Now back in print, Thomas Firbank's memoirs about his experiences in the Second World War have achieved a classic status. The book starts in the Basque region of Northern Spain in 1938. Firhank drives his faithful Bentley car back to England. He joins the Guards regiment, with the help of a relative in London, where he buys his regimental badge (featured on the book's cover), hence the book's title, I Bought a Star. The book follows Firbank's exploits through the rigorous army training in Scotland and in North Africa. He is rapidly promoted to the rank of Major, having seen active service in Italy and the Nijmegen sector, a key strategic clashpoint located between the Netherlands and lower Rhine. This first-hand account is told with wry humor and an engaging lack of melodrama.

I Bought a Star

History

FIRBANK, THOMAS

Military

SIDGWICK JACKSON

This is the true story of Thomas Firbank who, in 1933 purchased a 2400 acre farm in the shadow of Snowdon, consisting of rock, thin soil, high winds and rainfall. He was 21, newly arrived from Canada and with no experience of farming. For the next seven years Thomas and his wife Esme farmed Dyffryn with dedication and energy, succeeding, against the odds, in winning the respect of their farm-servants and neighbors. Having built up to a healthy stock of 3000 sheep, they made improvements to the house and then rented more land...

I Bought A Mountain

Europe

New English Library Ltd.

I Bought a Mountain Hardcover Thomas Firbank

N E L

The author first sees Dyffryn in the throes of a winter gale. Through his eyes we see the changing seasons and glean a part of the wisdom which springs from the very heart of the country.

I Bought A Mountain (U)

Biographies & Memoirs

Ulverscroft

I Bought a Mountain

This is the true story of Thomas Firbank who, in 1933 purchased a 2,400 acre farm in the shadow of Snowdon, consisting of rock, thin soil, high winds and rainfall. He was 21, newly arrived from Canada and with no experience of farming. For the next seven years Thomas and his wife Esme farmed Dyffryn with dedication and energy, succeeding, against the odds, in winning the respect of their farm-servants and neighbours. Having built up a healthy stock of 3,000 sheep, they made improvements to the house and then rented more land... "Vitally convincing and exhilerating..." - Observer

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Magna Large Print Books

Reissue of a bestselling classic that inspired a generation of ‘good life’ nature books\n‘I first saw Dyffryn in a November gale... the old house was quivering under the thrusts of the wind, and the wild, remote setting had already captured my fancy, and I will hold it till I die.’\nSo begins the remarkable story of a 21-year-old man who, with no experience in agriculture, visited a sheep farm on a near barren Welsh mountainside in 1931 and that same day bought all 2,400 acres along with its 3000 sheep for £5,000.\nSet amidst the rugged grandeur of Snowdonia, I Bought a Mountain follows the struggles and triumphs of this impulsive but hard-working man and his every-bit-as-tough wife, Esme, as they fight to build the farm into prosperity.\nFirbank’s writing is guileless and immediate and ruthlessly honest. His paean to the traditional, Welsh hill-farming way of life, transports you to a disappearing world, one ruled by the age-old rhythms of work, weather, livestock and a love of the land, and offers precious insights into conservation and sustainability.

I Bought a Mountain: The rediscovered nature classic

Historical

Short Books

Cover worn. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.

John Jones Pub

We are pleased to announce that we are now the exclusive North American distributor of this fine list from Wale's largest independent publisher. They specialize in non-fiction about Wales, its culture and history (including autobiography), as well as the history of the Celts and the Tudor period. They also have some children's books about Welsh history and folklore.A walk through Wales reveals its unique history an people.

A Country of Memorable Honour

In this book Thomas Firbank describes his experiences of training and war in the years 1939 to 1945. He went from hill-farmer in Snowdonia (described in 'I bought a Mountain') to Lieutenant-Colonel in the Guards in four years. It begins in Spain from where he drives to London to help the war effort. His account of training in Scotland and North Africa is detailed and realistic, proving his extraordinary physical resourcefulness. He saw active service in Italy. Then, in September 1944, on the Netherland-German border, he descended by glider to Nijmegen. Firbank's rare first-hand account of this famous engagement is told with a wry humour and an engaging lack of melodrama. The author was awarded the Military Cross and Bar.

Thomas, Firbank

Dufour Editions

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by FIRBANK, THOMAS. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by FIRBANK, THOMAS

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by FIRBANK, THOMAS. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

I Bought a Star

I Bought A Mountain

I Bought a Mountain Hardcover Thomas Firbank

I Bought A Mountain (U)

I Bought A Mountain

I Bought a Mountain: The rediscovered nature classic

I Bought a Mountain

A Country of Memorable Honour

I Bought a Star