Manning Coles Books In Order

Publication Order of Tommy Hambledon Books

Publication Order of Charles and James Latimer Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Manning Coles is an English author. It is the pen name used by British writers Cyril Coles and Adelaide Manning.

Cyril was born in 1899 and passed away in 1965. Adelaide was born on 1891 and passed away in 1959. The two of them ended up meeting in Hampshire, where they were neighbors. They both lived in the town of East Meon. Coles had worked in both world wars for the British intelligence service. His neighbor served in the first World War working for the War Office.

Manning Coles is the creator of the Tommy Hambledon series. The series kicked off in 1940 when the debut novel came out. It is titled Drink to Yesterday and is the first story to feature the main character of Tom Hambledon. He is employed in the Foreign Office. The series did well at the time and has a total of twenty-five novels in it.

The early books that they wrote tended to have realistic details and a grim tone occasionally. The books that they wrote together under the shared pen name after the war were more light in tone and even whimsical. They did not just write about the war but composed books that concerned ghosts, often featuring ghost cousins that were named James and Charles. They were published under a different pen name in England (Francis Gaite) but the Coles name was used when it was published in the U.S.

A lot of the stories that they wrote were actually based on things that had happened with Cyril. He had not only enlisted under a false age and assumed name during the first world war, he also went on to work in British intelligence services where he became the youngest officer there thanks to the lies he had told in order to serve in WWI. Cyril had an ability to completely master languages and often would work behind the German lines. He would go on to have two sons, Peter and Michael– they are identical twins.

Drink to Yesterday is the debut novel by author Manning Coles in his Hambledon series. This is where we get to meet main character that the series is named after for the first time. The book was heralded upon its release for being a notable departure from the overly ‘fanciful’ spy novels and thrillers that had come before, which had included all manner of beautiful women that ended up being deadly as well as rich agents and puzzles and decoders.

Michael Kingston is quite in demand in the secret service. He was brought in at the age of seventeen, which is when he enlisted. The reason as to why he is such an asset is his extraordinary gift when it comes to languages. Kingston has the ability to pick up any language that he comes across and by studying it is able to master it completely– something that is tough to find with any old agent that you come across.

Under the guidance of Tommy, he is ready to serve his country. Together they have worked and accomplished amazing things. The program allowed for them to come up with deadly germs and be able to set a plant on fire that produced Zepps. It even lead to someone’s murder, but when the cycle of careless violence went too far, a German girl and Hambledon ended up dead.

The casual murders kept going and took his mentor. Now Kingston cannot shake the memories and knows that the circle of death came to a completeness. Now he just has to deal with his own demons. Not to mention that he is being haunted by the ‘blue devils’.

Michael is finding himself in a fight to try and stay sane. He’s having a tough time being able to handle life or coming to terms with himself. Can he do it in the end, or will he crumble? Read ‘Drink’ by Manning Coles to find out what happens next!

The second book in Coles’ Tommy Hambledon series is titled Pray Silence. If you love authentic military thrillers, then you’re really going to enjoy this thriller that is filled with details and a commitment to being realistic that no other action book at the time was ever able to match!

When this sequel opens up, it is set in the middle of the nineteen-thirties. The setting is the Planet Earth, and Joseph Goebbels is really upset. He is serving as the minister of propaganda, and he’s been able to take advantage of that position in full. He worked really hard to get to where he is and now Joseph is cashing in on all of the ladder climbing that he had to do it.

Along with a few select friends, Joseph and his companions are running a huge black market operation that is super risky. They’re letting some Jews get out of the country quietly– and all it’s going to take from them is the majority of everything that they have to do it.

Still, it’s worth paying the price to save your life, so Goebbels is able to find plenty of customers. Still, he knows that it can only go on for so long. Especially with Klaus Lehmann looking out for anything out of the ordinary like this. The German police chief and long-time Nazi member will not be amused at the way that he is profiting secretly and letting Jews out of Germany.

The problem is that Klaus was one of the supporters of Hitler from the beginning and carries a tremendous amount of favor with him as a result. There’s going to be no way that Joe stands a chance against someone with so much influence and trust among Adolf.

At the same time, the British intelligence is also having a tough time doing their jobs. They are getting messages from someone in Germany. The only thing is, the code being used has been out of circulation ever since the previous world war.

Will the intelligence service people be able to crack the code? Can Joseph get away with his money-making scheme? This exciting second novel from Manning Coles simply cannot be missed!