Growing up together in the early 1900’s in the London Docklands, Harry and Karl forge an unbreakable friendship. With their fathers working as dockhands, both families struggle to survive on low wages and poor living conditions.

Facing unemployment and destitution following a dock strike in Germany, Karl’s parents moved to England for a better life, hoping to raise their son in an environment of love and security. However, Harry’s homelife is dominated by violence and drunken cruelty inflicted by his father. Shared dreams of a life far away from the grime and deprivation of the shipyards see the two friends swear a lifetime oath of allegiance to one another.

As time passes, the boys grow ever closer until a horrific accident threatens to tear their friendship apart. Struggling to maintain their alliance and with the advent of war, Karl returns to Germany, while Harry joins the British Army. By a strange turn of events and with war raging across Europe, the two meet again.

Will memories of their childhood pledge prove enough to overcome their differences, or has the bond between them been broken forever?

Mark Seaman, married with three children, is a successful radio and television broadcaster, playwright, and author, with several award-winning manuscripts produced both nationally and internationally. An Oath Betrayed is his second publication with The Book Guild, following the critical success of A Corner of My Heart. Details of Mark’s career can be found at www.mark-seaman.com and his play manuscripts are available through www.lazybeescripts.co.uk

Mark explains: “I was inspired to write ‘An Oath Betrayed,’ when someone gave me a postcard with a drawing depicting a scene from the Christmas Truce during the First World War when troops on both sides of the trenches stopped fighting on Christmas day. The soldiers exchanged gifts, sang carols & played football together. Within a couple of minutes of looking at the drawing I had the idea for the story. What if a German soldier and a British soldier recognised each other on the battlefield from a previous existence? How might that affect their relationship now as enemies? I still have the postcard.”

RELEASE DATE: 28/09/2024 ISBN: 9781835740484 Price: £9.99