From Barnardo boy to original virgin soldier; from apprentice journalist in London's Fleet Street to famous novelist...

At times funny, at times sad, but always honest and utterly compulsive, Leslie Thomas's story is straight out of fiction. As an orphan, he picked his way through the rubble of post-war Britain and was sent on national service to the Far East. Later he became a Fleet Street reporter, with hilarious experiences to relate, and then became the bestselling author of The Virgin Soldiers - the novel that, although scandalous in its day, is now recognised as a classic of its kind. He is also the creator of Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective, which has been adapted into a popular television series. In 2005, Leslie Thomas was awarded an OBE for services to literature.

With a new introduction for this edition, this is an amazing story, and Leslie Thomas's magic touch brings it crackling to life with warmth, wit and humour.

'Scenes rivalling the best of D. H. Lawrence' * Daily Telegraph *
'Truly exciting' * Daily Mail *
'Splendidly conveys...compassion, excitement, entertainment' * Evening Standard *
Vividly readable... Leslie Thomas is one of nature's life enchancers * Sunday Express *
A fine storyteller * Sunday Telegraph *

Born in Newport, Monmouthshire, 1931, Leslie Thomas is the son of a sailor who was lost of sea in 1943. His boyhood in an orphanage is evoked in This Time Next Week published in 1964. At sixteen, he became a reporter, before going on to do his national service. He won worldwide acclaim with his bestselling novel The Virgin Soldiers. In 2005, Leslie Thomas received an OBE for services to literature.