Dublin, 1914. As Ireland stands on the brink of political crisis, Europe plunges headlong into war. Among the thousands of Irishmen who volunteer to fight for the British Army is Stephen Ryan, a gifted young maths scholar whose working class background has marked him out as a misfit among his wealthy fellow students. Sent to fight in Turkey, he looks forward to the great adventure, unaware of the growing unrest back home in Ireland. His romantic notions of war are soon shattered and he is forced to wonder where his ...
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Dublin, 1914. As Ireland stands on the brink of political crisis, Europe plunges headlong into war. Among the thousands of Irishmen who volunteer to fight for the British Army is Stephen Ryan, a gifted young maths scholar whose working class background has marked him out as a misfit among his wealthy fellow students. Sent to fight in Turkey, he looks forward to the great adventure, unaware of the growing unrest back home in Ireland. His romantic notions of war are soon shattered and he is forced to wonder where his loyalties lie, on his return to a Dublin poised for rebellion in 1916 and a brother fighting for the rebels. Everything has changed utterly, and in a world gone mad his only hope is his growing friendship with the brilliant and enigmatic Lillian Bryce. The Soldier's Song is a poignant and deeply moving novel, a tribute to the durability of the human soul.
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Add this copy of The Soldier's Song (Soldier's Song Trilogy) to cart. $63.87, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2014 by Pan Macmillan.
Contrary to the half-expectation of a monotonous or vague war story, The Soldier's Song is detailed and personal to the protagonist. It's believable and interesting and revolves around the experiences of a young man called Stephen Ryan who has to deal with the pressures of the First World War as well as those of the civil war back in Ireland. It's deep and gripping; it doesn't fall into the usual trap of broadening the story to fit peoples' perceptions of the war. Unlike other books with similar themes, it remains throughout a tale about a person and not about the time. It is detailed and specific to the characters. I really liked it and look forward to the planned sequeals.
