First published in 1972, To Serve Them All My Days became immensely popular after it was adapted for television in 1980. The BBC has done four series based on Delderfield's work. Andrew Davies, the screenwriter of the BBC series, also adapted Little Dorrit, the Dickens novel that’s premiering as a mini-series on PBS in April.

     Many readers of the book today will have seen the 1980 television series. The story is reminiscent of Goodbye Mr. Chips, the James Hilton novel published in 1934. That too is the story of a teacher.

R. F. Delderfield's novels typically involve young service men coping with English civilian life after returning from war. Delderfield‘s descriptions of the life David Powlett-Jones leads evoke feelings times past and how simple things seemed then. That story looks at private education and the development of the Labour political party.

     It’s 1918. David Powlett-Jones arrives as a shell-shocked soldier to teach history and English at Bamfylde, a boys school in North Devon. The school was based on West Buckland School, a school that Delderfield attended. 

     Right from the beginning Powlett-Jones teaches the boys what his reality was fighting a war for three years. The focus is about how Britain is changed by the first world war. Powlett-Jones eventually earns the respect of his students and many of his fellow teachers. As the country tries to redefine itself and Powlett-Jones falls in love and seems on track to become headmaster.

     The characters are very relatable. The lead character learns he has the personal strength to go on no matter what. The book is 608 pages and could have been more approachable as two books. Questions in the back of the book compare the last forty years with when the book was originally released. This book would be great choice for a book club.

     Ronald Frederick Delderfield was born February 12, 1912, and died June 24, 1972. He wrote 17 novels and a non-fiction book about Napoleonic history.

To Serve Them All My Days by R.F. Delderfield Trade Paperback, 608 pages, Publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark March 1, 2009,  Language: English  ISBN: 9781402218248