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The Soldier's Return Series

This literary quartet delves into the complex aftermath of war for returning soldiers. It intimately explores the psychological and societal reverberations that follow conflict, impacting both individuals and their communities. Readers will find profound examinations of loss, resilience, and the challenging journey of reintegrating into civilian life.

The soldier's return
Remember Me...
Crossing The Lines
A son of war

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    The soldier's return

    • 384 pages
    • 14 hours of reading
    3.5(67)Add rating

    'Unsentimental, truthful and wonderful' Beryl Bainbridge, Independent Books of the Year When Sam Richardson returns in 1946 from the 'Forgotten War' in Burma to Wigton in Cumbria, he finds the town little changed. But the war has changed him, broadening his horizons as well as leaving him with traumatic memories. In addition, his six-year-old son now barely remembers him, and his wife has gained a sense of independence from her wartime jobs. As all three strive to adjust, the bonds of loyalty and love are stretched to breaking point in this taut, and profoundly moving novel. 'An outstandingly good novel...utterly credible, utterly compelling, and very enjoyable' Allan Massie, Scotsman 'Deeply felt, beautifully realised' John Sutherland, Sunday Times 'The first Great War came alive in Faulks's Birdsong; the second Great War, and in particular the Burma campaign, comes very much alive in Melvyn Bragg's The Soldier's Return - wholly absorbing' John Bayley, Evening Standard 'Sympathetic, touching, infinitely believable...This is a highly accomplished novel' D.J. Taylor, Literary Review

    The soldier's return
  2. 2

    A son of war

    3.8(25)Add rating

    The upheavals of the Second World War reverberated in the peace that followed, and many found a return to the old life more difficult than they had anticipated. Like Sam Richardson, who was determined to break free of the constraints of his background and leave Cumbria for the promised land of Australia. Yet now, a few months on, he has settled for a job in Wigton's paper factory, and believes he has put both his aspirations and his memories of fighting in Burma behind him. His wife, Ellen, begins to know better, realising how close to the brink their marriage had come. Between them their young son Joe strives to fulfil the conflicting expectations of childhood and adolescence and confronts his own demons. Crafted with potent understatement and acute insight into the twists and turns of the heart, this is a formidable successor to Melvyn Bragg's widely praised and award-winning novel, THE SOLDIER'S RETURN

    A son of war
  3. 3
  4. 4

    Remember Me...

    • 551 pages
    • 20 hours of reading
    3.1(33)Add rating

    The story of a love affair that ends in tragedy - a classic theme given fresh and powerful new life by an author 'cementing his place among the aristocrats of English fiction' (Sunday Telegraph).

    Remember Me...