To quickly link to a Bates book for more details, use the list below:
An Autobiography
Published in 2006 by Methuen.
Combining Bates' three acclaimed autobiographies, The Vanished World, The Blossoming World and The World in Ripeness, this rich and evocative memoir is a tribute to the life and work of one of the most prolific and popular English writers.
Born in 1905 the son of a Northamptonshire cobbler, Bates traces his progress from the Nene Valley of his childhood, through the early years of a well-received but penniless young writer, to the wartime commission from the Air Ministry and the pseudonym of 'Flying Officer X' that transformed his career.
Celebrated for his memorable characters and lyrical evocation of period and place, Bates depicts the rural delight of the vanished world, meetings and friendships with the famous and extraordinary, and the fascinating experiences of the roving correspondent in France, India and Burma. Whether describing tea with Lawrence of Arabia or lunch with Graham Greene, Bates's versatile, lively and irreverent mind makes this collected volume a captivating read.
"H.E. Bates can achieve a quality of lyrical intensity that few contemporary novelists can match."
Times Literary Supplement
"A charming impressionistic word-picture of England in the first quarter of this century... a delightful
book."
Sunday Telegraph
"One of the most vividly evocative writers of English... able to conjure up in a handful of words whole
landscapes and moods."
Listener
