A brilliant, well-written and engrossing novel set during the first year of World War 2. The Castell family have lived and farmed in the idyllic setting of Alvesdon for generations, but things change when war is declared. Even here the impact of war is felt. The younger generation are called upon to serve, leaving other members of the family to 'hold fort'; and for no-one is it easy.

Definitely one for the TBR pile.

With thanks to NetGalley and TransWorld Digital.

Wiltshire, 1939: In the quaint village of Alvesdon, the Castell family faces an upheaval as the Second World War looms. For generations, the Castells have been central to their community, but now, with the threat of conflict growing ever closer, their lives are thrust into turmoil.

As war disrupts their once peaceful existence, each member of the Castell family confronts unimaginable challenges. The narrative spans from the onset of the war through to the Battle of Britain in 1940, covering significant events like the Dunkirk evacuation and the internment of German nationals in Britain.

The story vividly portrays the harsh realities of war, showing how it can ravage families, shatter dreams, and leave deep scars. It delves into the disillusionment of those who survived the First World War, the frustration of waiting for uncertain news, and the new possibilities that war can bring. The book also explores the emotional burden of secrets and the complex impact of conflict on personal lives and relationships.

This reads a little like "The Darling Buds of May" goes to war. The portrait of Britain leading up to, and in the early stages of, World War II feels authentic and showcases Holland's historical interests. The family saga, relationships and characters are mostly fairly bland. However the star of the show is undoubtedly the beautifully Wiltshire landscape which James Holland effectively spends most of the novel eulogising. Perfect reading for lazy summer days in the countryside. Special thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for a no obligation advance digital review copy.

Alvesdon takes the reader on a compelling and emotional journey through the early years of the Second World War showing us the impact of wider events on one extended family and the community in which they live.

The village of Alvesdon lies in farming country and the Castell family and their neighbours have farmed there for years. What I particularly liked about the book is the focus on how pivotal farming was to the war effort. But it involved change, some of which was unwelcome, with cattle farming having to give way to arable in order to produce wheat and barley to feed the nation. It’s just one of the changes that causes friction between Walter, known to everyone as ‘Stork’, and his father Alwyn.

Through the different characters we witness all aspects of the war effort: Stork’s eldest son, Edward, is serving in the Yeomanry; Stork’s youngest son, Wilf, is a pilot in RAF Fighter Command; Stork’s daughter, Tess, is working as secretary to General Ismay in the War Office; and Ollie, son of the Castell’s neghbours, the Varneys, is serving on a Royal Navy destroyer. Involvement in the war doesn’t end there but extends to villagers and estate workers such as gamekeeper, Tom Timbrell. And war brings new roles – ARP warden, billeting officer – and new organisations like the Home Guard.

The experiences of these characters give us an insider view of key events such as the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. And we see aspects of wartime Britain often overlooked, such as the categorisation and internment of German nationals living in the country, often for many years.

The story leaves us in no doubt that war is a brutal and bloody business that can devastate a family, destroy hopes for the future and leave individuals scarred for life – both physically and mentally. For those that lived through the First World War, there’s a profound sense of disillusionment, despair even, that the country must go through it all again. For some the war is a frustrating pause in their lives or a period of desperate uncertainty waiting for news that never comes or that, when it does, is life-changing. For others, the war creates a sense that there’s no time to lose; why wait when you have no idea what tomorrow will bring? Paradoxically, for others the war opens up new possibilities or brings about an epiphany. And what about the burden of knowing things you are unable to tell others, even if it might affect them?

The author is a renowned historian and this definitely shows in some of the vivid and detailed depictions of events. For example, this description of the experience of taking off in a Spitfire: ‘Wilf hauled himself up, stepped into the cockpit, and dropped down, half-door up, clacking shit. The familiar smell: high octane fuel, oil, rubber, metal. Chocks pulled clear […] open throttle, release the brakes and off, trundling over the grass to line up. Look each side. Clear. Open throttles wide, and off, speeding across the grass, forty, fifty, sixty miles per hour on the clock, ease back on the stick…’ A real feeling of authenticity pervades the book and you get the sense you’re in the hands of an author who really knows his stuff.

At the end of the book we know there are more years of turmoil to come, but the characters don’t. ‘Everything has been thrown up in the air and is coming down again but not landing exactly as it was before.’ Thanks to the skill of the author, by the time I reached the final chapter I had become totally invested in the lives of the characters and was left wondering what would happen to them next. This is a book just crying out for a sequel.

Alvesdon is a brilliant combination of emotional family saga and fascinating wartime story.

Alvesdon is a gem of a novel which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. The key events of the first years of World War 2 are explored through the eyes and ears of the inhabitants of the town of Alvesdon and in particular through the young adults in Alvesdon. Rich historical detail is entwined with stories of love and family relationships giving the reader an insight into the daily lives of a generation whose world was turned upside down when war was declared in 1939. You will fear for every character and experience the sadness they experienced but will ultimately be uplifted by their tremendous courage at such a turbulent period of history. I do hope we meet the characters in a future novel as I felt at the end that they all had more stories to tell!

One of the more thought "generational family" stories I have read, covering a fascinating chunk of recent history and avoiding the standard WW tropes. Recommended

Definitely a contender for my book of the year, I absolutely adored this Second World War family saga that reminded me so much of a long term favourite author, R F Delderfield.

The story begins on the eve of war, as gentleman farmer Stork Castell considers the future. Even in peacetime there are family conflicts at play, and this novel is as firmly rooted in the land and those who tend it as its name suggests. The valley and the village are described with a glorious warmth and the descriptions evoke a timeless yet frequently changing landscape in all its beauty.

As the book moves on Holland uses his deep knowledge of the era to great effect, with the younger generation across all three services and at the heart of Whitehall. The multiple viewpoints work well in the hands of such a skilled writer and rather than jarring, carry this perfectly tensioned story forwards.

Because the book ends just after the Battle of Britain I can only hope that, in the true spirit of Delderfield, it is the first of a trilogy. I can’t tell you how disappointed I’ll be if it is not.

The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castells for generations. But the year is 1939 and the peace and tranquillity there is about to be shattered once more by the stormclouds of war in Europe. As three generations of the family gather, they must all face the prospect of their lives being transformed beyond recognition the moment Britain declares war on Germany.

There are a lot of people introduced early in the novel which I found difficult to remember who was who but as the story unfolds the characters begin to stick. It’s well paced and written, giving the genuine feel of the time. Good description helps build the story picture. I particularly liked the mood around the declaration of war and how it must have felt. The not knowing and apprehension at the time is almost palpable. On the whole, it’s a good read.

Really enjoyed this book. Well rounded characters and good, believable plot.
It deals with the lead up to WW2, and the first 2 years of the war, so I expect there is a sequel coming. If it reads as well as this one, it will be worth getting hold of.

This is my first encounter with James Holland as a novelist, as opposed to his more well-known role as an authoritative writer of military history. It therefore comes as a pleasant surprise to find that Alvesdon is a well-crafted novel that is populated with fully credible characters who, between them, carry the story of Britain, and her empire, as the nation confronted Nazi Germany in 1939 and the years that followed The choice of the weeks leading up to 3 September 1949 is no surprise, given James Holland’s impressive knowledge of the period, but the historical context is not laboured. Indeed, what the book does is to allow the reader to be a close observer of how communities up and down Britain and beyond met the challenges of hearing in the papers, by word of mouth or on the ‘wireless’ of the various events in those turbulent times as Nazi Germany appeared to be all-conquering and poised to invade Britain . In trying to capture experiences of all three services the author necessarily requires a large cast of characters, and there is inevitably a cliché or two as he persuades the narrative and it’s dramatis personae to carry such a weight of experiences, from the beaches of Dunkirk through the skies of southern Britain and the cold waters of Norway. However, there is no sense of too many liberties being taken by the author. Given that this is a novel and not a history, the relative absence of characters from a non-rural working class background can be forgiven, particularly as the book takes some care to emphasise the role played by farmers in helping to feed the nation during the Second World War. James Holland’s recent military histories have been noted for the way in which he tells stories about some of the individuals who played a part in the actions being described; his deft story telling is on display, too, in this novel set in the early years of the Second World War. If there is a disappointment it lies in the rather brunt ending when, for this reviewer at least, there was a distinct appetite for more. Who knows, perhaps a second volume is in the works?

August 1939 and once more Britain is on the brink of a terrible global conflict. The Castells are a long-established landed farming family in rural Wiltshire. In a timespan of just over a year, Holland covers the family’s immersion in the War, both as combatants and local rural famers and workers.
A good proportion of the novel is devoted to those days of August when the country was sliding into conflict, and the dismay and trepidation that this caused in the breast of the Castells and their circle of neighbours and employees Although the subject of the approach of the Second World War in England is one that has been covered enormously in fiction, this specific emphasis on the impact upon a secluded rural community is well portrayed and engaging. All the uncertainty, regret and fear amongst the landowners, farmers and the rural population is described with feeling and authenticity.
The writing is fluid and narrative progresses capably and effectively. As one would expect from a professional historian, the factual context is excellent and the reader does not fee that they are receiving a history lesson or lecture for most of the time. The large cast of family characters introduced in the opening chapters of the book took quite a while to get familiar with and although there is a dramatis personae at the beginning of the novel, reading it via a digital copy makes it quite difficult to refer to the list and establish just who is who and what their respective familial relations are. The story ends rather abruptly in October 1940, and it would seem that a sequel to the affairs of the Castell family is in order.

A very well researched and written novel, this book explores how war can impact individuals and families. I’ve read several of Holland’s non fiction work and enjoyed it. This book was a little textbook like at some points and felt like a lot to read, but overall it was enjoyable and very well presented.

This is a really nice novel. I found it very interesting as through each member of the family, I got an informative idea about life at the beginning of WWII: whether one is called up, or decided to enlist; whether one is a German woman married to an English man and having lived in Alveado for over twenty years, or the mother of a woman working in the War Office. The reader also experiences the state of various countries through the men of the family who have been sent to: Palestine (artillery), Norway (Naval army), France, or over the Channel (RAF). I really enjoyed each of the characters with their own stories, and also a bit of romance. A novel for the heart which focuses on the values of the family and its duties to their country. The end is satisfying but I do hope there is a sequel. A very pleasant read!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.