I found this terrific little hardcover of The Hour Before The Dawn, and bought it without a dust jacket, and had no idea what it was about. It was written by W. Somerset Maugham, who also wrote Of Human Bondage and The Painted Veil. A classic writer who I had never read before, and with that title, I was sold.
The Hour Before The Dawn was written in 1941, and my copy was published by Triangle Books in 1944. They published inexpensive editions through their parent Doubleday, and you can feel the rough pulp texture in the pages. Even in perfect shape, the pages have aged a light caramel colour, just right.
The Hour plays like Downton Abbey with the introduction of the Henderson family at their English estate. Matriarch Mrs. Henderson and the General; eldest son Roger, Jim and little Tommy; daughter Jane and her husband; Roger's wife May and the house staff. They have taken in Dora, a young lady they met in Austria, who Jim is fond of.
The action begins at the start of WW2 as Germany invades Poland. While Roger works overseas, his wife May falls in love with Dick Murray, and his brother Jim declares himself a pacifist and registers as a conchie. The house is turned into an aid home for the evacuated children of London, with Dora helping out as an organizer. There is a lot of melodrama in the first half of the book, and then the plot turns as someone in the house begins sending nighttime signals to the Germans about the location of a nearby secret airfield. Signals as subtle as a candle in the window, and bold as a burning haystack.
I found whole book entertaining, with some standout characters, and very British. There is terrific tension as the finale approaches ~ Maybe not so much in 'who' the Nazi spy was, but very interesting to think how long ago the plan was started.
This all leads to a really shocking climax. It was riveting, deflating and in some ways understandable all at the same time.
I'd recommend the great movie Edward Norton and Naomi Watts made of The Painted Veil.
In 1944, they filmed The Hour Before The Dawn with Veronica Lake and Franchot Tone, though they changed the story a little bit. Lake is perfect in her role.
I've since read that this is considered one of his least liked books. I thought it was cracking (and since this review, I have read Maugham extensively and he has become one of my top authors, and this, a favourite). If you enjoy British costume drama like Downton Abbey, I'd recommend this book. Really enjoyable.
1941 / Hardcover / 307 pages
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