A Son of War

Longlisted for the Booker Prize

Deeply humane and acutely truthful Peter Kemp, Sunday Times

After the upheavals of the Second World War, the Richardson family Sam, Ellen and their young son Joe settle back to working-class life in the Cumbrian town of Wigton. Yet for them, as for so many, life will never be the same again. As the old order begins to be challenged and new vistas open, Sam and Ellen forge their future together with differing needs and desires - and conflicting expectations of Joe, who grows up with his own demons to confront.

It is as if these were the novels he was always waiting to write He catches brilliantly the volatility of emotions how happiness can curdle, anger flare, guilt build into terrror. Nicci Gerrard, Observer

A novel about being alive, the kind of slice-of-life novel that everyone feels they have inside them but few could write Brandon Robshaw, Independent on Sunday

This sequel to The Soldier's Return widely acclaimed as Melvyn Bragg s best novel is every bit as convincing and enjoyable This seems likely to become not only an outstandingly good series but one of the finest and most authentic records of the changes in English society, life and manners since the Second World War Allan Massie, Scotsman

Shot through with blazing integrity and authenticity Val Hennessy, Daily Mail

“'The series is so good that the eventual run of novels is destined to become a genuine turn-of-the-century landmark. Bragg gets better and better.' James Naughtie, Books of the Year, Sunday Herald”

[A] deeply humane and acutely truthful novel - Peter Kemp, Sunday Times

A compelling sequel to his award-winning tour de force, THE SOLDIER'S RETURN - Frank Egerton, Financial Times

Full of a simple poetry that is deeply evocative . . . even better than THE SOLDIER'S RETURN - Carol Birch, Independent

A novel of remarkable power and grace . . . his authenticity is astounding - Roy Hattersley, The Times

Shot through with blazing integrity and authenticity - Val Hennessy, Daily Mail

Melvyn Bragg's first novel, FOR WANT OF A NAIL, was published in 1965 and since then his novels have included THE HIRED MAN, for which he won the Time/Life Silver Pen Award, WITHOUT A CITY WALL, winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, THE SOLDIER'S RETURN, which won the WHSmith Literary Award, and A SON OF WAR and CROSSING THE LINES, both of which were longlisted for the Booker Prize. He has also written several works of non-fiction including THE ADVENTURE OF ENGLISH and 12 BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.

Longlisted for the Booker Prize Deeply humane and acutely truthful Peter Kemp, Sunday Times After the upheavals of the Second World War, the Richardson family Sam, Ellen and their young son Joe settle back to working-class life in the Cumbrian town of Wigton. Yet for them, as for so many, life will never be the same again. As the old order begins to be challenged and new vistas open, Sam and Ellen forge their future together with differing needs and desires - and conflicting expectations of Joe, who grows up with his own demons to confront. It is as if these were the novels he was always waiting to write He catches brilliantly the volatility of emotions how happiness can curdle, anger flare, guilt build into terrror. Nicci Gerrard, Observer A novel about being alive, the kind of slice-of-life novel that everyone feels they have inside them but few could write Brandon Robshaw, Independent on Sunday This sequel to The Soldier's Return widely acclaimed as Melvyn Bragg s best novel is every bit as convincing and enjoyable This seems likely to become not only an outstandingly good series but one of the finest and most authentic records of the changes in English society, life and manners since the Second World War Allan Massie, Scotsman Shot through with blazing integrity and authenticity Val Hennessy, Daily Mail

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