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The English Air
A son makes a devastating choice.
Franz von Heiden, son of a Nazi official and an English mother, comes to England early in 1938 to visit his English cousins – and to study them. He is both accepted and entertained by Wynne Braithwaite’s family and friends. But the peace and abundance which he finds about him are not what he had been taught to expect.
These people are not the decadent enemy; their casual talk and happy lives betray no weakness. Franz is disturbed – his reports to his father at home are not what had been expected there. Finding himself in love with Wynne, he is further troubled at the thought of his mother’s broken life in Germany. Would Wynne suffer the same slow death?
As tremendous events succeed each other – Munich, Czechoslovakia and war itself – Franz’s dilemma grows increasingly acute. His final devastating choice is a thrilling climax to a moving book. Written in 1940, this book is a fascinating insight into the interwar years.
Franz von Heiden, son of a Nazi official and an English mother, comes to England early in 1938 to visit his English cousins – and to study them. He is both accepted and entertained by Wynne Braithwaite’s family and friends. But the peace and abundance which he finds about him are not what he had been taught to expect.
These people are not the decadent enemy; their casual talk and happy lives betray no weakness. Franz is disturbed – his reports to his father at home are not what had been expected there. Finding himself in love with Wynne, he is further troubled at the thought of his mother’s broken life in Germany. Would Wynne suffer the same slow death?
As tremendous events succeed each other – Munich, Czechoslovakia and war itself – Franz’s dilemma grows increasingly acute. His final devastating choice is a thrilling climax to a moving book. Written in 1940, this book is a fascinating insight into the interwar years.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1940
105 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
67 books628 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 7, 2022
A gem.
My first novel by D.E. Stevenson and definitely not last.
One of the most fascinating aspects was that it was written in 1940. So, the IIWW was just started, D.E. Stevenson didn't know how it would go on. It is always priceless to read such voice from the past.
It was another perfect novel. Completely thought through, poignant and profound.
It showed (in my opinion) the best sides of the British, their wit, their integrity, all those characteristics that are the reasons for my love for British-ness.
There were also good/apt descriptions of Germany and Germans (especially Nazis).
And most of all, the clash between these two cultures was priceless, Franz/Frank's transformation, the story of his parents and the story of his love...
I was so sad (and I am always when I think of it or read about it in books) reading about the tragic generation that lost its youth in IWW and its children in IIWW. It was simply awful and so unfair...
This book was pure wisdom mixed with British charm and wit (as much as it could while touching such a serious topic).
I can't think about one thing I didn't like in this novel. Although I would like to know what happened to them later, I feel anxious because of them, but I want to believe they survived the war and lived HEA.
My first novel by D.E. Stevenson and definitely not last.
One of the most fascinating aspects was that it was written in 1940. So, the IIWW was just started, D.E. Stevenson didn't know how it would go on. It is always priceless to read such voice from the past.
It was another perfect novel. Completely thought through, poignant and profound.
It showed (in my opinion) the best sides of the British, their wit, their integrity, all those characteristics that are the reasons for my love for British-ness.
They didn't hate Germany or wish her ill. They were too busy and happy to bother.
They left their comfortable homes... and fought..., and, because this was bread in their bone, they wanted no fuss.
There were also good/apt descriptions of Germany and Germans (especially Nazis).
"Our nation is being kept in a state of fear. It is drilled into uniformity. If this goes on much longer it will destroy Germany's soul. A man needs a little piece of personal life . . . some happiness and security .. . without this he becomes an animal, a beast of burden, driven here and there at his masters whim . . . and the masters, Franz!" added Herr Octzen, "The masters, what are they? Small men scrambling for power and preferment and caring little who is trampled underfoot."
And most of all, the clash between these two cultures was priceless, Franz/Frank's transformation, the story of his parents and the story of his love...
I was so sad (and I am always when I think of it or read about it in books) reading about the tragic generation that lost its youth in IWW and its children in IIWW. It was simply awful and so unfair...
This book was pure wisdom mixed with British charm and wit (as much as it could while touching such a serious topic).
I like you to be happy and carefree, but... but nobody ought to live in a fool's Paradise.
If we hate people it does not hurt them at all... it hurts ourselves.
I can't think about one thing I didn't like in this novel. Although I would like to know what happened to them later, I feel anxious because of them, but I want to believe they survived the war and lived HEA.
May 23, 2022
The English Air made me smile inside and out! I loved this book! I fell in love with the domestic details and pretty much all of characters. My favorite characters are Wynne (brave, caring, lively, and smart), Dane (a supportive, loyal, intelligent, and understanding), Sophie (a sweet, loving darling of a lady!), and Tante Anna (also loyal, loving, and brave).
I also adored Fernacres and wished so much that it was a real home that I could visit. The way Franz described teatime, the home decor, and all of the domestic details made my heart flutter.
The balance between the seriousness of the impending war with Germany and the Nazi invasion compared with the everyday lives of both the English and the German people was beautifully executed by the author. She has such a talent for keeping you informed with the goings on in the world, while also keeping you a bit screened from them at the same time. Almost like the tone Agatha Christie has in her novels.
This story is in the top five of my top ten favorite D.E. Stevenson books along with Katherine Wentworth, Katherine's Marriage, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, The House on the Cliff, Sarah Morris Remembers, The Blue Diamond, Fletcher's End, Vittoria Cottage and Miss Buncle's Book.
Highly recommended!
I also adored Fernacres and wished so much that it was a real home that I could visit. The way Franz described teatime, the home decor, and all of the domestic details made my heart flutter.
The balance between the seriousness of the impending war with Germany and the Nazi invasion compared with the everyday lives of both the English and the German people was beautifully executed by the author. She has such a talent for keeping you informed with the goings on in the world, while also keeping you a bit screened from them at the same time. Almost like the tone Agatha Christie has in her novels.
This story is in the top five of my top ten favorite D.E. Stevenson books along with Katherine Wentworth, Katherine's Marriage, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, The House on the Cliff, Sarah Morris Remembers, The Blue Diamond, Fletcher's End, Vittoria Cottage and Miss Buncle's Book.
Highly recommended!
July 14, 2022
A delightful Stevenson story taking place just as WWII is starting. I loved Fernacres, Sophie, Wynne, and Dane, and the very interesting take on the relationships with a German cousin at this particular time.
December 21, 2021
WW II took D.E. Stevenson’s work to a new level, as The English Air so amply demonstrates. More serious and more of an adventure novel than a domestic romance, I was mesmerized from start to finish. As Cousin Franz grapples with his German and English sides, we see Stevenson writing about the early years of the war as it happened. The book ends in early 1940. This was before the Nazi death camps began, yet “concentration” camps are mentioned generally, as is Buchenwald by name.
Stevenson did not know how the war would end, which makes the novel all the more gripping. We so rarely see an event recounted as it was happening.
Widespread food rationing would have started just a month before the February 1940 date on which Stevenson ends the book—making the references to English cakes and butter and abundant foodstuffs all the more poignant.
While some of DES’s wartime books are lighter and sweeter, The English Air establishes her as a writer who embodied and expressed the sense of the English spirit as it kept calm and carried on. Highly recommended.
Stevenson did not know how the war would end, which makes the novel all the more gripping. We so rarely see an event recounted as it was happening.
Widespread food rationing would have started just a month before the February 1940 date on which Stevenson ends the book—making the references to English cakes and butter and abundant foodstuffs all the more poignant.
While some of DES’s wartime books are lighter and sweeter, The English Air establishes her as a writer who embodied and expressed the sense of the English spirit as it kept calm and carried on. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2017
Interesting to see a novel about the outbreak of WWII written as the events were occurring.
Stevenson seems surprisingly sympathetic to the German point of view for an author who is usually rather rah-rah about the British military (understandably, as she was married to an Army officer); I wonder if she had a German correspondent?
Stevenson seems surprisingly sympathetic to the German point of view for an author who is usually rather rah-rah about the British military (understandably, as she was married to an Army officer); I wonder if she had a German correspondent?
February 3, 2022
Such a fascinating book, both from a historical perspective and from the other books in DES’s oeuvre. I think DES manages to capture a wonderfully humane perspective towards Franz and Germany even as she’s writing in the first year of WWII. Franz has an incredibly delicate line to walk between his German father and his English mother’s family who he spends time with in England in the first third of the book before the war. Franz’s storyline is handled with such tact and delicacy throughout. He’s a lovely character with a lot of growth.
The other central characters—Wynne, Sophie, and Dane—are equally delightful. Dane is especially wonderful, along with his Bunter/Jeeves-like man Hartley. There’s a touch of DES’s expertise with village life in this book as well, which is quite funny. The changes in narrative perspective are very well handled and make the story feel well rounded. I know there’s a lot more I could say about this, but for now, I’m going to let the story settle in my bones.
Note: The Dean Street Press edition contains several letters between DES and her publishers about the wisdom of publishing this book early in the war v. publishing one of her more cheerful Mrs. Tim books. The letters are brief, but offer a fascinating real-life peek into the time.
The other central characters—Wynne, Sophie, and Dane—are equally delightful. Dane is especially wonderful, along with his Bunter/Jeeves-like man Hartley. There’s a touch of DES’s expertise with village life in this book as well, which is quite funny. The changes in narrative perspective are very well handled and make the story feel well rounded. I know there’s a lot more I could say about this, but for now, I’m going to let the story settle in my bones.
Note: The Dean Street Press edition contains several letters between DES and her publishers about the wisdom of publishing this book early in the war v. publishing one of her more cheerful Mrs. Tim books. The letters are brief, but offer a fascinating real-life peek into the time.
May 10, 2016
When rating books, do you ever compare authors to themselves? Sometimes what would be a 4 star book by any other author becomes a 3 star book compared to the author’s other works. Georgette Heyer springs to mind. I have read over 40 of her books, and have rated several of her books as 3 stars, but they would have been rated higher had they been written by someone else. Because I must employ some kind of grading scale so that I know which my favorites are, some good books get bumped down in my ratings. Does that make any sense?
I feel the exact same way about D.E. Stevenson and her novels. Hence the 3 star rating. Which means it was a perfectly fine story, but one that I won't want to re-read.
I feel the exact same way about D.E. Stevenson and her novels. Hence the 3 star rating. Which means it was a perfectly fine story, but one that I won't want to re-read.
February 18, 2023
D.E. Stevenson never disappoints. This novel is in a different style than most of her other works I've read, but I really enjoyed it. We follow two main characters, Franz von Heiden and Wynne Braithwaite. Wynne is a British girl (she's only eighteen at the beginning) and Franz is her second cousin who is half German. Stevenson does a wonderful job introducing all the side characters, as well - Sophie, Dane, Migs, Roy, and Tant' Anna, to name just a few. Fernacres, Wynne's home, also sounds like such a peaceful and happy place to live.
The English Air begins with Franz coming to stay at Fernacres for a while. His private 'mission' is to report on the morale and mindset of the English people at large, but he finds it harder than expected. To begin with, he can't understand them. He speaks English "too well" but cannot fathom their humor and sarcasm. Wynne takes him under her wing and helps him, and Dane (Wynne's uncle, who often abides at Fernacres) also lends him aid. But Franz really doesn't need too much help - he's welcomed by the "young people" on his own merit. (He's a dark horse, after all!)
Franz von Leiden is the true star of The English Air. Wynne is a lovely heroine but not unlike other DES female protagonists. They both experience much change and their characters develop a great deal over the course of the novel. Wynne - I'll leave her character development for the novel to explain. But Franz... he is transformed by Fernacres and the people he meets there. His feelings towards England changing, he attempts to find his place in the world only beginning to realize that another war is inevitable. Throughout this, he battles with his love for an Englishwoman and loyalty to a country that may not deserve it.
War is a constant theme throughout the novel, which takes place over 1938-39 (I think?). It was fascinating to see the start of WWII through the eyes of everyday British and German folk. As an American, who has read a good amount about WWII, this novel was a rather eye-opening look at the culture of ordinary English people during that time period - though really, they weren't all that ordinary.
I definitely recommend this novel. It's meant for adults but there's not any major content concerns. (DES generally does a good job of keeping her novels nice and clean. There are exceptions - see The Baker's Daughter. Also Miss Buncle's Book, which I didn't originally realize had a minor issue but apparently does!) Anyways, as a current teen, I can certify its appropriateness for that age bracket.
The English Air begins with Franz coming to stay at Fernacres for a while. His private 'mission' is to report on the morale and mindset of the English people at large, but he finds it harder than expected. To begin with, he can't understand them. He speaks English "too well" but cannot fathom their humor and sarcasm. Wynne takes him under her wing and helps him, and Dane (Wynne's uncle, who often abides at Fernacres) also lends him aid. But Franz really doesn't need too much help - he's welcomed by the "young people" on his own merit. (He's a dark horse, after all!)
Franz von Leiden is the true star of The English Air. Wynne is a lovely heroine but not unlike other DES female protagonists. They both experience much change and their characters develop a great deal over the course of the novel. Wynne - I'll leave her character development for the novel to explain. But Franz... he is transformed by Fernacres and the people he meets there. His feelings towards England changing, he attempts to find his place in the world only beginning to realize that another war is inevitable. Throughout this, he battles with his love for an Englishwoman and loyalty to a country that may not deserve it.
War is a constant theme throughout the novel, which takes place over 1938-39 (I think?). It was fascinating to see the start of WWII through the eyes of everyday British and German folk. As an American, who has read a good amount about WWII, this novel was a rather eye-opening look at the culture of ordinary English people during that time period - though really, they weren't all that ordinary.
I definitely recommend this novel. It's meant for adults but there's not any major content concerns. (DES generally does a good job of keeping her novels nice and clean. There are exceptions - see The Baker's Daughter. Also Miss Buncle's Book, which I didn't originally realize had a minor issue but apparently does!) Anyways, as a current teen, I can certify its appropriateness for that age bracket.
February 8, 2020
This is a novel that essentially is a comparison between England and Germany and ultimately a comparison between the English and German characters. The slightest of plots are the dual romances of an upper-middle-class widow and her daughter. What casts it in an extraordinary light is that it is not only set in England on the brink of WWII but that it was written at that same time. One senses that D.E. Stevenson herself was struggling to understand and be fair to the German people while in the midst of the relief and joy of Neville Chamberlain's agreement with Hitler, the ultimate betrayal, Germany's invasion of Czechoslavakia and Poland and the Blitzkrieg.
Franz, a young Nazi and the son of Sophie's dear dead friend and cousin comes to England to basically spy and learn about the "behind the scenes" life and character of the English people. His contempt and bewilderment at the differences in outlook between the two cultures ultimately turn to admiration and understanding. To seal the deal he falls in love with Wynne, Sophie's daughter. The plan his true-believer Nazi father who had hoped to get reports of the weakness the English people and their sad deprived lives has backfired. After war is declared, he no longer has a place in England and reluctantly returns to Germany. He is shocked by what he finds. What will happen to him? What will this nice boy do?
Although the Germans we actually meet are good even heroic people, by the end of the novel, probably influenced by what was happening at the time, D.E. Stevenson does not give Germans the benefit of the doubt. It ends very abruptly on a rather bitter note.
And who can blame her fear and distrust? By the time she had written the last page and the book was published, Germany was winning. England was a hair's breadth away from invasion, Germans were bombing London and innocent civilians were dying. And brave young boys were being killed in defense of their home "This precious stone set in the silver sea."
Franz, a young Nazi and the son of Sophie's dear dead friend and cousin comes to England to basically spy and learn about the "behind the scenes" life and character of the English people. His contempt and bewilderment at the differences in outlook between the two cultures ultimately turn to admiration and understanding. To seal the deal he falls in love with Wynne, Sophie's daughter. The plan his true-believer Nazi father who had hoped to get reports of the weakness the English people and their sad deprived lives has backfired. After war is declared, he no longer has a place in England and reluctantly returns to Germany. He is shocked by what he finds. What will happen to him? What will this nice boy do?
Although the Germans we actually meet are good even heroic people, by the end of the novel, probably influenced by what was happening at the time, D.E. Stevenson does not give Germans the benefit of the doubt. It ends very abruptly on a rather bitter note.
He had always intended to go back, but, just lately, he had begun to wonder whether the Germany which was enshrined in his heart, had any existence save in his fond imagination.
And who can blame her fear and distrust? By the time she had written the last page and the book was published, Germany was winning. England was a hair's breadth away from invasion, Germans were bombing London and innocent civilians were dying. And brave young boys were being killed in defense of their home "This precious stone set in the silver sea."
January 19, 2025
Great read.
A very nice enjoyable read. It's a slow pace and set on the lead-up and the early days of WW2.
A very nice enjoyable read. It's a slow pace and set on the lead-up and the early days of WW2.
August 23, 2019
In the summer of 1939 Franz Heiden is sent by his high-ranking Nazi official father to Franz's late mother's homeland of England to assess the quality and character of the English people. Franz, who doesn't remember his mother, is perplexed by his English cousins and their friends. They make jokes and laugh, act innocent, carefree and lazy. How can they be so stupid? Then as the summer goes on and Franz falls in love with the English air, the English food, and finally an English girl, he slowly begins to understand the British character and becomes Frank. How can he be two people at once and what on earth should he tell his father?
Set during the last days before World War II, this is a charming, simple novel. It's not funny like Miss Buncle's Book and digs more deeply than D.E. Stevenson's other novels. I really like how she took the time to make the reader understand the German character and the English character. She doesn't portray the Germans as bad people, just people who are blindly following their leader without thinking for themselves. In the beginning Franz doesn't question what he's been told until he realizes he doesn't have enough information to speak knowledgeably on the subject. He undergoes a great transformation but he does not become an Englishman. At heart he's a German but German doesn't have to equal Nazi. I really like that distinction. Of course the story is pro-British but not in a jingoistic "rah rah hooray" manner. It's just the way it is. Here are the English and this is how they are vs. here are the Nazis and this is how they are and both are willing to fight to protect their way of life.
The Braithwaites are a charming family. I like Sophie in spite of her vagueness. She loves her family and wants everyone to be happy. Her cousin Elsie's story is a sad one and Sophie tries hard to keep the true story hidden so the "children" can remain innocent of the difficulties of the real world. I think Sophie understands more than people realize. Wynne may look like her mother but she's more grounded. Wynne is young and sheltered and as such she is innocent and pure. Roy is in the Navy but he's just a typical young English sporting gentleman who enjoys a good summer's day with his family and friends. He isn't thinking about anything deep but he's aware of the world more than his sister. They will become the "keep calm and carry on" generation. Dane, Sophie's brother-in-law, is the backbone of the family. He acts like a dandified gentleman but he's sharp and seems to have a secret past the family can only guess at. I really like his manservant, Hartley.
This is a gentle, pleasant read, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.
Set during the last days before World War II, this is a charming, simple novel. It's not funny like Miss Buncle's Book and digs more deeply than D.E. Stevenson's other novels. I really like how she took the time to make the reader understand the German character and the English character. She doesn't portray the Germans as bad people, just people who are blindly following their leader without thinking for themselves. In the beginning Franz doesn't question what he's been told until he realizes he doesn't have enough information to speak knowledgeably on the subject. He undergoes a great transformation but he does not become an Englishman. At heart he's a German but German doesn't have to equal Nazi. I really like that distinction. Of course the story is pro-British but not in a jingoistic "rah rah hooray" manner. It's just the way it is. Here are the English and this is how they are vs. here are the Nazis and this is how they are and both are willing to fight to protect their way of life.
The Braithwaites are a charming family. I like Sophie in spite of her vagueness. She loves her family and wants everyone to be happy. Her cousin Elsie's story is a sad one and Sophie tries hard to keep the true story hidden so the "children" can remain innocent of the difficulties of the real world. I think Sophie understands more than people realize. Wynne may look like her mother but she's more grounded. Wynne is young and sheltered and as such she is innocent and pure. Roy is in the Navy but he's just a typical young English sporting gentleman who enjoys a good summer's day with his family and friends. He isn't thinking about anything deep but he's aware of the world more than his sister. They will become the "keep calm and carry on" generation. Dane, Sophie's brother-in-law, is the backbone of the family. He acts like a dandified gentleman but he's sharp and seems to have a secret past the family can only guess at. I really like his manservant, Hartley.
This is a gentle, pleasant read, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.
January 20, 2018
The novel has Stevenson's usual tributes to country living and home comforts, but it also has much more adventure than her average novel.
Franz has been sent to England by his father (a Nazi official) to learn how the English think. As time goes on, he is faced with the choice to be true to his German heritage or to leave it all for his new country. As WWII breaks out, he is caught in the middle and it makes for a rollicking adventure. I find it fascinating that the book was written in 1940 when no one knew what the outcome of the war would be.
Not a typical Stevenson title, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Franz has been sent to England by his father (a Nazi official) to learn how the English think. As time goes on, he is faced with the choice to be true to his German heritage or to leave it all for his new country. As WWII breaks out, he is caught in the middle and it makes for a rollicking adventure. I find it fascinating that the book was written in 1940 when no one knew what the outcome of the war would be.
Not a typical Stevenson title, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 28, 2024
The English Air is quite unlike most of the D. E. Stevenson novels I’ve read. Finished and published over the course of the year 1940, it is very much a book of its moment. As such, it is occasionally uncomfortable to read but interesting as an artifact.
It opens in the spring of 1938, with the sort of comfortably off English family that are fodder for Stevenson’s slighter romantic fictions. A fortyish widow, Sophie Braithwaite, has two young adult children—Roy, in the Navy, and Wynne, her pretty and lighthearted daughter. Sophie’s former husband’s half-brother Dane Worthington lives with them and manages the household finances when he isn’t gallivanting about the world.
There’s an insouciance about the family: the younger generation didn’t experience World War I, and they’ve grown up carefree and frivolous, as have most of their friends. Sophie is cheerfully helpless and Dane appears in the guise of a playboy. But Sophie has invited a relation to come for a visit, the son of her deceased cousin—and the young man is German.
Franz is a classic Hitler Youth, stiff, disciplined, serious. Stevenson makes some comic hay out of his struggles to understand the ways and the humor of the English young people, the clash of worldviews, but the timing of the story tips off the reader that it can’t remain in the realm of social comedy for long. Another hint to where things are going lies in the character of Dane: it quickly becomes clear that his racketing around Europe is in His Majesty’s (Secret) Service. Dane watches young Franz very closely, scrutinizing his every word for a secret agenda. And meanwhile the calendar ticks closer to the start of World War II.
There is romance and tragedy in the story, and a certain degree of moral complexity, though Stevenson was unable to keep completely free of the jingoistic patriotism that marked the early war years. She is overly kind to Neville Chamberlain and idealizes the British character, right down to a few cringey cameo scenes with happy and grateful members of the lower classes being patronized by their “betters.” But the book captures a fascinating monent in time, when denial about the threat of war slowly gave way to reality and young people were forced to grow up in a hurry.
It opens in the spring of 1938, with the sort of comfortably off English family that are fodder for Stevenson’s slighter romantic fictions. A fortyish widow, Sophie Braithwaite, has two young adult children—Roy, in the Navy, and Wynne, her pretty and lighthearted daughter. Sophie’s former husband’s half-brother Dane Worthington lives with them and manages the household finances when he isn’t gallivanting about the world.
There’s an insouciance about the family: the younger generation didn’t experience World War I, and they’ve grown up carefree and frivolous, as have most of their friends. Sophie is cheerfully helpless and Dane appears in the guise of a playboy. But Sophie has invited a relation to come for a visit, the son of her deceased cousin—and the young man is German.
Franz is a classic Hitler Youth, stiff, disciplined, serious. Stevenson makes some comic hay out of his struggles to understand the ways and the humor of the English young people, the clash of worldviews, but the timing of the story tips off the reader that it can’t remain in the realm of social comedy for long. Another hint to where things are going lies in the character of Dane: it quickly becomes clear that his racketing around Europe is in His Majesty’s (Secret) Service. Dane watches young Franz very closely, scrutinizing his every word for a secret agenda. And meanwhile the calendar ticks closer to the start of World War II.
There is romance and tragedy in the story, and a certain degree of moral complexity, though Stevenson was unable to keep completely free of the jingoistic patriotism that marked the early war years. She is overly kind to Neville Chamberlain and idealizes the British character, right down to a few cringey cameo scenes with happy and grateful members of the lower classes being patronized by their “betters.” But the book captures a fascinating monent in time, when denial about the threat of war slowly gave way to reality and young people were forced to grow up in a hurry.
May 13, 2023
3.5 stars
It must be strange to write a book in “real time” when you can’t imagine how events are going to unfold. The English Air was published in 1940, and it takes place over a period of two years - beginning in the late summer of 1938. Like most (all?) of Stevenson’s books, this one is a romance, but more than that, it is a celebration of the democratic values that the author describes as “the wholesomeness of the English air.” It’s a gentle polemic, for sure, but through the character of Franz von Heiden - a young German cousin who comes to visit the Braithwaite family - Stevenson educates her audience about the true character of the British (and by contrast, the malign nature of fascism). There is a deep love of nation in this book, although Stevenson avoids obvious nationalism.
In September of 1938, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement with Germany, Italy and France; although it averted war for another year, the storm clouds were gathering and the British began preparing for another conflict. This book balances those two moods: the relief, and yet also the growing awareness that war might be unavoidable. The character of Uncle Dane - who watches over the widowed Sophie Braithwaite and her young adult children Wynne and Roy - is involved in gathering intelligence. Like Franz, who was sent to England by his father in order to see if could learn anything useful about the English, the characters are fencing around each other - but gently, and sympathetically. Dane and Sophie are just as important to the story as the younger characters of Franz and Wynne, and unlike these coming-of-age heroes and heroines, their lives have been shaped by the horrors of World War I.
The first half of this book describes a period of peace, happiness and calm - “a long lease of summer,” in which Franz becomes close to his English cousins and their friends. It was a rather bold move to create a sympathetic German character at this time, but really that is Stevenson’s point: let’s not just mindlessly hate and demonise the ‘enemy’. In the second half of the book, having been profoundly affected by his experiences in England, Franz must navigate his conflicting emotional loyalties.
I wasn’t convinced by the ending of this story, but overall, I enjoyed it - and experienced a few genuinely moving moments.
Thanks to my friend Gina for the gift of this book!
It must be strange to write a book in “real time” when you can’t imagine how events are going to unfold. The English Air was published in 1940, and it takes place over a period of two years - beginning in the late summer of 1938. Like most (all?) of Stevenson’s books, this one is a romance, but more than that, it is a celebration of the democratic values that the author describes as “the wholesomeness of the English air.” It’s a gentle polemic, for sure, but through the character of Franz von Heiden - a young German cousin who comes to visit the Braithwaite family - Stevenson educates her audience about the true character of the British (and by contrast, the malign nature of fascism). There is a deep love of nation in this book, although Stevenson avoids obvious nationalism.
In September of 1938, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement with Germany, Italy and France; although it averted war for another year, the storm clouds were gathering and the British began preparing for another conflict. This book balances those two moods: the relief, and yet also the growing awareness that war might be unavoidable. The character of Uncle Dane - who watches over the widowed Sophie Braithwaite and her young adult children Wynne and Roy - is involved in gathering intelligence. Like Franz, who was sent to England by his father in order to see if could learn anything useful about the English, the characters are fencing around each other - but gently, and sympathetically. Dane and Sophie are just as important to the story as the younger characters of Franz and Wynne, and unlike these coming-of-age heroes and heroines, their lives have been shaped by the horrors of World War I.
Dane had been formed in that peaceful world but he had been hardened in the crucible of war.
The first half of this book describes a period of peace, happiness and calm - “a long lease of summer,” in which Franz becomes close to his English cousins and their friends. It was a rather bold move to create a sympathetic German character at this time, but really that is Stevenson’s point: let’s not just mindlessly hate and demonise the ‘enemy’. In the second half of the book, having been profoundly affected by his experiences in England, Franz must navigate his conflicting emotional loyalties.
I wasn’t convinced by the ending of this story, but overall, I enjoyed it - and experienced a few genuinely moving moments.
Thanks to my friend Gina for the gift of this book!
October 15, 2024
3.5 stars for this interesting book set in the lead-up to WWII.
The blurb sets up the story:
"Franz von Heiden, son of a Nazi official and an English mother, comes to England early in 1938 to visit his English cousins – and to study them. He is both accepted and entertained by Wynne Braithwaite’s family and friends. But the peace and abundance which he finds about him are not what he had been taught to expect. "
Wynne and her mother are a nice combination--Wynne. lovely and full of youthful exuberance; Sophie, charming and a bit of a worry-wart. Franz is very much a fish out of water during the early part of his visit. He doesn't understand Wynne and her friends, doesn't get their jokes, but nevertheless does enjoy their company. And, the longer he stays, the more he does not want to return to Germany, where his father is a ranking member of the Nazi party.
Stevenson's portrayal of Franz is very deft-here is an intelligent young man, who is conflicted. He loves his country, almost worships The Leader, but had already started to distance himself from some of the policies and programs that were being put in place. And now, the more he learns about England and the English themselves, the more he realizes that he (and his country) have been lied to.
As a final torment, Franz realizes that he's fallen in love with Wynne and she with him.
I enjoyed this one. I think the most interesting aspect, to me, was the fact that it was written in early 1940 and reflected the attitudes, and hopes and fears, of the day. This modern reader thought some of it got a little heavy handed, but not unbearably so. I liked Wynne, Sophie, Franz, and especially adored Dane. As always Stevenson's lovely descriptions of the English countryside and, later, the Scottish scenery were a delight.
The blurb sets up the story:
"Franz von Heiden, son of a Nazi official and an English mother, comes to England early in 1938 to visit his English cousins – and to study them. He is both accepted and entertained by Wynne Braithwaite’s family and friends. But the peace and abundance which he finds about him are not what he had been taught to expect. "
Wynne and her mother are a nice combination--Wynne. lovely and full of youthful exuberance; Sophie, charming and a bit of a worry-wart. Franz is very much a fish out of water during the early part of his visit. He doesn't understand Wynne and her friends, doesn't get their jokes, but nevertheless does enjoy their company. And, the longer he stays, the more he does not want to return to Germany, where his father is a ranking member of the Nazi party.
Stevenson's portrayal of Franz is very deft-here is an intelligent young man, who is conflicted. He loves his country, almost worships The Leader, but had already started to distance himself from some of the policies and programs that were being put in place. And now, the more he learns about England and the English themselves, the more he realizes that he (and his country) have been lied to.
As a final torment, Franz realizes that he's fallen in love with Wynne and she with him.
I enjoyed this one. I think the most interesting aspect, to me, was the fact that it was written in early 1940 and reflected the attitudes, and hopes and fears, of the day. This modern reader thought some of it got a little heavy handed, but not unbearably so. I liked Wynne, Sophie, Franz, and especially adored Dane. As always Stevenson's lovely descriptions of the English countryside and, later, the Scottish scenery were a delight.
December 9, 2019
Some may wonder at my choice of several novels by DE Stevenson in my “wish list” for Christmas gifts. Either you may have never heard of her – as many British writers got little attention in the American market – or, you may think of her as a long-ago writer of romantic stories.
In fact, I have come to value all my DE Stevenson books as treasures in my personal library, and only need a few more to complete that valued collection. Why do I value her writing so much? It’s because, far from being banal romances, each book is actually a very clever commentary on the signs of her times.
Brilliant accounts of various periods in British life are told through stories featuring characters who seem simple at first, but who grow and expand incrementally through the pages. To be sure, there are always couples who “fall in love;” however, they do so by recognizing affinities between themselves, which the reader, too, understands, having followed the characters’ inner maturation through the book.
For example, DE Stevenson’s The English Air, written in 1939 and first published in 1940, is not really a romance at all, but an absorbing description of how the beginning of WW II was experienced by a small-town English family and their German visitor.
Enlarged enjoyment of DES’s writing is found in her descriptive imagery that brings the British countryside to life, so that even readers from different environments may experience a clear sense of place and time.
In fact, I have come to value all my DE Stevenson books as treasures in my personal library, and only need a few more to complete that valued collection. Why do I value her writing so much? It’s because, far from being banal romances, each book is actually a very clever commentary on the signs of her times.
Brilliant accounts of various periods in British life are told through stories featuring characters who seem simple at first, but who grow and expand incrementally through the pages. To be sure, there are always couples who “fall in love;” however, they do so by recognizing affinities between themselves, which the reader, too, understands, having followed the characters’ inner maturation through the book.
For example, DE Stevenson’s The English Air, written in 1939 and first published in 1940, is not really a romance at all, but an absorbing description of how the beginning of WW II was experienced by a small-town English family and their German visitor.
Enlarged enjoyment of DES’s writing is found in her descriptive imagery that brings the British countryside to life, so that even readers from different environments may experience a clear sense of place and time.
January 25, 2024
My first foray into this author but not my last. Story had more depth and substance than I first thought.
April 16, 2022
Highly recommended the Furrowed Middlebrow edition of this novel. It contains correspondence between the author and her publisher that gives additional insight on the circumstances surrounding the publication of the book.
August 22, 2019
"The English Air" begins in 1938 coastal England, as the Braithwaite family is preparing for a visit from their German cousin, Franz von Heiden. Franz has an ulterior motive for reconnecting with his late mother's British relatives: his father is a high-ranking official in Hitler's Nazi party, and has instructed his son to report to him on the thoughts/mindset and morale of the British people. Steeped in Nazi teachings and culture, Franz is convinced of the Fatherland's superiority -- but gradually, he warms to Britain and its people -- especially Wynne Braithwaite, the daughter of his mother's cousin -- and he begins to question the truthfulness of what he's been taught to believe. When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia in March 1939 -- after promising not to do so -- Franz is devastated. Ultimately, he is faced with a difficult choice.
I enjoyed this book a lot. "Home front" novels about the two world wars have always interested me, and "The English Air" is a rare "slice of life" book, covering the period from 1938 to early 1940 and published later that year. The Second World War was just getting under way; nobody knew then what the outcome would be. Understandably, it has a bit of a propaganda ring to it.
Stevenson's novels tend to be on the light side -- and while this is not a "serious" novel, it's certainly more serious than most Stevenson books tend to be, in both tone and subject matter. It's also unusual, in that Franz, the German, is the central character, and we see much of the story through his eyes.
While this book is nearly 80 years old, some of its themes remain relevant today (at times, uncomfortably so): the folly of blind devotion to a charismatic leader; the power of opening one's eyes and heart to new experiences, to different ideas and different ways of life. "There is too little kindness amongst us today," Franz's Tante Anna tells him, and that too rings true.
A solid four stars.
I enjoyed this book a lot. "Home front" novels about the two world wars have always interested me, and "The English Air" is a rare "slice of life" book, covering the period from 1938 to early 1940 and published later that year. The Second World War was just getting under way; nobody knew then what the outcome would be. Understandably, it has a bit of a propaganda ring to it.
Stevenson's novels tend to be on the light side -- and while this is not a "serious" novel, it's certainly more serious than most Stevenson books tend to be, in both tone and subject matter. It's also unusual, in that Franz, the German, is the central character, and we see much of the story through his eyes.
While this book is nearly 80 years old, some of its themes remain relevant today (at times, uncomfortably so): the folly of blind devotion to a charismatic leader; the power of opening one's eyes and heart to new experiences, to different ideas and different ways of life. "There is too little kindness amongst us today," Franz's Tante Anna tells him, and that too rings true.
A solid four stars.
August 31, 2021
At first, I thought this was going to be one of the Stevenson novels that I would simply find an interesting artifact of the time, but it's really quite an intriguing book, written almost in "real time" as WWII was beginning. As with most of her books, I liked the characters and the overall tone of the book, but Frank's character and his development are particularly well done. Even though the book is definitely pro-English, the author vividly depicts what the situation might have been like for the many Germans caught in the war but not supporting it, and she shows that the picture is more complicated than it might seem at first, while never suggesting that there is anything defensible about the Nazis. It is also chilling to reach about Buchenwald when there were only rumors of what was happening there, when nobody yet comprehended the monstrosities that were going on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2024
I like most of D.E. Stevenson's work. This novel of the "reeducation" of a young German man who was born to an English mother and German father in Germany in the years before WWII is not a new story. I have read a few others that were also written close to the dates of the war itself. They seem to all want to show how wonderful England is and how everyone would come to learn how wonderful and kind it is, if only they would spend time getting to know the people. The author tries to make the story suspenseful at a few points. But, it is pretty predictable. A nice way to spend a rainy afternoon, but not a lot more.
May 9, 2016
This was a good book..I liked Franz/Frank and the transformation of his thoughts and views..and the love story aspect was very sweet..
December 26, 2023
Franz is Shasta, and the Braithwaites are the free and easy Narnians in Tashban.
This is the best I’ve read from Stevenson. Well...this and Miss Buncle’s Book, but that’s of such a different character that they can hardly be compared. This was very engaging and had more suspense than I can recall in any of her other books, but not too much for my timid little soul to handle. She perhaps idealizes her English characters a bit too much, but for a book published in 1940, right in the midst of the war, I can’t fault that patriotism...especially when it gives me a number of characters I am able to thoroughly like.
Narrator was very good.
This is the best I’ve read from Stevenson. Well...this and Miss Buncle’s Book, but that’s of such a different character that they can hardly be compared. This was very engaging and had more suspense than I can recall in any of her other books, but not too much for my timid little soul to handle. She perhaps idealizes her English characters a bit too much, but for a book published in 1940, right in the midst of the war, I can’t fault that patriotism...especially when it gives me a number of characters I am able to thoroughly like.
Narrator was very good.
July 16, 2022
Franz von Heiden is sent to England to stay with his English cousins in 1938. His Nazi father wants him to assess the situation in England and his expectation is that the English will not compare well with Germans. But Fritz, once he gets over his culture shock, comes to understand that England, while different from Germany, is by no means populated by weak and decadent people. He falls in love with the country and with a young lady in particular. But when Hitler marches on Prague, breaking his promise that he had no territorial ambitions after annexing the Sudetenland, Franz realizes that it is his assumptions about his own country that he must also question.
I'm no supporter of fascism but the rah rah "The British Empire can do no wrong" tone of this novel, published in 1940 really irritated me. Clearly Stevenson did not know how the war would end, how long it would be and how utterly destructive. Nor would she know how the British Empire would fall apart in the subsequent decades and expose British brutality which certainly riveled that of the Nazis. I can't fault her for writing a book of her time. But it felt like wartime propaganda to me instead of a novel.
I'm no supporter of fascism but the rah rah "The British Empire can do no wrong" tone of this novel, published in 1940 really irritated me. Clearly Stevenson did not know how the war would end, how long it would be and how utterly destructive. Nor would she know how the British Empire would fall apart in the subsequent decades and expose British brutality which certainly riveled that of the Nazis. I can't fault her for writing a book of her time. But it felt like wartime propaganda to me instead of a novel.
Read
April 27, 2024Originally published in 1940 as contemporary fiction, this now reads like historical fiction. Very good.
July 31, 2022
3 1/2? In a sense, this is rather typical Stevenson fare, with nice, upper class English people living privileged lives in the countryside and taking in love and brief Scottish interludes. But the setting - of both the book and its writing/publication - and the inclusion of Franz/Frank - the half-German cousin raised under Naziism and a true believer as the book begins - lends it more gravitas and, eventually, an air if adventure. It veers inevitably into a bit of propaganda and the benefit of history makes some things (and the exclusion of other things) rather questionable, but generally I quite enjoyed reading it. I don‘t think it will rank with my favorite of her works, but it was interesting and I‘m glad I read it.
December 8, 2016
2.5 stars. I found The English Air dull and rather interesting at the same time. Dull because it was so cozy and lovely and the sun was always shining (I've never been to England, but by most accounts it's nowhere near as sunny and bright as this book would have us imagine), yet it's a war romance... The fact that there's a war on, and that Franz is German and Wynne is English, was the sole conflict in the book, and even that conflict was smoothed over nicely. Franz is only HALF German, after all, and it takes only one afternoon to turn him against the Reich, in whose law he has been indoctrinated from a young age. And then when he's gone back into Germany he's conveniently forced to parachute back into England. It was all too easy. In effect, there was no conflict, which makes for practically no story.
But all the same, it was interesting to read a WWII novel that was published in 1940. It was funny reading a book about that war before anything much had actually happened, knowing all that we now do. It certainly had some British propaganda, and in particular I thought reading about the popular British opinion of Lord Neville Chamberlain (if, in fact, this book is representative of the popular opinion) was interesting.
Overall I'm not a fan of the author's writing. She tries to write happy, cute cottagy novels that one imagines one's grandmother reading, but she tries to lace the fluff with weightier stuff and the result just doesn't work. For me anyway.
But all the same, it was interesting to read a WWII novel that was published in 1940. It was funny reading a book about that war before anything much had actually happened, knowing all that we now do. It certainly had some British propaganda, and in particular I thought reading about the popular British opinion of Lord Neville Chamberlain (if, in fact, this book is representative of the popular opinion) was interesting.
Overall I'm not a fan of the author's writing. She tries to write happy, cute cottagy novels that one imagines one's grandmother reading, but she tries to lace the fluff with weightier stuff and the result just doesn't work. For me anyway.
December 31, 2011
A romance novel set on the eve of WW2 almost inevitably turns into propaganda, and this is no exception. There are Evil Germans and Good Germans and of course Pure True Englishwomen. I did actually enjoy it quite a lot, though, because I thought Stevenson captured a lot of the feeling of being on the brink of crisis and the things people cling to in difficult situations. And even though the characters are types, I was happy she provided a lot of different types; I read some WWI era propaganda-romance novels and was stunned at how black & white they were.
November 16, 2016
I love these old comfortable books. Lovely characters, beautiful settings, happy endings. There are troubles, but they can be overcome. Everyone works together for friends and family. A wonderful escape read.
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