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Formats
E-Book Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676988
  • 502 pages
  • $4.99
Soft Cover Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676964
  • 502 pages
  • $28.92
Hardcover Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676971
  • 502 pages
  • $45.77
Mark Aylwin Thomas
Author
Blades of Grass

Adult; Memoir; (Market)

George Aylwin Hogg was a man of remarkable dedication and honour. Though he died in 1945 at the age of thirty, Aylwin's name and legacy is remembered in China to this day, where as a wise and noble friend to the people of China, he immersed himself in the culture and life of the Chinese people whom he served in his mission. In Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg, author and nephew of the late Mr Hogg, Mark Aylwin Thomas, explores his uncle's own letters and writings and shares this astonishing life story of perseverance, service, and dedication. Thomas offers a personal and compelling window into the character of this remarkable man, and Hogg's own words lend an authentic and distinctive insight into his service, training young Chinese men in their vocations in the remote confines of Northern China in Shandan. George Aylwin Hogg was part of a vision to create a unique form of industrial training on which to base the reconstruction of industry for a new post-war China. While a vignette of Aylwin's life was portrayed in Roger Spottiswoode's 2008 film, The Children of Huang Shi, the full picture of this remarkable life, often painted with Aylwin's own words, shows how this young Englishman's life was deeply interwoven in the lives of the men and people he served.

Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.50 out of 10

Assessment:

Plot: This memoir is solidly structured, though a little slow to develop at the start. However, once Hogg arrives in China, the pace is steady and the storyline fascinating.

Prose: The author's prose is one of this book's great strengths. It suits the material; the author writes very well, with some poetic turns of phrase.

Originality: Although the market for memoir is very crowded, Thomas crafts a book that feels engaging, original, and different.

Character Development: The characters here are well crafted and vivid. Hogg is particularly well rendered, though other characters are less fleshed out.

Date Submitted: May 17, 2018

Reviews
Readers' Favourite, Foreword Clarion, The BookBag, Blue Ink & Kirkus

I have collected all my reviews to one central place on my website. The most recent review, by Kimberlee J. Benart for Readers' Favorite, gave a 5-star rating to my book

News
05/17/2018
NGIBA Finalist

Today I received the joyous news that my book has been listed as one of five finalists in the biography category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards!!

05/23/2018
NIEA Finalist

Another Award!! This time from the National Indie Excellence Awards. Finalist in the Historical biography category

Formats
E-Book Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676988
  • 502 pages
  • $4.99
Soft Cover Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676964
  • 502 pages
  • $28.92
Hardcover Details
  • 01/2017
  • 9781524676971
  • 502 pages
  • $45.77
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