To Serve Them all My Days: Book 2 - The Headmaster

To Serve Them All My Days #2

by R.F. Delderfield

Here is the second part of R.F. Delderfield's bestselling story of school life during the earlier part of last century, displaying again all the author's high qualities and standing as another testament to his industry, his passionate love of history, his stalwart belief in fair play, tolerance and loyalty.

No longer the shell-shocked young man fresh from the front, David Powlett-Jones had now become a schoolmaster or rare talent - able to change with the times and understand their varying stresses.
As the age of strikes and hunger gave way to years of pre-war apprehension and wartime glory, so did David's life change. Marriage blissfully came and tragically went; headmastership came, bringing with it new responsibilities; and always changing were the faces and manners and attitudes of the people under his tutelage, drawing from him all the understanding and compassion he could muster.

384 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Ronald Frederick Delderfield was a popular English novelist and dramatist, many of whose works have been adapted for television and are still widely read.

Several of Delderfield's historical novels and series involve young men who return from war and lead lives in England that allow the author to portray the sweep of English history and delve deeply into social history from the Edwardian era to the early 1960s.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review of the first part of this series.

[Outlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only criticism of these books (no 1 Late Spring and the following book, no 2 The Headmaster) is that it's so very obviously written by an Englishman as opposed to a Brit - a distinction that eludes the English in general and is always clearly seen by the Welsh, Irish and Scots.

When I was about 2 chapters in I thought is was just a rehash of James Hilton's 'Goodbye Mr Chips' which was set from the end of Victoria's reign till the end of Mr Chips life, but it's a different message. As a slice of fiction it's also a slightly dated 'stiff upper lip' tale but with a winner of a message of history repeating itself down the ages and primarily that war is not all glory but an abomination. It's not fashionable to say that the world is heading down the same road as the time of the novel(s), but the world is doing just that, right now.

[Jay Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it, especially because it tells on a fine teacher who eventually becomes headmaster of his boarding school in England. It also portrays the ability of students, still in their teens, to step forward in times of great need.
However, I could not finish my second reading. Somehow Delderfield's style of writing now offends my own sense of what I like. It seemed stodgy and dense.

[Mary Stagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super second part to the story. It moves over the 1930's and into war time with a very satisfying joining of the circle at the end. Davy has another happy marriage, he becomes headmaster, has a son, grows the school, introduces a prep section, takes in a refugee and another school. Its great, beautifully written.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both great reads.