7 - 11 November 2016
is introducing
(Rhiza Press, 1 April 2016)
By C. T. Wells
About the Book:
Winner of the CALEB Unpublished Fiction 2014
Winner of the Clive Cussler Adventure Writer's Competition
1940. The Battle of Britain has begun.
A young Messerschmitt pilot is shot down over Dartmoor. He tries to evade a manhunt, knowing that if he is captured by the British, his war will be over. But when Josef Schafer falls into the hands of a sinister agent of the Special Operations Executive, his troubles have only begun. He is returned to occupied France having made an impossible deal with the British.
As the air war escalates, Josef is in danger in the sky and on the ground. His allegiances are tested as he is torn between loyalty to his Luftwaffe comrades and a French woman whom he is compelled to serve.
The stakes are high. Whoever controls the sky above the English Channel will decide the fate of nations.
Winner of the Clive Cussler Adventure Writer's Competition
1940. The Battle of Britain has begun.
A young Messerschmitt pilot is shot down over Dartmoor. He tries to evade a manhunt, knowing that if he is captured by the British, his war will be over. But when Josef Schafer falls into the hands of a sinister agent of the Special Operations Executive, his troubles have only begun. He is returned to occupied France having made an impossible deal with the British.
As the air war escalates, Josef is in danger in the sky and on the ground. His allegiances are tested as he is torn between loyalty to his Luftwaffe comrades and a French woman whom he is compelled to serve.
The stakes are high. Whoever controls the sky above the English Channel will decide the fate of nations.
About the Author:
Peter C.T. Wells grew up in coastal Victoria, Australia. He comes from a creative family. Playing in the bush and on the beach was a fertile place for an imagination to develop. He has always been drawn to stories that explore character in the extremes of human experience.He was seriously injured in a taxi accident in Jakarta whilst en route to America to receive an award for The Kingdom of the Air. Now almost fully recovered he sees the experience as his own opportunity to explore character in the extremes of human experience!
Authors who have influenced Wells include: William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming, Jack Higgins, Alistair McLean, Conn Iggulden, and Lee Child.
Wells now lives in country Victoria with his wife and three sons.
My Review
I read an early version of The Kingdom of the Air, before it won the 2014 CALEB Prize for unpublished manuscripts. It needed work, but I could see the potential even in that rough draft. The writing was strong, the characters memorable, and the plot full of action. Even better (as a historical fiction fan), the research was top-notch. I've visited many of the locations in the novel, I've seen many of the planes fly, and I've spoken to people who were there. Wells captured the feel of World War Two Europe better than most authors, and I was thrilled when I heard not only had he won the 2014 CALEB Prize, but also the Clive Cussler award. Both awards are well deserved, and I hope to read more from CT Wells.
Recommended for historical fiction readers.
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