This is a story of a young girl's life in the beautiful island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands of Britain and how it dramatically changed when the Island became occupied by Nazis during World War II.People who are born in the beautiful Island of Guernsey are known as Guernsey Donkeys. The reason being, they can carry a very heavy load physically and mentally, they are willing to be led, but refuse to be pushed, and they are very, very stubborn and are proud of it.With all this in mind, at the end of the German occupation of our Island I painted on canvas what I thought was a fair indication of how we Islanders felt, and so am using it as the cover for my book. The painting was entitled “The Donkey did not Yield”.
After the Dunkirk evacuation the Germans occupied a group of islands in the English Channel of which Guernsey and Jersey are the most famous. This new book goes far beyond all other writing on the Channel Islands during World War II, which have focused almost exclusively on the extensive fortifications built during the German occupation of 1940 to 1945. A controversy has risen in recent years about the degree to which the Islanders cooperated with the Germans, and the nature of the internment camps set up on the Islands. This detailed account is the first to make use of German records and recollections of the years of occupation, and to full depict the nature of day-to-day life for both occupied and occupier. The fascinating text is supplemented by 300 illustrations, which include in their coverage the remarkable fortifications built by the Germans in such a short time.
The diaries kept by Violet Carey during the occupation of Guernsey show precisely how the German invasion affected the lifestyle of an upper middle class woman. Whilst never indulging in self-pity, she captures the misery caused by imprisonment and the lethargy and depression that many, including herself, suffered, a feeling intensified by fear of the unknown and the sense of isolation from England and from relatives and the rest of the war. In her remarkably down to earth style, the diarist provides an honest account of events and does not attempt to disguise incidents of scandal or misconduct on the part of her countrymen, or of humanity on the part of the Germans. More lighthearted entries illustrate the delight that she and many of her friends took in defying the invader simply by sticking to firmly held principles. The diaries depict both the hardships imposed upon the native population by the occupying forces and the ways in which Guernsey people reacted towards the enemy. What comes through most vividly is a valiant acceptance on the part of the islanders of their circumstances, together with optimism that all would turn out well. Hope is never entirely lost, even after life becomes simply a matter of survival. The diaries also indicate the pressures experienced by the island's leaders as the writer is related to Bailiff Victor Carey and husband is Jurat of the Royal Court. Following the island's liberation it was claimed that tales of their heroic endurance and indefatigable humour were covering up a deeper scandal. An introductory section examines the language and content of the diaries and shows how, as the occupation lengthened and shortages became more acute, the veneer of civilisation could be stripped away and the privileges afforded by wealth, education and class rendered irrelevant.
The incredible true story of what really happened in the Channel Islands during the Second World War. The Channel lslands were occupied on 30 June 1940 when four German planes landed at Guernsey Airport. They were the only part of Britain to be occupied during the Second World War. The islands had been officially demilitarised on 19 June, but the War Office in London overlooked the necessity to inform the Germans. This led to a German air attack on 28 June, which resulted in thirty-eight civilian deaths. Hitler was extremely proud of the conquest of the Channel lslands, and saw it as a stepping-stone to the full invasion of the rest of Britain. The occupying forces were instructed to behave correctly. This would show the rest of Britain that there was nothing to be feared from life under the Third Reich. This book looks at the German Occupation, the unsavoury events that occurred on the Islands, and why at the end of the war a cover-up of these events was instigated by the British Government.
The Nazi occupation of Europe of World War Two is acknowledged as a defining juncture and an important identity-building experience throughout contemporary Europe. Resistance is what 'saves' European societies from an otherwise chequered record of collaboration on the part of their economic, political, cultural and religious elites. Opposition took pride of place as a legitimizing device in the post-war order and has since become an indelible part of the collective consciousness. Yet there is one exception to this trend among previously occupied territories: the British Channel Islands. Collective identity construction in the islands still relies on the notion of 'orderly and correct relations' with the Germans, while talk of 'resistance' earns raised eyebrows. The general attitude to the many witnesses of conscience who existed in the islands remains ambiguous. This book conversely and expertly argues that there was in fact resistance against the Germans in the Channel Islands and is the first text to fully explore the complex relationship that existed between the Germans and the people of the only part of the British Isles to experience occupation.
Unlock the more straightforward side of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, which tells the story of Juliet Ashton, a writer who one day is contacted by a man living in Guernsey. Through a series of letters exchanged with him and other residents of the island, Juliet acquires first-hand information about life under Nazi occupation and discovers how reading helped to keep the islanders alive. The book received the Indies Choice Book Award for Best Indie Buzz Book (Fiction) and reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller List for paperback trade fiction. Mary Ann Shaffer was an American writer and editor who died before seeing the publication of her first and only novel. Before she passed away, she asked her niece Annie Barrows, a children’s author, to finish the editing and rewriting of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Find out everything you need to know about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: •A complete plot summary •Character studies •Key themes and symbols •Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
On the English Channel island of Guernsey, a teenage girl’s Mean Girls-like experience pushes her to murder her best friend in a scandal, she will discover, that mirrors her uncle’s previously unknown story from the days of the island’s Nazi occupation during WWII. Told through the voices of fifteen-year-old Cat Rozier and her long-dead Uncle Charlie—known to Cat only by the audio recordings he left behind—The Book of Lies lucidly illuminates the interior lives of a scorned modern girl with attitude and a defiant, faded man. With echoes of Nicole Krauss’s The History of Love and Jennifer McMahon’s Promise Not to Tell, Mary Horlock’s stunning debut novel is an unforgettable exploration of aspiration, anguish, and rebellion.
