Bury Him Among Kings

by Elleston Trevor, Victor Rumbellow (Read by)

Elleston Trevor has chosen WW I and the lives of a variety of English soldiers for the setting and characters of this insightful novel. The narrative concerns two brothers from the British aristocracy--Aubrey and Victor Talbot. With them in the trenches of France, we share vicariously in their dangers and discomforts. "A captivating drama of the abrupt end of innocence where love and trust still exist amidst the blood and horror." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)

Genres: Fiction

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Author has published other books under the names: Adam Hall, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Trevor Dudley-Smith, Roger Fitzalan, Howard North, Simon Rattray, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith, Lesley Stone.

Author Trevor Dudley-Smith was born in Kent, England on February 17, 1920. He attended Yardley Court Preparatory School and Sevenoaks School. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer. After the war, he started writing full-time. He lived in Spain and France before moving to the United States and settling in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1946 he used the pseudonym Elleston Trevor for a non-mystery book, and later made it his legal name. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Adam Hall, Simon Rattray, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Roger Fitzalan, Howard North, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith, and Lesley Stone. Even though he wrote thrillers, mysteries, plays, juvenile novels, and short stories, his best-known works are The Flight of the Phoenix written as Elleston Trevor and the series about British secret agent Quiller written as Adam Hall. In 1965, he received the Edgar Allan Poe Award by Mystery Writers of America and the French Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for The Quiller Memorandum. This book was made into a 1967 movie starring George Segal and Alec Guinness. He died of cancer on July 21, 1995.

Reviews

[S.A. Bolich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always liked this book. It resides on my shelves to this day, probably 30 years after I first read it. I haul it out every so often and savor it for the quality of the writing and the excellent evocation of the era. WWI is, unfortunately, the forgotten war, overshadowed by its little brother, perhaps because in the end it was all so futile. It permanently wiped out a way of life in Europe and upended the political and social structures that had been evolving gently for centuries. In the trenches, everyone was equal. The aristocratic brothers Aubrey and Victor Talbot were born to lead, and they do, but they share the blood and squalor beside the troops under their command. How they approach that experience, however, is what sets them apart and makes them fascinating. Audrey, the elder, is one of those rock-steady types who can be counted on to keep his head and do the right thing in all circumstances. Vic, the jealous younger brother, spends his life in trouble, trying to one-up Aubrey. Nothing changes when they get to the front, and Vic's recklessness makes you want to shoot him before the Germans beat you to it. The evolution of both characters to a state of mind neither of them could have imagined is slow, relentless, and beautifully done. The ending is fitting and well done, and all of the lesser characters are just as well presented, with stories that don't always tuck in neatly along the lines you think they will. This is an excellent read and I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to know more about "the Great War" or just read a really fine book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very moving story about brothers in the British forces in world war 1. They have different reasons for being there and have different experiences. It is very much the British counterpart of "All Quiet on the Western Front", and has the same feeling of the tragic waste of precious lives in the name of war. I started reading it to get it off my bookshelf and sold to a book exchange, but its a keeper!

[Amanda]

This is a very moving story about brothers in the British forces in world war 1. They have different reasons for being there and have different experiences. It is very much the British counterpart of "All Quiet on the Western Front", and has the same feeling of the tragic waste of precious lives in the name of war. I started reading it to get it off my bookshelf and sold to a book exchange, but its a keeper!

[Joan Lisanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best and most-haunting novels about WWI I have read; it would not be out of place next to All Quiet on the Western Front. I recommend it highly.

[Justin Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story that captures the terrible realities of World War 1-on the Western Front and back at home. Beautifully written.

[Jeannette Beauvoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elleston Trevor, under his various noms de plume, was an extraordinary writer, and this is one of his most extraordinary books. There are a lot of vibrant tales of World War Two, but many fewer of World War One, and this is a must-read for anyone interested in feeling what the war was like for many of those who fought it. It should actually be required reading for anyone inclined to romanticize the war ... or anyone involved in setting policies that might lead to a new one.

With Trevor's usual attention to detail and talent for description, the reader enters the lives of several young people as war is declared, and lives with them through the experience in ways that few writers of historical fiction have attained. Brilliant prose, brilliant characterizations, and mostly a brilliant ability to put the reader directly into the action. Definitely recommended.