Glory

by Rachel Billington

Inspired by Rachael’s family history and published to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign in April, Glory is a poignant and compelling novel inspired by the men and women of Gallipoli and the tragic events of 1915.

Glory tells of the determination to survive, the love stories enduring across the war-torn miles, the decisions cast, the errors made and the dark reality of the heroic dream.

In a narrative both gripping and moving, Rachel Billington uses detailed research to bring alive the twists and turns of the Gallipoli campaign. It is the story of futures changed forever, as the echoes of the Great War ring loud through the years.

Genres: Historical Fiction, War, Fiction

544 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2015

About the author

Rachel Billington has written twenty one novels and eleven books for children. She is also a journalist, feature writer and reviewer. She is a regular contributor and Associate Editor of Inside Time, the national newspaper for prisoners and a Vice-President of English PEN. In 2012 she was awarded an OBE for Services to Literature.

Reviews

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glory is a story of the British experience of Gallipoli, written by accomplished British author Rachel Billington. Billington’s novel is inspired by her grandfather’s experiences of Gallipoli and was devised after Billington thoroughly researched her grandfather’s war record. Tragically, Billington’s grandfather died fighting in the Gallipoli campaign, along with some many other British soldiers before and after him. Billlington describes sadly how her grandmother refused to believe her husband had died at the front. Instead, she pinned her hopes on him being captured and held in a camp or Turkish hospital. It is the rawness of this personal experience that feeds into Billington’s novel Glory. Glory intertwines the experiences of three British citizens ripped apart by the effects of war. The lives of these men and women become twisted together by fate and the Gallipoli experience. Billington combines class differentiation of the war experience, the British politics that resulted in this unsuccessful assault, the gruesome battles, along with gentler themes of war time love and the agony of life on the home front awaiting from news from Anzac Cove. An epic tale of heroism, resilience, the will to survive, loss and love, Glory presents a fine standpoint on the Anglo experience of Gallipoli.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partly based in the author’s own family history, this is a panoramic story of a group of people whose lives are changed for ever by their connection with the ill-starred Gallipoli campaign in World War One. From serving soldiers to the officers who led them, from the women back home to the nurses and VADs who tended the dead and dying, from the newsmen who reported on the events to the politicians and military top brass who ordered the fighting, all are given their voice here to often dramatic effect, and the horrors and futility of war are vividly portrayed in an often moving and mostly compelling narrative. The book is a little too long, with one or two unnecessary sub-plots, and there are a couple of anachronisms (did the British really refer to it as “strep throat” in 1915?) but overall I found myself caught up in the story and was happy to go along for the ride.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a (sometimes harrowing) account of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign of World War I. It is seen through the eyes of soldiers at Gallipoli and also through the families left behind in England. It is quite graphic when describing fighting and injuries inflicted on the soldiers but also examines their mental states, not only during the campaign but also afterwards. PTSD was not recognised at the time but was certainly a factor in the lives of the men later. It is quite critical of the politicians and generals who were only too willing to sacrifice men in what was obviously an unwinnable assault.

[Michael Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel based partly on the author's family history, Glory is a moving story of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign seen primarily through the eyes of three soldiers involved in the fighting on the murderous Turkish beaches and of some of the women left in England, in particular with Sylvia, fiancee of one of them, highly intelligent but uncertain of her role in wartime. It deals in the horrors of war, with the politics that drove the decision to embark on a doomed campaign (with Winston Churchill not being spared as the chief driving force behind the whole idea) and with the social issues raised by class and the position of women in a society drained of so many of it's young men. It is also a love story and a story of human resilience in the face of unspeakable horror. There have been many fine novels of life and death on the Western Front - Birdsong, All Quiet on the Western Front, Parade's End to name three, but on the hundreth anniversary of the Gallipoli landings this is one to rival those set in the more familiar theatre of WW1 and to demonstrate that it really was a war surpassing anything that had gone before, reaching out beyond the confines of Europe ever eastward.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve have read a few non fiction books about the Gallipoli campaign. Every book is heartbreaking. The scope of this travesty never fails to amaze me. Winston Churchill was the prime architect of the mission to capture Constantinople. The loss of life was breathtaking, the conditions which these soldiers experienced, and sheer stupidity of the those in power can never be forgotten. This was an audible book with a brilliant narrator, it took me once again to the battlefield, the horror of the injuries, the bravery and sadness. I particularly enjoyed the cynical character Rupert, he made me laugh, the exuberant Gussi, and Sylvia and Gussi’s gorgeous father. It’s just such a sad episode in history

[Louise Fry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a long read for a multiple of reasons - one I don’t normally enjoy World War One books fiction wise as the topic doesn’t naturally appeal to me compared to other topics
I found the author too descriptive in places - sometimes I was sitting there yawing at the description even thou beautifully written it was far too long
I don’t think personally it needed to be 500+ pages it could of finished in Around 350 half of it
Overall I would recommend to people who enjoy World War One history fiction and non fiction however for me personally it wouldn’t be one i would choose to read - however I did like the author

[AngelaC · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read intertwining two worlds - the senseless slaughter of the Dardanelles (or Gallipoli as the Australians call it) and the genteel but changing world of the women left behind in Britain. Beautifully written.

[Geoff Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite long, but a well crafted and human portrayal of the impact of the Gallipoli campaign of 1915/16.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a free copy of this as a Goodreads giveaway.

I've read a lot of novels set in wartime this year, and this is another cracker.

It takes a similar course to many war novels - following a small group of connected characters both at the front line and at home. As usual, most of the main characters are officers, but refreshingly it follows one private's experience too. The home sections don't dominate either - it's all about the soldiers.

Like everyone, I knew that Gallipoli was a futile, pointless waste of life - the epitome of bad leadership and even worse decision making. But I knew nothing of the details (I went to a girl's school, where history meant the industrial revolution and not much else!). So not only is it a great story (and it is a fat one, but you can't put it down) it also made me a little less ignorant - previously my knowledge of Gallipoli was gleaned from The Pogues version of the Band Played Waltzing Matilda!

So here I am again, just discovered another brilliant writer I'd never heard of with a large back catalogue - my wishlist will be groaning!

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very long book and unfortunately I had to abandon this at about 15% of the way through. Although the battle scenes were very well done, I just found it impossible to keep track (on audio) of the characters. Because I didn't really know who was who, I found I didn't much care what happened to them. It's such a pity as I wanted to love this book. It's based on the family history of the author and follows both soldiers and those on the home front during 1915, with a focus on Gallipoli. Maybe I will try to find an abridged version and see if I get on better with that. Overall very disappointing but might be better in paperback - all 555 pages!

[MsEleanorMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so impressed with this (audio) book. The author places the reader into an imagined but authentic experience of WWI. She weaves personal stories of a wide ranging number of characters whose lives are touched directly or indirectly by the Gallipoli Campaign. She primarily deals with British Army officers, NCO's and the enlisted ranks fighting in Turkey and their families and friends back home in Britain. It is a wholly unsentimental story where she tries to bring to life what the uncertainty and ugliness of war in this time in history wrought to peoples inner and outer lives. Narration by Leighton Pugh is spot on. Excellent.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glory is the story of the men and women of Gallipoli and the tragic events of 1915. It tells of the determination to survive, the love stories enduring across the war-torn miles, the decisions cast and the errors made. The author uses detailrd research to bring alive the twists and turns of the Gallipoli campaign.

Fascinating to be reading this on the actual hundredth anniversary of the allies retreat.....

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather spoiled for me as this was in audio book and the narration somewhat distracted from the fascinating but awful account of the dreadful Gallipoli campaign.
The ending was magnificent and unforgiving and worth the audio challenges that went before.
Would like to read in the hard copy complete with maps etc.

[Henrietta Grant]

This was a brilliant book and very hard to put down. The three main characters were all different and it was fascinating to see the way that the turbulent events of the Great War affected each of them differently as they lived through the campaign an then faced life - and a changed world - afterwards.

I would definitely recommend this book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book, I knew very little about the what happened in Gallipoli, good strong characters with complex lives, that you become involved in.