View from Connor's Hill: A Memoir

By Barry Heard

Here is the captivating prequel to Well Done, Those Men, Barry Heard's much-loved, deeply moving account of life as a Vietnam veteran. This memoir takes us back into the heart of Heard's experiences as a boy and a young man in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s. Colorful, poignant, and often very funny, The View from Connor's Hill reveals a young man who, among the devastation of loss and constant upheaval, celebrates the joy of living in the bush, and delights in the love of his faithful dog Rover and his headstrong horse Swanee. Capturing the detail of a lost world of country and suburban life in Australia — a world of matinees, country dances, and manual dunnies — Barry Heard delivers his memories with an unwavering honesty and candor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd.
• Release date: Oct 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781922072849

Barry Heard

Barry Heard was conscripted in Australia’s first national-service ballot, and served in Vietnam as an infantryman and radio operator. After completing his national service, he returned home, where he found himself unable to settle down. He had ten different jobs in his first ten years back, worked as a teacher for a further ten years, and then held several mid-managerial posts before succumbing to a devastating breakdown due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Since recovering, Barry has decided to concentrate on his writing. His short stories have received several prizes, including the Sir Edmund Herring Memorial Award and the Sir Weary Dunlop Prize. Barry’s books include the bestselling memoir Well Done, Those Men, its prequel, The View from Connor’s Hill, and the World War I novel Tag. He lives with his family in rural Victoria.

Reviews for View from Connor's Hill

[heathereb_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The time frame was the same as mine - childhood in the fifties, teenager in the sixties, but Barry's life was so different living in the country. The freedom to roam the bush, his friendship with his dogs and horse, his shyness in relationships. A lovely gentle story, with no hints of the dramas that were to occur in his life following his conscription into the army and his time spent serving in Vietnam. His joy at writing his story shines through