It is January 1941, and the Blitz is devastating England. Food supplies are low and tube stations have become bomb shelters. As the U.S. maintains its sceptical isolationist position, Winston Churchill knows that Britain is doomed without the aid of its powerful ally even as its citizens seek solace in alcohol and fleeting romances. As bombs rain down over London, a weary Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt’s most trusted advisor, is sent to London as his emissary, and comes face to face with the Prime Minister himself and an attractive and determined young female driver who may not be what she seems. In Sleep in Peace Tonight, a tale of courage, loyalty, and love, and the sacrifices made in the name of each, James MacManus conjures to life not only Blitz-era London and the White House but also the poignant lives of personalities that shaped the course of history during Britain’s darkest hour.
AUTHOR: James MacManus is the managing director of The Times Literary Supplement. After studying at St Andrews University he began his career in journalism at the Daily Express in Manchester. Joining the Guardian in 1972, he later became Paris, and then Africa and Middle East Correspondent. His acclaimed debut work, Ocean Devil (2008), about the life of a young English adventurer in China was made into a film starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Children of the Silk Road. James’ first novel, On the Broken Shore, was published in 2010. This was followed by Black Venus (2013) the story of the French poet Charles Baudelaire and his mistress Jeanne Duval, and his first World War II novel Sleep in Peace Tonight. Twice divorced with three children James MacManus lives quietly in Dulwich, London.