The Invasion of 1910
by William LeQueux
I began trying to digest this 550 page monstrosity several months ago.
The going was too rough and I lost the war.
"The Invasion of 1910" (renamed "The Invasion of England" on a post-1910 basis) is broken down into:
Book I: The Attack
Book II: The Siege of London
Book III: The RevengeThis summarizes things as good as anything.
I did manage to glance at every page to look for passages that looked interesting.
Once the Germans (the book did have the courage to "name names" instead of inventing a phony country) invade England through subterfuge and careful planning, a pattern emerges. The British attempt to repel a German attack in (fill in the blank). The battle is described in imaginary detail for 15 or 20 pages. Maps are provided. Fictitious declarations by both the Germans and the British seem to be another favorite form of illustration. A short lecture is then given stating how the whole thing could have been avoided if only England had prepared herself. This cycle is repeated many, many times!!!
In the end, England defeats Germany through sheer numbers and British grit but not before she suffers devastating loses.
There is almost no human interest in this novel to emphasize the horrors of war. Characters are invented if the name of a general, a member of parliament or someone to report on a particular battle is called for. That's it.
I've gotten something out of reading "past future histories" prior to this. But this one is purely for the military buffs.
"The Invasion of 1910" inspired the 1914 film "If England Were Invaded" aka "The Raid of 1915". The film story seems to focus on a seaside area where the invasion first occurs.
written: 7/8/2002