I’m a Stranger Here Myself (1943) by Anthony Thorne

Book Review by Chris Hopkins. Anthony Thorne was a novelist before the war with two successful novels to his name: Delay in the Sun, 1935, and Fruit in Season, 1938 (both re-published by Penguin). After joining the wartime navy, he was selected as a ‘C.W.’ – a ‘Commissioned Warrant’ – a status given to an … Continue reading →

Family Roundabout (1948) by Richmal Crompton

Book Review by Ros W: Richmal Crompton is better known for her William books, even though she wrote over forty novels and nine short story collections for adults. Family Roundabout centres around two families in a country town called Bellington and covers the period from the early 1920s to 1939. The Willoughbys and the Fowlers … Continue reading →

The Cruel Sea (1951) by Nicholas Montserrat

Book Review by Mary P: Our theme for the month was naval fiction, and I decided to read The Cruel Sea which when I looked for a copy of the book was said to be “ a classic “ The book is divided into 7 parts, each one covering a year of the War in … Continue reading →

Family Roundabout (1948) by Richmal Crompton

Book Review by Kathryn R: This novel was written by the author of the ‘Just William’ stories. It appears that Crompton was the author of around 40 novels for adults. It is set in the interwar years and is the story of two families, both headed by a widow. The Willoughbys are ‘new money’, the … Continue reading →

William Does His Bit (1941) and Weatherley Parade (1943) by Richmal Crompton.

Book Review by Chris Hopkins. I know we were meant to be reading a Richmal Crompton book for adult readers, but I couldn’t resist the treat of reading a Just William at the same time, so am going to justify this (to myself anyway) by saying that I wanted to compare a Just William and … Continue reading →

The Ship (1943) by C.S. Forester

Book Review by George S: The Ship was first published in 1943, when the outcome of the war was still uncertain, and it bears the marks of a book composed for the purposes of propaganda. It is the story of the Artemis, a light cruiser accompanying a convoy of merchant ships to the besieged island … Continue reading →