"In this captivating memoir, Melvyn Bragg revisits his youth in Cumbria, from his early years during the war to the moment he left his hometown behind. This is the story of a working-class boy who expected to leave school at fifteen but who, after a breakdown, developed a passion for books and learning that led him to Oxford University. It is equally the tale of all that formed him: a community-spirited northern town, still steeped in the old ways; the glorious Lake Distrtict landscapes that inspired him; and the many remarkable people in his close-knit world. Poignantl evoking a vanished era, Bragg's lyrical, reflective account of his childhood and adolescence gives a striking insight into what shaped his future." -- Back cover