Hampton Wick by Robert O. Carman

About the book

A story of war, romance and tragedy unfolds as Europe struggles to rebuild following World War II. Young American men and women are once again called upon to serve in the military throughout Europe to maintain an uneasy peace, while others are embroiled in the Korean Conflict raging in the far east.

Hampton Wick is like any other small English village until its serenity is disrupted by the arrival of the Americans at nearby Bushy Park Air Force Base. The village becomes the gathering place for these young men, and for young English women who grew up during a devastating war, enduring years of deprivation. They come by the hundreds from all parts of London and surrounding areas to meet these young Americans who have the means to offer them pleasure, companionship and luxuries they have never known. Some are fortunate enough to meet young men who treat them decently and with respect, others what to marry a GI as a passage to the States, some actually find love, while others fall prey to those who care for little other than their own pleasure. The young men and women who venture into Hampton Wick are forced to cope with prejudice, immorality, tragedy and even death.

Robert Chamberlain is unhappy with the events that have brought him to England, disrupting his life and his family. His ambition is to complete his military obligation, return home to pursue his plans for college and a career and resume life as it once was. That is, until Jennifer comes into his life; the lovely young woman who, against her better judgment falls in love with this handsome young American. Robert discovers the beauty and fascination of London as Jennifer guides him through the city. He falls in love with her, the city and England, the country he was determined to dislike. Meeting Jennifer changes Robert's life forever, for without warning she is taken from him as suddenly as she had entered his life. Robert searches for Jennifer until there is no longer any place to look and he must leave England without her. Bitter and disappointed, he comes involved with the decadent life in Hampton Wick, caught up in a turmoil that threatens to destroy him.

And there is Pat, the wise, generous woman who lives in Hampton Wick. A survivor of the war, she is aware of all that goes on in Hampton Wick, the decadence involving both the English and the Americans. She is a loyal friend to a privileged few of these young Americans and becomes their counselor, their confidant and their conscience.

Hampton Wick recounts the days of World War II, Eisenhower's residency at Bushy Park planning the Normandy invasion, and history flowing along the River Thames from Hampton Court Palace to the heart of London. From the death of King George VI to the pageantry and excitement of the coronation of Elizabeth II, the reader views these events through the eyes of a young American from the first moment Robert Chamberlain sets foot on English soil until a twist of fate brings Robert and Jennifer together again.

About the author

Robert O. Carman is a U.S. Air Force veteran. He is a graduate of the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, earning his BFA degree in Illustration and Graphic Arts. An award winning illustrator and water colorist, he was Art Director at the General Electric Space Technology Center, Valley Forge, PA prior to establishing his own advertising agency.

Through his work he has traveled throughout the United States, the far east and Europe. He spent several years in England with the U.S. Air Force where his years at Bushy Park Air Force Base became the basis for his novel Hampton Wick.