Richard Benson (3) (1966–)

This is a personal tale of the life of one extended family over a period of 100 years in the Dearne valley in South Yorkshire, as told by the son of one of the members of the family.

From the very beginning, there is no doubt that this is a deeply-felt story. It is full of detail and also evident that the author has done a great deal of research into his family, including the memories and recollections of a large number of living relatives.

So the author gets an "A+" for effort.

However, I found the actual narrative over-wordy and lumpy. There's certainly a tale in there, but it's just not told very well. This is a book which sets down the history of one family, for that family to reference and enjoy. It has very limited appeal to a wider audience.

My view of this book is contrary to many other reviews, both here and in the press, so you may want to check some of these other sources before you decide whether or not to embark on this 500-page family history.… (meer)

A perspective on UK coal mining, it could be said, or a reflection on the unmaking of the working class between 1900 and 2000. In its later chapters, the book is a companion to Peter Parke'rs "RedHill: a mining community" (1986) about pit communiies and the 1984-85 strike. I visited Grimethorpe in 1996 - redundant miners being retrained in basic computer skills in pristine temporary huts. Peter Parker tells you to hate Margaret Thatcher. Richard Benson doesn't need to - he presents the stories of his family. For once an Economist book review that delivers!… (meer)

The Valley tells the story of several generations of Richard Benson's family who lived and worked in the Dearne Valley, South Yorkshire. Most of the men in the book were miners and there's a fair bit of history relating to miners' strikes. The book is non-fiction but told in a way that is much more interesting than just a book of facts. For me it's the best kind of family story - facts interspersed with imaginings of what people might have said and done, with conversations and family folklore retold.

It's a big book at just over 500 pages, but a very human story with characters to like and some to dislike. The author writes about them without bias and I found it all really interesting.… (meer)