Reviews

The Autumn of the Ace by Louis de Bernières

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mrs_bonaventure's review

5.0

Wonderfully enjoyable, especially when taking a view across all three of the Daniel Pitt trilogy, as it became about halfway through the first book. The story is effectively the sweep of the twentieth century through one man’s eyes (I almost said Englishman because the settings are very English, including the ones overseas, but Daniel constantly reminds everyone he is half French and this does provide a certain detachment and nonconformity to the typical English outlook of the time).
The supporting characters are brilliantly funny and poignant (including the pet white lion) and the excursions entertaining (including building a submarine for a Canadian lake to find the lake monster)... it’s only later on you realise the adventures are classic emotional avoidance and the reckoning begins.
Brilliant trilogy. Well worth reading.

greybeard49's review

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5.0

Occasionally you come across a book that totally grabs you. This was such a book.

A complete emotional roller coaster of a journey. The history of the family described makes for an exceptional story and the author relates it so well. The final few chapters - a great conclusion.
Still, I look forward to reading them.

nicjohnston's review

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4.0

The Autumn of the Ace picks up the latter years of wartime ace Daniel Pitt. A sweeping narrative of a hero from both world wars, we join Daniel after WWII as he struggles to find his feet in a world with a different purpose. Daniel takes us on adventures, revisits earlier loves and finds warmth among the younger generations.

A book of a life lived and losses suffered, The Autumn of the Ace is an absolute joy. Immersive, thoughtful and sweeping, I absolutely loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harvill Secker (Vintage) for an ARC in consideration of an honest review. I was a little blindsided, having not realised that this was #3 in a trilogy, which would normally send me to start from the beginning. However, I trusted fellow reviewers who suggested that The Autumn of the Aces is a fine standalone and the earlier books will rightly follow. I couldn’t agree more.