The bestselling memoir, 'Prunes For Breakfast' by John Searancke has been deeply discounted in eBook format!
You can get your copy today for £1.99/$1.99!
Here's a little about the book!
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.
Not sure if this is a book you would enjoy? Read what others have said and decide for yourself.
5.0 out of 5 stars Intimate and fascinating.
Prunes for Breakfast was one of those books that lurked in the 'unread' section of my kindle, waiting for a time that I could give my full attention to a subject that deserves nothing less. If I'm totally honest, I probably wouldn't ordinarily purchase a book about war (definitely more my brother's cup of tea), but I enjoyed John Searanke's previous book - Dog Days in the Fortunate Islands so much, that when Amazon suggested that I might like Prunes for Breakfast, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and clicked on 'Buy now'.
Did I enjoy it? Without any doubt, yes I did. It was an intimate and fascinating account of one man's WW2, cleverly told through a bunch of letters written by the author's father to his young wife. I even found myself paying attention to the Notes on Military References, important to read if you want a real understanding of the numbers of men who went into battle.
Thank you John Searanke for sharing your father's war with us. We really do owe his generation an enormous debt of gratitude. By the way, if my husband had a prolonged absence from home, and returned for a weekend, he too would arrive with his golf clubs!
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating wartime read.
I am not normally a lover of war-based books, but I was attracted by the title and decided to read it anyway. I’m so glad I did. For me it is as much a study of social history as it is a story about one man’s experiences in World War 2.
Prunes for Breakfast focuses on the experiences of the author’s father, Eddie, when he signs up to join his local reserve regiment in the 1940s. What immediately sets it apart from many others on the subject is that much of the story is told through letters sent by Eddie to his wife. Letters that were so important at the time for the recipient, and which have been cherished and faithfully preserved.
I was fascinated by his commentary on day-to-day activities as the regiment wait for the call-up, some of which seemed humdrum and therefore challenging in their own way. But it doesn’t last forever. They starkly contrast to the horrors of war, which are then related in a very different way to protect his wife from the harsh reality of the situation. Latterly his capture and incarceration in a prison camp lends yet another dimension to his wartime experiences.
Without doubt I would recommend this book to anyone who has a special interest in World War 2 and the social history that surrounds it. The intimacy of the letters, in particular, gives the reader a direct insight of how one serviceman coped with being apart from his new wife, and latterly child. That, coupled with John Searancke’s excellent, clear writing style, makes this a compelling read.
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
This book is an extremely interesting look into one mans life during his service in WWII. It was unlike any other book that I've read and found it fascinating. I became immersed in Mr. Searanckes life and learned so much about the war from his point of view. Highly recommended.
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