Sebastian Faulks’ first attempt at non fiction takes the form of three essays each featuring the life of an Englishman of great promise. Sadly for the airman, the artist and the spy, their lives were cut short. Faulks tells engaging stories and they are far from being dry histories. The story of Richard Hillary the WW11 pilot, was of particular interest because of his relationship with McIndoe the plastic surgeon, (a New Zealander) after a horrific crash necessitating multiple surgeries. The RAF hero’s rehabilitation was incredibly difficult and the early development of plastic surgery is fascinating.

Unfortunately none of the three subjects are particularly appealing characters and although their stories are poignant, they do not have much charm.
This book was a slow burn for me, at times somewhat boring but there were moments particularly in the Hillary biography which rewarded persistence.

Faulks is a brilliant writer, The Fatal Englishman was the first nonfiction book that I read for him and I dont like nonfiction. The book presents the lives of three young English men who died very young and all the pressures laid on them by the society. The book is at times painful but it is very real and raw in Faulks' usual mellow, soft and intense prose.

I picked this up in a charity shop, but having read some of Sebastian Faulks' novels I knew it would be enjoyable reading. I wonder, as others have done, why he picked these three men. They are all from fairly privileged backgrounds, all marked out for greatness, and all largely forgotten now - although I have heard of the artist Christopher Wood. As Faulks paints them, none are particularly likeable, although they are not dull! They come across as conceited,selfish and arrogant, although they were loved by many who knew them personally - and especially doted on by their mothers! They were all convinced of their own greatness, and when it was thwarted they behaved like spoilt children. All three exhibit self-destructive tendencies. I feel th e three biographies give a certain unflattering insight into "Englishness" in different parts of the 20th century. All the same, a very "unputdownable" read!

I had read it a many years back and I remember it impacting me profoundly. This is a collection of short biographies of lives tragically cut short (the indication is pointedly towards self-destruction), but what sets this piece apart is the fact that the prodigious protagonists in the book did not have it easy at all. Their experiences with societal idiosyncrasies were pretty much the same as what the common folks face on a daily basis. The book brings out the overarching role of our community in handling people, special and ordinary alike. Recommended.

You may find a review of the book here:
https://thepileofbooks.blogspot.in/20...