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Dawson Saga #1
Days of Wine & Roses?
Edwardian England. When the sun shone brightly and the western world was at peace.
But would the peace last?
Far away, Japan was at war with Russia in 1905 and there the seeds of friendship were being sown which would eventually tear apart the Dawson family with their long naval tradition.
Back home in Dorset the Dawson family was growing up. Rear Admiral Ralph Dawson had retired from the Navy after nearly fifty years, and he and his devoted wife Harriet watched with affection as their six children grew up.
The eldest, Jack, in his twenties, was already making a career in the Royal Navy, and had just returned from the Far East where he had witnessed the Japanese Navy’s destruction of the Russian fleet. There he met for the first time a young and likeable German naval officer Bruno von Eltz.
Georgina, Jack’s sister, also in her early twenties, already a rebel, falls for Bruno when he is later attached to the German Embassy in London, and falling under his spell betrays herself, her family, her fiancé and finally her country.
Jack is blamed for the treason and is outcast by his family. He becomes enmeshed with Helene, Bruno’s sister, nearly falling for her treacherous wiles as she offers him her body in return for the plans of Britain’s latest mighty ship the Dreadnought.
In their different ways, Georgina and Jack pay for their transgressions and the happiness of the Dawson family is split apart as war looms ever nearer.
As the war clouds gather, the triumphs and tragedies of the Dawson family entwine themselves with the fortunes of Bruno and Helene von Eltz, whose loyalties — strained and tested — lie with their duties to Germany.
Will the Dawson family survive this tumultuous time?
Or will the days of wine and roses be forever gone?
Espionage, deceit, love, betrayal and death are all bound up in this poignant narrative, with its exciting and stirring naval scenes. The tranquility of Edwardian England with its village cricket matches, strawberries and cream teas, fades into the noise and brutality of war with rivers of blood and the bitter taste of wanton destruction and unnecessary death.
But would the peace last?
Far away, Japan was at war with Russia in 1905 and there the seeds of friendship were being sown which would eventually tear apart the Dawson family with their long naval tradition.
Back home in Dorset the Dawson family was growing up. Rear Admiral Ralph Dawson had retired from the Navy after nearly fifty years, and he and his devoted wife Harriet watched with affection as their six children grew up.
The eldest, Jack, in his twenties, was already making a career in the Royal Navy, and had just returned from the Far East where he had witnessed the Japanese Navy’s destruction of the Russian fleet. There he met for the first time a young and likeable German naval officer Bruno von Eltz.
Georgina, Jack’s sister, also in her early twenties, already a rebel, falls for Bruno when he is later attached to the German Embassy in London, and falling under his spell betrays herself, her family, her fiancé and finally her country.
Jack is blamed for the treason and is outcast by his family. He becomes enmeshed with Helene, Bruno’s sister, nearly falling for her treacherous wiles as she offers him her body in return for the plans of Britain’s latest mighty ship the Dreadnought.
In their different ways, Georgina and Jack pay for their transgressions and the happiness of the Dawson family is split apart as war looms ever nearer.
As the war clouds gather, the triumphs and tragedies of the Dawson family entwine themselves with the fortunes of Bruno and Helene von Eltz, whose loyalties — strained and tested — lie with their duties to Germany.
Will the Dawson family survive this tumultuous time?
Or will the days of wine and roses be forever gone?
Espionage, deceit, love, betrayal and death are all bound up in this poignant narrative, with its exciting and stirring naval scenes. The tranquility of Edwardian England with its village cricket matches, strawberries and cream teas, fades into the noise and brutality of war with rivers of blood and the bitter taste of wanton destruction and unnecessary death.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 1991
About the author
Christopher Nicole
225 books58 followersChristopher Robin Nicole was born on 7 December 1930 in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), where he was raised. He is the son of Jean Dorothy (Logan) and Jack Nicole, a police officer, both Scottish. He studied at Queen's College in Guyana and at Harrison College in Barbados. He was a fellow at the Canadian Bankers Association and a clerk for the Royal Bank of Canada in Georgetown and Nassau from 1947 to 1956. In 1957, he moved to Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom, where he currently lives, but he also has a domicile in Spain.
On 31 March 1951, he married his first wife, Jean Regina Amelia Barnett, with whom he had two sons, Bruce and Jack, and two daughters, Julie and Ursula, they divorced. On 8 May 1982 he married for the second time with fellow writer Diana Bachmann.
As a romantic and passionate of history, Nicole has been published since 1957, when he published a book about West Indian Cricket. He published his first novel in 1959 with his first stories set in his native Caribbean. Later he wrote many historical novels set mostly in tumultuous periods like World War I, World War II and the Cold War, and depict places in Europe, Asia and Africa. He also wrote classic romance novels. He specialized in Series and Sagas, and continues to write into the 21st century with no intention of retiring.
He signs his books as Christopher Nicole and uses several pseudonyms, some of them female. Pseudonyms used include: Peter Grange, Andrew York, Robin Cade, Mark Logan, Christina Nicholson, Alison York, Leslie Arlen, Robin Nicholson, C. R. Nicholson, Daniel Adams, Simon McKay, Caroline Gray and Alan Savage. He wrote disaster thrillers in collaboration with his wife, Diana Bachmann, under the penname Max Marlow. Under his different pseudonyms he has worked with many publishing houses: Jarrolds, Hutchinson, Simon & Schuster, Coward-McCann & Geoghegan, Jove, Michael Joseph, Mills & Boon, and Severn House.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christop... and
http://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1009...
On 31 March 1951, he married his first wife, Jean Regina Amelia Barnett, with whom he had two sons, Bruce and Jack, and two daughters, Julie and Ursula, they divorced. On 8 May 1982 he married for the second time with fellow writer Diana Bachmann.
As a romantic and passionate of history, Nicole has been published since 1957, when he published a book about West Indian Cricket. He published his first novel in 1959 with his first stories set in his native Caribbean. Later he wrote many historical novels set mostly in tumultuous periods like World War I, World War II and the Cold War, and depict places in Europe, Asia and Africa. He also wrote classic romance novels. He specialized in Series and Sagas, and continues to write into the 21st century with no intention of retiring.
He signs his books as Christopher Nicole and uses several pseudonyms, some of them female. Pseudonyms used include: Peter Grange, Andrew York, Robin Cade, Mark Logan, Christina Nicholson, Alison York, Leslie Arlen, Robin Nicholson, C. R. Nicholson, Daniel Adams, Simon McKay, Caroline Gray and Alan Savage. He wrote disaster thrillers in collaboration with his wife, Diana Bachmann, under the penname Max Marlow. Under his different pseudonyms he has worked with many publishing houses: Jarrolds, Hutchinson, Simon & Schuster, Coward-McCann & Geoghegan, Jove, Michael Joseph, Mills & Boon, and Severn House.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christop... and
http://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1009...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 27, 2020
A family with secrets
Another good story hence the 5 stars. Only the 1st book. So hopefully the rest will be as good. If not read any books by this author then you must if enjoy families at war.
Another good story hence the 5 stars. Only the 1st book. So hopefully the rest will be as good. If not read any books by this author then you must if enjoy families at war.
September 17, 2020
Great story
I really enjoyed this novel. I bought it only fir the name of the main character but thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.
I really enjoyed this novel. I bought it only fir the name of the main character but thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.
January 12, 2016
A familiar story of life in Edwardian Britain prior to the first world war.
A tale of a land that was idylic and bucholic.
Would it remain that way?
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
A tale of a land that was idylic and bucholic.
Would it remain that way?
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews