{"product_id":"great-uncle-harry-a-tale-of-war-and-empire-9781039002005","title":"Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire","description":"\u003cb\u003eMichael Palin recreates the extraordinary life and tragic death of a First World War soldier--his great-uncle Harry.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSome years ago a stash of family records was handed down to Michael Palin, among which were photos of an enigmatic young man in army uniform, as well as photos of the same young man as a teenager looking uncomfortable at family gatherings. This, Michael learned, was his Great-Uncle Harry, born in 1884, died in 1916. He had previously had no idea that he had a Great-Uncle Harry, much less that his life was cut short at the age of 32 when he was killed in the Battle of the Somme. The discovery both shocked him and made him want to know much more. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe quest that followed involved hundreds of hours of painstaking detective work. Michael dug out every bit of family gossip and correspondence he could. He studied every relevant official document. He tracked down what remained of his great-uncle Harry's diaries and letters, and pored over photographs of First World War battle scenes to see whether Harry appeared in any of them. He walked the route Harry took on that fatal, final day of his life amid the mud of northern France. And as he did so, a life that had previously existed in the shadows was revealed to him. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eGreat-Uncle Harry\u003c\/i\u003e is an utterly compelling account of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. A blend of biography, history, travelogue and personal memoir, this is Michael Palin at his very finest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMICHAEL PALIN has written and starred in numerous TV programs and films, from \u003ci\u003eMonty Python \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eRipping Yarns \u003c\/i\u003eto \u003ci\u003eThe Missionary \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Stalin\u003c\/i\u003e. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries, his journeys taking him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. His books include accounts of his journeys, novels (\u003ci\u003eHemingway's Chair\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Truth\u003c\/i\u003e) and several volumes of diaries. From 2009 to 2012 he was president of the Royal Geographical Society. He received a BAFTA fellowship in 2013, and a knighthood in the 2019 New Year Honours list. He lives in London.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Vintage Books Canada","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50899527926034,"sku":"9781039002005","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_aac76dbb-fcd2-43c7-922e-76517b2f41eb.jpg?v=1738359270","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/great-uncle-harry-a-tale-of-war-and-empire-9781039002005","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}