Hill 112 by Adrian Goldsworthy

On June 30, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction1 Comment

Hill 112 Cover

Publisher: Head of Zeus (ebook – 23 May 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 495 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Prepare to dive headfirst into the deadliest of struggles as acclaimed historical fiction author Adrian Goldsworthy provides a captivating look at the Normandy invasions with his epic novel, Hill 112.

Adrian Goldsworthy is an impressive historical fiction author who has been producing some great novels as of late. A respected historian, Goldsworthy made the jump back to fiction in 2011 when he started his Napoleonic Wars series. I had the great pleasure of reading the first few books in the series, including True Solider Gentlemen and Beat the Drums Slowly, and Goldsworthy prove to be an outstanding author who would focus his stories on intriguing historical elements. His Napoleonic Wars series ended up featuring six novels before he dove into Roman historical fiction in 2017 with his Roman Britain series. Starting with Vindolanda and also featuring six novels, the Roman Britain series sounds very awesome, and it is one I need to check out in the future. Due to how much I enjoyed some of Goldsworthy’s previous books, I made sure to grab a copy of his latest release, Hill 112, which provides a compelling examination of the bloody invasion of Normandy during World War II.

June 6^th, 1944. After years of enduring the Nazi onslaught, the Allies are finally ready to begin their campaign to invade occupied France. But to liberate France and free all of Europe, the Allies first must make a perilous landing and brave the full force of the German army waiting for them. The destination for their fateful landing: Normandy!

As the Allies begin their invasion, three young soldiers, former classmates from south Wales, are amongst the troops landing in Normandy. The charismatic James must put his previous experience as cricket captain into practice by leading a troop of Sherman tanks into fray. The athletic Mark is forced to prove himself as the young officer in charge of a platoon of infantrymen, while Bill, the group’s resident firebrand, finds himself in the middle of the fighting as he serves as a private soldier. However, none of these young men are truly prepared for the carnage to come.

The battle-hardened German army is determined to push the Allies back into the sea, and soon both sides find themselves caught up in a brutal battle for survival. Into the middle of this, James, Mark and Bill find their courage and luck tested like never before as they finally experience the horrors of war and the seemingly unbeatable Germans. Their fates, and that of the entire Allied war effort, will be decided in one of the most brutal fights of the Normandy campaign, the battle for Hill 112.

Goldsworthy brings together one of his heaviest and moving novels yet with the incredible Hill 112. A gritty and realistic war story that seeks to capture the experiences of young soldiers during Normandy, Hill 112 was a fantastic and moving novel that drags readers right into the heart of the fighting.

Hill 112 has a great story to it that, while simple in concept, hits the reader hard and provides a powerful look into the realities of war. Told from the perspective of three young soldiers as they experience their first taste of combat, Hill 112 is a very moving war novel that is hard to look away from at times. Starting with the first day of the Normandy landings, you initially follow James, who leads the charge with his tank unit, while Mark and Bill wait back in England for their deployment to the front. While this did make James’s chapters a lot more interesting and exciting than the others’ at the start of the book, I liked how Goldsworthy chose to start the remaining two characters off back in England. Not only was historically realistic, but it allowed you to get to know these two protagonists and other supporting characters before the fighting, while also building up the tension, especially when you compared their experiences with what James was going through on the front.

It doesn’t take long for Mark and Bill to make it over to Normandy, and from there the reader becomes enmeshed in seeing all three protagonists facing the tough campaign in Europe. There is a lot of action and a ton of tragedy in this part of the book, and it was fascinating to see them slowly adjust to the new normal of battle, as they experience the true horrors of war. Goldsworthy continued to keep the three protagonists separated for most of the story, which allows each of them to grow, while also showcasing several different fronts at the same time. Their storylines start to converge as the book continues, especially when they find themselves at the foot of the tactically significant Hill 112. The last third of the book is essentially all out fighting as the three protagonists attempt to survive the desperate battle for the hill. The carnage flies thick and fast in this part of the book, and you are constantly on edge as the three characters fight on, while also trying to understand the necessity and impacts of war. I was deeply captivated for this entire part of Hill 112, and I couldn’t stop reading as I waited to see the fates of all three characters. Goldsworthy did not disappoint, as the ending to this book was extremely shocking and powerful, and you come away wondering about the sacrifices, experiences and emotions of those involved in the fighting. This was a such a great character-driven war story, and I came away very impressed with how it all unfolded.

I deeply enjoyed the compelling and powerful story that Goldsworthy created for Hill 112 that hits all the right notes for the reader. Goldsworthy made the clever choice to provide the reader with a more insular look at the invasion, as the viewpoint is limited to the lower-ranked protagonists, more concerned with their own battles, rather than a look at the large war going on around them. This proved to be an excellent choice of focus, and I deeply appreciated the way in which Goldsworthy was able to get into the mindset of the young soldiers fighting this war. The constant switching between the three main protagonists allowed for a complex and intriguing story, as they experienced different battles while coming to terms with the fighting in their own ways. Goldsworthy has a real talent for showing the chaos of war, and you are thrown into innumerable skirmishes, firefights and large-scale battles, all of which is captured in its full destructive glory. You can honestly feel the bullets flying and the shells landing as you pour through Hill 112, and the constant conflict, danger and excellent portrayal of the fighting ensures that readers have a very hard time pulling their attention away from this amazing book.

Goldsworthy clearly did an exceptional amount of research for Hill 112 as this book is loaded with historical detail as the author meticulously covers key events of this initial invasion. While the main regiments featured in Hill 112 are fictitious, Goldsworthy bases them on actual participants of the fighting, and you get incredibly detailed depictions of the early days of the Normandy campaign for the English and Canadian forces. This includes events that followed from the initial landings on Normandy all the way to the conclusion of the fighting around the titular Hill 112, a key historical battle. Readers get a very compelling and intensive look at how the campaign unfolded, and it was interesting to see how hotly contested this initial fighting in France was, especially as most modern war movies/television series usually show swift victory the moment the allies are off the beaches. The battle of Hill 112 was naturally a compelling part of the book which the author covers in heavy detail, noting the movement of all the relevant units and the various attacks. I got so engrossed in Goldsworthy’s recounting of this battle, and readers are left haunted and amazed that so much death occurred for a simple hill in the countryside.

The author really did not spare any detail when it comes to the fighting, and you get a comprehensive vision of the potential experiences of the participants in these battles. Goldsworthy really dives into every single aspect of the solider experience, and you come away with insights into the conditions, equipment, training and attitudes of the troops, all of which greatly adds to the gritty realism of the story. This is particularly true in the battle scenes, and it was very compelling to see how the soldiers would have fought, as well as other factors that came into play, such as the Allies’ overwhelming artillery. I especially enjoyed the many scenes that focused on vehicular combat as one of the protagonists spends most of the book inside a Sherman tank, fighting against German armoured units. The sequences in the tank are always a high-strung affair, and Goldsworthy expertly captures the cramped conditions, fast-paced fighting, and constant peril that the British crews experienced. The author further increases the authenticity of the book by having his protagonists experience various incidents that were recorded to have happened during these invasions. The author cleverly retells these events to feature his characters, and the various experiences, some of which are quite hellish, add a lot of intensity to the book. Goldsworthy really pulls no punches when it comes to showcasing the experiences of Allied soldiers in Hill 112, and it proves hard not to deeply appreciate his ability to utilise a massive amount of historical detail to tell a good story.

I must also highlight the intriguing characters featured within Hill 112 who added a lot to the impact of the book. The three main characters, James, Mark and Bill, are all quite intriguing in their own way, and I appreciated how they ran the gambit of young people who would have joined the war effort after leaving school. Goldsworthy ensures that each of these main characters have a compelling backstory which contrasts in a moving way to their current experiences, and it was moving to see them grow up throughout the course of the horrendous ordeals they find themselves in. These three main characters are also accompanied by a huge supporting cast of fellow soldiers, officers, tank crews and other figures, each of whom travel with the protagonists to engage in the fighting. Many of these supporting characters are exclusive to the chapters told from the perspective of a particular protagonist, allowing for unique interactions, and Goldsworthy often provides relevant backstories for these supporting characters as well. This cast of additional characters gets quite extensive as the book continues, which can make remembering everyone a little hard at times. However, that proves to be a short-term problem at best, as the supporting players usually doesn’t last too long in the fighting. This proved to be an excellent and intense character-driven novel, and I really appreciated how well Goldsworthy captured the experiences of these young soldiers in war.

Adrian Goldsworthy once again brings the past back to haunt his readers in the outstanding and moving novel, Hill 112. A highly detailed and impressive war novel, Hill 112 does an incredible job capturing the experiences of young soldiers in the Normandy campaign and you will quickly become absorbed in the resulting story. Highly recommended, especially for those fans of military history, Hill 112 was such an amazing read.

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V2 by Robert Harris

On September 23, 2020May 1, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction4 Comments

Publisher: Hutchinson (Ebook – 15 September 2020)

Series: Standalone

Length: 312 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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One of the most talented historical fiction authors in the game, Robert Harris, dives deep into the history of the infamous Nazi V2 rocket program in his latest novel, V2.

Harris is an impressive and well-regarded novelist who has been writing fiction for nearly 30 years. A former journalist, Harris’s initial books were a series of non-fiction novels in the 1980’s on various subjects, including a book that is considered to be the definitive account of the investigation into The Hitler Diaries scandal which later inspired a drama-documentary miniseries. His first fiction novel was the 1992 release, Fatherland, an alternate history novel that depicted Germany wining World War II. He has since gone on to write a number of other fascinating novels, most of which have a historical edge to them, including Pompeii, The Ghost (later adapted into the film The Ghost Writer), The Fear Index and Munich. Harris is one of those authors I have been meaning to read more of, but so far I have only checked out his 2013 release, An Officer and a Spy, which featured a fascinating account of the Alfred Dreyfus affair in 19^th century France, and which was an outstanding piece of historical fiction. I also currently have his 2019 release, The Second Sleep, on my bookshelf and it was one of the novels I most regret not reading last year. As a result, I was rather interested when I got a copy of V2, which sounded like quite a fun and intriguing historical read.

In November 1944, while the Allies advance on Berlin, the Nazis are desperate to avoid defeat at all cost. Placing his hopes in new technology, Hitler funnels vast resources into his V2 rocket program, the most sophisticated weapon on the planet. The V2s are powerful ballistic missiles capable of delivering an explosive warhead deep into enemy territory at immense speeds. Hitler has ordered the production of 10,000 rockets and from an isolated forest in occupied Holland, the Germans launch them towards London, causing immense damage.

Rudi Graf is a German scientist who has long dreamt of sending rockets to the moon, and who now regrets his role in the creation of the V2. Stationed at the V2 launch site, Graf desperately tries to hang onto his humanity as he watches his dream cause only destruction and death. At the same time, in London, Kay Caton-Wash, an officer in the WAAF, is experiencing the full horror of the V2 rockets as she barely survives one of their strikes. Over the course of five days, these two strangers are about to be connected by their circumstances. As Graf is forced to launch even more of his rockets at London, Kay becomes involved with a secret mission to locate and destroy the V2 launch sites in Holland. Travelling to Belgium, armed with only a slide rule and some equations, Kay works to end the V2 menace once and for all. However, danger and duplicity are around every corner, and both Graf and Kay soon begin to realise that they cannot trust anyone. As both rush towards their destinies, their actions will have unintended consequences on the over, changing the course of history forever.

V2 was a clever and compelling novel from Harris, who did a wonderful job wrapping an intriguing, character-driven story around one of the most remarkable military programs of World War II. Like the majority of Harris’s novels, V2 is a standalone book that can be easily enjoyed by anyone in the mood for informative historical tale or war story that shows the horrors of war and the terrible ways that a person’s dreams can be twisted for evil purposes.

Harris has come up with a captivating narrative for this book. The focus of V2 is split between two fictional point-of-view characters, Kay and Graf, and follows their respective experiences over a period of five days, with several flashback scenes thrown in for context. This proved to be a rather intriguing read, and I liked how the author tied a mostly fictional story around some fascinating historical events, such as the creation and implementation of the V2 rockets. Both of the two separate storylines are quite intriguing and both go in some exciting directions, including Kay getting involved in a secret military operation while Graf tries to keep his sanity as he navigates the politics, treachery and sadism of his Nazi controllers. However, the real appeal of this narrative is the way in which the two separate story arcs intersect throughout the novel. For example, the novel starts with Graff witnessing and assisting the launch of a V2 rocket, which then lands and changes Kay’s life. As the story proceeds, the various actions and reactions of these two point-of-view characters impacts the events occurring around the other character, resulting in danger and tragedy in equal measures. While I really liked the fascinating individual narratives and the cool way in which the storylines overlapped, I did think that the main story ended rather suddenly and lacked a substantial or satisfying conclusion. This narrative desperately needed some big, exciting hook at the end to really tie everything together, even if it was historically inaccurate. Still, V2’s story was really good and easy to get into, and I had a fantastic time reading it.

In order to tell this fascinating tale, Harris utilises two great fictional characters, Kay and Graf, through whose eyes we see the events unfold. Both of these characters are rather interesting and I quite enjoyed both their individual character arcs. However, of the two, I definitely found Graf to be the more compelling character. This is because Graf is a particularly tortured individual, a brilliant scientist who is forced to work for the Nazis to bomb England. There are some excellent scenes throughout this book that show Graf agonising over his actions working for the Nazis, who have perverted his childhood dream of creating spacefaring rockets into weapons of mass destruction. Harris also spends much more time exploring Graf’s past, investing in a series of flashbacks that show how Graf became obsessed with rocketry, how he became involved with the V2 project and some of the tragedies that working with the Nazis have brought. Add in a very captivating storyline that shows Graf starting to rebel against the actions of his Nazi handlers and attempting to find a small measure of redemption out in the wilds of Holland and you have a very impressive and enjoyable character arc that does rather outshine the storyline Harris sets up for Kay. That being said, Kay is still an interesting focus character in V2, and I did enjoy her arc of trying to find and destroy the V2 launch sites by travelling to Belgium with several other members of the WAAF to work out the trajectories of the rocket flights. It was also really cool to see this portrayal of a WAAF, a female air force officer, throughout the book, especially one deployed outside of England, and I found it interesting to examine the varied roles that they played throughout the war. Overall, these two characters do an outstanding job telling this story, and I had a great time seeing how their individual arcs unfolded.

The real highlight of this novel has to be the author’s incredible and captivating portrayal of the infamous V2 rocket program. Harris has clearly done his research on the subject as he does an amazing job examining all the key aspects of the program and bringing them to life. This includes a detailed examination of the history of the project, the technical aspects of the rockets and various examinations of how they fly and what they can do. Harris makes good use of the various flashback sequences in Graf’s chapters to examine the full fascinating history of the project, including the origins of the rockets, identifying who the key architects of the project were and how the project came to the attention of the Nazis. This includes some compelling depictions of several major historical figures associated with the V2s, such as the project’s leader and main creative driver, Wernher von Braun, as well as several key Nazi characters who had a hand in the project in some way or another. The author also provides the reader with an unfiltered depiction of the devastating effect that these rockets had on the inhabitants of London when they hit and he actually features several real, historical rocket strikes that occurred during the timeline of the novel, including the most devastating attack that hit London. The depictions of the horror and the carnage that the rockets caused were really striking, especially as Harris tries to capture the psychological impact that these unstoppable and ultra-fast rockets had on the populace. I really loved learning more about the V2 rockets and it was easily the most fascinating and captivating part of the entire book. I especially appreciated the way in which Harris used his dual character perspectives to examine the project from the point of view of the Germans and the Allies, and it was great to see the clash of understandings and opinions about the rockets. It was also really fascinating to learn more about the Allies’ covert attempts to identify and demolish the V2 launch sites, and this was a great addition to the novel. All of these historical aspects are immensely enjoyable and fascinating and they add a heck of a lot to the story.

V2 by Robert Harris is a particularly clever and intriguing World War II novel that presents the reader with a fascinating and memorable examination of the infamous V2 rocket program. Featuring a compelling story, fantastic characters and an outstanding historical focus, V2 was an awesome and captivating read that is really worth checking out.

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