Top 5: WWII Books

So because I spent all of yesterday (Friday) watching events from the Big Book Weekend, Top 5 Friday sort of slipped my mind. But seeing as we celebrated VE Day in the Britain yesterday and Liberation Day today in the Channel Islands, I thought I would make that the theme of this week's Top 5 Friday and post it today instead 😊 So my list today are my top 5 favourite books surrounding WWII:

Number 5: Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson

Okayy, so this one isn't a book, it's a film (which is why it made number 5), but if this were a book it would be one of my absolute favourites! I came across this film one night whilst flicking through the TV channels and was instantly gripped. It's based on the real story of Desmond T. Doss who was an American pacifist combat medic during WWII. Due to religious and personal beliefs, when he enlists in the Army as a combat medic, he refuses to carry any form of weapon or firearm on him which sees him initially bullied and laughed at by his fellow soldiers. 

Not to give too much away but the film sees Doss and his unit deployed to Hacksaw Ridge where they are faced with having to save wounded soldiers from the front line with the enemy still firing...all of which Doss attempts without any weapons or firearm to protect him. The scenes in this film are harrowing and shocking and I had my hands in front of my face for most of the last half of the film but it's such a fantastic tribute to a real hero and it's a story I couldn't resist including in my Top 5! 

Number 4: Interrogating Ellie, by Julian Gray

Blurb:  On the Eve of World War II, a naive young woman makes a fateful decision: she will abandon her British Citizenship and go to live in Nazi Austria. When her marriage breaks down and she finds herself alone in enemy land, her passionate, restless nature drives her in a struggle for survival against the odds. 

Who can she trust? And ultimately, who can she love?

Like the majority of the books in this list, Interrogating Ellie is based on a true story. It tells the tale of a young girl called Ellie Picot who was born in Jersey in 1916. After marrying and having her first child, she and her family move to a small town in Austria where her husband's family originate from. At the age of only 25 , her family falls apart and she loses her husband and her children. From that point on she has to fend for herself during the war and the years afterwards which takes her on an extraordinary journey of survival. 

This book had me literally clinging on to each page and it is told in such a way that you can't believe it's based on a true story because Ellie has just the most incredible amount of perseverance and strength. It's somewhat a heartbreaking tale as well but I finished it just in complete awe of Ellie and of Jullian Gray for telling her story in such a beautiful way. 

Number 3: Eagle in the Snow, by Michael Morpurgo

Blurb: 1940. The train is under attack from German fighters. In the darkness, sheltering in a railway tunnel, the stranger in the carriage with Barney and his mother tells them a story to pass the time. And what a story. The story of a young man, a young solider in the trenches of World War I who, on the spur of the moment, had done what he thought was the right thing. It turned out to have been the worst mistake he could ever have made - a mistake he must put right before it is too late...

Having listened to the legend that is Michael Morpurgo talk at the Big Book Weekend on MYVLF.com yesterday I was reminded of how much I loved reading this book! Again based on a true story, although the tale that the soldier tells is set in WWI, it is the outcome of his story that completely determines the course of history as we know it today. I read this book with my mouth open in disbelief because what you come to realise is, had the events of this tale at the opposite outcome, WWII may never have happened which is just mind-blowing. Written in Morpurgo's soothing literary tones, it has the magic of being gripping yet easy to read at the same time. This book could be read and enjoyed by both adults and children and the illustrations throughout by Michael Foreman are stunning. 

Number 2: Goodnight Mr Tom, by Michelle Magorian

Young Willie Beech is evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of WW2. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the care of old Tom Oakley - but his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother back in London...

Now this is just an absolute classic and one that I used to read a lot when I was younger. I used to watch the film with my mum a lot when I was little too and it's one of my all time favourites. For anyone who - by some crazy small chance -  hasn't read this book before, it's about a little boy called William Beech who is evacuated at the start of WW2. He is sent to live with a lonely old man called Tom Oakley who is less than pleased with the arrangement at first and comes across as a very hard and unloving man to begin with. Both Tom and William have their own sad tales and backgrounds and equally come from very different worlds, but throughout the book you see their hardships bring them closer together especially when the war threatens to rip their new friendship apart.

This is such a beautiful story of love, friendship, compassion, loss, fragility and humanity that I have so much love for. I think it shows both the awful reality of what evacuee children had to go through and also the sacrifices that many people had to make not only for their own loved ones but sometimes for strangers as well and how in the darkest of times, unlikely friendships and acts of kindness can save a person. 

Number 1: Stinker's Nine Lives, by Clive Kemp & Chris Stone

Oh 👏My👏 God👏This👏Book!!👏

Unfortunately I can't find the blurb for this one and my actual copy is at my Grandmother's house who I lent it to a while ago but all you need to know about this one is that if you want a true account of WW2 that will blow you away...this is it! 

Clive Kemp was a Jersey man who volunteer with the army  at the age of 19 at the beginning of WWII and during his time in the war he played his part in some of the most famous battles such as The Blitz, Dunkirk, Pegasus Bridge and the Normandy Landings. Years later, he was introduced to local BBC journalist Chris Stone who helped him turn his stories into a book called: Stinker's Nine Lives. The reason for the title is a good one and is based on a nickname that Clive was given during the war. The story of how he gets the nickname is great and is featured in the book so I won't give anything away. 

This book gave me all the emotions. At times it had me laughing out loud and then, before I knew it, in floods of tears. Clive's bravery, honesty and sense of humour are all to be so admired and this book has stayed with me ever since I read it. I cannot recommend this book enough! 

I hope you've enjoyed this list. If it's inspired you to want to read any of these books I'd love to hear from you in the comments below 😊