Review
[L]ush and descriptive... (Grace Loiacano
Books Like Breathing 20090930)
Delderfield's love of the boys and the teachers is contagious and provides a touching tribute to this time in British history. (Kristen M
We Be Reading 20091001)
Delderfield takes his time in telling his story... filled with details. (Tripp
Book Are My Only Friends 20091005)
A rich and complex story... the author brings the story full circle in a charming way. (Carey Anderson
The Tome Traveller's Weblog )
I can't thank Sourcebooks enough for reprinting the R.F. Delderfield novels. All of them are wonderful reads, engrossing and comforting at the same time. (Sandie Kirkland
Booksie's Blog )
Fascinating... a book to savor. (Tricia Seguine
Library Queue )
Reading
To Serve Them All My Days is an experience, not merely an activity and it is one of those books that give you a story you will not soon forget, that will give you characters that you will know, inside out, and you will crave to meet one more time. (Lilly Swistek
Reading Extravaganza )
Product Description
"R.F. Delderfield is a born storyteller." Sunday Mirror
The beloved classic saga from master author R. F. Delderfield, subject of a landmark BBC miniseries.
To Serve Them All My Days is the moving saga of David Powlett-Jones, who returns from World War I injured and shell-shocked. He is hired to teach history at Bamfylde School, where he rejects the formal curriculum and teaches the causes and consequences of the Great War.
Eventually David earns the respect of his students and many of his fellow teachers, against the backdrop of a country struggling to redefine itself. As David falls in love and finds himself on track to possibly take on the headmaster role, he must search to find the strength to hold true to his beliefs as the specter of another great war looms.
To Serve Them All My Days is a brilliant picture of England between the World Wars, as the country comes to terms with the horrors of the Great War and the new forces reshaping the British government and society.
Subject of a Landmark BBC Miniseries
Includes Bonus Reading Group Guide
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
"I sometimes still wake up in the morning and look forward to reading more about P.J. and Bamfylde."
"From the stationmaster on the first page to the last boy on the last page, these characters all have a very human aspect that connects to you immediately."
"This book should be in everyone's library."
"This is an ennobling book
it showed a person wounded in body and spirit who found that concentrating on the details of teaching the schoolboys under his care was, in a sense, a healing meditation."
"
just the book for a cold rainy day
with a hot cup of tea and a scone."
"Mr. Delderfield's manner is easy, modest, heartwarming."
Evening Standard
"He built an imposing artistic social history that promises to join those of his great forebears in the long, noble line of the English novel. His narratives belong in a tradition that goes back to John Galsworthy and Arnold Bennett."
Life Magazine
"Sheer, wonderful storytelling."
Chicago Tribune
"Highly recommended. Combines tension with a splendid sense of atmosphere and vivid characterisation. An excellent read."
Sunday Express
(20090918)