The Road to Nab End: An Extraordinary Northern Childhood
“Once started, it is impossible to put this book down...the author is a born writer with an eye for character and a natural way of writing...he has the historian’s gift for bringing to life a particular society at a particular time.”
“Extraordinarily well written and vividly told, his book is rich in characters, facts, atmosphere, and indomitable spirit.”
Beyond Nab End
“A wonderful evocation of a vanished age.”
“[Woodruff] is fast becoming a national treasure … [he] is one of the last survivors of an age which has almost vanished from memory.”
--The Times
“A terrific story with an archetypal rags-to riches dimension. It is nostalgic, vivid and charming.”
“Edifying and well written … Woodruff’s writing is fresh, vivid, honest and intelligent.”
Vessel of Sadness
"...a masterpiece"
--The Irish Times, Dublin
"An outstanding piece of writing in which a thread of poetic vision runs through the stark realism of remembered experience in the Anzio beach-head. No one who reads it can fail to feel its impact and to be moved afresh by the senseless horrors of modern warfare."
--Blackwoods Magazine
"A remarkable book indeed, bringing us close to the huge face of war ... a splendid reading experience."
"A picture of courage and futility of courage that somehow goes beyond courage and futility. To seize this in words makes the book a tour de force. Reading it is a memorable experience.
"It is a superb book and a horrifying one. There is no contradiction in putting it that way ... this is a book from the master mold ... A noble book."
A Concise History of the Modern World
By investigating the major changes of world history during the past five hundred years, this book provides the necessary global perspective to understand the geopolitical and geoeconomic changes facing us today. We have reached a crucial transitional stage in world history in which the world will no longer be shaped by the single image of western modernism, but increasingly by the image of all cultures and civilizations. The need to take a world view--which this book provides--has become acute.
Shadows of Glory
"...from the innocense of lazy college days to the horrors of war ... a passionate book ..."
"A story that revels in the joy and despair of the past."
"...a highly readable and fascinating story..."
Paradise Galore
This rollicking children's tale is an allegory of the dangerous journey to find happiness. Walter, an idealistic boar, escapes from Mr. Gibbet's farm to search for the Happy Land, where he believes pigs go when they are loaded onto the cart to leave the farm. He is joined by Ali, a cynical camel, and Ding Dong, a complaining donkey (who had never heard of such a place). In their absurdly funny adventures they learn that one animal's idea of bliss is another's poison. It takes an enchanted mouse to lead them to the realization that true happiness lies in coming to terms with life.