Dover Beach

by Leslie Thomas

Summer 1940. The evacuation of Dunkirk proves that the British can rise to a challenge, even against seemingly insurmountable odds. But now the soldiers walk the streets of Dover, even wandering through Woolworths store, and take weary turns on the town's skating rink.Life, despite the threat of invasion and the reality of bombing, must go on and people must take comfort where they find it. Toby Hendry, a fighter pilot, is awaiting orders when he meets Giselle, a young Frenchwoman who took the chance to flee occupied France with the English troops. Their love affair feels like a summer idyll, but can it withstand the forces of war?Meanwhile, reserve naval commander Paul Instow has been called up to fight in a war for which he feels too old. Distracting him from his worries is Molly, a young Dover prostitute. Their relationship is tender and happy, but is this a love born from desperation or could it be something more permanent?And then there are Harold, Spots and Boot, three boys desperate to fight the German invaders, armed only with catapults and a stolen Bren gun...In Dover Beach Thomas chronicles the lives and loves of ordinary people in besiged Britain during these tense, but curiously elated days.

Genres: Historical Fiction

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

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

[09/01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great storyline

Thomas weaves another brilliant yarn,about lives and loves in Dover, during the early days of the second world war. Onto the next novel

[John Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What it was really like

Like all Leslie Thomas books, a great yarn. Down to earth cast of characters with loads of wry humour. Thoroughly recommended.

[edward graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

Leslie thomas writes with his usual quirky humour, a totally believable tale which moves along nicely and is never boring

[Lynn Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of substance to this book, there wasn’t enough detail about the characters for me to engage with them.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leslie Thomas creates a novel where he drops the reader into a moment in time and pulls them out as suddenly as he thrusts them into it. It tells of the inhabitants of the town of Dover during WWII and while he does not delve into a back story or give glimpses of the future, he presents to the reader the present, nothing more, nothing less. You feel almost like an intruder, peering into the lives of everyday men, women, and children while they deal and react to the war on their very doorstep. Definately recomend it!

[Ron Hardwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Thomas captures perfectly the chaos and confusion of wartime Britain. He is a consummate story-teller, and his mix of character development, plot progression, pathos and humour is as good as any other author's, ancient or modern. I've read every book in his canon, this being the last, and his war stories are every bit as good as his 'running away to find romance' stories, such as 'The Tropic of Ruislip' and 'Goodnight and Loving.'

[Ro Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like Leslie Thomas books.
This is a great glimpse of life in Dover during WW2. Sad of course, and funny and very readable.
The Tropic Of Ruislip and Arrivals and Departures I can seriously recommend as must reads!

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like this book....