1915: The Great War Series

The Darkness and the Thunder

2014 marked the centenary of World War One, and bestselling author Stewart Binns undertook to write a novel a year for every year of the Great War. The Great War series follows the story of five British communities; their circumstances are very different but they will all share in the tragedy that is to come.

The second in Stewart Binns' acclaimed Great War Series, The Darkness and the Thunder is a sweeping story of war following five families through the terrifying conditions of the Western Front, the slaughter of Gallipoli and the heartbreak of those left at home. 
 
 'The book on the conflict remembered 100 years on' Jon Wise, Sunday Sport 
 
-1915- 
 
 The Western Front is a wasteland of barbed wire, shell craters and mud-filled trenches. Winston Churchill, searching for a solution to the stalemate, commits the Allies to a disastrous Gallipoli campaign. 
 
 As men on both sides die in droves, miners and mill-workers work tirelessly for the war effort while families confront the broken bodies of returning soldiers. Nurses, soldiers, politicians, factory-workers and children - all are torn apart by war, and for husbands and sons, mothers and wives, the old way of life is vanishing. 
 
*** 
 
 Praise for Stewart Binns: 
 
'Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read The Shadow of War' Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill 
 
'Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story' Alastair Campbell 
 
'A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction . . . this is storytelling at its best' Daily Mail 
 
'Unique, entertaining and eye-opening' Robin Carter, Parmenion Books 
 
'A tour de force of writing brilliance' Books Monthly 
 
'Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride' Goodreads 
 
'Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author' Historical Novel Review

Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read Shadow of War

Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill

An epic . . . the book on the conflict remembered this year 100 years on

Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story

A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction . . . this is storytelling at its best

Stewart's books always leave me with a sense of pride for my country, and this book is no exception, but this is tempered by the individual courage and the individual loss. The personal tales that inspire and horrify in equal measure. By the time I finished the book I felt entertained and educated, which for me form the key pillars of a great Historical Fiction novel. Once again Stewart Binns has managed to create something unique, entertaining and eye-opening, I'm very much looking forward to book 2.

The whole thing is a tour de force of writing brilliance, and it's great to know that in five years' time, Stewart will have delivered a book for each of the first world war years. A totally enjoyable experience, a brilliant start to a terrific project.

Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride

Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author

Binn takes readers deep into historical events . . . bring[ing] history alive

Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic. He passed selection for the SAS in 1980 and served for three years before settling into a career as a schoolteacher, specialising in English and history. Later in life he began a successful career in television. He has won a BAFTA, a Grierson, an RTS and a Peabody for his documentaries. 
 
Stewart has written two highly acclaimed historical series. Betrayal, a standalone, is his seventh novel.

1915. The Western Front is a wasteland of barbed wire, shell craters and mud-filled trenches. Winston Churchill, searching for a solution to the stalemate, commits the Allies to a disastrous Gallipoli campaign. 
 
As men on both sides die in droves, miners and mill-workers work tirelessly for the war effort while families confront the broken bodies of returning soldiers. Nurses, soldiers, politicians, factory-workers and children - all are torn apart by war, and for husbands and sons, mothers and wives, the old way of life is vanishing.

The Great War Series Book 1

The Shadow of War

The Shadow of War is the first novel in Stewart Binns's new series which will see a book release for each year of the First World War. 
 
 June 1914. 
 
 The beginning of another long, prosperous summer for Britain. But beneath the clear skies, all is not as it seem - as the chill wind of social discontent swirls around this sceptred isle. 
 
 Shots ring out in a distant European land - the assassination of a foreign aristocrat. From that moment the entire world is propelled into a conflict unlike any seen before. 
 
 This is the story of five British communities, their circumstances very different, but who will all share in the tragedy that is to come. All that they have known will be changed for ever by the catastrophic events of the Great War. 
 
 This is a story of love and comradeship, of hatred and tragedy - this is the story of the Great War. 
 
 The Shadow of War, the first novel in The Great War series from Stewart Binns, is a thrilling read and perfect for those who enjoy the writing of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. 
 
 Praise for Stewart Binns: 
 
 'Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read Shadow of War' Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill 
 
 'A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction . . . this is storytelling at its best' Daily Mail 
 
 'Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story' Alastair Campbell 
 
 'Once again Stewart Binns has managed to create something unique, entertaining and eye-opening' Parmenion Books 
 
 'Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride' Goodreads 
 
 'Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author' Historical Novel Review 
 
 Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic. He then pursued several adventures, including a stint at the BBC, before settling into a career as a schoolteacher, specializing in history. Later in life a lucky break took him back to the BBC, which was gthe beginning of a successful career in television. He has won a BAFTA, a Grierson, an RTS and a Peabody for his documentaries. Stewart's passion is English history especially its origins and folklore. His previous Making of England series: Crusade, Conquest, Anarchy and Lionheart, were published to great acclaim

A sensational historical piece . . . captures the realism of the war and the people involved. Readers will finally be able to get an insider's view to the battle that happened in June 1914. Fast-paced, thrilling, and absolutely spectacular

June 1914: the beginning of another long, prosperous summer for Britain. But all is not as it seems - the chill wind of social discontent swirls around this sceptred isle. 
 
Shots ring out in a distant European land - the assassination of a foreign aristocrat. From that moment the world is propelled into a conflict unlike any seen before. 
 
This is the story of five British communities, their circumstances very different, but who will all share in the tragedy that is to come. All that they have known will be changed forever by the catastrophic events of the Great War.

Lionheart

Lionheart is the latest thrilling historical novel in Stewart Binns's epic Making of England series. 
 
1176 - England 
 
King Henry II reigns over a vast empire that stretches the length of Britain and reaches the foothills of the Pyrenees. But he is aging, and his powerful and ambitious sons are restless. 
 
Henry's third son, Richard of Aquitaine, is developing a fearsome reputation for being a ruthless warrior. Arrogant and conceited he earns the name Richard Lionheart for his bravery and brutality on the battlefield. 
 
After the death of his brothers, Richard's impatience to take the throne, and gain the immense power that being King over a vast empire would bring him, leads him to form an alliance with France. 
 
And so, Richard begins his bloody quest to return the Holy Land to Christian rule. 
 
Stewart Binns' Making of England series features Conquest, Crusade, Anarchy and his latest historical page-turner, Lionheart. 
 
Praise for Stewart Binns: 
 
'A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction ... this is storytelling at its best.' Daily Mail 
 
'Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story - Alastair Campbell 
 
Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic. He then pursued several adventures, including a stint at the BBC, before settling into a career as a schoolteacher, specializing in history. Later in life, a lucky break took him back to the BBC, which was the beginning of a successful career in television. He has won a BAFTA, a Grierson, an RTS and a Peabody for his documentaries. Stewart's passion is English history, especially its origins and folklore. His previous novels Conquest, Crusade and Anarchy published to great acclaim.

Richard of Aquitaine, the third son of King Henry II, is developing a fearsome reputation for being a ruthless warrior. Arrogant and conceited, he earns the name Richard Lionheart for his bravery and brutality on the battlefield. 
 
After the death of his brothers, Richard's impatience to take the throne, and gain the immense power that being King over a vast empire would bring him, leads him to form an alliance with Philip II, King of France. 
 
After invading his father's lands on the Continent, Richard Lionheart goes on to defeat the King's army at the tumultuous Battle of Ballans. Taking his place on the throne he begins his bloody quest to return the Holy Land to Christian rule.

Anarchy

Anarchy is the knuckle-whitening third novel in Stewart Binns' The Making of England series. 
 
Ruthless brutality, greed and ambition: the Anarchy 
 
The year is 1186, the thirty-second year of the reign of Henry II. 
 
Gilbert Foliot, Bishop of London, has lived through long Henry's reign and that of his grandfather, Henry I. He has witnessed the terrifying civil war between Henry II's mother, the Empress Matilda, and her cousin, Stephen; a time so traumatic it becomes known as the Anarchy. 
 
The greatest letter writer of the 12th Century, Folio gives an intimate account of one of England's most troubled eras. Central to his account is the life of a knight he first met over fifty years earlier, Harold of Hereford. 
 
Harold's life is an intriguing microcosm of the times. Born of noble blood and legendary lineage, he is one of the nine founders of the Knights Templar and a survivor of the fearsome battles of the Crusader States in the Holy Land. 
 
Harold is loyal warrior in the cause of the Empress Matilda. On his broad shoulders, Harold carries the legacy of England's past and its dormant hopes for the future. 
 
Stewart Binns' Anarchy is a gripping novel in the great tradition of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell, and is the third in The Making of England trilogy, following Conquest and Crusade. 
 
Praise for Stewart Binns: 
'Binns' stories are a terrific mix of history and human drama' Celia Sandys: Author, presenter and granddaughter of Winston Churchill 
'A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction ... this is storytelling at its best' Daily Mail 
 
Stewart Binns began his professional life as an academic. He then pursued several adventures, including a stint at the BBC, before settling into a career as a schoolteacher, specializing in history. Later in life, a lucky break took him back to the BBC, which was the beginning of a successful career in television. He has won a BAFTA, a Grierson, an RTS and a Peabody for his documentaries. Stewart's passion is English history, especially its origins and folklore. His previous novels in The Making of England trilogy are Conquest and Crusade.

1186 - Under the rule of Henry II England is in a traumatic and bloody time known as The Anarchy. 
 
Harold of Hereford, born of noble blood and one of the nine founders of the Knights Templar, is a heroic survivor of the fearsome battles of the Crusader States. 
 
During a period of ruthless brutality, greed and ambition, Harold is a loyal warrior in the cause of Empress Matilda, and on his broad shoulders carries the legacy of England's past and its hope for the future. 
 
This is Harold's story told by the greatest letter writer of the 12th Century, Gilbert Folio.

Crusade

1072 - England is firmly under the heel of its new Norman rulers. 
 
The few survivors of the English resistance look to Edgar the Atheling, the rightful heir to the English throne, to overthrow William the Conqueror. Years of intrigue and vicious civil war follow: brother against brother, family against family, friend against friend. 
 
In the face of chaos and death, Edgar and his allies form a secret brotherhood, pledging to fight for justice and freedom wherever they are denied. But soon they are called to fight for an even greater cause: the plight of the Holy Land. Embarking on the epic First Crusade to recapture Jerusalem, together they will participate in some of the cruellest battles the world has ever known, the savage Siege of Antioch and the brutal Fall of Jerusalem, and together they will fight to the death.

Conquest

Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story, set in a fascinating and crucial time in history. Whether in the big, set-piece battles, or telling the story of the romance between the two main characters, he knows how to hold the reader's attention. There are also strong themes underpinning all the activity that unfolds - people in a struggle for freedom and justice, people trying to come to terms with their own demons and people in a search for truth. I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Alastair Campbell: Communicator, Writer, Strategist

Conquest is a wonderful book. A compelling story, it is both a chronicle of a dramatic adventure and a tale of an enduring romance between two remarkable people: the heroic Hereward of Bourne and his beguiling wife, Torfida of the Wildwood. 
 
I could not put it down and read it in just three sessions. It is a gripping page-turner, beautifully written, replete with wonderful historical detail. The author paints amazingly vivid pictures and uses the language with great skill and warmth. 
My grandfather, Winston Churchill, would have loved this book. It enlivens one of the most important periods in our history and is very faithful to real historical events. I suspect that if he had read Conquest before he completed his History of the English Speaking Peoples, he would have included an appropriate acknowledgement of the worthy deeds of Hereward and his loyal band of followers.

Celia Sandys: Author, presenter and granddaughter of Winston Churchill

As a living legend myself, I know a lot about heroes! 
 
This guy, Hereward of Bourne, is the real deal and this book brings him to life and the events around him in amazing detail. 
 
I couldn't put it down. It's a gripping adventure story but the way the real events and characters are portrayed is a big bonus. History freaks will love it and those who don't know the period will want to know more. 
 
Read it!

Daley Thompson: Decathlete and Double Olympic Gold Medallist 1980 & 1984

1066 - Senlac Ridge, England. William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, defeats Harold Godwinson, King Harold II of England, in what will become known as the Battle of Hastings. 
 
The battle is hard fought and bloody, the lives of thousands have been spent, including that of King Harold. But England will not be conquered easily, the Anglo-Saxons will not submit meekly to Norman rule. 
 
Although his heroic deeds will nearly be lost to legend, one man unites the resistance. His name is Hereward of Bourne, the champion of the English. His honour, bravery and skill at arms will change the future of England. His is the legacy of the noble outlaw. 
 
This is his story.

Stewart Binns

January, 1981. 
 
Jim Dowd is a British Special Forces soldier, highly-trained and loyal. With his colleague, army intelligence officer, Maureen O'Brien, he enters a bitterly divided Belfast with a mission: to go undercover with new identities, infiltrate one of the city's most dangerous Catholic communities, and help change the course of a war that nobody is winning. 
 
The Ardoyne is a perilous world, cut off from the law and run by dangerous men, where even a hint of Jim's and Maureen's true identities will prove fatal. But it is also full of pride, courage and loyalty, and Jim realises he admires this community - and as relationships form, his guilt at his deception grows ever stronger. 
 
When they receive shocking orders, Maureen knows they must act swiftly and ruthlessly, but can she rely on Jim? And if they rebel, are they betraying their country, or are they being betrayed?

Stewart Binns

Betrayal

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