The village of Alvesdon has been home to the Castells for generations. But the year is 1939 and the peace and tranquillity there is about to be shattered once more by the threat of war in Europe. As three generations of the family gather, they must all face the prospect of their lives being transformed beyond recognition the moment Britain declares war on Germany.When the inevitable happens and bombs start raining down on London, the younger members of the family and farm workers are called up to fight and those who remain must battle to keep the home fires burning and the farm afloat.Stretching from the glorious summer of 1939 to the Battle of Britain the following year, acclaimed historian James Holland paints a compelling and immersive portrait of how the war changed everything. For one family and a community, their way of life will never be the same again...