The English Air

By: D. E. Stevenson

Narrated by: Fred Fergus

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Franz von Heiden, son of a Nazi official and an English mother, comes to England early in 1938 to visit his English cousins - and 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 expected.

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 unfold, Franz's dilemma grows increasingly acute, leading to a devastating choice.

©1968 D.E. Stevenson (P)2023 Soundings

Excellent Story

I thought the entire story was delightful. Very engaging- loved it! There was just the right amount of romance and drama.

An Austrian finds out England is a good place.

The first time I read this book I was a bit confused, but with this performance I saw more clearly the way the Austrian changed from his view of Englishmen as soft and undisciplined to free and determined.

Lead up to WWII

One thing missing from this delightful edition of The English Air is the background of letters between the author and her editors/agents about the development of this novel and the author's uncertainty about publishing it, since WWII events happened so quickly between February 29, 1940 (the date upon which the story ends and also the date when the author finished writing it) and the Autumn of 1940 when it was ready for publication. These letters are available in the paperback reissue published by Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press in January 2022.

Back to this novel, more serious than many of D. E. Stevenson's novels deals with the visit of Franz a cousin of the family, to his English relations. His mother had been English and had married his German father shortly before the outbreak of WWI. This lead to a break in communications between his mother and Sophy, her cousin who had loved her dearly. Now, in 1938 as tensions rise, Franz was visiting his English relations for the first time, being encouraged by his father, an official with the Nazi party, to learn about the feelings of the English people toward Germany and improve his English.

The novel follows Franz as he learns about England and his relations and those relations, Sophy and her brother in law and daughter and son, as they learn about Franz, who they eventually start to call Frank, which sounds more "like one of them."

As the events leading up to the opening of WWII progress we see developments from the eyes of both Franz/Frank and Sophy and Wynne (the daughter) and Roy (her brother) and the brother in law, Dane, who has an informal connection with the British Secret Service. As Franz/Frank and Wynne develop romantic feelings the fear that the disastrous "mixed marriage" of Franz/Frank's parents might be repeated arises.

I won't go into any more details about the plot to avoid any more spoilers, but will say that DES manages to find a way to produce a satisfactory ending.

I feel that the narrator, Fred Fergus, does a very good job of portraying Franz/Frank and the other male characters, and a pretty good job of Sophy and Wynne and other female characters. It might have been better if this book could have been done by two narrators, with Fred talking when we are in the mind of male characters and a woman when females are thinking. When that sort of mixed narration is well done, it can be wonderful. But perhaps best that it was left to Fred alone, as when mixed narration is poorly done it can be very messy and confusing indeed.

One of DES's most thought provoking and insightful novels. Very important to remember that when it was written no one knew how WWII would end, or even how it would develop. Books written in the early years of WWII (or other wars) when the outcome was uncertain are very different from books written AFTER the war was over, with hindsight.

WE I German man questions his feelings

Have always been interested in how people change their POView when it comes to big issues like the war or morality of slavery
DEStevenson attitude sou no da believable
Warning - in many of her books she is a woman of her times when it comes to racism and anti semitism

GREAT BOOK

I have listened to all of D.E. STEVENSONS books. All are great. This was was a great listen and different from her other books. I like how she told this story.

Growing up to courage

Just finished THE ENGLISH AIR. Highly recommend it for understanding a world fighting totalitarianism, a glimpse into the English “stiff upper lip” maybe partly shaped by being so close to war, and a call to courageous manhood. Woild love to see this made into a good movie.