Great-Uncle Harry

A Tale of War and Empire

Michael Palin

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Paperback

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English

Hutchinson
17 October 2023

History; First World War; Family history, tracing ancestors; Travel writing

Michael Palin recreates the extraordinary life and tragic death of a First World War soldier - his great-uncle Harry.

From the time, many years ago, when Michael Palin first heard that his grandfather had a brother, Harry, who died in tragic circumstances, 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.

PRAISE FOR EREBUS- 'Beyond terrific. I didn't want it to end.' BILL BRYSON 'Magisterial . . . Palin brings energy, wit and humanity to a story that has never ceased to tantalise people.' THE TIMES 'Everybody's talking about it . . . A brilliant book.' CHRIS EVANS

By: Michael Palin
Imprint: Hutchinson
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 450g
ISBN: 9781529152623
ISBN 10: 1529152623
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 17 October 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

Reviews for Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire

Palin has packed in an astonishing amount of detective work here, digging through work records, photographs and different people’s diaries. Harry 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 *