What do you think?
Rate this book
Conscript's Call
From the ashes of tragedy, new beginnings arise.
England, 1940: When seventeen-year-old John Sharratt’s life is shattered by a single, devastating bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe, he is thrust into a world of loss and longing. With his family gone and his heart heavy, John’s conscription into the army offers a refuge and a new beginning, even in the face of turmoil.
"The army had to be my future. I had nothing else and the bombing raid had brought the war home to me. My fingers clenched into fists. I wanted revenge."
As he dons the battledress of a British soldier at Seaforth Barracks, John embarks on an intense journey of transformation. Amidst gruelling training and the camaraderie of fellow soldiers, -those who will become his new family, - he learns not only to wield a weapon but also to navigate the depths of grief and resilience. Each drill sharpens his skills, especially as a marksman. As his section sees postings in Greece, Crete and North Africa, will John emerge from the shadows of his past to thrive as a rifleman, or will the weight of his sorrow consume him? With the world on the brink of an all-out war, the lad from Lancashire must face the darkest of nights before the dawn of hope can break through.
Set during the early years of WW2, Conscript’s Call is more than a tale of historical conflict; it is an exploration of the profound impact of loss and the unyielding strength of the human spirit.
The first in Griff Hosker’s brand-new WW2 ‘Rifleman’ series which takes a poignant look into the horrors of war, the bonds created and the struggles of those left behind. A must-read for fans of David Gilman, James Holland and Douglas Reeman.
A tank busting 5* read. - David's Book Blurg
England, 1940: When seventeen-year-old John Sharratt’s life is shattered by a single, devastating bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe, he is thrust into a world of loss and longing. With his family gone and his heart heavy, John’s conscription into the army offers a refuge and a new beginning, even in the face of turmoil.
"The army had to be my future. I had nothing else and the bombing raid had brought the war home to me. My fingers clenched into fists. I wanted revenge."
As he dons the battledress of a British soldier at Seaforth Barracks, John embarks on an intense journey of transformation. Amidst gruelling training and the camaraderie of fellow soldiers, -those who will become his new family, - he learns not only to wield a weapon but also to navigate the depths of grief and resilience. Each drill sharpens his skills, especially as a marksman. As his section sees postings in Greece, Crete and North Africa, will John emerge from the shadows of his past to thrive as a rifleman, or will the weight of his sorrow consume him? With the world on the brink of an all-out war, the lad from Lancashire must face the darkest of nights before the dawn of hope can break through.
Set during the early years of WW2, Conscript’s Call is more than a tale of historical conflict; it is an exploration of the profound impact of loss and the unyielding strength of the human spirit.
The first in Griff Hosker’s brand-new WW2 ‘Rifleman’ series which takes a poignant look into the horrors of war, the bonds created and the struggles of those left behind. A must-read for fans of David Gilman, James Holland and Douglas Reeman.
A tank busting 5* read. - David's Book Blurg
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2025
118 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Griff Hosker
312 books434 followersI was born in 1950 in Lancashire and attended a boy’s grammar school. After qualifying as an English and Drama teacher in 1972, I worked in the North East of England for the next 35 years. During that time I did write, mainly plays, pantos and musicals for the students at the three schools in which I worked.
When I stopped teaching I set up my own consultancy firm and worked as an adviser in schools and colleges in the North East of England. The new Conservative Government ended that avenue of work and in 2010 I found that I had time on my hands; having started work at the age of 15 I found the lack of work not to my liking and used the time to research the Roman invasion of Britain and begin to create a novel. The result was The Sword of Cartimandua.
My decision to begin writing was one of the best I have ever taken.
griff-signature-360x57
When I stopped teaching I set up my own consultancy firm and worked as an adviser in schools and colleges in the North East of England. The new Conservative Government ended that avenue of work and in 2010 I found that I had time on my hands; having started work at the age of 15 I found the lack of work not to my liking and used the time to research the Roman invasion of Britain and begin to create a novel. The result was The Sword of Cartimandua.
My decision to begin writing was one of the best I have ever taken.
griff-signature-360x57
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 5, 2025
I picked up Conscript’s Call after it was recommended and I’m so glad I did!
War is coming but for now life for John Sharratt is simple..he and his family lead a modest life, they work hard and make the most of everything..
Sharratt gets his papers, he’s to report for duty and knows his time at home is short. He’s only young though.. and there’s a girl that took his fancy.. this could be the last chance to see her.. when he steps out that night he has no idea how his world will change forever!
In a gut wrenching scene we see a bomb destroy his home and his family with it! With everything lost Sharratt heads to his posting to make his family pound.. being a solider is in his blood!
Basic training moves fast and poses some challenges for the young lad.. but this shared existence with the other men bring them close and forms the bonds needed to survive.
When the men find out they are about to deploy its tense.. they are all new to this.. and the dangers are everywhere… they are pawns without the big picture but they must do their part for their country.
I won’t spoil the plot but I do want to focus on a couple bits that really made this book stand out.. the pace.. it’s fast but not forced..at times it feels like a blur of activity but it’s mirroring what I feel it would have been like for the men..
The other thing I wanted to focus on was the tone of the tale, it doesn’t glorify battle.. it’s not the action that gets you excited.. it’s the depth.. it’s emotionally draining (in a good way), its moving and heartfelt, sometimes you can become detached from the real world.. it’s a story after all.. but no.. this one is so much more than just another story.. it has a realness that hits home…HARD.
The men are really what makes this plot shine, the detail given to them all, the attachments they made.. and in some cases the attachments they didn’t have time to make.. their luck.. or sometimes misfortune, really has you on the edge of your seat.
I particularly loved the moments when the men were aboard ships, any control they had over a situation gone..the rawness of those moments.. and what I felt was real honesty with their feelings and actions.. it’s just..ahh the authors words had me mesmerized!
The story isn’t overly gruesome.. it has it’s moments but at the same time, again, I felt the story mirrored how those men would see things..at times detached from the horror.
One word stands out in the synopsis for me… poignant.. that sums up Conscript’s Call perfectly..it’s poignant and beautifully written.
I loved the authors style of writing too.. its easy to read but at the same time clever, and engages the readers brain.
There’s some great detail thrown in too, ships, guns, tanks.. for those who love a bit of detail you’ll enjoy this too as the author clearly knows what he’s taking about, and that extra detail is mixed in smoothly without any deviation from the action.
War is coming but for now life for John Sharratt is simple..he and his family lead a modest life, they work hard and make the most of everything..
Sharratt gets his papers, he’s to report for duty and knows his time at home is short. He’s only young though.. and there’s a girl that took his fancy.. this could be the last chance to see her.. when he steps out that night he has no idea how his world will change forever!
In a gut wrenching scene we see a bomb destroy his home and his family with it! With everything lost Sharratt heads to his posting to make his family pound.. being a solider is in his blood!
Basic training moves fast and poses some challenges for the young lad.. but this shared existence with the other men bring them close and forms the bonds needed to survive.
When the men find out they are about to deploy its tense.. they are all new to this.. and the dangers are everywhere… they are pawns without the big picture but they must do their part for their country.
I won’t spoil the plot but I do want to focus on a couple bits that really made this book stand out.. the pace.. it’s fast but not forced..at times it feels like a blur of activity but it’s mirroring what I feel it would have been like for the men..
The other thing I wanted to focus on was the tone of the tale, it doesn’t glorify battle.. it’s not the action that gets you excited.. it’s the depth.. it’s emotionally draining (in a good way), its moving and heartfelt, sometimes you can become detached from the real world.. it’s a story after all.. but no.. this one is so much more than just another story.. it has a realness that hits home…HARD.
The men are really what makes this plot shine, the detail given to them all, the attachments they made.. and in some cases the attachments they didn’t have time to make.. their luck.. or sometimes misfortune, really has you on the edge of your seat.
I particularly loved the moments when the men were aboard ships, any control they had over a situation gone..the rawness of those moments.. and what I felt was real honesty with their feelings and actions.. it’s just..ahh the authors words had me mesmerized!
The story isn’t overly gruesome.. it has it’s moments but at the same time, again, I felt the story mirrored how those men would see things..at times detached from the horror.
One word stands out in the synopsis for me… poignant.. that sums up Conscript’s Call perfectly..it’s poignant and beautifully written.
I loved the authors style of writing too.. its easy to read but at the same time clever, and engages the readers brain.
There’s some great detail thrown in too, ships, guns, tanks.. for those who love a bit of detail you’ll enjoy this too as the author clearly knows what he’s taking about, and that extra detail is mixed in smoothly without any deviation from the action.
June 6, 2025
A must-read! I am a huge fan of Douglas Reeman books and, as he is obviously not here to write anymore, I have to get my WWII fix elsewhere…..and this is perfect. Not only is it action-packed, it is incredibly emotive as well; so invested do you become in the life, experiences and future of John Sharratt. I particularly loved the description included of the accents. I could ‘hear’ the different accents even without listening to the audiobook, which I actually want to listen to as well to see if it is how it sounds in my mind just from reading the book. I hope there will be many more in the series and that it will take us through D-Day and right up to VE Day. No pressure, Griff!
June 9, 2025
S to be expected this is a very readable book. As little as two typos as far as I remember, so the copy editor has done a good job. The publishers habit of adding numerous extra and irrelevant pages to make the book appear to have many more pages than it actually have, remains an annoyance. Amazon could change their book description to show how many pages of actual narrative a book has, as opposed to narrative plus useless fluff, this would be great but most probably will never happen. Amazon are in the business of selling books, not selling integrity. Who ever makes money from integrity in this modern world?
Read
February 5, 2026I was really disappointed with Griff‘s description of Scousers in this book. I have been a big fan of his for years and read, I think, all of his books to date. But the treatment of Liverpool people in this book, in the early chapters, I found quite distasteful. And puzzling. I wonder if he had a bad experience in his early days when he lived near Liverpool which has left him with some prejudice. Whatever the reason this is a shame and marred my enjoyment of the book. It won’t put me off trying him again as an author, but I do much prefer books written without personal bias.
July 1, 2025
Conscripts Call
That was a darn good read. Most enjoyable. Hoskers writing is quite incredible as reading this as if one was actually there was very cleaver and the descriptions of life back in those days exact. I was only three in the days of the story but from my Fathers stories this story was precise. A book to keep and read again another day. Highly recommended.
That was a darn good read. Most enjoyable. Hoskers writing is quite incredible as reading this as if one was actually there was very cleaver and the descriptions of life back in those days exact. I was only three in the days of the story but from my Fathers stories this story was precise. A book to keep and read again another day. Highly recommended.
July 29, 2025
This is the first book I've read by Hosker and I was glad to discover his writing. An absorbing, entertaining story that covers essentially a British conscript's first year in the Army during World War II. The protagonist goes from farm boy to combat veteran during that period, with very believable characters and narration. I'm eagerly awaiting future installments of the series.
July 6, 2025
Not Griff's best effort.
Having read well over 40 of Griff Hosker's books, this one was a disappointment. Each chapter was the same story, different day... Still I remain a fan of his work!
Having read well over 40 of Griff Hosker's books, this one was a disappointment. Each chapter was the same story, different day... Still I remain a fan of his work!
July 7, 2025
another excellent story
Griff once again delivers a realistic account of a regular British soldier and the trials they endured. Great read! Another outstanding addition to his World War 2 series of books.
Griff once again delivers a realistic account of a regular British soldier and the trials they endured. Great read! Another outstanding addition to his World War 2 series of books.
October 25, 2025
A Fun Read
Once again, Griff Hosker doesn't let his readers down with great tall of English soldiers at war. Britain at war in 1941 and an infantry platoon goes from recruits to combat tested soldiers.
Once again, Griff Hosker doesn't let his readers down with great tall of English soldiers at war. Britain at war in 1941 and an infantry platoon goes from recruits to combat tested soldiers.
June 9, 2025
Another great series begins
I always put whatever I'm currently reading aside, when a new book by Griff Hosker is released. This is an absorbing read with compelling characters.
I always put whatever I'm currently reading aside, when a new book by Griff Hosker is released. This is an absorbing read with compelling characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews