That's Me in the Middle

Donald Jack author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Duckworth Books

Published:10th Aug '17

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That's Me in the Middle cover

Bandy is ejected from the Royal Flying Corps and lands in the trenches in the 13th Bicycle Brigade…

Horse-faced World War I flying ace Bart Bandy finds himself kicked upstairs, to everyone’s appalled surprise, and made a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Flying Corps.

But not for long. Soon he is once more heading for the hell of the trenches, this time on a bicycle. Donald Jack’s blackly humorous Bandy memoirs are classics of their kind. 

Strangely horse-faced World War I flying ace Bart Bandy finds himself kicked upstairs – to everyone’s appalled surprise – and made a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Flying Corps.

But not for long. Persuaded to give a school speech on the many shortcomings of Field Marshal Haig, Bart finds Fortune’s Wheel definitely on the turn and soon he is once more heading for the hell of the trenches  – this time on a bicycle. 

With the daredevil commander of the 13th Bicycle Brigade, Bob Craig, there follow a series of edge-of-the-seat adventures, always accompanied by what Craig later refers to fondly as “brilliant exchanges of utter nonsense”.

Donald Jack’s blackly humorous Bandy memoirs are classics of their kind. Against an unshrinkingly depicted backdrop of war and its horrors, his anti-hero’s adventures are both gripping and shockingly funny.

What people are saying about The Bandy Papers:

“Reading can lead to involuntary bursts of loud laughter.”

“Very descriptive, full of air combats and written with a fine eye for period detail . . . there is quite simply no finer book of its kind. Highly recommended.”

“It is clear that Bandy likely should've been killed several times, but very likely the Grim Reaper was laughing too hard to hold his scythe straight . . .”

Hysterically funny! . . . each book is another installment in the continuing saga of a Canadian and his adventures in war, the world, and women.”

“I have yet to find another author with the wit and humor of Donald Jack.”

Editorial reviews:

I enjoyed every word . . . terrifically funny.”  P.G. Wodehouse

“Jack does more than play it for laughs . . . The mingling of humor and horror is like a clown tap-dancing on a coffin, but Jack is skillful enough to get away with it.” Time Magazine

“Funny. Very. Donald Jack has as light a touch with this fragile art...

I enjoyed every word . . . terrifically funny.”

-- P.G. Wodehouse

“The Bandy Papers deserve to be read in private where insane giggling can go unnoticed.”

-- Jack Granatstein

“To know Bandy is to love him . . .  you tend to gallop through and come hurtling out at the end panting for more.”

* The Sunday Sun *

“Bartholomew Bandy is the most remarkable hero (or anti-hero) since Harold Lloyd impersonated the Freshman.”

* Chicago Tribune *

“Donald Jack has as light a touch with this fragile art as his hero has on throttle of a Sopwith Camel.”  

* New York Tim

  • Winner of Leacock Medal for Humour 1974

ISBN: 9781911440468

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

320 pages