Man of His Time

Family Saga Set in Rural England

A working-class family saga set in rural England from the bestselling author of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner.

Ernest Burton's Journey

In 1887, Ernest Burton is a robust twenty-one-year-old who sets off to Wales in his best suit in order to work at his brother's forge. En route, he meets, seduces, and promptly impregnates a young widow. Such is the first episode of what turns into a lifetime of compulsive philandering whenever the blacksmith has a few hours away from his job.

Return to Nottingham

Within a year, Burton abandons the widow and returns to Nottingham. There, he marries the village barmaid, continues to toil and excel in a smithy, and fathers eight more children. Though Burton is an able-bodied provider who can ring a bull and shoe a horse with the best of them, his constant adultery, harsh authoritarianism, and violent streaks, make him anything but an ideal family man.

Rebellious Children and Societal Changes

The Burton children grow up to be rebellious despite—or to spite—their father's iron fist. And as time goes on, Burton seems more and more at odds with British society at large. Modernity threatens his profession, independent living is replaced by the welfare state, and long-standing customs of patriarchy give way to a more inclusive democracy.

Historical Tragedies and Family Strife

Two world wars and the Depression inflict additional tragedy on the family. As the Burtons struggle to overcome their strife, will the bully father have a change of heart?

Setting and Themes

In this absorbing historical portrait set in Nottinghamshire, a charismatic yet despotic blacksmith reigns over his wife and children, but is powerless to control the transformations of early twentieth-century Britain.