That Which Hath Wings: A Novel of the Day

The Story

The narrative begins in the gilded, uneasy months of early 1914. Francis Athelstan Sherbrand, an idealistic young Viscount and aviation enthusiast, marries Margot "Kittums" Mountjohn. Their honeymoon is brief, shadowed by the encroaching reality of a global conflict. Franky, as he is known, divides his time between his duties as an officer and his obsession with designing a specialized "hoverer" aeroplane. His life intersects with a mysterious, manipulative German agent named von Herrnung, who moves through London’s social elite with a sinister charm, seeking to exploit both the scientific advancements and the personal vulnerabilities of those around him.

Patrine Saxham, a woman of intense, often volatile emotions, becomes caught in von Herrnung’s web. She is seduced and then threatened by his cold, calculating persona, feeling the degradation of his influence even as she tries to maintain her honor. Her family—including the stoic Lynette and her brother, who is involved in high-level intelligence—finds themselves increasingly drawn into the orbit of the German espionage network. The tension peaks during a summer that feels heavy with the promise of violence, as the German Embassy’s plans for "The Day" begin to materialize through covert missions, stolen blueprints, and the systematic infiltration of British circles.

As the conflict erupts, the atmosphere shifts from the ballroom to the battlefield. Bawne, a young man entrusted with secret documents, experiences the brutal reality of the German war machine, suffering torture for his refusal to yield secrets. Franky, meanwhile, enters the fray as an aviator. His technical genius and courage are tested when he is thrust into the skies over the Western Front. He is severely wounded and blinded in an aerial duel, yet he survives to return to the home front. His recovery is marked by a strange, near-miraculous turn of events where the shock of war and a subsequent incident restore his sight, allowing him to return to service.

The climax of the novel centers on the intersection of personal relationships and the broader war effort. Patrine, having discarded the influence of the "Superman" von Herrnung, finds redemption in her love for Franky and her devotion to the national cause. The various subplots—the thwarted sabotage attempts, the destruction of civilian towns by Krupp howitzers, and the shifting loyalties within the social set—converge as characters face the ultimate test of their character. The story moves toward a resolution where the personal tragedy of the war is mitigated by a fierce, almost religious commitment to duty.

In the final movements, the characters are transformed by their experiences. Franky is recognized for his heroism, and his marriage to Patrine becomes a symbol of the resilience of the British spirit. The novel concludes with a quiet, poignant scene on the Seasheere Downs. Franky prepares for his return to the Western Front, and Patrine, having long since moved past her own moral crises and the dark shadow of her past, affirms her support for his return to the air. Their love is presented not as a fragile thing to be protected from the war, but as a source of strength that transcends the impending violence, leaving the couple bound together in the service of their country.

The People

• Francis Athelstan Sherbrand (Franky): A noble-hearted, somewhat naive young Viscount who finds his purpose as an aviator. His technical aptitude for flight is matched by his unwavering patriotism, and he evolves from a naive gentleman into a hardened, battle-tested officer.
• Patrine Saxham: A woman of "stark" and complex nature, she struggles with the duality of her own morality. Initially ensnared by the cruel magnetism of von Herrnung, she undergoes a painful process of self-reproach and ultimately finds strength through her devotion to her husband and her country.
• Von Herrnung: The "Superman" and German agent who serves as the primary antagonist. He is defined by his cold, calculated manipulation, using his status and intelligence to undermine those around him. His desire for power and his role in the sabotage of British interests drive the central tension.
• Margot (Kittums) Sherbrand: Franky’s wife, who represents a lighter, more superficial aspect of their social set. While she often navigates the world with a "humming-bird" intelligence and a propensity for dishonesty, she remains a constant in Franky’s life, serving as the domestic tether he clings to amid the horrors of war.
• Bawne: A courageous young operative who suffers greatly in service of the truth. His resilience under torture and his refusal to betray his mission highlight the high cost of the conflict and the quiet bravery of those operating behind the scenes.

In Its Own Voice

The author introduces a somber, prophetic tone early on, framing the personal stakes against the backdrop of an impending, inevitable catastrophe.

"The haggard, beautiful, tearless Rachel of the picture hadn't bucked at the disfigurement and the pain and the danger of child-bearing."

This reflection on a painting captures the book's preoccupation with sacrifice and the weight of legacy.

"When the shots from a Bosnian High School student's revolver pierced Franz Ferdinand's brain and body, was he sane enough to realise that the crime of the Anarchist had saved his own name from foul, indelible, and hideous infamy?"

This line underscores the author’s tendency to view historical events through a lens of moral judgment and spiritual consequence.

What It's Really About

The book is an exploration of the moral and psychological toll of total war on the English social consciousness at the end of the 1910s. It argues that the "Great War" is not merely a geopolitical clash but a cosmic confrontation between "White or Black" forces. The author posits that the war demands a total transformation of the individual—a shedding of social pretenses and a move toward a state of spiritual and national purity.

Central to this argument is the concept of the "Superman" in the German context, which the author presents as a perversion of human potential, grounded in cruelty and cold efficiency. This is contrasted against the "stark breed" of the English characters, whose strength is derived from their capacity for love, forgiveness, and a fatalistic dedication to duty. The book is deeply concerned with the "inward voice," a guiding moral conscience that individuals must heed even when the external world is descending into chaos.

The narrative questions whether it is possible to maintain one's humanity while engaged in the "death-wrestle" of mechanized warfare. The answer it provides is rooted in the idea of the "Bird of War"—a symbol of the aviator who, though a participant in destruction, is elevated by his cause. The book links the physical act of flying and the technological development of aeroplanes with a higher, almost metaphysical mission. This is not a book about the politics of the war, but about the experience of the war as an initiation. It suggests that the conflict is an "inward" necessity, a crucible that burns away the "deplorable" habits and "slangy" trivialities of pre-war life to reveal a core of heroic, sacrificial character. The themes of sight and blindness—both literal and figurative—serve as metaphors for the characters’ evolving understanding of the war’s necessity. By the end, the characters are no longer the individuals they were in the "perfect July day" of 1914; they have been reforged by the "woe-wave" of history, finding a form of peace that can only exist in the shadow of the grave.

Why Read It Today

This novel is a compelling, if demanding, artifact of its time. It is written with a feverish, often intense energy that mirrors the high-stakes panic of 1914-1918. Readers who are drawn to the history of the early twentieth century, particularly the transition from the Edwardian elegance to the brutal realities of the first modern conflict, will find the author’s perspective fascinating. It provides a raw, unfiltered look at how the war was perceived, articulated, and justified in real-time.

The reading experience is unusual; the prose is dense, frequently punctuated by slang of the period and a heavy, sometimes overwrought, emotional register. The author expects the reader to be familiar with the social cues of the era, and there are moments where the dialogue feels stage-managed or overtly performative. Those who enjoy a straightforward, modern narrative style may find the book’s Victorian-inflected melodrama a challenge. The period attitudes—particularly the nationalist fervor and the stark, binary morality—are presented without apology.

What lingers after reading is the book’s pervasive sense of urgency. It captures the specific feeling of a world held in suspension before a breaking point. While the characters may seem archetypal, their struggles with disillusionment and their attempts to reconcile their personal lives with the demands of the state feel authentically tied to the era’s anxieties. It is a book that demands patience, but it rewards the reader with a vivid, if exhausting, portrait of a generation caught in the gears of history. It is best read as a historical document—a testament to how a society, in the midst of its most traumatic transformation, sought to make sense of the carnage through the lens of nobility, duty, and the enduring power of the human spirit. If you appreciate literature that wears its heart and its history on its sleeve, you will find this an evocative, if occasionally overwhelming, journey.