The Autumn of the Ace

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Louis de Bernières is the master of historical fiction which makes you both laugh and cry. This book follows an unforgettable family after the Second World War.

Daniel Pitt was an RAF fighter in the First World War and an espionage agent for the SOE in the Second. Now the conflicts he faces are closer to home.

Daniel's marriage has fractured beyond repair and Daniel's relationship with his son, Bertie, has been a failure since Bertie was a small boy. But after his brother Archie's death, Daniel is keen for new perspectives. He first travels to Peshawar to bury Archie in the place he loved best, and then finds himself in Canada, avoiding his family and friends back in England. But some bonds are hard to break. Daniel and Bertie's different experiences of war, although devastating, also bring with them the opportunity for the two to reconnect. If only they can find a way to move on from the past.

Louis de Bernieres' new novel is a moving account of an extraordinary life in extraordinary times. Daniel is a flawed but captivating hero, and this coming-of-old-age story illuminates both the effect of two World Wars on a generation and the irrepressible spirit and love that can connect people despite great obstacles.

© Louis de Bernières 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Critics Review

  • De Bernieres is a singular, cherishable voice.

    Mail on Sunday

  • Louis de Bernieres is in the direct line that runs through Dickens and Evelyn Waugh… he has only to look into his world, one senses, for it to rush into reality, colours and touch and taste

    Evening Standard

  • [The Autumn of the Ace is] penned with de Bernières’s quiet, deprecating humour and sharp observation

    Sunday Express

  • Both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, this novel will captivate the senses and make you laugh as well as cry. Brimming with incredible, quirky characters and beautiful, lyrical writing, The Autumn of the Ace is the ideal book for lovers of historical fiction

    South African

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