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Killing Time

by Geoffrey Wagner

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“The Killing Time”, dated 1981, is the second of Geoffrey Wagner's WWII novels, following “The Sands of Valour” (1969). The earlier work is set in the North African desert in the battles leading to the Allied victory at El Alamein, and this one concerns the campaign in mainland Italy following the landings at Salerno and Anzio. Both books are redolent with the feeling of personal experience, and we are aware of Wagner's personal participation in both theatres of war, which quite possibly involved action as a tank commander in each case. The later novel's use of the name “Geoff” for the principal character seems to hint at the work's autobiographical nature, and several references are made to details of Geoff's earlier life which are consistent with what we know of this. Such inferences are consistent with the narrative structure used in the books, which is unusual. Thus, in “The Killing Time”, the first parts of Wagner's story concern tank warfare, leading to capture and subsequent irregular action behind enemy lines. References to tank warfare after this point are mere observations, as the action moves to political goings-on in Italy following that country's surrender. The book is replete with surprising turns of fortune, and it seems authoritative in its descriptions of both tank engagements and the complex, mafia-influenced politics of the time. The latter provide an informed insight into the complexities that ensue when military and civilian concerns are brought into intimate contact. ( )
1 vote CliffordDorset | May 20, 2015 |
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