The Magic Army

(Paperback)

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Description

New Years Eve, 1943. The tiny village of Slapton is told that it has to be evacuated - American troops are occupying the wide district of South Devon. Over three thousand inhabitants must uproot themselves from their homes in less than a fortnight. The Americans are performing advanced manoeuvres with real bullets - a good reason for civilians to be evacuated. They're prepared for animosity, but they're not prepared for the harsh conditions the war in Europe has imposed upon the civilian population of England; the short supply of almost everything is a far cry from the luxuries of home. Reissued in the time for the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings, The Magic Army is vintage Leslie Thomas. Charming, funny and imbued with warmth, he writes about the events leading up to that fateful day with his trademark compassion. A must for all fans of Leslie Thomas.

Reviews

It's bawdy, funny, sad and sometimes sorry and it brought those times vividly back * Daily Mail *

Author Bio

Born in Newport, Monmouthshire in 1931, Leslie Thomas is the son of a sailor who was lost at sea in 1943. His boyhood in an orphanage is evoked in This Time Next Week published in 1964. At sixteen, he became a reporter, before going on to do his national service. He won worldwide acclaim with his bestselling novel The Virgin Soldiers, which has achieved international sales of over two million copies.