The Exeter Blitz
Front cover of first edition
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| Author | David Rees |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Laszlo Acs |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's historical novel, war novel |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
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Publication date
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1978 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 116 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 476503406 |
| LC Class | PZ7.R25468 Ex |
The Exeter Blitz is a children's historical novel by David Rees, published by Hamilton in 1978. Set in the southwestern England city of Exeter, partly at Exeter Cathedral, it features the heavy May 1942 air raid and its effect on the life of one family, the Lockwoods.
Rees won the annual Carnegie Medal recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.
Elsevier published the first U.S. edition in 1980.
The novel opens in Colin Lockwood's school during a history lesson, the night after an air raid. Colin has fallen asleep, provoking sarcasm from the teacher, Mr Kitchen. At home, Colin irritates his mother and older sister Mary, and so decides to go to see his father, who is working at Exeter Cathedral.
At the cathedral Colin notes down an inscription carved by one of his ancestors, for his history homework. As Mr Lockwood has to check on the fire-fighting arrangements, Colin climbs to the top of the south tower for the first time, and is impressed by the extensive view of the city. He accidentally leaves his jacket up there, with his homework in the pocket.
When Colin gets home, his mother recruits him to hand out sherry and snacks at the fashion show in Nimrod's that evening. Colin finds he quite enjoys his duties, and he is surprised when Mr Kitchen and his wife join the party. He gets a fit of giggles when he listens to the speaker, Mrs Wimbleball, describing the new collection in glowing terms, and is sent out by his mother. He decides to retrieve his jacket from the cathedral tower, and climbs to the roof.
At this point the sirens start, and the planes arrive unusually soon afterwards. Colin sees the bombing start and is thrilled and fascinated until he realizes his danger. During a lull in the bombardment, he runs down the steps to an air raid shelter. On the way he narrowly escapes being hit by machine-gun fire.
Mr Lockwood and his younger daughter June are at home where they shelter under the stairs. A bomb falls on the house, destroying half of it. When the all-clear sounds they are able to crawl through the rubble to the street.
At Nimrod's, some people are trapped in the lift when the power station is hit. When a bomb hits the shop, Mrs Lockwood is injured, Mrs Wimbleball is paralyzed and the Kitchens are killed outright.
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