Our Only Shield: A Novel of the Second World War

Set in the desperate days at the outset of the Second World War, Our Only Shield brings back Rory Ferrall, the resourceful Canadian spy from Michael J. Goodspeed's debut novel, Three to a Loaf.

Hastily recalled from a successful career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rory arrives in Britain only to find a war that is being prosecuted with political indecision and wishful thinking. The skills he displayed as a spy in the Great War are once again sorely needed by a small group of far-sighted but frustrated military planners.

Our Only Shield is a fascinating journey that takes us from an early wartime Britain still reeling from a string of catastrophic defeats into the once-peaceful Netherlands.

In 1940, Holland was a prosperous country where an industrious and innocent population simply yearned for peace and the chance to lead tranquil lives. Believing they could escape the havoc and violence of a world gone berserk, they awoke to find themselves governed by a new, terrifyingly brutal regime. Inserted into this shocked and traumatized community, Rory Ferrall soon finds himself caught up with two unforgettable characters: Annika Hammerstein, a gifted musician who refuses to watch passively as atrocities are inflicted on her family and her country, and Reinhold Neumann, a dangerously anxious but clever and ambitious Nazi policeman whose aspirations are unrestrained by conscience.

Our Only Shield is a meticulously researched story of how ordinary people marshal their talents to fight against ruthlessly efficient evil. Rich in historical detail, peopled with enduring characters, this powerful narrative gains steadily in momentum and tension and moves to a gripping conclusion. It's an enthralling and satisfying story as well as a meditation on the timeless nature of organized violence.

As a Dutch-born Canadian whose family experienced the German occupation, I could not put down this powerhouse book by Michael Goodspeed. I felt right in the action beside his characters. A tense, moving read.

Peter Stoffer

There's action, a little romance and a telling of the story from the point of view of each of the three main characters. Things don't come to a neat and tidy ending either, which makes Our Only Shield original and also more interesting. Garrison Community Council

I found myself cheering for every small step forward as Rory and Annika struggled to establish a new resistance network and hoping that despite the odds they could make their escape. Its a wonderful read that picks up momentum right through to an exciting conclusion. David L. Bashow - Canadian Military Journal

There is a great responsibility associated with writing historical fiction. Michael Goodspeed carries it off brilliantly. In Our Only Shield, his protagonist Rory Ferrall continues to joust with his nation's enemies, this time in Nazi-occupied Holland at the start of the Second World War. His writing embodies excellent character development. He superbly situates his story within an accurate historical context. Prepare to be not only highly entertained, but also educated.

member of parliament for Sackville- Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia

With Adolf Hitler poised to invade western Europe in the early stages of the Second World War, Great Britain faces a crisis: its entire intelligence network in The Netherlands has been discovered and wiped out by the Nazis.

Needing a resourceful, experienced agent to infiltrate Holland and re-establish the beginnings of a resistance, British military intelligence turns to Canadian Rory Ferrall, who had successfully undertaken a dangerous undercover mission into Germany during the Great War.

Now an RCMP officer in Canada, Ferrall is summoned to England and quickly thrust back into his old spy role. Dropped into Holland in the dead of night with little more than his wits and a radio just after the Germans have occupied the country, he makes his way to Amsterdam. There, with the unexpected assistance of a Dutch woman whose Jewish husband was murdered by the Germans, Ferrall is soon caught up in a deadly battle of wits with Major der Schutzpolizei Reinhold Neumann, the ambitious and coldly efficient chief Gestapo officer in the city.

This novel is a compelling read, an absorbing character study, and a glimpse into the backroom politics and high stakes nature of clandestine warfare. Michael Goodspeedas occupied Europe is as real as your fingertips. Itas a place where hope is a memory, where small battles are waged in the shadows, and moral choices come with tragic price tags.

Once again, Goodspeed, author of the acclaimed Great War novel Three to a Loaf, gives us historical authenticity, full-blooded characters, crisp dialogue, relentless narrative, and a thought-provoking meditation on the nature of modern violence.

In the opening turmoil of the Second World War, a Canadian is spirited into occupied Holland to assess the resistance, an ambitious but insecure Nazi officer is determined to crush Dutch opposition, and a brilliant young woman's life is irrevocably changed by both men.

Michael J. Goodspeed has degrees in literature, business administration and strategic studies. Currently an infantry officer in the Canadian Forces, he has lived and worked in many parts of the world. He and his wife reside in eastern Ontario.