The Magic Army

by Leslie Thomas

In the spring and early summer of 1944 a huge force, a million and a half strong, spread across Southern England, awaiting the greatest adventure in military history. The invasion of Occupied Europe. This army, mainly Americans, British and Canadians, most of whom had no experience of battle, was to be transported across the English Channel. No one knew how. This is the story of the American "occupation" of a wide district of South Devon to permit realistic war games. Its characters range from the Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery to the village simpleton. The Magic Army is an impressively moving, often very funny novel, which recreates the astonishing operation which preceded the Allied landing in France.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War, World War II, Literature

445 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, 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 four million copies.

Reviews

[LibraryBarbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This began to feel like a 4 star book toward the end but I had to remind myself that I was anticipating giving it just one star and thinking of quitting throughout much of the book. I chose it because I like historical fiction, live in Devon and recently visited the D Day beaches in France. By the end, I appreciated the large cast of characters, the insights into Anglo-British relationships and cultural difference, and the explanation of the lengthy D Day invasion preparations. However, it was a bit of a drag to get there because much of the book seems disjointed and you aren’t sure where it’s going or which of the characters are key. What it is doing is providing snapshots which later join up. Also, comments regarding African Americans and women are jarring - they make a 21st reader wince. I had to remind myself that they are almost certainly an honest reflection of mid-20th C speech and attitudes. This is a challenge with historical fiction - being politically correct vs genuine to the time period. I think the book will stick with me because of the history lesson it provided but I’m not sure I’d recommend it to a friend.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose in this book was obviously dated but having visited Slapton many times and seen the memorial, I enjoyed the novelisation of what happened here. The characters were all well drawn and it was easy to understand the conflicting perspectives of the three sides. A fabulous read for anyone interested in the social and local impact of second world war history.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I'd remembered from when I first read it. But a good enough story and quite moving at the end.

[Sue Garwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preparations for D day all along the south coast.

[Mr N. M. Hands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written

A very poignant story based on fact and portrays the difficulties of the people who had to give up their homes and life, and the incoming American soldiers.

[E B Halton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad but uplifting

A real story about real events. An example of what divides us yet ultimately unites us as fellow human beings. I’m glad to have read this book.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this many, many years ago and decided to read it again. Yes, it’s dated but it’s still a good read.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

8.5/10

[Lauren Ankers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this a difficult read as it was written in the 1960's.

The story was OK

[Gabriela Dorneles · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I found really interesting about the book was the increasing tention and pressure over the characters because is a book about the 6 months previous to D-Day. Also, the "emotional need" of each one: Charachter A is affection needy, character B needs to prove himself a full grown men, etc. Thought is a very demanding book in the sense of imagination because of the variety of charachters and nucleae.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of a recent visit to the area of England where preparations for D day were made, this novel filled in the details not included in the various monuments, and tells a story kept secret for years.

[Debbie E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite sad - not at all what I expected from a Leslie Thomas book.

[MN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread this for the third time, and it's still excellent - as is the audio version.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. I have read it twice and will read it a third time one of these days.