The Wartime Midwives

Author: Daisy Styles
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1405936193
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A heartwarming and moving story of inspiring women set at the beginning of World War II - fans of Katie Flynn, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey will love this. 'BEST NEW SUMMER BOOKS' My Weekly __________ In the dark days of war a new hope is born . . . 1939. Mary Vale, a grand and imposing Mother & Baby Home, sits on the edge of the Lake District. Its doors are open to unmarried women who come to hide their condition and find sanctuary. Women from all walks of life pass through Mary Vale, from beautiful waitress Emily, whose boyfriend has vanished without trace, to young Isla, cast out by her wealthy family after her first year at university goes horribly wrong. Awaiting them is Nurse Ada and Sister Anne who work tirelessly to aid the mothers and safely deliver the babies. But the unforgiving Matron and Head of Governors, Captain Percival, have other, more sinister, ideas. As war looms the women at Mary Vale must pull together for the sake of themselves and their babies and Ada and Anne must help protect their patients, no matter what the cost. 'This is her best yet. I devoured it in one sitting - It's a real page turner that will delight and tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere. Wonderful!' Fiona Ford, author of Christmas at Liberty's

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Author: S Block
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 149986163X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 93

Book Description
In Britain's darkest hour, an extraordinary community of women strives to protect the Home Front. When a plane crashes in the village, every one of their lives will change forever . . . PART FOUR in a brand new FOUR-PART serial from the creator of ITV's smash hit series, Home Fires. Can they prevail . . . While their men are at war the women of Great Paxford have fought hard to keep the home fires burning, but a new arrival threatens everything . . . Pat Simms has a secret she needs to keep, but the close scrutiny of her husband is near impossible to escape. Frances Barden has overcome every challenge these troubled times have thrown at her, but a new threat, one very close to home, has arisen. Steph Farrow made a vow, she promised to protect her farm and family while her husband was at war, but she never imagined this . . . Meanwhile, Teresa faces a tragedy she's powerless to stop. Even during the hardest times the women of the WI have prevailed, finding new love, happiness and purpose, but can they survive the enemy at their door? Don't miss any part of the story. Keep the Home Fires Burning - Part One: Spitfire Down! is available now. Search 9781785763588. The story's not over. An all-new novel is coming in 2018! To pre-order your copy now search 9781785764295. Perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Granchester and Foyles War. If you adore the novels of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costello and Daisy Styles then this is an unmissable series for you.

Dinosaurs, Spitfires, and Sea Dragons

Author: Christopher McGowan
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674207707
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
McGowan attempts to solve some of the enduring mysteries about dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles, making fascinating comparisons between living and extinct animals, and drawing on science and engineering concepts to explain the similarities between the aerodynamics of pteradons and Spitfire planes. Illustrations.

Home Fires and Spitfires

Author: Daisy Styles
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 1405945206
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
The heartwarming and moving story of three fascinating women finding their strength in World War II, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey It is June 1940, and as the bombs fall, the women at home must dig deep . . . _______ Tucked on the edge of the Lake District lies Mary Vale, a Mother and Baby Home open to unmarried women and their children. But tensions arise when three very different mums-to-be walk through the doors. Plucky shipyard worker Gracie must overcome her shame when her lover turns out to be married. Newly engaged Diana's fiancé tragically goes missing in action days before the wedding, while isolated and bedraggled Zelda turns heads when she arrives from the ghettos of Germany. At Mary Vale, unity is key as the bombs keep falling. But can these very different women put their differences aside to fight a common foe? Praise for Daisy Styles 'Will tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere. Wonderful!' Fiona Ford, author of The Liberty Girls 'Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Home Front Girls 'Truly endearing characters' Annie Murray, bestselling author of Now The War Is Over

The Hurricane Girls

Author: Jo Wheeler
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241354641
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Book Description
Celebrating the lives of the magnificent women, the ATA girls, who courageously flew Spitfires, Tiger Moths, Lancaster Bombers and many other aircraft during World War Two. These extraordinary women, Mary Ellis, Jackie Moggridge and Pauline Gower are just a few of the remarkable stories inside . . . Since the invention of aeroplanes, women have taken to the skies. They have broken records, performed daredevil stunts and faced such sexism and prejudice that they were effectively barred from working as pilots. That changed in the Second World War. Led by firebrand Pauline Gower, an elite group of British women were selected as ferry pilots to fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary. They risked their lives flying munitions and equipment for the boys on the front line. Flying day and night without radio; dodging storms, barrage balloons and anti-aircraft fire; and with only a map, compass and their eyesight to guide them, they navigated the treacherous wartime skies. ____________ The Hurricane Girls is the thrilling, moving and inspirational story of the female air force who once ruled our skies.

Spitfire Ace of Aces

Author: Dilip Sarkar
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445609398
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 362

Book Description
The biography of the RAF's top fighter pilot, Johnnie Johnson, who shot down more enemy aircraft than any other pilot during the Second World War.

Darwin Spitfires

Author: Anthony Cooper
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473830079
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404

Book Description
The Japanese air raids on Darwin on 19 February 1942 are well-known to most Australians, although not perhaps to the rest of the world. What happened afterwards, however, remains unknown to many. This publication attempts to illuminate this little-known period of war history, charting the exploits, losses and successes of the RAF's No 1 Fighter Wing and the contribution they made to the allied war effort. The stalwart Spitfire is celebrated in a narrative that is sure to appeal widely.For almost two years the airspace over North West Australia was routinely penetrated by Japanese raids, tallying about 70 in total. The 1942-43 air raids on Darwin constituted the only sustained and intensive direct assault on Australian mainland territory in the whole of World War II - and the whole history of post- 1788 Australia - yet, surprisingly, most Australians have no idea that it ever happened. And the rest of the world are yet more so in the dark.Telling the story of the RAF'S No 1 Fighter Wing, composed of both Australian and British Spitfire pilots, Darwin Spitfires explores the little known 1943 season of air combat over the top end, recovering important aspects of Australian history. It brings to the attention of the world the heroic exploits of the skilled pilots who did so much to protect Australia and support the Allied effort. This important publication attempts to celebrate and commemorate the spirit of solidarity that characterized the experiences of No 1 Fighter Wing.As featured in Aeroplane Monthly

Fire & Blood

Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 1524796301
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 753

Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The thrilling history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work, the inspiration for HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon “The thrill of Fire & Blood is the thrill of all Martin’s fantasy work: familiar myths debunked, the whole trope table flipped.”—Entertainment Weekly Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart. What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were Maegor the Cruel’s worst crimes? What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty-five black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley—including five illustrations exclusive to the trade paperback edition. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed. With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Blood is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros. Praise for Fire & Blood “A masterpiece of popular historical fiction.”—The Sunday Times “The saga is a rich and dark one, full of both the title’s promised elements. . . . It’s hard not to thrill to the descriptions of dragons engaging in airborne combat, or the dilemma of whether defeated rulers should ‘bend the knee,’ ‘take the black’ and join the Night’s Watch, or simply meet an inventive and horrible end.”—The Guardian

I Worked on Spitfires

Author: Ronald L Chapman
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1399057286
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 214

Book Description
Ron Chapman's life changed on 7 September 1940, leading him to join the RAF and serve in various significant squadrons. It was the night of 7 September 1940 which changed Ron Chapman’s life. It was the start of Hitler’s Blitz on London. The death and destruction the German bombers wreaked across Islington and the East End so shocked and appalled Ron, that three days later he presented himself to the RAF recruiting office near Euston station. After basic training, and a few days before his twentieth birthday, he received a posting to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron – Ron was at last with an operational Spitfire squadron. After just three weeks with 485 (NZ) Squadron, he was posted to 341 (Free French) Squadron. Operating as part of the RAF’s 145 Wing in 84 Group, the squadron was led by the renowned Commandant René Mouchotte DFC, while 145 Wing itself was commanded by the Battle of Britain fighter ace Group Captain ‘Sailor’ Malan. There was also 340 Squadron, known as ‘Churchill’s Own’, and Nos. 329 and 345 squadrons. As a member of 341 Squadron’s groundcrew, Ron Chapman’s memoirs provide a unique insight into the functioning of a fighter unit from the perspective of fitters, riggers, and armorers. But, in addition, his service with the Free French fighter squadrons adds greatly to our knowledge of this important part of the RAF’s history. As an element of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, 84 Group was continually moved from airfield to airfield across the South Coast. The idea was to get the squadrons accustomed to nomadic conditions. After the D-Day invasion plans were finally unveiled, the squadron’s groundcrew and support staff were eventually trucked to Gosport where they boarded the landing craft that would transport them across the Channel as part of Operation Overlord. They landed at Arromanches-les-Bains in August. Ron’s story then follows the actions of 145 Wing, as it battled the Luftwaffe across Europe. As the Allied forces moved eastwards, so Ron and the groundcrew moved with them through France, Belgium and finally into Germany. Ron remained with 341 Squadron until the end of the war. This book is far more than a personal memoir, it is the largely neglected story of the French fighter wing throughout the years when the 2nd Tactical Air Force moved on to the offensive against the Luftwaffe. It will undoubtedly become recognized as an important addition to the history of the RAF.

Keep Smiling Through

Author: Daisy Styles
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 9781405945219
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
Pre-order the heartwarming and moving story of three fascinating women finding their strength in World War II, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey __________ It's 1942 and nestled on the edge of the Lake District lies Mary Vale, a sanctuary for expectant mothers. Its doors open to two women from London with vastly different experiences. After their house is bombed Rosie Lashley's ill health forces her to travel with her children to Mary Vale. She improves under the care of the dedicated midwives, but her unruly children cause quite the stir! Whilst beautiful socialite Sybil Harwood would rather be anywhere else than Mary Vale. She is desperate to have her baby adopted and return to her glittering life in the capital. Meanwhile the Home welcomes new midwife Edith, who has her own secrets to hide . . . As the War rages on Mary Vale must pull together after the army threatens to requisition the Home and close its doors to women in need forever. Can this precious Home survive the War? And can these women find sanctuary in one another? Praise for Daisy Styles 'Will tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere. Wonderful!' Fiona Ford, author of The Liberty Girls 'Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Home Front Girls 'Truly endearing characters' Annie Murray, bestselling author of Now The War Is Over