Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

God Is an Englishman (The Swann Saga #1)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 784 ratings · 87 reviews

This bestselling novel set in the ruthless world of Victorian commerce follows the fortunes of Adam Swann, a scion of an Army family and veteran of campaigns in the Crimea and in India, in his quest to found his own financial dynasty. His struggle to succeed and his conquest of Henrietta, the spirited daughter of a rich manufacturer, drive a richly woven tale that takes th...more

Paperback, 695 pages

Published January 9th 2006 by Da Capo Press (first published 1970)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Novels about Business People

9th out of 67 books — 17 voters

God Is an Englishman by R.F. Delderfield

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Nationality

2nd out of 135 books — 16 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,516)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 06, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 3Ms, Kim, Jeannette and Misfit

Recommended to Laura by: Hayes

Shelves: historical-fiction, family-saga, bookmooch, british-literature, fiction-19th-century, mtbr-challenge-2013, read-2013

Just arrived from USA through BM.

This is the first volume of the Swann Family Saga series in the period of 1857 to 1866.

After returning from the wars in the Crimea and India, Adam Swann decided to leave the army and started his own business - "Swann-on-Wheels". The company's name was suggested by Henrietta Rawlinson, daughter of a local mill owner, who will become his beloved wife.

Their life will change drastically after a train crash. By coincidence or not, the Swann's family just met the famou...more

like 6 likes · see review

Sep 18, 2009 Lila rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, own-it, favorites

God Is an Englishman is the first book in this wonderful saga about the Swann family. Adam Swann, a 31-year-old cavalryman in the service of Queen Victoria’s army, decides to break off with his family’s military tradition and gives up his soldierly life in lieu of starting anew in England as a businessman. The road ahead of him will not be easy, as old sentiments still prevail where people making a living in a new, industrial England are looked down on and someone like Adam, giving up his army c...more God Is an Englishman is the first book in this wonderful saga about the Swann family. Adam Swann, a 31-year-old cavalryman in the service of Queen Victoria’s army, decides to break off with his family’s military tradition and gives up his soldierly life in lieu of starting anew in England as a businessman. The road ahead of him will not be easy, as old sentiments still prevail where people making a living in a new, industrial England are looked down on and someone like Adam, giving up his army career is thought foolish. Adam Swann persists in his desire to be his own boss and not spent his life serving somebody else, even if it’s the Crown of England. In his struggles to become a respectable and successful owner of a horse-carriage business, he has a few supporters, including his young wife, Henrietta and, surprisingly, his own father. The readers follow Adam and his personal and business lives for nine years. These are very tumultuous years for England as well. It is the 19th century, the country changes from an agricultural one into an industrial empire, with railroads ruling the transportation, mills, mines and factories replacing the farms and Adam Swann takes on a daring project of using horses as his road to success.

I thoroughly enjoyed God Is an Englishman, so much so that even before I finished it, I went and got part two(Theirs Was the Kingdom). It’s not an easy read by any means, but very captivating and really a requirement for anyone who wants to read more about one of the most important periods in England’s history. Some might say that it’s reminiscent of Dickens’s books but I should say that probably only in the time set. Through Delderfield’s book I got a hopeful outlook, not a grim one. True, it’s still England where poverty is on the rise, where child exploitation flourishes but it’s also England where one doesn’t have to belong to royalty in order to become well-off, successful and if they’re persistent enough, respected. ‘Common’ people now have a chance to have careers and to be truly in charge of their lives. I must say that I liked this approach and I just was riveted by Adam Swann and by the whole process of him starting from a scratch and, despite unexpected failures and ‘bumps ‘, holding on to what he believed and never losing sight of what Adam deemed as success.

That’s one great part of God Is an Englishman. Another one is the multitude of characters, bad, good and just average, but they all change, they all grow and as a reader you really have your pick in which ones are going to be your favorites. Mine was Henrietta, Adam’s wife. I think she grew the most throughout the novel. She changed so much but still somehow retained her youthful innocence despite some occurrences that would turn many into bitter, prematurely old women. Henrietta and Adam’s marriage is not an easy one, some would even say it’s doomed from the beginning, but yet again, Delderfield just serves us this happy story, with both parties fulfilling their dreams, among the turmoil of their times. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a ‘happily-ever-after Cinderella’ story but an uplifting one nonetheless, despite the many problems that could endanger both Adam’s and Henrietta’s happiness.
I say that if you’re a ‘saga junkie’, if you are even remotely interested in the history of England and want to meet people, who in the end you feel are your friends or at least next door neighbors, God Is an Englishman and you will be a perfect match.
(less)

like 3 likes · see review

May 26, 2012 Nikki marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: british-literature

Drat you Kindle Daily Deals; you will be the death of me!

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Reagan Ramsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

i feel like i uncovered a gem in this book--i get the sense it was the 1970s equivalent of the da vinci code (without all the quasi spiritual nonsense of course). though it got a bit tedious in parts, overall it was very engaging and fun to read.

it follows Adam Swann and his inimitable wife, Henrietta, starting from their (a little too) serendipitous meeting to their joint management of business, home and family. in parts it functioned like a leadership book, in that it teaches how to empower an...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’m not sure how I ended up with a copy of God Is An Englishman on my Kindle...I’d never heard of the book or the author, R.F. Delderfield. God Is An Englishman is the first in a trilogy and was published in 1970. The second book in the trilogy, Theirs was the Kingdom, was published the year of the author’s death, in 1972 and the final book, Give Us This Day, was published after his death, in 1973.

God Is An Englishman is set in 19th Century England during the Industrial Revolution. The world is...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Denise Cuenin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of a Saga and I am already looking forward to reading the next one. The story surrounds Adam Swann, a former Army Officer in the East India Company (mercenaries). He has become disillusioned with the colonial military life and the exploitation of weaker rulers. The military has been a family tradition for multiple generations. He returns to England with a string of rubies that literally befall him in battle. The rubies provide the reassurance of capital.
The story moves on to hi...more

like 1 like · see review

May 31, 2012 Joyce Lagow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, kindle-edition

Set in mid-19th century England, as the Industrial Revolution has taken firm hold. Adam Swann, following family tradition, is a former soldier, an officer in the East India Company’s army. Disillusioned with Army life after the Crimea and the Sepoy rebellion, he resigns his commission, returning to England in possession of a necklace he accidentally recovered from the battle at Jhansi; he is determined to make a career in commerce, with the necklace providing his starting capital. A fortunate en...more Set in mid-19th century England, as the Industrial Revolution has taken firm hold. Adam Swann, following family tradition, is a former soldier, an officer in the East India Company’s army. Disillusioned with Army life after the Crimea and the Sepoy rebellion, he resigns his commission, returning to England in possession of a necklace he accidentally recovered from the battle at Jhansi; he is determined to make a career in commerce, with the necklace providing his starting capital. A fortunate encounter with a railway stationmaster at Plymouth sets his course: he will start a horse-drawn haulage system, filling those gaps in transportation where the railroads do not serve. Another equally accidental and also fortunate encounter introduces him to the remarkable young woman who will become his wife, Henrietta Rawlinson, daughter of Sam Rawlinson, a mill owner. and one of the rags-to-riches ruthless men who ran the nascent industries of England in that time.

What follows is a fascinating story of that period. I’ve never read such a good description, in fiction, of the times--of the rise of the industry-blighted cities like Manchester, of the plight of the factory workers, of the fight for labor’s rights, of the type of people who inhabited the island at that time--still far from homogeneous, each district distinct in its history and culture, yet each peopled by Englishmen.

In a way, his characters are too good to be true, but who cares? If I want to read about dissolute, cynical, depraved, dystopian or otherwise unpleasant Americans or Englishmen, for that matter, I can pick up almost any contemporary novel and get my fill. Fine, but I don’t even need that--I can read the newspapers. What I like about this very well written novel is that it is upbeat without being unrealistic or in any way simpering. I can cheer the Swanns on, I can relish Delderfield’s obvious pride in his countrymen--and I can marvel that, written some 40 years ago, Delderfield was such a feminist! That’s the real surprise of the book.

This is the first in the Swann family saga, and I’m looking forward to reading the next chapter.(less)

like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a brilliant writer, and I had no idea "Carry On" was based on one of his books. Therefore I could not stop with "God is an Englishman" I have just ordered the other two books in the SAGA.

Young Veteran returns from India, disillusioned with military life and the war in India. However, during his last battle, lady luck bestows a gift, a small fortune on him. The Veteran determines to no more waring, resigns his commission and goes into trade. However, he sees "good" in people, and he himself...more

like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't actually say why I had never read this book. I was 'aware' of it of course and for some reason I was always off put by it. Not sure what I thought it was about....but I was most assuredly wrong. I picked it up on a 'Daily Deal' at Amazon for next to nothing and when I found myself between books decided to give it a go. Quite a surprise it proved to be. An 'historical fiction' selection dealing with a period I enjoy reading about, a family/generational type story that I also am fond of, i...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I was not sure what to expect of this book, but when I received it and saw how large it was, I was certainly surprised. I was further surprised by how engrossing a book it actually was. Giving a plot outline really doesn't convey how good of a book this is, but I'll go ahead and try anyway.
God Is an Englishman tells the story of Adam Swann and his rise to prominence in London in the 1860's. His story begins when he makes the decision to end his career as a soldier and begin his life as a busines...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: readers of Victorian/historical fiction

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-more-than-once

This is the story of the founding of a transportation company in 1860s England as well as the beginning of a family. In some respects I wonder what the likely audience is for this book: I imagine those who are intrigued by the business might not be caught up in the romantic love story. Nonetheless, it is a blockbuster of a book and followed by two more big, fat books which continue the story.

I only wish there had been more maps of England showing rivers and mountain ranges which I suppose nativ...more

like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alas, I have barely read 100 pages, but I am so enjoying this departure from what I have read lately which is bland, sparse and poorly edited. (mea culpa) I had forgotten how much I revel in the writing of an author who is truly literate and can craft a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter in which nearly every turn of phrase is a reader's feast. All this and the setting is within one of my favorite periods in the historical fiction genre: late 19th to early 20th century England. Let the oppressive...more

like · see review

Nov 19, 2010 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

A re-read after 20 years or so. First in the Swann trilogy, and probably the best. What I liked: the whole thing has the feel of something written not too long after the events described - late 19th/early 20th century. What I didn't like: too much of all three novels is taken up with expository-type writing, on the family and its members, on the business, and on world affairs, and too much is repetitive. That helps give the period feel, but also gets tiresome in the 2nd and esp. the 3rd book - a...more

like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Stacie rated it 1 of 5 stars

While I really enjoyed the first few chapters of this novel, for some strange reason the author changed from engaging, action-based prose to bland, textbook-style prose, reverting to telling versus showing the actions. The more the author focused on relating facts about how Swann grew his empire, the less I felt the action and the vignettes about his relationship with his wife and her view of things seemed as afterthoughts. A Real pity as I thought this was going to be a great series to get imme...more

like · see review

Sep 27, 2009 Tamliving rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Delderfield's To Serve Them All My Days about 10 years ago, and still remember the feelings. So I picked this up at the bookstore and "dove in". I love the era- and getting to understand how people lived and risked at this time. It is a long one, but I did stay connected to the main characters and the saga. I read this this summer when my daughter Carole was visiting with her three kiddos. It was a great "get away/relaxer" that helped me relax and dream a little just before sleep each nig...more

like · see review

Sep 02, 2009 Tripp rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is a generalization to be sure, but today's literary novelists work with a much smaller scope than those of the past. The books are generally shorter, with a focus on fewer characters and on a less complex story. There are great exceptions, like Chabon's Kavalier and Klay, but overall, the focus is more on the intense examination of character.

The big writers of the 19th century, from Melville to Trollope to Tolstoy wrote giant novels with epic lists of characters and stories long enough to su...more It is a generalization to be sure, but today's literary novelists work with a much smaller scope than those of the past. The books are generally shorter, with a focus on fewer characters and on a less complex story. There are great exceptions, like Chabon's Kavalier and Klay, but overall, the focus is more on the intense examination of character.

The big writers of the 19th century, from Melville to Trollope to Tolstoy wrote giant novels with epic lists of characters and stories long enough to sustain months of reading. There are downsides of course. How many high school students think of Moby Dick with little more than bitterness at the lengthy asides about whale parts and the business of whaling? My 11th grade teacher was kind enough to let us skip many of those sections, but the book still felt interminably long.

That said, I have had years of enjoyment out of the likes of the Chronicles of Barset or the Pickwick Papers. The usual phrase is that you get lost in these books, which makes them quite like fantasy novels. Fantasy novels create worlds in which you temporarily take residence. Their breed of escapism is one of immersion and the big fat story telling literary novel is the same.

While modernism has dominated 20th century fiction, story tellers held their own as well. Englishman R F Delderfield specialized in the story-telling novel. Out of print for many years, his God is An Englishman is available once again. It is the first of a trilogy of books about Adam Swann, a soldier turned businessman in Victorian Britain.

The story starts after a battle during the Indian Mutiny (or First War of Indian Independence if you prefer) with some jewels falling into Swann's hands. He returns to England with vague plans of becoming a tycoon, probably in rails. His second bit of fortune is his meeting with a station master who tells him the opportunity is in transporting goods where rails can't go.

On a scouting expedition, he meets Henrietta, the daughter of a small town mill owner. She is driven by a desire to escape and she finds it with Swann. The novel is about the rise of his business and the development of their romance.

Delderfield spins his tale slowly and relishes the little details. We hear for example, about how some of Swann's operators won over locals with the capture of an escaped circus lion. Where most authors would be happy for a paragraph length aside to describe the goings on, Delderfield spends a number of pages to relate the humorous anecdote.

If you have an interest in British history, this book will be particularly interesting with its picture of bustling London, the railroads, the smog-covered Lancashire and the still green countryside. Even those who don't will likely appreciate Delderfield's story telling abilities.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 17, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Another reviewer (maybe here on Goodreads?) writes that there was a time in the 1970s when you couldn't get on a New York City subway car without seeing someone reading "God Is an Englishman." I'm trying to figure out why R.F. Delderfield has vanished so completely from popular consciousness since then. Great characters, strong plots, vivid writing: Why are his works considered "genre" period fiction instead of classics?

I'm thinking it might have to do with psychology. I loved Delderfield's char...more Another reviewer (maybe here on Goodreads?) writes that there was a time in the 1970s when you couldn't get on a New York City subway car without seeing someone reading "God Is an Englishman." I'm trying to figure out why R.F. Delderfield has vanished so completely from popular consciousness since then. Great characters, strong plots, vivid writing: Why are his works considered "genre" period fiction instead of classics?

I'm thinking it might have to do with psychology. I loved Delderfield's characters and empathized with them, but after a while I started to realize that everyone was thinking the way the novelist thought. No one questioned another character's motives (no major characters, anyway); no one looked back on something they'd done and realized they'd had a completely different reason for doing it than they'd thought at the time. One character even gives up a chance for a huge promotion because of a realization that accepting it would put protagonist Adam Swann under obligation to them -- and of course they knew exactly how Adam would respond to that obligation, even years off, and why that would be a bad thing for the company they both loved. In my experience, people don't really think like this, or if they do they quickly find the world isn't as simple as they thought. Delderfield's world is; that's part of its charm, but it's also the source of its limitations.

That said, "God Is an Englishman" was a wonderful read, and I have no regrets about diving into it; in fact, I'm now on the lookout for other family dramas like it. ("Library Thing" suggests "The Forsyte Saga," plus Elizabeth Howard -- whom I've already read, and liked -- and Susan Howatch, who's new to me.) This in spite of the fact that, in the middle of this book, I put it down for a whole month -- it was turning into a (fictional) company history, albeit a well-written history filled with compelling anecdotes, and other things caught my attention instead. I'm not sure what brought me back to the book, but am I ever glad I did come back. An event three-quarters of the way through -- no spoilers here -- comes out of the blue and jolts the narrative onto a whole other level. Charles Dickens even appears as a character, a scene which must have given Delderfield great satisfaction to write.(less)

like · see review

Feb 22, 2011 Hayley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-bookclub

Loved this one!! I am so grateful to my Classics Bookclub for forcing me to read it. Set in the mid 1800's (Donna recommended the book due to we are reading Dickens this year, and the book centers on his era and reform), God Is An Englishman is the story of Adam Swann, an army officer fresh off the boat from India, who is ready to make his mark in trade. Since industry is booming, he has to discover what need isn't being met for the public, and how he can best fulfill it. I enjoyed that this nov...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I owned it for years before picking it up and then kicked myself for waiting so long. I love the story, the characters and was looking forward to reading more of the saga. Then I found out that the author, a heavy smoker, had died and I actually became angry with him. If you love Britain and grand stories about some of the families that made the nation great, read this book.

like · see review

Nov 23, 2010 Laurie Riley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loving this so far. Also outside of my self-prescribed reading time period but I'm liking it. One reviewer has compared this book, which is the first of a series of three, to Thackery and Dickens. I'd say Thackery, yes. Dickens, not quite so much. But it's a great and interesting story about an English, mid-Victorian era entrepreneur. Since I'm going ot England in about 2 weeks, I'm trying to keep up with the back and forth throughout the countryside.

I had to pick this book up as well as its two...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 Elise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-books

Shamefully, I couldn't get past about 350 pages. It was laborious for me to read this, even though my friend kept telling me,"the ending is so good!"
Seriously, I rarely discard a book before I have finished it. I felt I was generous with all the time it took for me to read half of the book. It was so verbose, I just got itchy with frustration.

like 1 like · see review

Jan 14, 2013 Kshydog rated it 3 of 5 stars

The beginning was interesting when describing the finding of the necklace and his first year with Henrietta. It took forever to read the next 400+ pages when describing Adam setting up his business. The last 200 pages really got the story moving. I enjoyed the fact that women played a strong role in helping their men with their lives.

like · see review

Dec 19, 2007 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm actually RE-reading this book - read it the first time in the mid-1980's, when it really helped me in an unexpected way. I just thought I would be able to enjoy one of those rich multi-volume family novels but this was much more. It gave me insight into my father (who began his own business when I was a child) and eventually my husband (who took over the business in the late 1980's) and the power struggle that inevitably resulted, even though my husband was the heir-of-choice. (Although I mu...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Nancy Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read a book of this depth or length in such a long time it seemed to take forever but having said that I look forward to reading the rest of the "saga" and that does seem an appropriate term. Delderfield does have a tendency to be verbose--but has so many characters to manage and flesh out and such a time line to cover, wordiness can be overlooked for the most part. I look forward to the next book in the series.

like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nearly 700 pages of close type, I found this hard to get into to start with. However it is a good story with convincing and likeable characters, well told.
I remember reading (and watching on tv?) Diana by the same author, also well-told but I recall it as harrowing and don't think I could bear to read it again. I will however look for "Theirs Was the Kingdom", the second of the Swann saga.

like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first red this book on high school and was my 1rst book I read by RF Delderfield. His writing is so detailed that you truly feel the characters and places that he writes. Since this book I have read just about all of his books. He is truly my favorite writer of all times.

like · see review

Apr 13, 2013 Harriett Bulger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably read this 30 years ago and remembered it as a great book....so I thought I would read it again. It had a slow start ....but it began building and then you hated to see it end.

Tells the saga of the Swan Family and how they built a empire. Story revolves around the business he founded called"Swan on Wheels". In it we are introduced to many characters who help build the
business....as well as his growing family who support his dream.

like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finally finished this monster of a novel... I nearly gave up many times during the first half!!! Way too much detail in the business and in the background characters... what kept me going was the relationship between Adam and Henrietta!!! Really likable characters and good storyline just way too long winded!!! Don't think I'll be attempting the two follow-ups!!!

like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 Ratforce added it

Shelves: history, historical-fiction, saga, harrod-eagles-cynthia

As a fan of historical sagas like the Morland Dynasty series, you may enjoy the Swann Family Saga. The first installation begins in 1858, and is followed by Theirs Was the Kingdom and Give Us This Day, ending just before World War I.

like · see review

Jan 18, 2011 Mlg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorians, historical-fiction

Very lengthy novel about Adam Swann who, after leaving the military, sets up a hauling company in rural England just as the railroads are being built. While the novel cronicles the birth of the industrial era, it does so at the expense of it's characters who are all very interesting, but who take a back seat to the storyline.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 50 51 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (12)

More editions...

Genres

Historical Fiction

58 users

Romance

4 users

European Literature > British Literature

3 users

Literature > 19th Century

2 users

Drama

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About R.F. Delderfield

Ronald Frederick Delderfield (12 February 1912 – 24 June 1972) was a popular English novelist and dramatist, many of whose works have been adapted for television and are still widely read.

Several of Delderfield's historical novels and series involve young men who return from war and lead lives in England that allow the author to portray the sweep of English history and delve deeply into social his...more

More about R.F. Delderfield...

Books by R.F. Delderfield

Horseman Riding by (A Horseman Riding by)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About God Is an Englishman

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: God Is an Englishman
avg rating	preview: God Is an Englishman Goodreads rating: 4.00 (784 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/372852.God_Is_an_Englishman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1174252353l/372852.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/372852.God_Is_an_Englishman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]God Is an Englishman by R.F. Delderfield[/url]

God Is an Englishman (The Swann Saga #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website