Review
'[Woodruff] is fast becoming a national treasure ... [he] is one of the last survivors of an age which has almost vanished from memory ... a publishing phenomenon' Times 'A masterpiece' Independent 'Extraordinarily well written & vividly told, his book is rich in characters, facts, atmosphere & indomitable spirit. It is absolutely fascinating as a social as well as a family history' Eric Hobsbawm, Guardian
Book Description
This omnibus edition comprises William Woodruff's two volumes of autobiography, The Road to Nab End and Beyond Nab End. Born on a pallet of straw at the back of the mill, William faced a tough life in 1920s Blackburn. At 16 he left the poverty of Blackburn for London, where he found no streets paved with gold, but instead filthy tenements and squalor. He eventually makes it to Plater College, in Oxford, and witnesses the courage of ordinary people in the face of war—a war in which he himself will soon be fighting
About the Author
From his birth in 1916 until he ran away to London, William Woodruff lived in the heart of Blackburn's weaving community. He eventually went to Oxford University, is now 86 and lives in Florida.
