Best of
British-Literature

1961

China Court: The Hours of a Country House


Rumer Godden - 1961
    Now one of her most endearing classics is being reissued for a new generation of readers. China Court is the story of the hours and days of a country house in Wales and five generations of the family who inhabited it.

The Guinea Stamp


Alice Chetwynd Ley - 1961
    No respectable lady should concern herself with romantic notions of spies and smugglers, but Joanna Fineton does not care. When she discovers double agent Captain Jackson breaking into her family home, she is suddenly swept up into a tangled web of lies and conspiracy. Someone in the Fineton house is not who he appears to be—but can Joanna discover who the French spy is before his dastardly plan comes to fruition? As the plot thickens and Joanna runs out of time to find the traitor, Captain Jackson’s grip on her heart tightens ever more — threatening not only to destroy her future, but England’s too… ‘The Guinea Stamp’ is an intriguing regency romance, perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer and Jane Aiken Hodge. It has also previously been published as ‘The Courting of Joanna’.

No Fond Return of Love


Barbara Pym - 1961
    The novel has a delicate tangle of schemes and unfulfilled dreams, hidden secrets and a castle or two. Told wonderfully in the deadpan honesty that has become a Pym hallmark, this book is a delight.

The Judas Tree


A.J. Cronin - 1961
    J. Cronin tells of Dr. David Morey who tries to atone for his desertion of the woman he loved. Beguiled by the prospect of riches he goes on to marry Dottie, a spoiled but beautiful neurotic who brings him almost constant misery, until a chance remark makes him seek retribution in memories of the past and a return to his native Scotland. In the magnificent narrative tradition of "The Citadel," "The Stars Look Down" and Cronin's other classic novels, "The Judas Tree" is a great book by a much-loved author.

Warriors for the Working Day


Peter Elstob - 1961
    The novel is based on events from June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, to the invasion of Germany in the Spring of 1945. The book describes fighting by the men of a small unit of British tanks during this period, with the focus on one tank crew. The novel is highly realistic, as it is based on Elstob's experience in the war as a tank crewmember.

The Complete Short Stories: Volume 1


D.H. Lawrence - 1961
    As a short-story writing, Lawrence at his best was unexcelled.

Complete Short Stories, Vol 2


D.H. Lawrence - 1961
    As a short-story writing, Lawrence at his best was unexcelled.

The Complete Short Stories, Vol 3


D.H. Lawrence - 1961
    As a short-story writing, Lawrence at his best was unexcelled.

Perceval's Narrative: A Patient's Account of His Psychosis, 1830-1832


John Perceval - 1961
    

Dixon of Dock Green: 12 episodes of the BBC Radio 4 drama


Ted Willis - 1961
    In these 12 radio adaptations he once again upholds the law on the streets of 1950s Dock Green.David Calder stars as PC George Dixon, with David Tennant and Hamish Clark as PC Andy Dixon. Running time: 6 hours approx.

The Forgotten Smile


Margaret Kennedy - 1961
    She ends up in Keritha – a mysterious Greek island all but forgotten by the modern world. There she encounters her childhood friends, the Challoners, returned to the island of their birth to claim their heritage. When another stray arrives: the unattractive, foolish Selwyn Potter, Kate is irritated. But under the spell of this strange and beautiful island both visitors find themselves, and each other, cast in a new light.