Peter Somerville-Large's writing delves into extensive travels and cultural encounters. His narratives often draw from firsthand experiences across Asia, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, and Tibet. Beyond his travelogues, he also crafts compelling thrillers and short stories, noted for their insightful exploration of human nature. His works invite readers to journey through diverse corners of the globe while contemplating the complexities of human connection and cultural landscapes.
This substantially revised edition of a highly topical text applies a critical approach to themes introduced in the first edition including economic development, heath and housing, and draws upon theory from Marx and Bourdieu to offer a clearer understanding of community in capitalist society.
In PETER SOMERVILLE-LARGE's elegant and scathingly witty novel, Paul Blake-Willoughby, the only child of a mixed marriage, is brought up on an Irish country estate by a Catholic soldier father and an eccentric Protestant mother. Against the backdrop of a large crumbling mansion, various factions, which include his Protestant teachers, a wealthy Church of Ireland Bishop and a succession of Catholic priests, war hilariously over his soul. It is a brilliant and extremely funny examination of the topics of snobbery, bigotry and infidelity. The end of the novel is a cruel surprise, reflecting a lifetime of unresolved problems.
Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Dublin and the idyllic Irish countryside, this biography recounts Peter Somerville-Large's childhood experiences with his brother Phil. From their vantage point in a smart house, they observed the bustling life below, while their family's country homes offered adventures with livestock and eccentric relatives. A pivotal moment came when their father purchased a rocky island, which became a paradise of parties and outdoor activities. The narrative evokes the joys and innocence of childhood in a world that has since disappeared.
This is a striking bird's eye journey through Ireland's glorious landscape - its cities, medieval castles, battlefields, mountains and cliffs - captured in arresting aerial detail.
Legendary Ireland combines the skills of the acclaimed and bestselling team, Tom Kelly and Peter Somerville-Large, to reveal a world filled with magical echoes of historic tradition and ancient legend. Tom Kelly's mastery of photography creates the light, colour and mood required to produce the most breathtaking pictures of Ireland yet, which Peter Somerville-Large weaves the threads of Irish fact and folklore to create a textured tapestry of language that evokes the essence of Ireland.
A rare gallery of human curiosities -- William Trevor
