This volume describes key events and battles from May to December 1940 when Britain stood alone against the might of the Nazis. Winston Churchill describes the theme of the volume as "How the British people held the fort alone till those who hitherto had been half blind were half ready" which sums it up exactly.

Here we have a first-hand account of the fall of France, Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, the Blitz, the thwarted German Operation Sea Lion, the Battle of Britain and also the important role played by the British scientific community (the so-called "Wizard War"). Included are snippets from some of Churchill's famous addresses which helped to rally the spirits of ordinary folk in horrendously difficult times. Similarly, despite the obviously grim subject matter, Churchill manages to inject his account with some dry humour to help lift the reader's spirits. For example, directly after a telegram to the Minister of Supply showing how concerned Churchill was about the lack of a particular kind of small arms ammunition we get this nugget:

"The reader must pardon this next minute.

Prime Minister to First Lord 18.IX.40
Surely you can run to a new Admiralty flag. It grieves me to see the present dingy object every morning."

And about General de Gaulle of whom Churchill had the utmost respect:

"He also felt it to be essential to his position before the French people that he should maintain a haughty demeanour towards 'perfidious Albion', although an exile, dependent upon our protection and dwelling in our midst. He had to be rude to the British to prove to French eyes that he was not a British puppet. He certainly carried out this policy with perseverance."

I devoured this book in a couple of days only to be left wishing that I also had all the other volumes to hand (as well as wishing that I'd started with Volume I, obviously!). Churchill thoroughly deserved his Nobel Prize for this remarkable contribution to literature.

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If I'm to be honest, I didn't know any of James Baldwin's works and was a bit skeptical about this book at first. But as soon as I read the first page, that all changed.

"Giovanni's Room" is a beautifully written narrative set in 1950s Paris, about two young men who dive into a love affair. But more than that, it's about how we spend our lives questioning what it takes to be truly happy, and how, at the end, each of us go through this journey of self-discovery in our own distinctive way: we can either be true to ourselves, without worrying about what other people might say; or take the other road, which is living in the world of appearances, as it may seem like the most appealing.

This book teaches us that living life 'for others' isn't really living; it makes us ask ourselves if it's really worth it hiding our true colors and who we really are. I'd describe this book in three words: tender, beautiful and tragic.

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The Sign of Four, originally published in 1890, is the second Sherlock Holmes novella by Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes' ever faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson, narrates this tale that will have them searching the streets of London for a thief, a murderer, and a treasure.

The first three fourths of this book was surprisingly easy to read. Though the writing style is somewhat formal, it doesn't feel dated, and it's easy to forget you're reading something written over a century ago. The story starts off quickly giving insight into both men's personalities - Holmes' penchant for drug use to escape boredom and Watson's insecurities. It's fascinating to see the deductive reasoning that Sherlock Holmes is so well known for played out in the earlier chapters. The excitement builds as the men near the end of their search. However, it sort of fell flat in the last few chapters. The summary explaining everything in the end went on for far too long, and I found myself flipping to the back of the book to see when it would be over - not a good sign.

Perhaps not the finest example of Arthur Conan Doyle's talent, but The Sign of Four is certainly entertaining. The development of Holmes and Watson in this particular book are for more interesting, though, than the plot.

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