The Champagne War

With special guest:

• Fiona McIntosh
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

The beautiful cover of this book gives us a clue. This is a bubbly story thoroughly researched and elegantly told by our guest today Fiona McIntosh. Fiona’s new book The Champagne War takes us to the Champagne region of northern France during the First World War to tell us the story of individuals caught up in the conflict.

Fiona tells us how she came to write the book through a chance meeting with a local winemaker in a village of the region. This gave her the inspiration.

Once on the path to tell the story there was no escaping the horrifying events such as the gas warfare that left so many dead or permanently injured. There is the uncertainty of looking at the future when war has come almost to the back fence. And there is also the unexpected when the combatants can put their weapons down briefly and have a civilised interaction.

There is plenty of action in this book which Fiona touches on in our discussion. There is also an engrossing love story or two which provides a contrast to the madness all around. And while that is going on we are taken into the history and secrets of making champagne. Champagne, as well as being a region in northern France, is an appellation for a particular type of wine. Loved all around the world, it is almost synonymous with celebration.

But there is much more to champagne than growing grapes before letting them ferment in big vats. There are recognised trade skills involved at each stage of production and some ingredients that cannot be dispensed with, posing problems when wartime supplies are non-existent on a practical level. Clearly there are many problems to be overcome at a personal and commercial level, let alone surviving at this difficult time. And yet this is a book which, like the wine, we are meant to savour.

In speaking with Fiona we get to explore France, champagne, heroes and history. This is a page turner that everyone will enjoy.

Fiona McIntosh

Fiona McIntosh is an internationally bestselling author of novels for adults and children. She co-founded an award-winning travel magazine with her husband, which they ran for fifteen years while raising their twin sons before she became a full-time author. Fiona roams the world researching and drawing inspiration for her novels, and runs a series of highly respected fiction masterclasses. She calls South Australia home.

Song selection by our guest: Concerto de Aranjuez II. Adagio (Arranged for flugelhorn) from the soundtrack of Brassed Off by Joaquim Rodrigo

Podcast (mp3)