World War II Fiction
Hill 112
A novel of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
My latest novel is something different, and for the first time I have written about something that is still – just – within living memory. This year sees the Eightieth anniversary of the Normandy Landings. There will be plenty of good non fiction released or re-issued, but a novel can give a feel for an era and an event more readily than a straightforward history – at best a sense of what it was like. This is a more serious book than by other novels and is not a simple adventure story. It focuses on three young men, recruited into the British Army and sent off to war before they were old enough to vote.
From the Cover:
A gripping story of friendship and division in the midst of warfare, set against one of the most dramatic, dangerous, and crucial campaigns of World War II: the Battle of Normandy.
They went to war as boys. Will they make it home as men?
D-Day. June 6th, 1944. The trajectory of the Second World War - and with it the course of modern history - is changed for ever.
For three young former schoolmates from South Wales, their war is only just beginning.
James was the school cricket captain. Now, a few short years later, he is in charge of a troop of Sherman tanks.
Mark, just nineteen, must lead a platoon of infantrymen into battle.
And Bill, always something of a loner, sees the heart of the fighting as a private soldier.
These young men, and thousands of others, will soon be a part of one of the bloodiest and most brutal parts of the Normandy campaign: the battle for Hill 112. The horror, the fear, the filth; the savage fighting; the sheer exhilaration and moments of farce and laughter: those who come through the carnage will never be the same again.
From critically acclaimed author and historian Adrian Goldsworthy, Hill 112 is based on real events and the records and reminiscences of those who were there. Published to coincide with the eightieth anniversary of D-Day, Hill 112 is perfect for fans of Robert Harris and Simon Scarrow.
A generous comment from Saul David, author most recently of Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in the Second World War (2024), as well as many other excellent books - and a fellow TIME Commanders Alumnus!
'Adrian Goldsworthy mixes fact with fiction to great effect in this wonderfully graphic and moving depiction of three Welsh former schoolmates struggling to survive one of the most brutal battles of the Normandy campaign.'
'Three young men, friends from a school in South Wales, take part in D-Day in this blend of fact and fiction … . Adrian Goldsworthy follows their advance in an hour-by-hour, day-by-day narrative. His goal, which he accomplishes admirably, is to give a sense of immersion, to fling us into the chaos, terror and bravery alongside these painfully young men.'
Videos about the novel can be found on this YouTube playlist
Why I wanted to write this book
Released in Hardback and e-book on 23rd May 2024 and Paperback on 5th December 2024.
 Hill112 spread | Published by Head of Zeus (23 May 2024). |