What do readers think of Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford? Write your own review.

Gifts of War is the type of story you want to read ideally at one sitting, perhaps snowbound near a cozy fire or laying on the beach for days where you can be totally immersed in the setting of World War I and the havoc it caused in countless lives. It’s one I didn’t want to put down. I was captivated from page one with narrator Henry (Hal) Montgomery as he begins his story with the 1914 Christmas Truce on the Western Front. That day, Hal, as a British soldier, comes face to face with a German soldier. They exchange gifts and make a pact that will change their lives forever. For the next four years Hal harbors a secret, creating constant tension for the reader, wondering if and when he will be found out. This book will appeal to both men and women with its details of history, espionage of warfare, and an exquisite love story.

Start with a promise betrayed, deception, then guilt. Set during England at war there is a suspension of conventional virtues. Each new turn of this story comes close to upsetting this keenly balanced scale of lies and love. It will keep you reading to see what else could possibly happen.

Despite being well written with excellent WWI research, I just found this "love story/spy/pacifist" story hard to believe.
This book is definitively not "All Quiet on the Western Front" and if turned into a movie, it would not be "Paths of glory".

This is a good read. It starts out a bit slowly but I would encourage the reader not to give up.

The author tells a fascinating story about how WWI affected the people living in London. By starting off with the famous Christmas Day truce he continues to tie in the feelings of the people from England and Germany.

Gifts of War would lead to interesting discussions in a book club. Readers who enjoy historical fiction should consider reading this book.

This historian-turned-fiction-writer does a great job evoking the atmosphere of WWI-era London and his imagery leaps off the page. The characters are the weakest part of this very good book. The main character's decision to withhold information is the central point of the novel but this choice makes him a difficult character to like and that detracts from the enjoyment of the book somewhat. The insight into military intelligence analysis was fascinating. Overall, a very good book.

For me this was a page turner from the Christmas Truce, in 1914, to March 1926. The story was so well written I could relate to every scene. The author incorporated personal knowledge of military intelligence and the history of WWI. Although I did not always like Hal and Sam, I felt that I really knew them and was empathetic to their situation.

For me, the real "gifts of war" were the relationships of parent and child, sisters, lovers, friends and acquaintances. There was the thrill of love on all levels. Also, there was the tragedy of unrequited love.

I would love to see this book spend many weeks on the best seller list .

This book is wonderful in capturing the tragedy, drama, and difficulties that people lived with during World War 1 in England. I enjoy reading stories of the times during the World Wars, and the author nicely wove the love story with historical facts. The descriptions of life during these years is very realistic, and I thought the author did a good job in telling about the changing role of women during this era.

This story is based on a love borne of deceit, omission and the tragedy of secrets.
A few times I thought the plot a bit contrived, but the ending had an unusual twist.
A good story and a good read.

I thought this was a very good read. It kept my interest. I find the period during WWI fascinating, and the author wove in some interesting facts about the time period that were enlightening.

It is a romance, albeit a rather dark one.