God Is an Englishman [Paperback]

R. Delderfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

From master author R. F. Delderfield, the first in the beloved classic God Is an Englishman series.

The first novel in the epic God Is an Englishman series, this book is a stirring saga of England in the 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution takes hold, forever changing the landscape of England and her people.

Adam Swann, scion of an army family, returns home in 1858 after service with Her Majesty's army in the Crimea and India, determined to build his fortune in the dog-eat-dog world of Victorian commerce. Swann is soon captivated by Henrietta, the high-spirited daughter of a local mill owner. As Swann works to build his name, he and Henrietta share adventures, reversal, and fortune.

A beloved novel by a beloved author, God Is an Englishman is a treasure both for Delderfield fans and the growing legion of fans of historical fiction.

"R. F. Delderfield is a born storyteller."
Sunday Mirror

"A book to get lost in... An epic historical novel artfully contructed."
New York Times Book Review

"A novel in the grand tradition of Thackery and Dickens."
Milwaukee Journal

"A delightful bounty of characters fairly jumps from the pages of God Is an Englishman."
Columbus Dispatch (20090903)

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you have an interest in British history, this book will be particularly interesting with its picture of bustling London, the railroads, the smog-covered Lancashire and the still green countryside. (Tripp Ritter Books are My Only Friends 20090914)

Delderfield is an authoritative but friendly author and am glad to see his stories back in print. (Kristen Meston We Be Reading 20090918)

I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that R. F. Delderfield's books were being re-released... I can't imagine any reader that wouldn't love this series. (Sandie Booksie's Blog 20090921)

I thoroughly enjoyed God Is an Englishman, so much so that even before I finished it, I went and got part two (Theirs Was the Kingdom). (Lilly Reading Extravaganza 20090928)

[I]intricate and interesting... R.F. Delderfield is an author you won't want to miss! (Carey Anderson The Tome Traveller's Weblog 20090928)

A delightful, absorbing, utterly fascinating read. (Meghan Kawka Medieval Bookworm 20090930)

Adam and Henrietta's marriage was perhaps one of the most interesting that I have ever encountered in fiction. (Grace Loiacana Books Like Breathing )

The historical detail in this book is truly fascinating (Jessica West The Curious Reader )

About the Author

Born in 1912., R. F. Delderfield was a journalist, playwright and novelist, renowned for brilliantly portraying slices of English life. He is one of England's beloved novelists, with many of his novels being adapted into television and film, including the landmark BBC miniseries of To Serve Them All My Days.

Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402218214
• ISBN-13: 978-1402218217
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best family sagas, April 20, 2008

By 

Nina M. Osier (Randolph, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Is an Englishman (Paperback)

Adam Swann has followed his family's tradition of military service for long enough to turn 30. He's seen a lot during those years, including a horrific massacre of civilians. When chance places a fortune in rubies in his hands, he's more than ready to make drastic changes. Back to England he goes, the England of a world just prior to the American Civil War, looking for a better way to spend his life. He finds it in two places. First, in a revolutionary business idea sparked by an encounter with a railway official; and second, in a runaway young woman. He marries the woman, factory heiress Henrietta Rawlinson (who's swiftly disinherited by her infuriated father), and he turns the idea into a hauling firm that deliberately fits itself into all the gaps the railway system cannot fill.

That's the bare outline. What makes this novel remarkable, though, isn't its plot. It's the characters, and the way author Delderfield lets them grow naturally out of the time and place in which he sets them. Adam Swann is in many ways a man ahead of that time, disgusted by what he's seen in war and determined to make his way in the world without committing outrages against basic human decency. In fact, he's determined to make a difference for the better while succeeding as a businessman. Henrietta, blessed with her enterpreneur father's sharp mind and quick wits for commerce, grows from a willful, uneducated and thoroughly spoiled girl into a worthy and even challenging partner for Adam in the course of the book's 800-some pages. Nothing seems forced, and none of the details of Victorian England ring false, in all of those pages. Some of the best reading comes from secondary characters who weave in and out of the main story, because each is well drawn and interesting - no matter how brief the appearance.

A tour-de-force, all in all. One of the best "family sagas" around, still, nearly 40 years after its publication.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Great Read!, September 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: God is an Englishman (Paperback)

I can think of few better authors to take along on a long plane ride than Delderfield. God Is an Englishman is the first of a trilogy that runs a little out of gas by the end of the third book, but not in the first. To Serve Them All My Days got me hooked on Delderfield, and this series continued it. I can also recommend his book Diana. Alot of his works are out of print, although you can find them at liabraries, or Amazon's auction site -- or bookfinder.com

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very engrossing read!, March 9, 2002

By 

June P. Spear (Auburn, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God is an Englishman (Paperback)

This book is a must read for any Anglophile. The story traces the development of a haulage firm that serves all of Enland and Wales and part of Scotland. While that is the major focus, the family life of the founder of "Swan on Wheels" is very much a part of it. In fact, all the characters involved are well presented with divergent and believable personalities.