Author:John Jeffcock

In 2010, with the full support of the MOD, John Jeffcock, poet and a former soldier in the Coldstream Guards, invited contributions for a book of modern war poems. He was overwhelmed by the response: contributions came from serving soldiers, veterans and their families - wives, sisters, daughters (one just 11 years old). The writers have one thing in common: these are people whose lives have been changed by war, and the poems speak to readers with direct, emotional appeal. While over half of the contributions relate to Afghanistan, there are also poems inspired by World War II, The Falklands and Northern Ireland. This is also the first time that poems have been gathered from all ranks and all organizations - from the Parachute Regiment to the Special Air Service, from the Gordon Highlanders to the Royal Marines. As the poetry of Brooke, Owen and Sassoon spoke to those who endured World War I, here are poems that speak of war in our time - the theatres of war might change but the emotional resonance remains the same.
[Heroes] is a humbling project, allowing the voices of those whose lives have been changed by war to speak to us with the raw directness of feeling and experience
—— Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate[John Jeffcock] has provided a unique opportunity for many to express their emotions in poetry as our forefathers did in previous conflicts.
—— Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter KCVO OBE Dl, CEO, ABF The Soldiers’ CharityI have read many war poems written by those who have taken part in previous conflicts, and is only right and proper that we now have a book of poems by those who have witnessed modern day warfare. It's important that war is told like it is as future generations need to understand the sacrifice of past conflicts.
—— Andy McNabSome very moving poems... so much better for being raw and spontaneous
—— Country LifeHere he has seized the opportunity to turn an unlikely tale of a transalpine hike into something far larger even than its elephantine subject.
—— Amanda Hopkinson , IndependentThe novel has a charming fairy tale quality, with its kings and courtiers, it pachyderm protagonist and his mysterious mahout: this is amoung the most charming of Saramago's works
—— Michael Kerrigan , Times Literary SupplementA playful, intellectual, very European novel, at times if feels reminiscent of Kafka in his lighter moments
—— Independent on SundayIn laconic prose, Saramago skilfully builds a journey of delicious digressions that set up resonances from Miguel de Cervantes' picaresque chivalries to Czech humorist Jaroslav Hasek's pigeon - fancying soldier Schweik - all delivered with a jocular pedantry that satirises pomp and grand designs'
—— Financial TimesIt's an epic ramble that the Nobel Prize-winning author saw as a metaphor for life
—— TimeoutSaramago enjoys filling out the details with improvisatory skill and imagination
—— John Spurling , Sunday TimesThe Elephant's Journey is well worth picking up
—— Syndicated review to local papersEnthralling and enchanting – I literally couldn’t put it down. A wondrous book!
—— Tamora Pierce , bestselling author of the Song of the Lionness QuartetThe Bear and the Nightingale is a marvelous trip into an ancient Russia where magic is a part of everyday life
—— Todd McCaffrey , author of The Dragon Booksbeautifully wrought fairytale for adults...
—— Writing MagazineFairy tale lovers, if you’re going to read one fantasy book this winter, let this be it.... beautiful debut
—— www.bookish.comAn enchanting yet haunting Russian fairytale which inspires courage in a time of darkness
—— The ObserverKatherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy isn't just good - it's hug-to-your-chest, straight-to-the-favourites-shelf, reread-immediately good, and each book just gets better
—— Laini TaylorA historical fantasy perfect for those who love ancient stories and tradition
—— Good HousekeepingA powerful read
—— StylistA funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story
—— Bella MagazineIt's one of those rare books with almost universal appeal: it will make you laugh, cry and break your heart
—— The BooksellerIt wreaks emotional havoc . . . To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that
—— IndependentWhen the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it. Everybody should
—— Financial TimesA bold tale of slavery for a new 'Roots' generation
—— Washington PostRich, epic. . . Each chapter is tightly plotted, and there are suspenseful, even spectacular climaxes
—— New York MagazineRarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel
—— Shelf AwarenessTerrific
—— Ann PatchettSpectacular
—— Taiye SelasiHomegoing is stunning - a truly heartbreaking work of literary genius
—— BustleThis is, hand on heart, a completely brilliant novel...a brilliant debut. If this isn't shortlisted for some prizes next year, I'll be disappointed
—— Stylist's pick of the best new books for 2017Encompassing events major and minor, but skilfully skipping the civil war, it humanises big issues by giving us unforgettable characters. It could not be more relevant or needed
—— Damian Barr , Observer Books of the YearGyasi imbues indigenous life with richness and dignity, in a style that owes something - though by no means everything - to Chinua Achebe...it serves as the engine for a powerful message
—— Daily TelegraphA future classic and a novel that you'll want to pass on to everyone you know...the real deal...2017 is set to be the year of Homegoing
—— StylistWhile the issues she wrestles with are heavy, her writing is a joy....Now, more than ever, we need books like this one
—— RedHugely courageous and really important
—— Sathnam SangheraHomegoing is remarkable...the writing at the end of the book is every bit as vital as that at the start...she has produced a contemporary classic - one you'll actually want to read
—— Daily MailAn epic debut novel
—— Good HousekeepingIntriguing debut...a noble enterprise
—— Mail on SundayBrilliant
—— Sunday TelegraphVivid and ambitious debut
—— Sunday ExpressToni Morrison's Beloved spoke to a generation. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing will do the same for a new one. In a word, it's brilliant. And not just "for a debut"
—— The PoolThe powerful narrative of Yaa Gyasi's accomplished first novel do more than reveal the history that still troubles the United States. They make that history immediate
—— Harper's BazaarA fascinating view of the history of slavery...Gyasi gives voice to suppressed stories, and that feels hugely important....it certainly deserves our attention
—— Sunday TimesA searing indictment of racism and a very impressive debut
—— Sunday ExpressAmbitious, superbly written, important - don't miss this one
—— Woman & HomeIt is written with such maturity and beauty, that it is hard to believe it is Gyasi's first published work...Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching. Her writing style is raw and intense and leaves one desperate to see what work she will produce in the future
—— Press AssociationExtraordinary
—— GlamourThe hype is justified
—— Emerald StreetThis unputdownable tale spans three continents and seven generations to tell the story of a family and of America itself
—— Reader's DigestA bold and ambitious debut...full of fire and youthful confidence
—— Daily ExpressHere is a book to help us remember. It is well worth its weight
—— GuardianHands down the best book I've read in months...I can't wait to see what Yaa Gyasi does next
—— GraziaGyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching
—— The iThrough her words we come to understand parts of history that are sometimes ignored
—— PrideAn epic saga
—— ScotsmanA wonderfully evocative and compassionate novel - one that shows deftness, depth and maturity. Homegoing is a gift to its readers and a treasure to cherish
—— Petina Gappah , Financial TimesThe structure is fantastically strong, but it would have been nothing without Gyasi's ability to bring each character alive. At every turn she resists cliché and dogma ... she deftly weaves in just enough historical information without sacrificing its complexity ... Homegoing has something better than perfection, and that is a touch of magic... [Gyasi is] the right artist at the right time
—— Alice O'Keefe , New StatesmanGyasi's debut novel has a distinctive strength and courage ... a descendent of Alex Haley's Roots and Toni Morrison's Beloved, an extended response to Joyce Carol Oates's Last Hundred Years trilogy
—— Times Literary SupplementA confident, vivid, engrossingtale [that] winds towards a moving conclusion
—— Radio TimesGyasi's widescreen view of history powerfully drives home her view that we are all responsible for ourselves and for each other ... a highly compassionate feat of storytelling
—— MetroEntwining history, politics and personal events, this is an ambitious novel that is, and will continue to be, highly culturally relevant
—— Big IssueAstoundingly ambitious
—— New BooksAmbition and talent don't always go hand-in-hand; here they unquestionably do
—— Daily MailTracing the descendants of two women across seven generations, this unflinching debut from Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi examines the lingering effects of slavery from the 18th-century Gold Coast to the US at the turn of the 21st century
—— Financial TimesAmbitious, multi-generational saga of the effects of the slave trade
—— Guardian Books of the Year






