Historical thriller
The Blue Pencil
Book details
- Author
- David Lowther
- Type
- Fiction
- Setting
- Fleet Street, Cliveden and Nazi Germany, 1936 to 1939
- Publisher
- Sacristy Press
- Published
- 1 November 2012
- Formats
- Paperback, Hardback, Ebook
- Pages
- 300
- ISBN
- 978-1-908381-07-1
Synopsis
Set in the turbulent years leading up to the Second World War, The Blue Pencil follows Roger Martin, an idealistic journalist working in the heart of Fleet Street. As fascism tightens its grip on Europe, Martin begins to uncover a disturbing alliance between powerful figures in the British establishment and the rising Nazi regime. With censorship tightening and dissent silenced, his quest for the truth becomes a dangerous game — one that threatens not just his career, but his life. Blending historical accuracy with a gripping narrative, the novel shines a light on the moral compromises and political manoeuvring of late 1930s Britain. As Martin’s investigation deepens, he is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the cost of integrity in an era of appeasement and propaganda. A chillingly relevant story for modern times, The Blue Pencil is a powerful exploration of truth, power, and the role of journalism in shaping public conscience.
About this book
- A story of Fleet Street journalism, appeasement and political secrecy, set between 1936 and 1939.
- Roger Martin, an idealistic young journalist, uncovers an alliance between senior British figures and the Nazi regime.
- Real people of the period, including members of the Cliveden circle and the journalist Claud Cockburn, appear alongside the fictional characters.
- Published by Sacristy Press in paperback, hardback and ebook.
Themes
- Appeasement
- Journalism and censorship
- The Cliveden Set
- Pre-war politics
The history behind the novel
- Neville Chamberlain Did the Wrong Thing (May 5, 2026)
The case for and against Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler, from the Rhineland to the Munich Agreement, and why David Lowther believes Britain and France should have stood up to Hitler in 1938.
- Collaboration in the Second World War (February 7, 2026)
How occupied nations balanced survival, ideology, and betrayal--and how post-war reckoning reshaped Europe's memory of collaboration.
- Cliveden and the Seeds of Appeasement (November 27, 2025)
How a grand Thames-side country house helped shape Britain’s policy of appeasement in the 1930s — and how those events echo through my fiction.
More books by David Lowther
-
Two Families at War Novel: North London and the Isle of Man, 1939 to December 1940 -
The Summer of ’39 Novel: Britain and Berlin, 1939 -
Ordinary Heroes Novel: London during the Blitz, internment in Britain and wartime Sicily -
Liberating Belsen History: Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Germany, April 1945