Breaking Point
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Product Details
Publisher: Suncoast Publishing
Release Date: July 31, 2019
Formats: Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
ISBN: PB: 978-1-7330792-1-1; EB: 978-1-7330792-2-8
Trim: 6 x 9
Page Count: 366
A Novel of the Battle of Britain (Breaking Point series, book 1)
John Rhodes
1940, World War II. The Nazis have crushed Europe, and Hitler launches a massive aerial assault with the Luftwaffe against the heavily outnumbered British RAF. The fate of civilization teeters in the balance.
Johnnie Shaux, a Spitfire fighter pilot, must summon up the fortitude to fly into a battle where death is all but inevitable, and continue to do so until the inevitable occurs…
Eleanor Rand, a brilliant Fighter Command mathematician, studies the control room map constantly tracking the ebbs and flows of the conflict, and sees the glimmerings of a radical breakthrough…
Breaking Point is based on actual events in the Battle of Britain. Written with a penetrating historical accuracy of World War II and breathtaking speed, Breaking Point puts you inside the cockpit as the pilots duel to the death, inside RAF Headquarters as the commanders makes their decisions, and inside the lives of young men and women facing one of the great crises in modern history.
About the Author
John Rhodes is the award-winning author of the World War II Breaking Point series, which follows his protagonists through the tumultuous years from the Battle of Britain to the Battle of the Bulge. A graduate of Cambridge University in history, his focus on World War II stems from his earliest memories of war-torn London where, he says, the shells of bombed-out buildings “served as our adventure playgrounds.”
Visit the author’s website at johnrhodesbooks.com
Reviews
“Rhodes memorably portrays Europe’s terrifying crisis. It’s easy to forget just how grim the future seemed. Also, the slowly brewing romance between Johnnie and Eleanor is touchingly drawn, especially Johnnie’s strenuously concealed existential despondency. A gripping, emotionally bracing account of a critical moment in history.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Hang onto your hat for a thrilling ride filled with feats of daring young pilots and the extraordinary accomplishment of women when their success was not supported. It’s a fascinating retelling. It amazes me that World History is not being taught using such sources; I would not have tuned out my teacher. If you like historical fiction, or stories of women’s successes, read this book. I highly recommend both this book and the writing of this author, John Rhodes.” —Authors on the Air Review Crew
“Well researched and based on six days during the famous Battle of Britain where the airmen’s life expectancy was actually something in the region of 4 weeks. At that time Europe was crushed by the Nazis and it could have been our turn next and the Battle of Britain played such a pivotal role in this. The author portrays this time well and those who have studied this time know, Britain was at the brink and history could have taken a very different turn.” —LoveReading
“John Rhodes’ brilliantly written historical novel centers on a Spitfire pilot and a mathematical genius struggling through WWII’s Battle of Britain and their own lack of personal confidence. This engaging history laced with personal struggle is spiced with well-researched and thrilling aerial combat scenes... Despite the action, the story never sacrifices character development and an appreciation of the humanness of those who serve as minor pieces in the chess game played by the masters of war. Readers will also be pleasantly surprised by how the author flawlessly—even captivatingly—weaves mathematics into a war/love story. This is a WWII novel to savor.” —Blue Ink Review
“Based on the historical accuracy of the Battle of Britain but with fictional elements, the narrative’s focus alternates between the two protagonists, Shaux and Eleanor. Prominent figures factor in primarily to Eleanor’s story, and the details of the fighting are true to records. The use of the two fictional leads allows for a strong balance of militaristic action and workplace tension and drama. Those who are new to learning about the air combat of the Second World War can consult the appendices at the end of the book, which offer detailed information about the various planes, figures, and speeches that so prominently define this era of history. A good story in its own right, the historical power and significance of this book’s backdrop lead to a read that is fast-paced, dangerous, and addictive.” —US Review of Books
“Rhodes weaves the story around actual air battles and the people involved—both fictional and real life. This engrossing book takes us into the airmen’s lives on the ground. It reveals how their dogged determination helped to win the war and the emotional price they paid to climb into their planes to do what they knew had to be done. This period was a very trying time for Britain and Breaking Point brings to life what was given to save a nation.” —Bookloons
“This is an excellent novel that focuses largely on the significant weeks of the Battle of Britain. The accounts of the battle and the descriptions of what it must have been like to fly planes in that battle, are accurate and authentic. The main pilot character is a realistic mixture of self-doubt, fatalism and determination but what makes this book different from other similar novels is the intriguing use of game theory by the main female character, Eleanor, as a way of analyzing what is going on in the air. The juxtapositioning of the statistical and theoretical analysis of the battle personified by Eleanor and the reality of the fighting experienced by Johnnie and his colleagues provide an extra dimension to the book which is well researched and an enjoyable read. I hope Johnnie flies again and Eleanor moves to provide more insightful analysis—perhaps helping to support D Day!” —Professor Leslie Bell
“I’ve been trying to find books about World War II with some degree of romance in them and thus when I saw the blurb for Breaking Point I thought, here we go, this sounds interesting. I had no idea what a treat I was going to get with it. Yes, there are grim moments—it is the Battle of Britain after all and filled with young and inexperienced pilots, many of whom never had a chance due to the hurry with which the RAF hurled them into planes and into the air against the overwhelming air superiority of the Lufwaffe. But there is also a a fair degree of subtle British humor, an intelligent woman who is allowed to shine, a stoic embodiment of Yeats’ poem about a dying airman, and an understated romance that curled my toes.
The Battle of Britain comes alive and I found myself riveted to the air battles 339 Squadron engages in. The descriptions of the various planes, the way they flew, and the tactics each side used were perfectly clear. As Eleanor was telling another character why Hitler needed Kesselring to destroy the RAF before an invasion could begin, then later explained why the RAF only needed to not lose the battle in order to defeat the Luftwaffe, it all made sense. I also appreciated that the RAF pilots were allowed to feel responsibility for the death of their German opponents personally and that Shaux was there to help one newbie with the impact of his actions. I had a great time reading Breaking Point and look forward to the sequel.” —Jayne, Dear Author
“A great novel of the Battle of Britain—from many angles. Breaking Point is a novel about the Battle of Britain 1940 fought in the sky and on the ground. Both are stories told from many different perspectives using realistic characters of a fighter pilot, a WAAF intelligence Officer, senior officials, Churchill, and many connected with the Fighter Command defence system of command and control during that hard fought year. Breaking Point is an apt title; the battle came close to succeeding during the last 2 weeks of August and the first week of September 1940, when air superiority was almost lost to the Luftwaffe. John Rhodes has succeeded in capturing the mood of the period and also educated readers into the little-told story of the people who supported the heroic Few, fighting and dying to save Britain.”
—Paul Davies, Aviation Historian and Battle of Britain Site Administrator