- Unknown Binding
- Publisher: Profile Books; First Edition edition (2007)
- ASIN: B003GWY1N6
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Hellfire And Herring : A childhood remembered
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First Sentence
There was one week left in November when I was born, and eight hundred miles away or more, as the Spitfire flies, a Soviet-betrayed Warsaw was trying on for size yet another form of military subjugation, Stalin preparing to take over where Hitler had left off. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
There was one week left in November when I was born, and eight hundred miles away or more, as the Spitfire flies, a Soviet-betrayed Warsaw was trying on for size yet another form of military subjugation, Stalin preparing to take over where Hitler had left off. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Best book of the past year for me - rich and vivid descriptions of a fascinating childhood on the Fife coast in the 1950's. Very varied material with some quite extraordinary characters, some verging on the surreal. I expect it was like that in the closed world of fishing communities struggling to survive in the post war deprivation. I empathise with the time and the territory, having spent my own childhood on the other side of the Forth, splattering around in rock pools and possibly glowering across the firth to where the author was similarly engaged.
A very spiritual book too, with a strong perspective on the traits and idiosyncracies of a unique community from a world now submerged. Highly reccomended......kfm
A very spiritual book too, with a strong perspective on the traits and idiosyncracies of a unique community from a world now submerged. Highly reccomended......kfm
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a beautifully crafted memoir of growing up in St Monan's in the post-war years, a small, insular fishing village on the East Neuk of Fife. St Monan's is not far from where I grew up when I was younger, so I had a sort of personal interest in this book. Much of the East Neuk these days is a tourist trap - gentrified with 2nd homes and arts festivals (esp Pittenweem and Crail). Fishing has almost completely disappeared from the East Neuk, with only a few boats left along the harbours.
One review of this book mentioned the almost `gothic' feel of it. And for the first few chapters, you certainly do get that. The fisher-folk were people that lived hard lives, entirely at the mercy of nature and of their stern and (mostly) Calvinist God. The first few chapters create this glorious picture of this exotic, insular little world. It throws you straight into the harsh winter of the East coast, a christening foiled by the water itself freezing over in the font, but rescued by someone taking the spray of the sea against the cliffs to be used for the baptism instead. The images the author creates in the first few chapters stay with you long after you read them.
If there is one criticism of this book, it's that the author finds it a little hard to sustain this brilliant, gripping opening. It becomes less gothic and more familiar, though never anything less than engaging.
One review of this book mentioned the almost `gothic' feel of it. And for the first few chapters, you certainly do get that. The fisher-folk were people that lived hard lives, entirely at the mercy of nature and of their stern and (mostly) Calvinist God. The first few chapters create this glorious picture of this exotic, insular little world. It throws you straight into the harsh winter of the East coast, a christening foiled by the water itself freezing over in the font, but rescued by someone taking the spray of the sea against the cliffs to be used for the baptism instead. The images the author creates in the first few chapters stay with you long after you read them.
If there is one criticism of this book, it's that the author finds it a little hard to sustain this brilliant, gripping opening. It becomes less gothic and more familiar, though never anything less than engaging.
Format:Paperback
I was not sure what to expect from this book as I sometimes find "reminiscence" books rather tedious and self indulgent, however this was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed his prose which I found evocative and thoughtful and as a picture of a time in the history of the post war fishing industry on the East coast of Scotland truly exceptional. I enjoyed every minute of it and was sad to leave that family and community by the last chapter.
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