn't want it to end

Bouverie’s well-written Appeasing Hitler aims to provide a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression.

Bouverie 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.

The 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

Bouverie’s Appeasing Hitler provides a meticulous picture of a Britain that faced very different problems from our own

Scrupulously fair, [and a] readable account… [an] excellent book

Appeasing Hitler…is a staggeringly good account of the build-up to the Second World War… gripping, dramatic and revelatory

Bouverie’s prose is fluent and assured throughout. Those in search of an entertaining read will find one… an admirable retelling of traditional history

An enthralling, nuanced tale… the narrative is absolutely compelling

An elegantly written account by a rising young historian

This is a gripping account of the wishful thinking that led us to the precipice

There is a sure command of narrative and judgment in faultlessly lucid prose, with subtexts of pathos

A fascinating narrative on the politics of wishful thinking and the law of unintended consequences in international relations

[A] finely researched and well-argued book

[A] phenomenal book

Excellent

Excellent and compelling