No Man's Land

A Novel

By: Simon Tolkien

Narrated by: Christian Coulson

Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Inspired by the real-life experiences of his grandfather, JRR Tolkien, during World War I, Simon Tolkien delivers a perfectly rendered novel rife with class tension, period detail, and stirring action, ranging from the sharply divided society of northern England to the trenches of the Somme.

Adam Raine is a boy cursed by misfortune. His impoverished childhood in turn-of-the-century London comes to a sudden and tragic end when his mother is killed in a workers' protest march. His father, Daniel, is barely able to cope with the loss. But a job offer in the coal mining town of Scarsdale presents one last chance, so father and son head north. The relocation is hard on Adam: the local boys prove difficult to befriend, and he never quite fits in. Meanwhile tensions between the miners and their employer, Sir John Scarsdale, escalate, and finally explode with terrible consequences.

In the aftermath, Adam's fate shifts once again, and he finds himself drawn into the opulent Scarsdale family home where he makes an enemy of Sir John's son, Brice, who subjects Adam to a succession of petty cruelties for daring to step above his station. However, Adam finds consolation in the company of Miriam, the local parson's beautiful daughter with whom he falls in love. When they become engaged and Adam wins a scholarship to Oxford, he starts to feel that his life is finally coming together - until the outbreak of war threatens to tear everything apart.

From the slums of London to the riches of an Edwardian country house; from the hot, dark seams of a Yorkshire coal mine to the exposed terrors of the trenches in France; Adam's journey from boy to man is set against the backdrop of a society violently entering the modern world.

©2017 Simon Tolkien (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Vivid set pieces, notably a wonderful section down a mine, while Adam is an intriguing central character: clever, sincere and, amid the turbulence of early 20th-century England, a determined survivor." ( Daily Mail)

"[Tolkien's] most ambitious work yet...Adam makes an attractive hero and his story has more than enough colour and energy to keep us reading." ( Sunday Times, London)

"In this emotionally charged novel, Tolkien brings to the fore the social injustice, poverty and attrition of war in early 20th-century England. The scenes underground in the mines of Scarsdale are every bit as shocking as the harrowing descriptions of trench warfare when Adam and his comrades are repeatedly sent over the top." ( Sunday Express)

Great early 20th century epic

I enjoyed this one so much! I wasn't sure that I would, but the epic sweep of the story, the themes of coming of age, class and war, the descriptive writing were all great. And the narrator was fantastic. Very enjoyable way to spend 19 hr!

An enthralling story of romance and suffering

In the backdrop of WW1 this book sets out to tell the tale of the protagonist who is struggling through tragedy and loss. The arc of the book spans a life that has experienced tragedy, loss, and trauma in every way. Yet the protagonist remains unbroken who finds all looses romance. Through treachery he encounters peril and fights through despair to a point where he ultimately finds peace for himself in the telling of his story.

Highly recommend

This was one of my favorite Audible books. Simon Tolkien's compelling novel brings the coal mining industry of England during the early part of the 20th Century and World War I (in particular, the Battle of the Somme) to life, with all of its human tragedies. The narration was superb.

Great book

for those who love Tolkien-like storytelling but have no patience for epic fantasy. A page turner.

Masterful storytelling

First book I’ve read by this author. Hard to put down. He developed the characters fully and his scenes moved along apace. Wonderful narration by Christian Coulson. First book in awhile that I’ve given 5 stars all the way. If you’re a thinking reader, and not just looking for a time waster, you will appreciate this masterpiece. It affirms humanity while at the same time exposing its underbelly.

Liked the characters, loved the narration, but...

... I found the pacing of this one a bit odd, with some shifts between character viewpoints that seemed to be trying to present, say, the primary antagonist as a more balanced character, but that in practice came off as confusing. The pacing seemed a bit odd as well, building up to one crisis or another and then kind of wandering off into the next part of the story. And while I liked the main characters overall - especially protagonist Adam's growing closeness with the lads from the mining village (and, later, his own squad in the army) - there were times when their reactions to events just fell flat. The author liked to tell us what everybody was thinking and feeling, rather than letting their conversations and actions demonstrate that.

Oh, and what ever happened to poor Sally? I thought the author had introduced her rather well into several plot lines, but as events wrapped up she kind of disappeared.

Ah, well. I did enjoy the book, for the most part, especially with Coulson's marvelous narration, but I couldn't help quibbling!