The Otterbury Incident,

by Cecil Day-Lewis

“This is a really super story—I shold know, I wrote it. My name is George, and I’m Ted’s Ted is is centre-forward of the Junior XI at King’s School in Otterbury and a first class chap. He’s the leader of our company, and the story began with our battle against Toppy’s company. We were so worked up in the excitement of victory that Nick Yates kicked a football through the big window of the classroom next to the Headmaster’s study.“Poor old Nick! When the Head said he’d have to pay for it he looked like a puppy with he’d no hope of raising £4 14s. 6d. in a week than of going to the moon. So we signed a Peace with Toppy’s company and planned Operation Glazier to get the money for Nick. And if you want to know how it worked, and what happened after it was over, you'd better get cracking on Chapter 1.”

Genres: Childrens, Classics, Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Cecil Day-Lewis, often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Anglo-Irish poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake, most of which feature the fictional detective Nigel Strangeways.
During World War II, Day-Lewis worked as a publications editor in the Ministry of Information for the U.K. government, and also served in the Musbury branch of the British Home Guard. He was the father of actor Daniel Day-Lewis, and documentary filmmaker and television chef Tamasin Day-Lewis.

Reviews

[Christopher Bunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous, wonderful book. I first read this years ago when I was young. However, as I'm convalescing on my folks' ranch, I've taken to raiding their library for old books from my childhood. I selected this one today from the shelves, only dimly remembering the plot. Some books do not stand the test of time from childhood to adulthood. Otterbury stood up to the test with flying colors. I read it at one fell swoop today, a bit on the chaise lounge outside (must get some sun), tottering back inside to bed to finish the rest.

The Otterbury Incident is a drily humorous tale of a group of schoolchildren in a small English town who must deal with some rather unsavory characters on their own, despite all the adults hurrying about. C. Day Lewis, a professor of poetry at Oxford, has a deft, understated way with words. He's a standout writer and I'm determined to read his other stories, if he has any.

The edition I have is the 1966 version, not the original 1948 version. I'm not sure who illustrated the first one, but this edition is illustrated by Edward Ardizzone with a beautiful black ink crosshatch style. Like Lewis' writing, the drawings are understated as well, marrying perfectly with the text.

I don't know if this book has ever been reissued in recent years, but it is well worth a purchase if you enjoy dry British humor. The story and the telling of it reminded me somewhat of Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim. In relation to that book, Otterbury would be its slightly more cheerful younger cousin.

[Keyo Çalî · Rating 5 out of 5]

back to childhood.
how beautiful is life.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was about 11 or 12 - it really captured my imagination!

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adults writing from children's perspective - what is it about? Why are we always trying to remember what it was like to be a child? Why is it so important? - Whatever the answer, this book brought me into a world with it's own rules and rulers, only a few of whom were adults. I loved the battles, the different characters finding their way. Vivid and immediate.

[Rachael Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming little Puffin book to read. Great for the youngsters, especially the boys and tomboys out there.

[Adrian Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back when authors had talent! Real talent! 1948! A good year! :D

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully mired in the past, a classic children’s story, very enjoyable.

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy" · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming and satisfying tale! I enjoyed this well written kid's story actually about some gutsy, loyal, and resourceful kids who came to the defense of their wrongly accused friend and ended up bringing down some criminals.... I had read the wonderful reviews so then ordered it through Thriftbooks as an older, quality book.

[Juniper Shore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a bunch of kids. They spend a lot of time doing kid stuff--pretending to fight wars, solving mysteries, looking for ways to raise money. And then they find themselves caught up in a more serious situation than they realized, and they rise to the challenge with teamwork and determination.

The saving grace is the fact that The Otterbury Incident takes itself so seriously. This isn't an adult writing an oh-so-cute story about kids. This is a kid writing a life-or-death narrative about himself and his friends, and the illusion holds all the way to the very end. There's plenty of adventure and very colorful characters, who speak with individual voices and seem to have a life of their own outside the story.

The 1949 British slang may be a little hard for modern children, but the book still reads aloud well. (I have fond memories of reading this on long car trips. During the infamous tower scene we were rear-ended by a Ford Explorer, which added a nice touch of drama to an already exciting story.)

[Robbie Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this in a second-hand bookshop on a family visit to my Auntie's home in Herefordshire. I was 10, possibly 11, and I was no company for anybody for the rest of the day as my head was in this book! As a 'boys' adventure story' it is simply perfect. I must have read it another half-dozen times before I outgrew childrens' books. Time to revisit it, is there a Kindle edition?...

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel's poet dad wrote this, and I'd forgotten all about it, but was reminded when someone mentioned it to me the other day. Of course! I thought, I remember the gang of kids solving a mystery of some kind, and remember loving it but not why. Decided to guess I read it in 1967, aged 12, but it could have been earlier..

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great!

[Gillian James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old fashioned adventure story with posh kids solving crime, rather like Enid Blyton but more amusingly written. I read this to my daughter, and in spite of, or perhaps because of, the dated language and public school slang she really enjoyed it. Worth a read just to show that people really did talk like that!

[lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most-wanted story to read before I went to sleep in my childhood. Buku yang aku punya dah lama hilang. Setelah lama nyari-nyari, akhirnya ketemu pas dianterin ke Pasar Buku loak Senen ma Jimmy. Thanks ya, Jim..

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is a ripping yarn if ever I read one!! Delightful! My 1949 edition has a note saying it's an adaptation of the French film Nous les Gosses, so off I go to seek that out, as well. The Edward Ardizzone illustrations are splendid, too.

[Nate B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one... man, so packed with whimsy and adventure and gorgeously written. If you like the Goonies or Stand By Me, this is your book.

[Mumbler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like it was going to be obvious. Then got more exciting! :)

[Samir Krishnamurti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recently rummaging through some old books tucked away at the back of a cupboard in my parents' house while visiting, and rediscovered my copy of The Otterbury Incident. This was one of my favourite books as a child, and it was just as delightful (albeit a lot quicker) to read it again some 15 years later. Out of all the stand-alone books for boys that I've read, this one would definitely figure in my top 3. (Note: this review contains spoilers).

The Otterbury Incident is set in the fictionalized town of Otterbury, just after the end of the Second World War, probably around 1948 or so. The town largely survived the German bombings, except for one stray bomb that knocked down a few buildings. The site, named 'The Incident' is what the schoolboys use use it to play their war games. There are two rival bands, or companies, of boys, with their leaders, Edward Marshal (Ted) and William Toppingham (Toppy). The two are complete opposites; Ted is restrained where Toppy is gregarious, Ted is a strategist while Toppy is an enthusiast, Ted is methodical whereas Toppy improvises. The only thing they have in common is a grudging respect for each other, which develops into friendship as they recognize the leader in the other.

The story is told through the perspective of George, Ted's trusted and absolutely loyal lieutenant. George, in fact, writes the book as a military historian, carefully taking notes and poring over his manuscript, and is somewhat aggrieved when the others fail to recognize its worth. Anyhow, it opens with a battle between the two companies. Ted's band is tasked with destroying Toppy's tank before it can reach the flag at the foot of the hill of the 'incident'. Using a clever variation on the pincer-ambush military strategy, Ted and his most trusted lieutenants (George, another boy called Nick Yates, and young Wakely) hide in Skinner's the Carpenter's yard, the most unpleasant and violent man in the town and allow the tank to pass through to engage with Ted's main force, further down in the Incident so they can ambush the tank.

Toppy falls for Ted's trap and Ted's band destroys the tank, while Nick uses his football as a weapon to kill people (bopping them on the head with it and saying you're dead). While Ted and Toppy argue about the verisimilitude of the football as a deadly weapon, the post-lunch school bell rings. The boys all rush back to school, dribbling Nick's football between them as they go. Then, as they enter the school ground, disaster strikes. One of the boys, possibly Nick, kicks the ball hard enough to send it smashing through one of the door size ground-floor windows.
The Headmaster emerges. Nick owns up responsibility for the accident, and the Headmaster tells him he must pay for the repairs. The scope of this tragedy emerges as we learn that Nick's parents had been killed in the bombing, and he himself had been dug out of the ruins. He now lived with his aunt and uncle, who were, well, parsimonious would be putting it lightly. He could barely even contemplate the thought or returning to ask for money without starting to shiver uncontrollably. And it would cost around 5 pounds to replace the window.

Worried and anxious to help Nick, Ted and George call an extraordinary meeting of all the boys and argue that since all of them were playing with the ball, they had a collective responsibility to repair the window they broke. Toppy, despite his caustic exterior and the protestations of his own second-in-command Peter Butt, is convinced by the fairness of the argument, and the two companies temporarily ally to collect enough money for the N.Y.A.F - The Nick Yates Assistance Fellowship -, which prompts Toppy to say that if an inquisitive adult asks them what they're doing, they can call it the National Youth Association Fellowship. Between Toppy's strokes of inspiration and Ted's methodological planning, they decide to set-up a weekend fair in the village, identifying each boy's strength and/or resources and devising a means to exploit it. Thus the fair provides everything from caricature sketches (courtesy Toppy's older sister, an art student) to lessons in Cockney rhyming slang. Toppy takes charge of the fair, while Ted, George, Nick and a few others move around town mooching odd jobs, delivering this here, shining shoes there. Toppy devises a brilliant plan, beautiful in its simplicity, to deliberately dirty shoes. Unfortunately, the shoe shine scheme backfires when they use it on Johnny Sharp, the town spiv, and his constant companion, known generally as the Wart. Sharp tumbles the scheme, but only congratulates the boys on their ingenuity. Disarmed, they reveal what they were doing and why they were collecting the money.

Later, to their collective delight, the final account reveals that the boys collected more than what was required to pay for the broken window. Deciding to sleep on the final decision, the money is entrusted to Ted, who keeps it in a wooden box somebody gave him The next morning? Disaster! The money's been stolen. The story now takes on a much stronger feel of a detective/crime-solving novel, as Ted's lieutenants are completely convinced of his innocence and seek a way to exonerate him, ideally by catching the real thief.

Naturally, the Spiv* and his companion the Wart are prime suspects. Toppy, much to the chagrin of his lieutenants, soon discovers for himself that Ted is definitely innocent. Ted and Toppy agree again to work together. Deciding to attack the Wart, clearly the weaker of the two personalities, turns out to be both a good and bad plan; they now know where the money-box is. but the Spiv rescues the Wart and leaves the kids locked up an old church towers. Between Butt, Ted, George and Toppy, they devise a way to get sufficient attention to persuade someone to climb the tower and unlock the door.

Then things begin to snowball. The revelation of the truth about one crime leads, after some wonderfully hair raising derring-do on the part of our two intrepid captains, to the discovery of another, much bigger one involving breaking into Skinner's, lorries, and cartons of black market items. . Ted is kidnapped following a venture with Toppy deep into enemy territory to find evidence of the theft. Determined to rescue him, Toppy,who managed to escape from under the villains very noses, quickly improvises a brilliant martial plan. War is formally declared (according to George) and the battle of Skinner's Yard begins. Peter Butt devises some truly ingenious weapons, and they arm themselves, mobilize, and attack from four different directions.
Only with the eventual arrival of the police, whom George was dispatched to find*, does it end. The next morning, the Headmaster first castigates the boys involved in the battle of Skinner's Yard, and then announces that the two companies were invited to Scotland Yard to be formally thanked for cracking such a big case before being given the grand tour! And in his closing remarks, the Headmaster, who after all is not a man totally lacking in sympathy, tells the students that since they'd already broken half the windows in Otterbury the previous night, one school window was hardly a problem, and the school would take care of it. The cheers nearly blow the roof off the top of the auditorium

I apologize for giving so much of the plot away, but it was such fun to write about. The Otterbury Incident combines all the elements that make for an exciting boys story; war games, crime-solving, camaraderie, and a good deal of dangerous climbing and breaking and entering. While written for young boys, there is absolutely no reason why an adolescent, (or even an adult, for that matter), of either sex shouldn't enjoy it just as much. It's a classic in its own right, and has the significant advantage of realism, and while a J.K. Rowling and a Garth Nix might come along every generation or so, most quality contemporary children's fiction tends to be either magical or uncanny in one way or another. The Otterbury Incident, however, barely tests the limits of your credulity. The events that transpire could quite conceivably take place. The adventures the boys have, while obviously exhilarating and dangerous, could happen to any group of kids in the right place at the right time. The Chief Inspector later confirms to George that often the best informants for crimes like breaking and entering with the intention of deliberate property deprivation, (theft is probably a better way to put it) are sharp-eyed youngsters out on the streets at all times; washing dishes, delivering newspapers, carrying loads, and hawking merchandise. Essentially doing the kind of things Ted and Toppy and the others dreamed up for the N.Y.A.F.

It's a wonderful book, a short and quick read, accurate in its description of post-war England, and balances the main themes for a young boy's adventure book remarkably well. Like a good many other poets, C.D. Lewis has the gift of being able to write well for children. I don't know why this is, but most poets who turn to children's fiction are usually very very good at it. Incidentally, the author, C.D. Lewis, bears no relation to C.S. Lewis of Narnia fame. He is, however, the father of the actor Daniel Day Lewis. He was also the poet laureate of England from 1968 to 1972.

* A Spiv is essentially a petty criminal dealing mostly in black market goods and if often dressed in slickly fashionable clothes
* George is forced to wait for half an hour by the Chief Inspector's immediate junior and clerk, who took a malicious pleasure in stoking George's anxiety and ignoring overwhelming evidence of...ahh, shouldn't give that away...until the Chief Inspector returns. When he does, he sees the evidence, pounces on George to ask him few pointed question, and turns out the whole station to go to the aid of the boys, who were by now fighting a rearguard action against Skinner's troops, much to the chagrin of his desk-bound clerk.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first read this as a primary school child many a moon ago by my P7 teacher Mrs Smith. She was a brilliant storyteller and I’ll never forget the way she threw her voice for the character of Johnny Sharp, “the Spiv” - a deliciously smarmy cockernee accent. The book still stands up although I’d doubt if kids of today would want to read a tale so couched in the vestiges of the war - not enough wizards or dragons for their liking!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two groups of boys in Otterbury spend their days play-fighting each other but one day a window in the school is broken. To pay for the window, the two groups come together to earn money, but before the money can be given to the school, it is stolen. The boys must quickly figure out who committed the theft and recover the money before the payment for the window is due.

An exciting story, full of action, well told, with occasional illustrations.

[Ian A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read many times before and read to my class in primary school. It was written just after the Second World War so it is of its time but should not present any issues with open minded readers.

A first person account by one of the boys involved.

Recommended for children but also a great adult read.

Covers the after effects of the war, Spivs, black market, counterfeit coins, bullying, gangsters and gangs

The ‘incident’ is the name that the boys give to a bomb site.

[John Chenery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to recall that we had to read this book at school. I'd have to flick through it again to give a proper review after so many years. It's notable because the illustrations are by Edward Ardizzone (Johnny the Clockmaker).

[David Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this several times at primary school and I think it may also have been read on BBC TV’s Jackanory. Anyway, its charm and humour had great effect on me and I particularly liked the illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts as narrator describes the breaking of window glass of the classroom and the consequences.

[Soumya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as a child; continue to enjoy it now!

[Eric Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic adventure story. I honestly didn't wanna go to sleep last night, and I was excited to wake up and finish it. Greatness!

[Ken Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read this in my English class at scho0l in 1975 . Re-read 50 years later , Great little story from times gone by set just after WW2 .

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story by Daniel's dad.

[Doris A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was a delight for my senses. The author's descriptive prowess brought the story to life.