Great-Uncle Harry by Michael Palin
'I cannot remember the last time I read a book so immediately absorbing and affecting. Michael Palin has never been better – which is, of course, saying a great deal.' BILL BRYSON __________________________________ From the time, many years ago, when Michael Palin first heard that his grandfather had a brother, Harry, he was determined to find out more about him. The quest that followed involved hundreds of hours of painstaking detective work. Michael dug out every bit of family gossip and correspondence he could. He studied every relevant official document. He tracked down what remained of his great-uncle Harry's diaries and letters, and pored over photographs of First World War battle scenes to see whether Harry appeared in any of them. He walked the route Harry took on that fatal, final day of his life amid the mud of northern France. And as he did so, a life that had previously existed in the shadows was revealed to him. Great-Uncle Harry is an utterly compelling account of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. A blend of biography, history, travelogue and personal memoir this is Michael Palin at his very finest. 'An important historical record and a well-paced story in its own right, Great-Uncle Harry is also much more than that: a tremendous act of love.' Guardian
Palin has packed in an astonishing amount of detective work here, digging through work records, photographs and different people’s diariesHarry might have been what his great nephew calls “a very small fish in a very big war”, but with this book he has finally been given a voice. An important historical record and a well-paced story in its own right, Great-Uncle Harry is also much more than that: a tremendous act of love. * Guardian *
Michael Palin has written and starred in numerous TV programmes and films, from Monty Python and Ripping Yarns to The Missionary and The Death of Stalin. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries. His books include accounts of his journeys, novels (Hemingway's Chair and The Truth) and several volumes of diaries. He received a BAFTA fellowship in 2013, and a knighthood in the 2019 New Year Honours list.
SKU | Unavailable |
ISBN 13 | 9781804940655 |
ISBN 10 | 1804940658 |
Title | Great-Uncle Harry |
Author | Michael Palin |
Condition | Unavailable |
Binding type | Paperback |
Publisher | Cornerstone |
Year published | 2024-05-09 |
Number of pages | 336 |
Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
Note | Unavailable |