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HistoryExtra podcast

Robert Harris on V2, historical fiction and WW2

HistoryExtra podcast

HistoryExtra

History

4.34.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2020

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Robert Harris discusses V2, his new Second World War thriller inspired by the German missile campaign in 1944 Best-selling historical novelist Robert Harris discusses his latest thriller, V2, inspired by the German missile campaign in 1944. He explains why he is obsessed by the Second World War, and shares some of the secrets of writing great historical fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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excludes plug-in hybrids, Delantis Financial Services.

0:46.3

Hello and welcome to the History Extra podcast from BBC History Magazine, Britain's best-selling history magazine.

0:56.2

I'm Ellie Cawthorne.

1:00.6

What's the secret to truly gripping historical fiction?

1:07.5

Well, for today's podcast, I spoke to the best-selling historical novelist Robert Harris to try and find out.

1:11.9

You've probably come across some of Robert's books, such as Munich, Enigma,

1:18.1

Pompeii, Fatherland or The Second Sleep, many of which have been adapted for film. For his latest book, V2, Robert returns to the Second World War and the launching of one of the conflict's

1:24.1

deadliest weapons. I spoke to him to find out more. So thanks very much for

1:29.0

joining me to discuss your new World War II thriller V2. To begin with, I think you can do this

1:34.8

better than me. So I wonder if you could just give listeners an idea of what it's all about,

1:39.7

the opening gambit, as it were. Well, the novel takes place over four or five days at the end of November, 1944.

1:51.3

And it's about the launching of V2 ballistic missiles from occupied Holland by the Germans against London.

1:59.8

And I tell the story through two main characters.

...

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