Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation, the novel To Win Against the Odds tells us of Thomas Jones’s extraordinary early life-story. Abandoned by his father at birth, he is bullied at school in the valleys of south Wales. His grandmother gives the seven-year-old boxing lessons to defend himself. At fourteen he works the coalface of Drum colliery and survives the flooding of the pit. Two years later, he has enrolled in the British Army and sees action in World War II before being wounded and evacuated from Dunkirk. On his return to south Wales he trains to become a teacher and is reconciled with valley life, starting yet another extraordinary chapter in his young life. The novel melds several common storylines that affected the lives of many men in the first half of the twentieth century. Thomas lived through desperate times but in the end he was one of the lucky ones… Thomas T. Moynihan was born in 1947 and was raised in Ystalyfera in the upper Swansea Valley. He started work at 15 years of age at Ynyscedwyn Colliery before moving on to an engineering factory. He is married with two children, and is presently working with adults with special learning needs. This is his debut novel. To Win Against the Odds is published by Y Lolfa in June 2010. |
Jul 15, 2010
South Wales coal-mining disaster and World War II explored in new novel
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
THIS POST HAS BEEN MOVED TO:- https://americymru.net/ceri-shaw/blog/26/2008-gymanfa-ganu-at-bryn-seion-welsh-church
-
This competition is now closed BUT go to THIS post for a chance to win tickets to hear Karl Jenkins at the 'Music Masters of Wale...
-
Hill House Retreat, Llansteffan from Haikukacho on Vimeo . AmeriCymru spoke to Lance Thomas Burns about the upcoming event 'Dylan T...
-
Welsh comic author Dilwyn Phillips has just published a collection of humorous medical anecdotes. Hospital Jokes, published by Y Lolfa, cove...
-
Peter Griffiths is the author of 'Tongue Tied' , a novel set in Bala and South Wales in the late 19th and early 20th centu...
-
DGJ in the USA!! Official Pledge Page on IndieGoGo DGJ in the USA!! Official Pledge Page on IndieGoGo CLICK THE IMAGES BELO...
-
THIS POST HAS BEEN MOVED TO HTTPS://AMERICYMRU.NET An Interview With Welsh Writer Brian John - Author of 'On Angel Mountain'
-
Unzipped - Sicknote After a performing in front of a capacity crowd at the Globe in Cardiff, Welsh proto-punk band Sicknote...
-
Jean Mead "It is always a pleasure to introduce a first rate historical fiction writer on the site. All the more so if her wor...
-
In addition to head lining Saturday nights show at the Left Coast Eisteddfod , Chris Needs will also be introducing the premier US screening...
Thanks for sharing this useful information. I also impressed with Thomas Jones’s extraordinary early life-story.
ReplyDeleteDetermination to win against all odds - a true story of joy.
ReplyDeleteThese are very nice! Very inspirational for This Information,thanks for putting this together.
ReplyDelete