THE HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN

by W. Somerset Maugham ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 19, 1942

The author's name insures sales and rentals, but, quite frankly, under an unknown author's name, this would rank as unimportant and unconvincing, lacking even in the craftsmanship that one can usually depend upon with Maugham. The period spans immediate pre-war days -- old England accepting traditions of inheritance, social and family position, approved mores, preening themselves on immunity insured by Munich; then the invasion of Poland, the period defined as the ""phony war"", the Spring of 1940 culminating in Dunkirk, the start of the African campaign. The characters are chiefly members of an old family, serene in their assumption of permanence, and the story revolves around their dissolution.

Pub Date: June 19, 1942

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday, Doran

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1942

Categories: FICTION