Today’s Kindle Daily Deal are two collections of books. Six books by Winston Churchill (part of the reason he won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953) and the complete series of Newberry Honor Winner Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern (young adult fantasy). Each book is only $1.99 each.
The Gathering Storm by Winston Churchill – $1.99
793 pages, Lending Enabled
Winston Churchill’s monumental The Second World War, is a six volume account of the struggle between the Allied Powers in Europe against Germany and the Axis. Told by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, this book is also the story of one nation’s heroic role in the fight against tyranny. Having learned a lesson at Munich they would never forget, the British refused to make peace with Hitler, defying him even after France had fallen and it seemed as though the Nazis were unstoppable.
What lends this work its tension is Churchill’s inclusion of primary source material. We hear Churchill’s retrospective analysis of the war, but we are also presented with memos, letters, orders, speeches, and telegrams that give day-by-day accounts of the reactions as the drama unfolds. We listen as strategies and counter-strategies unfold in response to Hitler’s conquest of Europe, his planned invasion of England, and his assault on Russia. All contrive to give a mesmerizing account of the crucial decisions that must be made as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
While in some ways a continuation of Churchill’s history of World War I, The World Crisis, The Gathering Storm is his attempt to understand the terrible circumstance that gave rise to Nazi Germany and a second, even more destructive world conflict. Churchill was perhaps the only person who held such prominent positions of power in both world wars and as such, was uniquely qualified to tell the story from war to peace and back again.
The Gathering Storm covers the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of Adolf Hitler, the capitulation of Munich and the entry of Britain into the war. This book makes clear Churchill’s feeling that the Second World War was a largely senseless but unavoidable conflict.
Their Finest Hour by Winston Churchill – $1.99
720 pages, 25 of 50 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
In Their Finest Hour, Churchill describes the invasion of France and a growing sense of dismay in Britain. Should Britain meet France’s desperate pleas for reinforcements or husband their resources in preparation for the inevitable German assault? In the book’s second half, entitled simply “Alone,” Churchill discusses Great Britain’s position as the last stronghold against German conquest: the battle for control of the skies over Britain, diplomatic efforts to draw the United States into the war, and the spreading global conflict.
The Grand Alliance by Winston Churchill - $1.99
852 pages, 11 of 11 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
The Grand Alliance describes the end of an extraordinary period in British military history in which Britain stood alone against Germany. Two crucial events brought an end of Britain’s isolation. First is Hitler’s decision to attack the Soviet Union, opening up a battle front in the East and forcing Stalin to look to the British for support. The second event is the bombing of Pearl Harbor. U.S. support had long been crucial to the British war effort, and Churchill documents his efforts to draw the Americans to aid, including correspondence with President Roosevelt.
The Hinge of Fate By Winston Churchill – $1.99
952 pages, 11 of 12 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
The Hinge of Fate is the dramatic account of the Allies’ changing fortunes.In the first half of the book, Churchill describes the fearful period in which the Germans threaten to overwhelm the Red Army, Rommel dominates the war in the desert, and Singapore falls to the Japanese. In the span of just a few months, the Allies begin to turn the tide, achieving decisive victories at Midway and Guadalcanal, and repulsing the Germans at Stalingrad. As confidence builds, the Allies begin to gain ground against the Axis powers.
Closing the Ring by Winston Churchill – $1.99
749 pages, Lending Enabled
The drive to victory between June 1943 and July 1944, as the Allies consolidate their achievements, with enormous difficulty and great divergence of opinion.
Churchill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953, in no small part due to this awe-inspiring work.
Triumph and Tragedy by Winston Churchill – $1.99
768 pages, Lending Enabled
In Triumph and Tragedy, Churchill provides in dramatic detail the endgame of the war and the uneasy meetings between himself, Stalin, and Truman to discuss plans for rebuilding Europe in the aftermath of devastation, beginning with invasion of Normandy, the heroic landing of the Allied armies and the most remarkable amphibious operation in military history. Churchill watches as the uneasy coalition that had knit themselves together begins to fray at Potsdam, foreshadowing the birth of the Cold War.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale – $1.99
432 pages, 200 of 212 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled, Young Adult Grade 6+
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt’s guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani’s journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her. Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale – $1.99
348 pages, 62 of 72 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
When her mother dies, Enna leaves the city and her friends to move back home with her brother, Leifer. She thought life would be simpler and more manageable in the forest. But Enna’s was not meant to be a simple life, and when Leifer brings home a mysterious piece of vellum and starts setting fires-without a spark, without flint-something seems wrong. Enna cannot decide if that something is a power she wants for herself, or if it’s a power that should be extinguished forever. And when her country, Bayern, goes to war, that choice becomes unbearable as her friendships are tested and her sense of self nearly lost in the fires she creates. Ultimately Enna and her best friend, Isi, take a nearly impossible journey in search of a cure for the war around them-and for the wars within themselves.
River Secrets by Shannon Hale – $1.99
321 pages, 38 of 42 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
Forest Born by Shannon Hale – $1.99
400 pages, 34 of 40 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled
Rin, Razo’s little sister, is haunted by the Forest she has always loved. When Razo invites her back to the city to be one of Queen Ani’s waiting women, she happily accepts…only to end up on the adventure of her lifetime, following the queen, Enna, and Dasha into the countryside in search of a fire-starting enemy that no one can see. As she learns more about the three women’s magical talents, she finds her own strength comes from places both expected–trees–and unexpected–the sound of her own voice. A brilliant addition to the Books of Bayern, this book is a treat for fans of this series, and stands alone for readers who might be discovering the joys of Shannon Hale’s writing for the first time.
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I have not read any of these books, so they may not be any good. Some of the books kindle books on sale from previous Free Book posts or previous Kindle Deal posts are still available. If you want to see all free books as they come out you should follow Books on the Knob on their RSS or Twitter Feed. Or Ireaderreview or the many free book threads on Amazon’s Message Boards.
As always please check to make sure the books are still free or on sale before you “buy” them. Prices can change quickly. This may be a one day offer. Pick it up quick. If you do buy a book and realize later you have been charged for it, here is a guide on how to return a kindle book.
