A Horseman Riding By Series

A rural English family endures as the Great War ends—and more storm clouds loom—in this saga from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Avenue novels. Through hard work and love of the land, Boer War vet Paul Craddock has transformed the sprawling West Country estate of Shallowford. With his wife and three children he enjoys a peaceful country life. But war has begun its inevitable march across England, and this remote corner of Devon cannot escape its cruel destruction. Young farmers of the village—barely men when they enlist—are dying in the field or coming home to a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. Yet as the Great War ends and another threatens to erupt, Craddock’s faith and the strength he derives from his family will sustain him and his beloved village through trying, tumultuous times. Filled with vivid imagery and timeless emotion, this is the unforgettable story of a farming family and a vanishing way of life.  Post of Honour is the second novel in R. F. Delderfield’s A Horseman Riding By saga, which begins with Long Summer Day and continues with The Green Gauntlet.

A great read for fans of PBS’s Poldark and Downton Abbey—first in the saga of a man returning from battle to an estate in the pre-WWI English countryside. After serving his country in the Boer War, injured Lieutenant Paul Craddock returns to England to resume civilian life. But things have changed since he joined the Imperial Yeomanry three years ago. His father has died, leaving Paul as heir to a scrap metal business he has no intention of continuing. Instead, he purchases an auctioned-off thirteen-hundred-acre estate in a secluded corner of Devon. Neglected and overgrown, Shallowford becomes the symbol of all that Paul has lost—and a reminder of the gentle place his homeland once was. And here, on this sprawling stretch of land, he will be changed by his love for two women: fiercely independent Grace Lovell, and lovely, demure Claire Derwent. Set in the English countryside in the first part of the previous century—from the long “Edwardian afternoon” following the death of Queen Victoria, to the gathering storm of World War I—Long Summer Day is the story of a man, his family, and a people struggling to adapt to life in a new world.  Long Summer Day is the first novel in R. F. Delderfield’s saga A Horseman Riding By, which continues with Post of Honour and The Green Gauntlet.

R. F. Delderfield concludes his bestselling A Horseman Riding By saga of twentieth-century England with a novel that follows the Craddock family through the end of World War II and the challenges of a new era Paul Craddock’s village in rural Devon has endured despite the heartbreak and sorrows of war. The landowner and his family have also known their share of loss. But now, as England struggles to rebuild in the aftermath of World War II, he and his wife, Claire, and their children confront new perils. With his livelihood threatened by emerging property laws and his family divided over the future of his beloved Shallowford estate, Craddock struggles to preserve his legacy. For his sons and daughter, the fifties and sixties will be a time of discovery and change that will resonate in the lives of their own children.   The final novel in Delderfield’s magnificent trilogy pays tribute to the courage and unflagging optimism of British villagers trying to keep step with modern times even as they cling to the traditions of a bygone world. The Green Gauntlet is the third novel in R. F. Delderfield’s saga A Horseman Riding By, which begins with Long Summer Day and continues with Post of Honour.

This saga of war and family from a New York Times–bestselling author is “sheer, wonderful storytelling” (Chicago Tribune). Spanning six decades, these three novels follow a man and his family as they struggle to adapt to life in a new world. From the death of Queen Victoria through the swinging sixties, this acclaimed saga is an unforgettable story of a farming family and a vanishing way of life.   Long Summer Day: Lt. Paul Craddock returns to England after the Boer War to resume civilian life. His father has died, leaving Craddock heir to a scrap-metal business. But instead of continuing the family business, he purchases an auctioned-off thirteen-hundred-acre estate, Shallowford, where he will be changed by his love for two women: fiercely independent Grace Lovell and lovely, demure Claire Derwent.   Post of Honour: Through hard work and love of the land, Craddock has transformed his sprawling estate and enjoys a peaceful country life with his wife and three children. But war has begun its inevitable march across England, and this remote corner of Devon cannot escape its destruction. As the Great War ends and another threatens to erupt, Craddock’s faith and the strength he derives from his family must sustain him and his village through trying, tumultuous times.   The Green Gauntlet: Though Craddock’s village has endured despite the sorrows of war, he has new perils to face. Emerging property laws threaten his livelihood, dividing his family over the future of his beloved Shallowford. For his sons and daughter, the fifties and sixties will be a time of discovery and change that will resonate in the lives of their own children.