, ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁buy ▁and ▁slowly ▁renov ate ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁continu ing ▁success ▁as ▁a ▁writer . ▁His ▁income ▁also ▁enabled ▁him ▁to ▁spend ▁the ▁winter s ▁in ▁Cap ri , ▁which ▁was ▁vital ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁poor ▁health . ▁ ▁This ▁changed ▁as ▁Italy ▁became ▁fasc ist ▁and ▁war ▁approached , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁he ▁purchased ▁T all and ▁House ▁between ▁L oo e ▁and ▁Pol per ro ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁winter ▁retre at . ▁ ▁When ▁war ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁C ray com be ▁House ▁was ▁requ is ition ed ▁by ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁and ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁con val es cent ▁home ▁for ▁the ▁armed ▁services . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁near ▁to ▁the ▁war ' s ▁end , ▁he ▁published ▁his ▁ep ic ▁poem ▁The ▁Island , ▁rec ount ing ▁in ▁verse ▁the ▁whole ▁history ▁of ▁Britain ▁from ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁to ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Britain . ▁ ▁The ▁entire ▁first ▁edition ▁of ▁ 2 3 , 5 0 0 ▁sold ▁out ▁immediately , ▁even ▁in ▁w art ime ▁conditions , ▁and ▁was ▁then ▁repr int ed . ▁ ▁The ▁winter s ▁and ▁w art ime ▁priv ations ▁in ▁England ▁had ▁taken ▁their ▁to ll ▁on ▁his ▁poor ▁health . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁having ▁seen ▁The ▁Island ▁through ▁to ▁publication , ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁serious ▁heart ▁attack . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War