Another question arose in the guise of a book critic’s opinion. In this person’s desire to accuse me of jingoism, it became clear that they needed more detail about the civilian population. So where are the civilians?
While a lot of time isn’t spent solely on the subject, make no mistake, the civilian population is important. Extremely important, which is why the character, John, General Patrick’s son-in-law, allows us some insight in the initial phases of the invasion as he is forced to seek refuge along with other civilians. You will also see how the military is forced to deal with refugee issues which, from a soldier’s point of view, is by necessity part of the job. Face it, if not for the civilians, there would be no need for protection.
History is always a good teacher, and this is no exception. When France was invaded by the Nazis in 1940, part of the Nazi strategy was to flood the roads with refugees and then literally clog the system so that troops could not move into, or out of, position. Since France fell quickly, and the British had to leave via Dunkirk, this strategy appears to have partially worked. In The Own the Night, the plight of the civilians is covered in some detail, along with an extensive discussion about setting up schools, trying to feed the population, etc. This book is told from the perspective of those trying to fight an enemy, not run a soup kitchen. Naturally, this is not a civilian story. We are at war with an alien, and therefore, there won’t be time for the romantic interlude in a hay loft. If you’re wanting that in your book, move along, because there is nothing to see here!
While a lot of time isn’t spent solely on the subject, make no mistake, the civilian population is important. Extremely important, which is why the character, John, General Patrick’s son-in-law, allows us some insight in the initial phases of the invasion as he is forced to seek refuge along with other civilians. You will also see how the military is forced to deal with refugee issues which, from a soldier’s point of view, is by necessity part of the job. Face it, if not for the civilians, there would be no need for protection.
History is always a good teacher, and this is no exception. When France was invaded by the Nazis in 1940, part of the Nazi strategy was to flood the roads with refugees and then literally clog the system so that troops could not move into, or out of, position. Since France fell quickly, and the British had to leave via Dunkirk, this strategy appears to have partially worked. In The Own the Night, the plight of the civilians is covered in some detail, along with an extensive discussion about setting up schools, trying to feed the population, etc. This book is told from the perspective of those trying to fight an enemy, not run a soup kitchen. Naturally, this is not a civilian story. We are at war with an alien, and therefore, there won’t be time for the romantic interlude in a hay loft. If you’re wanting that in your book, move along, because there is nothing to see here!
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