Heroes

‘Heroes’ is the story of an extraordinary generation of young men, mostly British, who came of age in the Second World War. These young men – and women – found themselves facing life-threatening danger and the kind of responsibility few would be prepared to shoulder today.

Whether fighting in the jungles of Burma or on the D-Day beaches, as submariners, pilots, spies or prisoners of war, young soldiers in WWII displayed astonishing courage and resilience, united by honour and bound by the fellowship of their comrades.

Those who made it home are now a passing generation, and for many this is the last chance for them to tell their stories – men like football legend Tom Finney, who saw action in southern Italy; or James Bond set-designer Ken Adam, a German Jew who flew as a fighter pilot for the RAF; or identical twins Tom and Dee Bowles, who landed together on Easy Red beach on D-Day.

Many of these young men never returned home and those who did faced insurmountable challenges assimiliating back into civilian life. ‘Heroes’ is a moving and uplifting tribute to an remarkable generation.

Reviews

Praise for ‘Together We Stand’:

'Anyone who wants to know how it felt to fight in the desert war should read Holland's book…The author will surely have a lot more to write about the Second World War. We can be confident it will be worth reading.' Sunday Telegraph, Max Hastings

'Holland has produced a wonderful book…He is a master at evoking time and place, with haunting descriptions of the desert landscape…If there is a better book on the North African campaign, I haven't read it.' Daily Telegraph, Saul David

'Using personal testimony and private memoirs as effectively as official archives, he recreates the hardships and challenges faced by ordinary soldiers and reassesses the tactical and strategic innovations that finally gave the allies the upper hand.' Sunday Times

'Stands out from the crowd.’ Literary Review, Nigel Jones

'Holland tells the story brilliantly. He has delved into archives for letters and diaries and diligently tracked down survivors…Vividly, intelligently, movingly, Holland's monumental chronicle tells it like it was.' Patrick Bishop, Mail on Sunday

About the author

James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. He has worked for several London publishing houses and has written for a number of national newspapers and magazines. He is the author of ‘Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege’, ‘1940-1943’, and a novel, ‘The Burning Blue’. Married with a son, he lives near Salisbury.