Prunes for Breakfast John Searancke 9781784625054 Books
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This is the story of John Searancke's parents, told mostly from the side of his father, Eddie Searancke, from the time of his calling up in early 1940 to his release from a prisoner of war camp in Germany in 1945, thence his return to England to try to pick up the pieces of his old life. Nothing could ever be quite the same afterwards. The letters take readers through five captivating years, telling of the ups and downs, the plots and counterplots, as Eddie rose through the ranks to end his war as a captain, elevated to that rank in the field as his troops faced the formidable might of the SS Panzers. The letters also reveal where his battle came to an abrupt end, in an orchard surrounded by the enemy and captured after a series of bloody skirmishes as the British army spearheaded its way from the beaches of Normandy. The journey as a prisoner across France and Germany in a truck, with comrades dying each day, may be as hard to read as it is to tell, particularly when a new life and new harsh rules had to be learned and rigidly enforced in a prison camp in northern Germany, the final destination. This is written as part memoir, part fictionalised retelling and partly in letter format; John draws together all sources to recreate the five years of war and hardship that the letters span.
Prunes for Breakfast John Searancke 9781784625054 Books
A fairly affluent and newly married young man is drafted into the British Army. He determines to make the best of the situation and volunteers forvarious courses and eventually qualifies for officer candidate training. As a junior officer he is able to have his auto on base and also his golf clubs which prove an excellent way to make friends and pass the time between his weekend leaves to visit his wife. Life in the army becomes somewhat monotonous until his Unit partakes in the D Day invasion of France and the reality and shock of warfare against the Germans. Quite to their despair his unit is overrun and he is taken prisoner of war. The discomfort, illnesses and hunger become his daily life. Truthful and well .written
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Prunes for Breakfast John Searancke 9781784625054 Books Reviews
Prunes for Breakfast/John Searancke
I took my time reading this book and I will visit it again. As the story progressed, I felt a certain sadness, not quite despair, for the young couple Elisabeth and Eddie's situation, because to me, they mirrored the plight of thousands of other young couples whose lives were so brutally interrupted by war and its ravages. Their love survived despite their forced separation and Eddie's capture. Yet despite these circumstances, they set the bars for loyalty to one's marriage mate - despite all the odds that were stacked against them - high, something which seems to be less important in our modern days. So to me personally, this is what I would like to take away from this wonderful memoir - remembering the Searanckes for what they stood for and leaving me with a smile on my face.
So, if you want a quick read with action on every page, this memoir is not for you. However, if you enjoy reading about life, it's ups and downs, the resilience of the human spirit and real people with grit, then you'll enjoy reading this memoir, sitting on a favourite chair and having a brew!
Prunes for Breakfast is a personal memoir about an affluent, newly married young man who joins the British Army after the start of the Second World War to fight for his country. Based on letters written by his father Eddie to his mother (and family) during the war, author John Searancke brings his father's story to life by including military and historical research in this finely woven tapestry showing the shocking reality of war and its consequences.
Life in the army is easy at first as Eddie trains and rises through the ranks from private to officer. He's allowed weekend rendezvous with his wife and even has his golf clubs and a fancy auto on base for short excursions. But by the time John's unit is called upon to join Allied Forces and bring an end to Hitler's dream of Nazi domination (in the largest air, land, and sea operation on D-Day, June 6, 1944) Eddie's life changes to one of anguish, hunger, and illness. When taken prisoner of war, John keeps his stiff upper 'British' lip. He continues to write letters home but glosses over his his dire situation.
How fortunate for the author, to be able to piece together this insightful and intimate story of his father's war years.
Nicely written account of a British soldier (&POW) life, Normandy and beyond. I learned a lot, with his perspective. Thanks !
What made the experience of listening to Prunes for Breakfast One Man's War the most enjoyable?
A quality narration. It brings life to the story without getting in the way.
What did you like best about this story?
A soldier's love for family, country, and his comrades.
Which character – as performed by Nicholas C Jermyn – was your favorite?
The story is about Edward's experience as told by Edward, and he is a very likable and admirable person.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I would never listen through an entire book at once but I always looked forward to my next opportunity to start it up again.
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and give it my highest recommendation.
One man's war, retold decades later by his son, using original letters home. I found this an interesting read, following the story of a young man, already well started in an easy, English civilian life, who joins the army after the start of the Second World War. The early part of the book contains some quite humourous episodes of Searancke's training and rise through the ranks. The reaction when he drives up in his car to join up as a Private is just one indication of the snobbery of the place and time. The writer always dryly sees the funny side. When however as an officer Searancke sees active service at the D-Day landings, everything changes. Although minimising events when writing home, the man sees death and horror, is anguished by the loss of a number of his men. His war goes from training and golf to a prisoner of war camp. Although many surely had a much more tragic war, this is an excellent "average" or "normal" account for many British.
I am glad the author put together the letters from his father to his mother during WWII in Britain along with additional narrative bridging them. It was a wonderful insight into an everyman's experience even though his father was a bit more on the elite side. What I find sad is that the this was the author's journey into getting to know a father that he didn't seem to know or relate to well in his younger years. I think he was very lucky to have access to these letters. I would love to find something like that to understand my father better who was an American stationed in the UK doing intelligence work. His whole career has been a mystery to me as well as his inner feelings so I envy the author that. I was very surprised to see how much the father shared in his letters about the details of his days, his work and even what maybe should have been censored in case there were prying eyes and spies -- where they were, what they were guarding and the build up to D-day. Well worth reading for war buffs!! Thank you to the author for sharing this.
A fairly affluent and newly married young man is drafted into the British Army. He determines to make the best of the situation and volunteers for
various courses and eventually qualifies for officer candidate training. As a junior officer he is able to have his auto on base and also his golf clubs which prove an excellent way to make friends and pass the time between his weekend leaves to visit his wife. Life in the army becomes somewhat monotonous until his Unit partakes in the D Day invasion of France and the reality and shock of warfare against the Germans. Quite to their despair his unit is overrun and he is taken prisoner of war. The discomfort, illnesses and hunger become his daily life. Truthful and well .written
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