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A Long Long Way

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About this listen

 With acclaimed works like The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, Irish author Sebastian Barry has earned a reputation as a "master storyteller" ( The Wall Street Journal). In A Long Long Way he has created an unforgettable portrait of the horrors of war through the story of Willie Dunne, a young man who leaves his native Dublin in 1914 to join the Allies on the Western Front. Caught between the catastrophic violence he encounters there and the growing political tension at home over Irish independence, Willie finds himself confronting unbearable choices regarding family, patriotism, and the devotion he feels toward his regiment. A deeply affecting portrayal of personal struggle and the consequences of war, this is one of Barry's most powerful accomplishments.© Sebastion Barry; (P)Oakhill Publishing Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military Heartfelt Tear-jerking War

Critic reviews

"Barry succeeds admirably in creating complex individuals who find themselves trapped in a brutal reality....Beautiful and soul-wrenching." ( Los Angeles Times)
"The story grips, shocks and saddens; but most importantly refuses to be forgotten." ( The Times of London)
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Beautifully written in Barry's inimitable Irish voice. A story of the Irish in WW1 and their lives at home and at war, that gave this Englishman a better understanding and respect.

A moving and beautiful book

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I was some what relived it was over,no more would I listen to my heroes plight.
A real story of Ireland's once forgotten heroes, who gave there lives for the common man, may once more see the roses of Picardy.
And here am I a hundred years after Little Wilily and can honestly say that my balls! will never hang as low as Wilily's and his Brothers!!

An Irish story

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I have very much liked the other books by Barry that I have read. I also like books centring on WW1, but I found this slow going and my attention kept wandering.

slow

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The language is evocative and we feel what they feel- this will stay with me as an account of war always.
For students of history and english- a landmark lesson.
And for the Irish... and those who might interestedly explore their contribution to the Great War... walk in their steps with John Cormack- whose selection as narrator is spot on!

Such a vivid, gutting book

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The beauty of the writing and the wonderful narration, bring home all the horrors of the Great War, and of all wars. it's difficult to listen to at times, but so powerful that you just keep going. I read this as a book, a number of years ago. The story is still as fresh and compelling. Everyone should read or listen to this book, but it is not a Beach Read.

A terrible beauty

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