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Footsteps
Young William Jones is on a desperate search through darkest London for John Diamond, the son of a man his father apparently once cheated badly. Will he find him? Originally published in the United States as Footsteps, John Diamond "combines a cast of remarkable eccentrics with superb sensory descriptions" (The Horn Book). The title was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.
Leon Garfield (1921-96) is considered one of the most innovative writers of historical fiction, and his work has entertained generations of readers.
"Reissuing Leon Garfield's novels is a great gift." (Suzanne Fisher Staples)
"Leon Garfield is unmatched for sheer, exciting storytelling." (Lloyd Alexander)
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
4 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Leon Garfield
121 books49 followersLeon Garfield FRSL (14 July 1921 – 2 June 1996) was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for children's historical novels, though he also wrote for adults. He wrote more than thirty books and scripted Shakespeare: The Animated Tales for television.
Garfield attended Brighton Grammar School (1932-1938) and went on to study art at Regent Street Polytechnic, but his studies were interrupted first by lack of funds for fees, then by the outbreak of World War II. He married Lena Leah Davies in April, 1941, at Golders Green Synagogue but they separated after only a few months. For his service in the war he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. While posted in Belgium he met Vivien Alcock, then an ambulance driver, who would go on to become his second wife (in 1948) and a well-known children's author. She would also greatly influence Garfield's writing, giving him suggestions for his writing, including the original idea for Smith. After the war Garfield worked as a biochemical laboratory technician at the Whittington Hospital in Islington, writing in his spare time until the 1960s, when he was successful enough to write full-time. In 1964, the couple adopted a baby girl, called Jane after Jane Austen, a favourite writer of both parents.
Garfield wrote his first book, the pirate novel Jack Holborn, for adult readers but a Constable & Co. editor saw its potential as a children's novel and persuaded him to adapt it for a younger audience. In that form it was published by Constable in 1964. His second book, Devil-in-the-Fog (1966), won the first annual Guardian Prize and was serialised for television, as were several later works (below). Devil was the first of several historical adventure novels, typically set late in the eighteenth century and featuring a character of humble origins (in this case a boy from a family of traveling actors) pushed into the midst of a threatening intrigue. Another was Smith (1967), with the eponymous hero a young pickpocket accepted into a wealthy household; it won the Phoenix Award in 1987. Yet another was Black Jack (1968), in which a young apprentice is forced by accident and his conscience to accompany a murderous criminal.
In 1970, Garfield's work started to move in new directions with The God Beneath the Sea, a re-telling of numerous Greek myths in one narrative, written by Garfield and Edward Blishen and illustrated by Charles Keeping. It won the annual Carnegie Medal for British children's books. Garfield, Blishen, and Keeping collaborated again on a sequel, The Golden Shadow (1973). The Drummer Boy (1970) was another adventure story, but concerned more with a central moral problem, and apparently aimed at somewhat older readers, a trend continued in The Prisoners of September (1975) republished in 1989 by Lions Tracks, under the title Revolution!, The Pleasure Garden (1976) and The Confidence Man (1978). The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris (1972) was a black comedy in which two boys decide to test the plausibility of Romulus and Remus using one of the boys' baby sister. Most notable at the time was a series of linked long short stories about apprentices, published separately between 1976 and 1978, and then as a collection, The Apprentices. The more adult themed books of the mid-1970s met with a mixed reception and Garfield returned to the model of his earlier books with John Diamond, which won a Whitbread Award in 1980, and The December Rose (1986). In 1980 he also wrote an ending for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished at the 1870 death of Dickens, an author who had been a major influence on Garfield's own style.
He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985. On 2 June 1996 he died of cancer at the Whittington Hospital, where he had once worked.
Garfield attended Brighton Grammar School (1932-1938) and went on to study art at Regent Street Polytechnic, but his studies were interrupted first by lack of funds for fees, then by the outbreak of World War II. He married Lena Leah Davies in April, 1941, at Golders Green Synagogue but they separated after only a few months. For his service in the war he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. While posted in Belgium he met Vivien Alcock, then an ambulance driver, who would go on to become his second wife (in 1948) and a well-known children's author. She would also greatly influence Garfield's writing, giving him suggestions for his writing, including the original idea for Smith. After the war Garfield worked as a biochemical laboratory technician at the Whittington Hospital in Islington, writing in his spare time until the 1960s, when he was successful enough to write full-time. In 1964, the couple adopted a baby girl, called Jane after Jane Austen, a favourite writer of both parents.
Garfield wrote his first book, the pirate novel Jack Holborn, for adult readers but a Constable & Co. editor saw its potential as a children's novel and persuaded him to adapt it for a younger audience. In that form it was published by Constable in 1964. His second book, Devil-in-the-Fog (1966), won the first annual Guardian Prize and was serialised for television, as were several later works (below). Devil was the first of several historical adventure novels, typically set late in the eighteenth century and featuring a character of humble origins (in this case a boy from a family of traveling actors) pushed into the midst of a threatening intrigue. Another was Smith (1967), with the eponymous hero a young pickpocket accepted into a wealthy household; it won the Phoenix Award in 1987. Yet another was Black Jack (1968), in which a young apprentice is forced by accident and his conscience to accompany a murderous criminal.
In 1970, Garfield's work started to move in new directions with The God Beneath the Sea, a re-telling of numerous Greek myths in one narrative, written by Garfield and Edward Blishen and illustrated by Charles Keeping. It won the annual Carnegie Medal for British children's books. Garfield, Blishen, and Keeping collaborated again on a sequel, The Golden Shadow (1973). The Drummer Boy (1970) was another adventure story, but concerned more with a central moral problem, and apparently aimed at somewhat older readers, a trend continued in The Prisoners of September (1975) republished in 1989 by Lions Tracks, under the title Revolution!, The Pleasure Garden (1976) and The Confidence Man (1978). The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris (1972) was a black comedy in which two boys decide to test the plausibility of Romulus and Remus using one of the boys' baby sister. Most notable at the time was a series of linked long short stories about apprentices, published separately between 1976 and 1978, and then as a collection, The Apprentices. The more adult themed books of the mid-1970s met with a mixed reception and Garfield returned to the model of his earlier books with John Diamond, which won a Whitbread Award in 1980, and The December Rose (1986). In 1980 he also wrote an ending for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished at the 1870 death of Dickens, an author who had been a major influence on Garfield's own style.
He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985. On 2 June 1996 he died of cancer at the Whittington Hospital, where he had once worked.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 28, 2022
3.5 stars. I quite liked the atmosphere (rather Poe meets Dickens) and the actual prose (a higher level of writing than you get with many current kid novels), though the plot frequently dragged -- hence the middling rating. The characters surrounding William were generally fairly colorful, but William was an odd protagonist and hard to root for. He had so little idea of exactly what he wanted or who he actually was; sometimes this was played off comically to good effect, but at others, just made you wish the story would wrap up.
December 15, 2015
An atmospheric historical mystery/adventure.
February 7, 2021
Reading this with year 5 and I loved it. It has everything: ripping yarn, mystery, adventure, likeable narrator, plenty of period detail, goodies and baddies, some brilliant turns of phrase. The year 5s are enjoying it too though I think it is quite a challenge for 9-10 year olds.
September 26, 2016
Leon Garfield’s John Diamond, which was first published in 1980,has been reissued in a lovely new edition as part of the Vintage Children’s Classics range. Peter Williamson’s cover design is marvellous, and it fits wonderfully with the darkness of the story. Vintage have recommended that the book is suitable for everyone over the age of nine, and upon reading it from an adult stance, it is difficult to envision that anybody – indeed, of any age – would dislike it.
The novel opens in a manner which immediately piques the interest: ‘I ought to begin with the footsteps, but first of all I must tell you that my name is William Jones and that I was twelve years old when I began to hear them’. His father tells him whilst on his deathbed that he ‘swindled’ Mr Diamond out of a great fortune, and thus, the main thread of the story concerns William’s travels to London to ‘make amends’ with his late father’s old business partner. The ‘murky big city, with its sinister characters and treacherous back streets’ is clearly no place for him.
William tells us that ‘This story is about my father, chiefly. He was a tall, handsome man, with his own hair, his own teeth, and, in fact, with nothing false about him’. After his father’s death, he goes on to say, ‘I knew that, until I found Mr Diamond, neither my father nor I would ever have peace. Night after night he would shuffle and drag across the floor, amd night after night I would hear him; unless I left the house and set out on the journey that would lay his ghost’.
John Diamond is rather atmospheric at times, and it is filled with childish and rather amusing caricatures of those around William. His Uncle Turner, for example, with his ‘bullying face’ and ‘strong smell of peppermint’, was ‘a stern, God-fearing man, and I think the feeling must have been mutual – God, I mean, being frightened of him’. William himself is brave and likeable, and much care and compassion is built up for him as the novel progresses.
Garfield’s novel is cleverly crafted, the first person narration works marvellously, and plot details are dripped in at intervals throughout to keep the interest of the reader. Vintage have lovingly overseen the production of John Diamond, adding rather a fun section called ‘The Backstory’ at the end of the book, which invited readers to learn how to speak in Cockney rhyming slang, as well as providing a quiz, an author biography, and facts about London in the time in which the novel is set. John Diamond is certainly deserving of this reprinting, and it is sure to be a wonderful addition to any bookshelf.
The novel opens in a manner which immediately piques the interest: ‘I ought to begin with the footsteps, but first of all I must tell you that my name is William Jones and that I was twelve years old when I began to hear them’. His father tells him whilst on his deathbed that he ‘swindled’ Mr Diamond out of a great fortune, and thus, the main thread of the story concerns William’s travels to London to ‘make amends’ with his late father’s old business partner. The ‘murky big city, with its sinister characters and treacherous back streets’ is clearly no place for him.
William tells us that ‘This story is about my father, chiefly. He was a tall, handsome man, with his own hair, his own teeth, and, in fact, with nothing false about him’. After his father’s death, he goes on to say, ‘I knew that, until I found Mr Diamond, neither my father nor I would ever have peace. Night after night he would shuffle and drag across the floor, amd night after night I would hear him; unless I left the house and set out on the journey that would lay his ghost’.
John Diamond is rather atmospheric at times, and it is filled with childish and rather amusing caricatures of those around William. His Uncle Turner, for example, with his ‘bullying face’ and ‘strong smell of peppermint’, was ‘a stern, God-fearing man, and I think the feeling must have been mutual – God, I mean, being frightened of him’. William himself is brave and likeable, and much care and compassion is built up for him as the novel progresses.
Garfield’s novel is cleverly crafted, the first person narration works marvellously, and plot details are dripped in at intervals throughout to keep the interest of the reader. Vintage have lovingly overseen the production of John Diamond, adding rather a fun section called ‘The Backstory’ at the end of the book, which invited readers to learn how to speak in Cockney rhyming slang, as well as providing a quiz, an author biography, and facts about London in the time in which the novel is set. John Diamond is certainly deserving of this reprinting, and it is sure to be a wonderful addition to any bookshelf.
February 17, 2023
Captivating storyline, which twists and turns, with engaging Dickensian characters and a truly admirable ... if naive hero. Above all, Leon Garfield's description of the historical and criminal labyrinths of London, engaged me as a reader throughout the main action. The ending is a pleasing resolution, but a little lame compared with the previous action.
My favourite character was Mr Seed, the dwarf, employed to haul on the ropes of the rickety wooden platform, which acted as a lift to the upper chambers of the dubious attorneys.
My favourite character was Mr Seed, the dwarf, employed to haul on the ropes of the rickety wooden platform, which acted as a lift to the upper chambers of the dubious attorneys.
September 26, 2019
Why have I not heard of Leon Garfield until now? Wonderful storyteller! Vivid descriptions and plot twists! This was one of the most enjoyable adventure tales I've ever read! I must read more by this author!
December 30, 2019
I first heard about Leon Garfield in an essay by Philip Pullman. John Diamond is a forgotten classic. A brilliantly written tale told with a jaunty, crooked good humor. Can’t wait to read more by the author.
July 26, 2020
I haven't read a Leon Garfield book for years, and I'd never read this one before, but it had the usual terrifying grimness and perfectly conjured Dickensian London of scary urchins, grasping lawyers, and inpenetrable fog. Good stuff.
February 11, 2018
Not as good as the first Garfield book I read (Smith). The plot was simple and the protagonist/narrator was boring and kind of a pushover.
December 10, 2020
A surprisingly funny and exciting story. Wonderfully steeped in Dickensian England. I'm writing about a dancer named John Diamond, so picked the book up on a whim. What a pleasure. I'll definitely read other Leon Garfield books!
September 19, 2015
The weakest of the Leon Garfield books I have read this month.
His protagonists have all been a little see-through compared to his other characters, but William Jones is particularly ineffectual. What's more he is narrow, a little cruel and extremely stupid. I didn't like him very much at all. Unusually, the book was narrated by William in a very self-conscious way. There was plenty of direct addressing to the audience and intimation of what was to come, it made the book seem a little tawdry.
Also, the usually sparking squibs the other books have been peppered with fell flat. Partly this was because of the direct narration and partly it was because they were more like dad-jokes than proper jokes. There was one part where William narrated that someone threw a bucket of water at him - then clarifies that it was only the water that was thrown and not the bucket. This is a long way from the discussion of a storm's poor arithmetic in Jack Holborn.
Finally, the mystery didn't really change anything. When it was solved, the characters were much the same, and in the same positions as they had been before. I couldn't really understand why two of the characters had made it mysterious in the first place.
I wouldn't recommend this particular Garfield novel, but it's the only one of the seven I have read so far that disappointed.
His protagonists have all been a little see-through compared to his other characters, but William Jones is particularly ineffectual. What's more he is narrow, a little cruel and extremely stupid. I didn't like him very much at all. Unusually, the book was narrated by William in a very self-conscious way. There was plenty of direct addressing to the audience and intimation of what was to come, it made the book seem a little tawdry.
Also, the usually sparking squibs the other books have been peppered with fell flat. Partly this was because of the direct narration and partly it was because they were more like dad-jokes than proper jokes. There was one part where William narrated that someone threw a bucket of water at him - then clarifies that it was only the water that was thrown and not the bucket. This is a long way from the discussion of a storm's poor arithmetic in Jack Holborn.
Finally, the mystery didn't really change anything. When it was solved, the characters were much the same, and in the same positions as they had been before. I couldn't really understand why two of the characters had made it mysterious in the first place.
I wouldn't recommend this particular Garfield novel, but it's the only one of the seven I have read so far that disappointed.
July 4, 2015
As usual Leon Garfield succeeds in producing an ominous and suspenseful atmosphere laced with humor. The story is set in the eighteenth century but has a Dickensian tone. The first-person narrator, twelve-year-old William Smith, listens to footsteps from his father’s room every night that keep him awake. One night the footsteps stop, and he learns his father’s dark secret. He sets off to London in search of John Diamond (the alternate title of the book). There he is baffled by an onslaught of odd and sometimes frightening characters. Garfield is a captivating storyteller, with a knack for humor (“She seemed to make soup as the rain makes mud, absolutely without thinking about it”). His works are somewhat reminiscent of Joan Aiken Hodge’s historical adventure stories for children, such as The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. The reason for four stars instead of five is that some of his other works (such as the Bostock and Harris stories) are even better.
July 3, 2017
William's father, dying, gives him his watch and confesses to thievery and scandal. This sends William to the heart of London in search of his father's swindled partner. He encounters Mr. Seed, a dwarf, a band of murderous boys and treachery.
Great plot twists, wonderful figurative language and dramatic foreshadowing makes this a fabulous read.
Great plot twists, wonderful figurative language and dramatic foreshadowing makes this a fabulous read.
January 12, 2017
Tough rating with a 2stars but it's merely because of personal preferences.
The storyline was fine and quite interesting in its own way, but it is not my kind of books.
I only did buy it because I am a pushover and the seller pushed it down my throat a bit.
Had I been younger I might have enjoyed it a bit more.
The storyline was fine and quite interesting in its own way, but it is not my kind of books.
I only did buy it because I am a pushover and the seller pushed it down my throat a bit.
Had I been younger I might have enjoyed it a bit more.
February 27, 2013
Je l'ai lu il y a longtemps. Je me souviens avoir adoré cette histoire très imprégnée des rues londoniennes paupérisées... Mais sans cela, je me souviens de manière très floue de la trame du roman. Si je n'avais pas tant de choses à lire, je le relirai. Mais bon.
October 12, 2014
Another fantastic eighteenth century romp for children by Leon Garfield. Garfield really did write brilliantly, with a real feel for place, period and plot, and with a knowing humour never far below the surface. Many contemporary historical novelists could learn a lot from him. C
September 20, 2015
A Dickensian plot (restoring justice to a father's wronged friend) and setting (London in the fog), along with Garfield's marvelous turns of phrase, make this a delight. And it's just under 200 pages. It's time for a Garfield revival!
May 13, 2010
London. Deathbed confessions. Footsteps. Lawyers. Dwarf. Treasure. Pubs. Fog. Redemption. Forgiveness.
I read it in one setting.
I read it in one setting.
May 4, 2011
The BEST FICTION COMBO of Mystery, Adventure, Suspense, Horror and Thrill :)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews