Synopses & Reviews
No fewer than two hundred thousand Germans were already upon English soil! The outlook grew blacker every hour. and#160;
Eight years before the onset of World War I, as national hysteria over the possibility of German spies in England reached its peak, journalist and prolific spy novelist William Le Queux penned The Invasion of 1910. Although it has since faded from public memory, at the time of its serialization, the novel was a tremendous success, selling more than one million copies and even inspiring an unauthorized, abridged German-language edition that altered the bookand#8217;s ending.
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If England Were Invaded restores this major work of and#147;invasion literatureand#8221; to print. Le Queux constructs a catastrophic scenario in which the German army has invaded England in a surprise attack on the coast. The story chillingly chronicles a war fought on the British homeland, with detailed accounts of battles involving real locations and real defense experts of the time. Throughout, Le Queux brings to life the domestic realities of a nation at war, from food shortages and failing financial institutions to the ever-present threat of espionage. One by one, strategic cities and counties in the noveland#151;Birmingham, Manchester, and Suffolkand#151;are abandoned to the German army until it stands poised to and#147;advance upon and crush the complex city which is the pride and home of every Englishmanand#151;London.and#8221;
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A truly entertaining readand#151;complete with campaign maps and fictional proclamations from Kaiser Wilhelm IIand#151;If England Were Invaded also offers an incredible cautionary tale about a country that was not prepared for an attack and, in doing so, it shines a light on the common hopes and fears in England at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Review
"This is the book that frightened the life out of many British people, proclaiming a German threat a decade ahead of the First World War."
Synopsis
In a classic, compelling style and rapid pace, this chilling story chronicles a fictional war fought on British homeland, with detailed accounts of battles and defence lines in real locations envisaged in conjunction with the defence experts of the time. It also brings to life the realities of food shortages, propaganda, espionage, media coverage and the vulnerability of financial institutions during an attack.and#160; The story begins with an innocuous conversation between two journalists who have lost telegraphic connection with Great Yarmouth but quickly unfolds as news emerges of a full-blown invasion. One by one strategic cities and#150; Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield and#150; are abandoned to the German army until events culminate in the battle for London.
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About the Author
The author of more than one hundred novels, William Le Queux (1864-1927) was an Anglo-French journalist, diplomat, and outspoken critic of British defense efforts.
Table of Contents
Introduction
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Preface
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Book I: The Attack
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I. The Surprise
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II. Effect in the City
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III. News of the Enemy
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IV. A Prophecy Fulfilled
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V. State of Siege Declared
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VI. How the Enemy Dealt the Blow
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VII. Desperate Fighting in Essex
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VIII. Defence at Last
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IX. British Success at Royston
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X. British Abandon Colchester
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XI. Fierce Fighting at Chelmsford
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Book II: The Siege of London
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I. The Lines of London
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II. Repulse of the Germans
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III. Battle of Epping
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IV. Bombardment of London
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V. The Rain of Death
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VI. Fall of London
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VII. Germans Sacking the Banks
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VIII. Defences of South London
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IX. Revolts in Shoreditch and Islington
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Book III: The Revenge
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I. A Blow for Freedom
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II. Scenes at Waterloo Bridge
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III. Great British Victory
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IV. Massacre of Germans in London
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V. How the War Ended