The Soldier's Return :'His masterpiece' - Sunday Times
The Soldier's Return :'His masterpiece' - Sunday Times
paperback
Published:
28 December, 2006
Popular Books by Melvyn Bragg
View All Books by Melvyn Bragg
Description
THE FIRST NOVEL IN 'ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED LITERARY SERIES IN RECENT TIMES' (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH)
'His masterpiece'
Sunday Times
'Outstandingly good'
Scotsman
'A great achievement'
Observer
When Sam Richardson returns in 1946 from the 'Forgotten War' in Burma to Wigton in Cumbria, he finds the town little changed. But the war has changed him, broadening his horizons as well as leaving him with traumatic memories. In addition, his six-year-old son now barely remembers him, and his wife has gained a sense of independence from her wartime jobs. As all three strive to adjust, the bonds of loyalty and love are stretched to breaking point in this taut, and profoundly moving novel.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9780340936306 |
| ISBN10 | 0340936304 |
| Number Of Pages | 384 |
| Item Weight | 269 g |
| Product Dimensions | 130 x 196 x 28 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
Outstandingly good...Must be one of the best English novels of the last ten years. It rings true; its characters matter...utterly credible, utterly compelling, and very enjoyable * Scotsman *
[He] writes with tremendous empathy...One of the tautest and fiercest of Bragg's fictions * Independent *
Sympathetic, touching, infinitely believable...a highly accomplished novel * Literary Review *
Strong, straightforward, explicit, evocative * Daily Telegraph *
A great achievement * Guardian *
Reads like Lawrence...Feels like the book Bragg was born to write * Time Out *
His study of a relationship between man and wife in difficulties is brilliantly convincing...A passionately moving novel * Financial Times *
His masterpiece * Peter Kemp, Books of the Year, Sunday Times *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Melvyn Bragg was born in Wigton, Cumbria, in 1939. He went to the local Grammar School and then to Wadham College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in 1961, and published his first novel, For Want of a Nail, in 1965. He left the BBC and continued to write novels which include The Soldier's Return (WH Smith Literary Award), Without a City Wall (Mail on Sunday John Llewellyn Rhys Prize) and Now Is the Time (Parliamentary Book Award 2016). A Place in England, Son of War and Crossing the Lines were all nominated for the Booker Prize. His non-fiction includes The Adventure of English and The Book of Books, and his first memoir, Back in the Day, was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. He edited and presented The South Bank Show from 1977 and hosted the BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time from 1998. He has now retired from both. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society and of The British Academy. He was given a Peerage in 1998 and a Companion of Honour in 2017.