War Stories

A uniquely intimate narrative of ordinary men and women facing the challenges and turmoil of war with acts of great heroism and humanity.

A fascinating account of ordinary men and women swept up in the turbulence of conflict, War Stories tells the tales of thirty-four individuals who have pushed the boundaries of love, bravery, suffering, and terror beyond the imaginable.

These stories span three centuries and five continents. There is the courage of Edward Seager who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade; the cunning of Krystyna Skarbek, quick-thinking spy and saboteur during the Second World War; the skullduggery of Benedict Arnold, who switched sides in the American War of Independence and the compassion of Magdalene de Lancey who tenderly nursed her dying husband at Waterloo.

Told with vivid narrative energy and full of unexpected insights, War Stories moves effortlessly from tales of spies, escapes, and innovation to uplifting acts of humanity in times of crisis, celebrating men and women whose wartime experiences are beyond compare.

Ann MacMillan grew up in Canada, where she worked for CHIN Radio, Global TV News, and CTV News. She worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for many years, before moving to London to marry Peter Snow.

Peter Snow is a highly respected author and broadcaster. He presented BBC's Newsnight from 1980 to 1997. An indispensable part of election nights, he has also covered military matters on the world's battlefields for forty years. He is the author of several history books, including When Britain Burned the White House. He lives in London.