The Greatest Day in History
This was a Waterstone’s recommendation of the month, a very strong book about the Armistice of November 1918. Instead of regurgitating all the usual stuff, it looks at what people like Marlene Dietrich, Erich Maria Remarque, Thomas Mann, Charles de Gaulle, Harry Truman, Eamon de Valera, Gandhi, Eisenhower, Lenin and Corporal Hitler were doing on the day.
Interest in film rights has come from all sorts of British TV companies and as far afield as Hollywood. At one point, I was assured in a phone call from Cannes that all the money was in place for an international TV spectacular. Then the recession struck.
‘This volume sets an example that will be hard to equal… Reading it is like looking into a photograph album full of vivid snaps of the world taken during a week of high tension, crisis, celebration, tragedy and illusion’ – Daily Mail
‘Scintillating… a miscellany of tragedy mixed with delight’ – Literary Review
‘In this splendid new book… Best has written a first-rate work of popular history, which skilfully evokes the relief that the Armistice brought by focusing in detail on the few days leading up to it. This is a complex story, with many strands, but Best weaves them together in masterly fashion into a vivid, pacy narrative… There is likely to be a flood of books this year commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, but Nicholas Best’s will take some beating’ – Yorkshire Post
‘Remarkable… will be very hard to match’ – Western Morning News
‘Well-written and entertaining… undoubtedly an enthralling read’ – Glasgow Herald
‘Highly readable… Best paints a compelling picture’ – BBC Who Do You Think You Are?
‘Nicholas Best has come up trumps’ – Scottish Legion News
‘This is a fascinating book’ – Good Book Guide
‘An excellent history… a fully rounded picture and a fitting publication for the 90th anniversary’ – Publishing News
‘A truly magnificent book… highly recommended’ – Guards Magazine
