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Set
in London during World War Two, The Bloody War,
Mate is about a teenager's struggle to make sense
of the turmoil around him. While facing mortality,
love, sexuality, and death - he finds his way. This
book will appeal to readers interested in historical
events that influence down-to-earth characters.
—
Reviews —
"A
Kenton-born man has written his first novel, based
on his experiences in the area during the Second World
War. John Mantle's book The Bloody War, Mate, tells
the story of a very ordinary local family caught up
in extraordinary events....His novel is based on places
he remembers from his childhood ... and the story
is told from two viewpoints: John as a rebellious
13-year-old in suburban London, forced to grow up
amid the horrors of the war, and John as an elderly
man looking back on those experiences. ...Although
the author was just five when the war ended in 1945,
his memories of the horrors of the Blitz are still
clear. He made the story's hero older so that he could
depict his 'awakening sexuality.'...The story explores
John's terror at the bombing of London, as well as
his family's troubles and John's growing feelings
for his young neighbour, Sheila." –Harrow
Times, 7/31/03
"It's
brilliant. I was enthralled. I even missed my aerobics
class, a ritual, because I couldn't put it down."
–Cathy Jones, owner of C.C.A. British Foods,
Charlotte, NC"I
have just finished your book on life in north west
london during the war... it certainly caught the mood
of the times...I hope your next book is going well
and I did enjoy this one." –Frank Robson "The
tale's heart-wrenching events and colorful characters
come from Mantle's boyhood . . . Ingrained-in-the-brain
memories of the havoc Hitler's forces wreaked on London
fill the book."— The Herald-Journal, Spartanburg,
S.C.
"'The
Bloody War, Mate' is fiction, but the tale's heart-wrenching
events and colorful characters come from Mantle's
boyhood in that London [Tenby Avenue] suburb....And
what a boyhood it must have been. ... Ingrained-in-the-brain
memories of the havoc Hitler's forces wreaked on London
fill Mantle's book. ... Fear, dread, terror, death,
destruction and emotional agony are constant themes
in 'The Bloody War, Mate.' But here also is a tender,
engaging story set against a backdrop of a ravaging
war. ... Mantle says he created the book, in part,
because so few narratives about World War II seem
to have been written from the point of view of the
average Londoner. It's an engaging, enlightening read.""
— Larry Timbs The
Charlotte (SC) Observer7/20/03
"Mantle
began his journalism career at age 20 with United
Press International and spent several years in Moscow
during the Cold War. He moved to Fort Mill to become
publisher of the Fort Mill Times, which won numerous
press awards during his leadership. ... Several years
ago, Mantle suffered a stroke. He and Carol [his wife]
decided to step back from the daily demands of the
newspaper and concentrate on his recovery. ... As
Mantle grew stronger, he began writing an account
of his recovery and rehabilitation. The book was released
in 2000 as 'Cyclops Awakes: A Newspaperman Fights
Back after a Massive Stroke.' ... 'As I was working
on this nonfiction work, I found I enjoyed this kind
of writing,' he said. 'In writing news stories, journalists
are always working with a space crunch. In working
on a novel I realized that I didn't have to restrain
my words so much. I really like that. ... But, as I listened to a poet talk about her work with
words, she said that every word has to be essential,
and I agree with her. I spend time writing and I spend
a lot of time rewriting to be sure each word is essential.'
... In 'Bloody War' Mantle said Churchill had many
plans to keep Britain from falling to the Nazis. 'But
in the end it was the people and their comping with
all the difficulties that kept Britain free. I've
tried to convey that in this book.'"" — Lizann
Lutz The Herald of Rock Hill 07/20/03
"John
Mantle's story of a young man coming of age within
the drama of World War Two will touch you in a way
that no other writer ever could — quite simply,
it is brilliant." — Chris Davey, author of The
Aviator's Apprentice and Turner's Flight
"John
Mantle weaves a compelling tale of love and lessons
learned in his new novel The Bloody War, Mate . . . Mantle carefully develops the characters of
John and Sheila, who become as real as a next-door
neighbor. They start as children, thrust into war,
and both are forced to grow up too quickly. In the
end, mistakes are made and lessons learned, but they
find love and grow to treasure the commonplace."
–Elizabeth Hess, Fort Mill (SC) Times
About
the Author: John Mantle (Fort Mill, SC), has 44
years experience in journalism, 42 of them as a worldwide
correspondent. He spent 26 years at United Press International,
including long stints in such places as Moscow and
Buenos Aires, before moving to Washington, DC as the
agency’s executive vice president for newspapers.
He left UPI to become president, publisher and chief
operating officer of The Alexandria Gazette in Alexandria, Virginia.
In
1987, Mantle and his wife, Carol, bought the Fort
Mill Times, a weekly newspaper in Fort Mill, South
Carolina. They owned the Fort Mill Times for
ten years, turning it into one of the most successful
and prestigious community newspapers in the country
and winning dozens of state and national first-place
awards for journalism, photography and design in the
process. Mantle's first book, Cyclops Awake: A
Newspaperman Fights Back after a Massive Stroke was
published in 2000. The Anderson (SC) Independent-Mail described
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