The Day Gone By [Hardcover]

Richard Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 1991

The memoirs of Richard Adams, the author of "Watership Down", recreate his childhood in Berkshire during the mid-1920s. They cover his family, his schooldays at Bradfield College and his time spent at Oxford before he was called up in July 1940. They depict a society that disappeared after the war. Richard Adams' other books include "Shardik", "Nature Through the Seasons", "The Tyger Voyage", "The Plague Dogs", "A Nature Diary" and "Voyage Through the Antarctic".

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In an apparently artless, effortless fashion, Adams ( Watership Down ) guides readers on a journey back to his early years in this wonderfully detailed memoir. Born in 1920, the author grew up in pastoral England, blessed in his boyhood with a loving, stable family and the surrounding natural world which he roamed freely, usually with his father, before he was sent to boarding school. That was a vast, discomforting change from his tranquil home, but Adams adjusted, making friends, good marks and mischief. His education was interrupted by the outbreak of WW II, during which he served in virtually every theater in Europe and Asia. This affectionate evocation of "the day gone by" closes with the author home again in Newbury and meeting his future wife, Elizabeth. It's a safe bet that readers will clamor for a follow-up to the humorous, poignant and sometimes grim adventures of the early part of a singular life. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Adams (author of Watership Down ) divides his life into an idyllic early childhood, his loss of innocence at boarding school after age eight, and his treasured years at Oxford. Those years ended abruptly with the onset of World War II, which hurled him into adulthood. Living in pastoral surroundings, Adams begins to appreciate nature in the first phase of his life under the guidance of his physician father. In boarding school he recognizes his talent for storytelling in late night whisperings. Taking place in post-Victorian England, this memoir comments on class distinctions and the effects of the rapidly changing society of the 20th century on a young man with a sensitive intelligence. Recommended for general collections.
-Janice Braun, Medical Historical Lib., Yale Univ.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 396 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st Us Edition edition (April 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679401172
• ISBN-13: 978-0679401179
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,534,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist who is best known as the author of Watership Down.

He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, and they insisted he publish it as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.

Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excuse Me, April 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Day Gone by: Autobiography (Hardcover)

Actually, Adams goes right out and says that Hazel was based on a man he met durung his army service, so read closer next time, buddy.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dull book, except for true Richard Adams' fans, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Day Gone By (Hardcover)

Adams autobiography plots along at a snail's pace as Adams describes in nauseatingly long detail about the plants and birds that lived in the area where he grew up. I suppose that this is exciting for people who enjoy nature walks and such.

I labored through the book because I am a dedicated Adams fan. I have read every novel that he has ever written, and enjoyed them thoroughly. The Day Gone By is helpful if you want to get inside of Adams' head and figure out how he thinks. After reading the work, I think that Hazel, a character from Watership Down, may actually be a model for his father, to whom Adams was very close.

Other observations about Adams' works can be gleaned by reading The Day Gone By.