The Invasion of 1910 (1906) is a novel by Anglo-French writer William
Le Queux. Published at the height of Le Queux's career as a leading
author of popular thrillers, The Invasion of 1910 is a story of
espionage, resistance, and international conflict. Using his own
research and experience as a journalist and adventurer, Le Queux crafts
an accessible, entertaining world for readers in search of a literary
escape. Known for his works of fiction and nonfiction on the possibility
of Germany invading Britain--a paranoia common in the early twentieth
century--William Le Queux also wrote dozens of thrillers and adventure
novels for a dedicated public audience. Although critical acclaim eluded
him, popular success made him one of England's bestselling writers. In
The Invasion of 1910, a large German occupying force lands undetected
on the coast of England. After quickly defeating a hastily assembled
British defense in a battle at Royston, German forces turn toward
London, eventually gaining control of half of the city. Woefully
unprepared, terribly overwhelmed, a small group of English politicians
gathers to form a resistance force capable of conducting guerrilla style
attacks on the well trained, heavily armed Germans. As the light of hope
returns to a beleaguered nation, a new British Army gathers strength in
order to cast the invaders out for good. Originally published in the
Daily Mail, Le Queux's novel was both popular and controversial for its
use of newspapermen dressed in German military uniforms to drum up
sales. Despite being rejected as alarmist in its time, The Invasion of
1910 would prove prescient less than a decade after its publication
with the outbreak of the First World War. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of William Le
Queux's The Invasion of 1910 is a classic novel reimagined for modern
readers.
