Publisher's Synopsis
Ronald Blythe has been called the finest rural historian of our times and one of England's greatest country writers. He spent his entire life - over 100 years of it - living in and around Suffolk, and was best known for his bestselling fictionalised account of rural Suffolk, Akenfield. But for a writer known for his confessional style and intimate, sensitive meditations on nature, religion and life, he revealed little about himself and his private life.
In this revealing biography, Ian Collins draws on unparalleled access to letters and writings, as well as several decades of friendship, to depict the 'real Ronnie'. From his challenging childhood, growing up in poverty in Acton, and an education consisting of voraciously reading library books, to his ill-fated time serving in the military, to his sexuality and faith. It is a celebration of a beloved writer and a fascinating portrait of a complex man.
