The Soldier's Return by Melvyn Bragg
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.
Unsentimental, truthful and wonderful * Beryl Bainbridge, Sunday Times Books of the Year *
Outstandingly good. . utterly credible, utterly compelling, and very enjoyable * Allan Massie, Scotsman *
Sympathetic, touching, infinitely believable . . . a highly accomplished novel * D.J. Taylor, Literary Review *
The first Great War came alive in Faulks's Birdsong; the second Great War, and in particular the Burma campaign, comes very much alive in Melvyn Bragg's THE SOLDIER'S RETURN . . . wholly absorbing * John Bayley, Evening Standard *
Deeply felt, beautifully realised * John Bayley, Evening Standard *
Outstandingly good. . utterly credible, utterly compelling, and very enjoyable * Allan Massie, Scotsman *
Sympathetic, touching, infinitely believable . . . a highly accomplished novel * D.J. Taylor, Literary Review *
The first Great War came alive in Faulks's Birdsong; the second Great War, and in particular the Burma campaign, comes very much alive in Melvyn Bragg's THE SOLDIER'S RETURN . . . wholly absorbing * John Bayley, Evening Standard *
Deeply felt, beautifully realised * John Bayley, Evening Standard *
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.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780340751015 |
| ISBN 10 | 0340751010 |
| Title | The Soldier's Return |
| Author | Melvyn Bragg |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Year published | 2000-05-18 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Prizes | Winner of WH Smith Annual Literary Award 2000, Winner of WH Smith Literary Prize 2000 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |