Our Only Shield: A Novel of the Second World War

by Michael J. Goodspeed
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Publish Date: October 05, 2010
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Overview

Set in the desperate days at the outset of the Second World War, Our Only Shield brings back Rory Ferrall, the resourceful Canadian spy from Michael J. Goodspeed's debut novel, Three to a Loaf.

Hastily recalled from a successful career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rory arrives in Britain only to find a war that is being prosecuted with political indecision and wishful thinking. The skills he displayed as a spy in the Great War are once again sorely needed by a small group of far-sighted but frustrated military planners.

Our Only Shield is a fascinating journey that takes us from an early wartime Britain still reeling from a string of catastrophic defeats into the once-peaceful Netherlands.

In 1940, Holland was a prosperous country where an industrious and innocent population simply yearned for peace and the chance to lead tranquil lives. Believing they could escape the havoc and violence of a world gone berserk, they awoke to find themselves governed by a new, terrifyingly brutal regime. Inserted into this shocked and traumatized community, Rory Ferrall soon finds himself caught up with two unforgettable characters: Annika Hammerstein, a gifted musician who refuses to watch passively as atrocities are inflicted on her family and her country, and Reinhold Neumann, a dangerously anxious but clever and ambitious Nazi policeman whose aspirations are unrestrained by conscience.

Our Only Shield is a meticulously researched story of how ordinary people marshal their talents to fight against ruthlessly efficient evil. Rich in historical detail, peopled with enduring characters, this powerful narrative gains steadily in momentum and tension and moves to a gripping conclusion. It's an enthralling and satisfying story as well as a meditation on the timeless nature of organized violence.

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Author Information

Michael J. Goodspeed

Michael Goodspeed has had careers in business and in the army as an infantry officer. He has lived and worked across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He has degrees in English literature, business administration, and strategic studies.

The author of numerous articles and newspaper columns, Goodspeed wrote a major 2002 non-fiction book, When Reason Fails: Portraits of Armies at War. His first work of fiction, Three to a Loaf: A Novel of the Great War, also featured Our Only Shield protagonist Rory Ferrall, on a dangerous mission inside Germany.

Michael and his wife, Shannon, have three grown children and live in an old farmhouse in the Eastern Ontario countryside. His hobbies include reading, music, fitness, writing, travel, and skiing.

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