Blackout by Connie Willis

This is Connie's first book since Passages in 2001 and the third time travel book she has written. Blackout takes place in Britain during World War II. Three researchers from Oxford University in the year 2060 have traveled back in time to observe three different historic events as they happened. Eileen is to work as a maid at a country house where she can observe children evacuated from London. Of course the children catch the measles and this may keep Eileen from returning to Oxford on schedule. Mike is sent to observe the evacuation of Dunkirk, but instead lands many miles away. Even though historian time travelers are not supposed to be able to affect the course of history, Mike's trek may do just that. A third historian Polly has the most dangerous placement. She must find a job as a shopgirl in London where she can observe those who work and live in the damaged city and who take refuge in the bomb shelters at night during the blitz.
This book is a genuine page turner. From the horrifying bombs in London to the bratty children in the manor house to Mike's race to save the soldiers at Dunkirk, the three must face the fact that they may not make it back to the future. However, we won't know until the second book All Clear, comes out in the fall of 2010.
Connie has done her research as always and the book is full of interesting tidbits about the ways the British people set out to defy and fool Hitler. Connie Willis has been inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and has won six Nebula awards and ten Hugo awards. Her first time travel book is Doomsday which takes place in the 14th century during the time of the Black Death.