The Dig cover art

The Dig

Now a BAFTA-nominated motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James

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The Dig

By: John Preston
Narrated by: Simon Vance, Kate Reading, Fiona Hardingham, Derek Perkins
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A brilliantly realised account of the most famous archeological dig in British history, now a major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James.

In the long hot summer of 1939 Britain is preparing for war. But on a riverside farm in Suffolk there is excitement of another kind: Mrs Pretty, the widowed farmer, has had her hunch proved correct that the strange mounds on her land hold buried treasure. As the dig proceeds against a background of mounting national anxiety, it becomes clear though that this is no ordinary find... and pretty soon the discovery leads to all kinds of jealousies and tensions.

John Preston's recreation of the Sutton Hoo dig - the greatest Anglo-Saxon discovery ever in Britain - brilliantly and comically dramatizes three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivaly flourished in equal measure.

© John Preston 2007 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Small Town & Rural

Critic Reviews

'Very fine, engrossing, exquisitely original' (Ian McEwan)
'An enthralling story of love and loss, a real literary treasure. One of the most original novels of the year' (Robert Harris)
'You don't need to be in archaeology - this is a tale of rivalry, loss and thwarted love. It's so absorbing that I read right through lunchtime one day, and it's not often I miss a meal' (Nigella Lawson)
'A rich vein of dry humour runs throughout' (Evening Standard)
'Intriguing, tender and entertaining ... easily Preston's best' (Independent)
'A delicate, quietly affecting human drama' (Daily Mail)
'A moving novel that coheres wonderfully as it progresses' (Spectator)
'A delicate evocation of a vanished era' (Sunday Times)
Wonderful, evocative. From this simple tale of dirt, Preston has produced the finest gold. He keeps an iron grip on the reader's attention (Observer)
'Beautifully written...there is a true and wonderful ending to the story' (Bill Wyman)
All stars
Most relevant
I bought this book because of the movie which comes out this month (feb 2021) it’s a reasonably interesting story but never draws you in emotionally. Won’t both with the film.

Interesting

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A contemplative wistful story. Changing direction halfway, it windows delightfully frail human existence and lives.

A subtle window into journeys across time

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I find archaeology fascinating and the reviews for this book were good, but I had to give up on this recording. Slow, dull, and irritating. Once the dig leaves the early efforts of the amateurs, it’s too annoying to stick with. Awful characters, and dull dull dull.

So dull!

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