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Hello, my name is William
Daysh
Welcome to my web site
Here you will find some information about
me and my debut novel
"Over By Christmas"
Published by Libros International
(http://www.librosinternational.com) |
Over
By Christmas
ISBN-10:
1905988400 & ISBN-13:
9781905988402
Available at main online stores
HERE |
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It
is 1914. As war engulfs the British
Empire, a young Royal Navy gunner, George
Royal, is waiting for his next ship
in his home port where his best
friend has fallen in love with
beautiful Carrie, a woman with
secrets. But when she also becomes attracted to George she
puts the friendship between the two men
in jeopardy.
Unprepared for war, Britain’s
leadership is severely tested. Worse
yet, the Prime Minister’s love for a
young woman occupies his thoughts even
during Cabinet meetings as his
bickering warlords are making fate-changing decisions.
These two stories, separate
but inextricably linked, reveal how
the personal lives and motivations
of leaders can influence the course
of a war and the fate of those
fighting it --
on one hand, the personalities and
machinations of the leaders and, on
the other, George’s coming-of-age
through a love triangle at home and
his experience of the comradeship,
excitement and tragedies of the war at sea.
Click
this for more
about this book ...
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Comments by Readers ...
"Brilliant
story of love, political intrigue and world
war."
"At last, a
magnificent work of romance and war
by a British author who knows what
he's writing about. Ex-Royal Navy
officer William Daysh has captured
the sweep and vastness of World War
One sea battles, when the English
Navy was supreme and Germany was
determined to destroy it. His
wonderfully-described scenes of
thunderous naval duels are
counterpoint to a story of
unrequited (or is it?) love between
the British Prime Minister and the
young Venetia Stanley, an
emotionally-ripping affair that
caught him just as Britain was going
to war in 1914. From the book: 'The
direction of Britain's war effort
was...in the hands of decision
makers wracked by divisive argument,
led by a lovelorn Prime Minister
plagued by emotional distractions.'
"It is the story also of a young
Royal Navy gunner coming of age
through intense tragedy and his own
journey through life, love, and
heart-breaking loss. Daysh's combat
scenes on land and at sea are some
of the very best I have ever read,
the tender moments among the
principals are lovely, and his gift
for details and dialogue make 'Over
By Christmas' a splendid adventure.
A grand tale such as this is the
result of masterly talent and,
without question, extensive research
and dedication to crafting a
terrific book. I won't give away the
surprising ending but I cannot wait
for 'OBC II'! It's fun to imagine
what actors will play which parts
when 'Over By Christmas' comes to
the big screen, as it truly
deserves."
Don Struke,
Baltimore, MD USA, 26 April 2008
Over
by Christmas...
"This
book is a fascinating account of the First World
War at sea. We are constantly informed about
life in the trenches but little is said about
this aspect of the war. Excellent research,
good characterisation, he captures the
(difficult to explain) relationships within
marriages where the stiff upper lip was
paramount in the older generation and they
didn't let their feelings show. All in all a
thumping good read, I couldn't put it down.
Would highly recommend."
Anon
Over
by Christmas...
"An incredibly well-written,
well-researched
book, made more interesting by the
way the
author has woven ordinary people’s
lives into
the story of the Great war and the
government of the day. I feel this
book would prove to be interesting and educative to
people who would normally not read
war
stories. The book moves rapidly from
one
aspect to another so the reader is
always
ready for more.
Personally I
thoroughly enjoyed the book;
I read it over two days and I must
congratulate the author on the
excellent
grammar, perfect spelling and
totally
believable cockney – hard for some
authors
to handle! The sexual scenes for
that era are
handled beautifully and I also
enjoyed the
Asquith chapters! Just shows you
what goes
on in our government! Talk about
Profumo
and Prescott!"
Anon
Over
by Christmas...
"I very much enjoy
historical novels, so was
particularly pleased to be able to
read this
one. I found it to be extremely
readable
and it gave me an insight to aspects
of the
First World War and life at home at
that
time which one hears little about. "
Anon
Over By
Christmas...
"This well researched
book describes life in the early
years of WW1. It is not as you might
think a boring history lesson but
looks at life and conditions as they
were during this period. There is a
love story that illustrates all too
clearly how little influence women
of that time held, leading to
Emmeline Pankhurst and her suffrage
movement. The Coronel Disaster where
two British battleships are sunk
with no survivors by a superior
German Fleet is brilliantly told and
must have the reader wondering how
these great ships which look
invincible when alongside in
Portsmouth Dockyard are really
nothing more than death traps. The
Gallipoli campaign is well told, in
particular the conversations at the
British Admiralty between Asquith,
Fisher, Churchill and others provide
a valuable background and
understanding as to why these
disasters occur. There is much much
more in this book which Bill writes
in his convincing and easy to read
style and the end came all too
quickly. Congratulations on a great
effort and put me on the list for
OBC2. "
Michael Power, Hobart, Tasmania,
Australia 11 May 2008
Over By Christmas...
"As a survivor of air combat over
Europe during World War Two, I think
I have some understanding of how my
father’s generation was affected by
the 1914-1918 cataclysm known as the
War to End All Wars. My father
luckily did not experience World War
One but had he been English rather
than American, he would have seen
many of his contemporaries in the
British military and government
caught up in questionable decisions
made by stubborn leaders. The
resulting loss of life, equipment
and ships is appalling, and the
author of Over By Christmas shows
how these leaders were unduly
influenced by those around them.
The story is told by following the
lives of people at the top of
government and people far below, who
in many cases were sacrificed and
sent to death by leaders who made
bad decisions without second
thoughts or vestige of remorse. You
will experience exciting
descriptions of German and English
battleships maneuvering while
shelling each other, and you’ll
witness the terror of the crews
while they fight to survive. The
realism of war at sea and on land at
Gallipoli is absolutely outstanding.
One of the major culprits, if I may
use that word, was the British prime
minister, who should have focused
totally on the future of his nation,
but was head-over-heels in love with
a woman young enough to be his
daughter, to the dismay of his wife.
The reader wishes he would spend
more time running the country and
less time writing letters to the
alluring lady. For the book’s young
Royal Navy gunner, George, and his
shipmates, their futures depend on
the courage required to keep going
forward in spite of the odds. The
continuing love story of George and
Carrie was finalized in a
bittersweet ending that was
different than most affairs of the
heart , and yet one could see that
it must end that way.
This is a fascinating book with a
lot of twists and turns, and
thoroughly enjoyable. "
Jim Skophammer, Lincoln,
California, USA, 03 June 2008 |
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Before you leave this site
please sign
my guest book
If
you have any comments about my site or Over By
Christmas please leave them in the guest book in the
Contact page
HERE.
More
Comments by Readers ...
"Over By
Christmas is a breath of fresh air. At last,
here is a book about life in the Great War from
the Royal Navy's perspective. It is a
"factional" novel in which the author uniquely
brings to life many of the powerful, historical
characters who were strutting the world stage at
that time, making them integral to the fictional
world he creates for the loves and lives of
ordinary people both on the home front and at
sea.
"There is something for everyone here --
wonderfully descriptive accounts of explosive
action at sea and on the beaches at Gallipoli,
as well as strong characterisation, tender
romance and a love triangle -- complete with
betrayals -- on the home front. Over-arching all
is the intriguing factual story of the British
Prime Minister's obsessive love for a young
society woman while his warlords are bickering
among themselves and courting dire
circumstances.
"Over By Christmas is an absorbing read. I
couldn't put it down and I highly recommend it
to both male and female readers."
Linda
Ferguson, Spain 26 April 2008
Over By Christmas...
"I have just finished reading your
book Bill and I must say that I
thoroughly enjoyed it. You have a
great descriptive gift and an
ability to draw in the reader so
that I found the book hard to put
down. You have obviously spent many
an hour on research and it shows
from the believable sketches of
Asquith and the powers that be that
were responsible for running the
British cabinet in the first two
years of World War One. Well done -
what's next?"
Jack Newman, Australia, 06 May 2008
Over By Christmas...
"For a
first novel this is a riveting read. Written by
an ex Naval Officer this well researched book
brings fact and fiction together and I would
suggest also his own naval experiences. The
battle scenes are first class. I look forward to
reading more and expect to see more books on the
shelf from William Daysh."
Christopher Barnett, UK, 07 May 2008
Over By
Christmas...
A great read - really brought the characters to
life & kept you involved with their progress -
the whole book was very readable from start to
finish. Looking forward to the sequel.
Clive Hall, Surrey, England 31 May 2008
Over
By Christmas...
"A thoroughly absorbing read"
"This is
a wonderful historical novel from first time
author William Daysh. He takes as his background
the first 18 months or so of the First World
War. His characters are drawn from different
strata of society, some real, some fictional,
but all are well drawn and believable, and their
dialogue convincing. They are caught up in the
sweep of international events and personal
emotions, and we follow their fate in these
dramatic and terrible months. In the upper
echelons of society we follow the British prime
Minister, Asquith, trying to come to terms with
the demands of the war at the same time as his
feelings are directed towards a much younger
woman. Churchill is there too, `Jacky' Fisher
and Lloyd George. The impact their direction of
the war has on ordinary men and women is seen as
we follow the fates of a father and son, Jack
and George Royal, in the Royal Navy. Through
their eyes we experience dramatic action on the
high seas as the dreadnoughts of the British and
German Navies encounter each other, and in some
of the fighting in the Dardanelles. The author
is very good at describing the action, and the
pace is fast and exciting. And tangled emotions
are not the prerogative of the upper class. We
see how the relationship between George Royal
and his best friend Bill are affected by the
arrival of the rather mysterious Carrie, a
triangle that is only resolved near the end of
the story, along with the revelation about
Carrie's past. This is a very well written book,
pacey, easy to read, and it carries the reader
along. The research for this book shows through,
and also is the more convincing because of the
author's own naval service. As the characters
are so believable the ending is a very
convincing and satisfying one. Highly
recommended."
P. Welch "Paul", UK , 06
June 2008
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