World War Ii Christmas

December 1942 saw the bloodiest Christmas in the history of mankind. Men were killing each other in greater numbers than ever before. The Holocaust continued, and innocent civilians were murdered by the thousands throughout the evil Nazi empire, even as the perpetrators celebrated the birth of Christ. Millions stationed in far-off lands amid the greatest conflict in human history feared this was their last Christmas in freedom, or their last Christmas alive. At the same time as the slaughter continued unabated, throughout the world there were random acts of kindness.

No turkey. No fruit to make a decent pudding. No money for presents. Your children away from home; your husband, father and brothers off fighting. How in the world does one celebrate Christmas? That was the situation facing the people of Britain for six years during the Second World War. From the family whose dog ate the Christmas roast, leaving them to enjoy “Spam with all the trimmings”, to the exhibition of handmade toys for children in a Singapore prison camp, these firsthand stories are by turns tragic, poignant and funny.

The True Story of One Woman's Triumph of Faith Newlywed American missionary Darlene Deibler Rose survived four years in a notorious Japanese prison camp set deep in the jungles of New Guinea. Thinking she was never to see her husband again, Darlene Rose was forced to sign a false confession and...

""An ingenious look at WWII.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) A groundbreaking new history of the role of American servicewomen in WWII, illuminating their forgotten yet essential contributions to the Allies’ victory. Valiant Women is the story of the 350,000 American women who served...

Snowed in for the holidays with a killer? It’s the most wonderful time of the year… December 1938. As storm clouds gather over Europe, a group of bright young things are spending a festive weekend at Hexham Hall, the grand Northumberland estate of the genial Colonel ‘Monty’ Talbot. Hexham Hall has all the right ingredients for a perfect holiday: roaring fires, flowing brandy, a glittering cast of guests, and a relentless blizzard cutting them off from the world. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty... There’s the Colonel’s dazzling niece, Vanessa, whose past romantic ...

June 1944. Joan Foster had no way of knowing when or if fate would reunite her with the maddeningly good-looking Sgt. Dick Thimble, the tall, soft spoken soldier from Washington, D.C. They'd scarcely become engaged after knowing each other only weeks, when he had been called away. The War takes a giant step closer when the husbands and boyfriends of all of Joan's friends are suddenly deployed. Joan and her friends Helen, Annie, and Bernice pray fervently for their safety as the men disappear into the unknown world of War. When Annie's Sylvester goes MIA, only Bernice's wild surprise is ...

Siblings forge new paths and find love in three stories filled with the wonder of Christmas. Turn back the clock to a different time and listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana. The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?

Winner of the 2025 Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Absolutely gripping.” —The Washington Post “A masterpiece of oral history…stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving, and always riveting.” —Evan Thomas From the New York Times...

An American fighter pilot doomed to die in Buchenwald but determined to survive. On August 13, 1944, Joe Moser set off on his forty-fourth combat mission over occupied France. Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of...

Would you kill a tyrant if it unleashed an even worse evil? In the year 2070, the Council for Global Combat Against Violence has achieved the impossible: traveling through time to rewrite history. But when the pilot Obet questions why they never prevented the Holocaust, he discovers a terrifying truth: Hitler was the only barrier against an even bloodier global annihilation. Unable to accept this reality, Obet volunteers for a suicide mission that will change the course of World War II: ensuring Japan’s victory in the Battle of Midway. Trapped in the past and sentenced to death in an ...

It's 1944, and World War II is raging through Europe. Lieutenant Bradford Reimer, forced to leave his wife and ill daughter in Pennsylvania, finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his men in the Battle of the Bulge. As they escape certain death, they end up in the Belgian Village of Ciel, where they meet a kindly old man named Nikolaas.

Katherine is a powerful family drama set against the haunting backdrop of 1944—the final Christmas of World War II. It is the story of a woman’s unyielding strength in the face of fear, grief, and uncertainty. In a world darkened by war, Katherine is a luminous portrait of love, resilience, and the quiet heroism of motherhood. Thirty-four-year-old Katherine Wilburn is the heart of her family, a woman battling to keep her household intact while the world outside threatens to tear it apart. With her eldest son, Donald, fighting on the war-torn fields of France, Katherine clings ...

Singing seems like a weird thing for military men to do together in the modern age of TikTok dances and faux manliness, but it used to be very common, especially when alcoholic beverages were made available. These song books were handed out to Marines during World War II. The images contained herein are from the book given to my grandfather in 1944. As a matter of fact, you’ll see his signature at the top of one of the pages. The Fighting Fourth Marine Division fought in countless battles in World War II and beyond. I was privileged to serve in the same division 50 years to the month ...

In 1944, while waiting for the imminent arrival of her war weary fiancé Dick Thimble, Joan Foster is stricken to discover that he may not have survived. Learning nothing further, and with no recourse but to wait and pray, Joan and her friend, Annie, are distracted by the mysterious reappearance of previously pilfered Sacred artifacts. But when a blistering encounter with Gloria, Joan’s seemingly ever-present challenger for Dick’s affections, is followed by an explosion inside Annie’s shop, Joan and friends see life’s fragility. Just as it appears that the holidays will be one long ...

The Believe In Christmas Collection: A Christmas Miracle An early 1800's Novelette by Carole Brown Can a rich, but troubled, married couple find happiness again through one little homeless, precocious lad? Will a real miracle save Christmas this year? Christmas Angels A WWII Short Story by Carole Brown Abigail had always been a strong young woman, but living in a boarding house, with a baby girl, and no way to give her daughter a real Christmas what is she to do? Without money and worried sick over her husband who is a missing-in-action soldier, her hope is gone. But...her Christmas Angels ...

It’s Christmas Eve 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge is raging across the snowy Ardennes Forest. Even in these bitter conditions, two soldiers manage to exchange gifts, but there is a bittersweet twist. Inspired by O. Henry’s classic short story, The Gift of the Magi. Important note: This story can be read at the author’s website

The second heartwarming book in the Cornish Girls saga series perfect for fans of Ginny Bell and Elaine Everest 1941. The bombs still fall, but in St. Ives Christmas is finally approaching for the Cornish Girls… It’s 1941, and Christmas is approaching in St. Ives… Shy Lily wishes she could...

After failing to help evacuee siblings whom she witnesses being separated, May wishes she’d had the confidence to speak up. When Jess suggests a pantomime to boost morale on the station, May is desperate to help - but is held back by her own insecurities. With her low self-esteem also affecting her relationship with Squadron Leader Peter Travis, May is fed up with being her own worst enemy and decides to take charge of her destiny. But the past she ran from, plus a crisis with one of the evacuees, throw May into the midst of a drama that will test all of her newfound confidence.

Christmas 1941 came little more than two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The shock - in some cases overseas, elation - was worldwide. While Americans attempted to go about celebrating as usual, the reality of the just-declared war was on everybody’s mind. United States troops on Wake Island were battling a Japanese landing force and, in the Philippines, losing the fight to save Luzon. In Japan, the Pearl Harbor strike force returned to Hiroshima Bay and toasted its sweeping success.

‘An exceptional piece of work; powerful, vivid and compelling’ Rowland White, author of Vulcan 607 The Second World War was not only fought in the skies above Europe or on distant beaches. Between 1939 and 1945, Hitler’s aerial onslaught crashed into lives across the UK night after night...