This breathtaking memoir of childhood exploring the author's failed relationship with his father - a man defined by the drink he could take, his guilt and his machismo - garnered spectacular reviews. This Vintage paperback edition coincides with Burnside's new novel, }The Devil's Footprints{ (Cape). 'Superbly written; poetic in the best sense, summoning up a world of terror and beauty.' }Literary Review Tells the story of a lost and damaged world of childhood and the constants of his father's world: men defined by drink they could take and the pain they could stand, men shaped by their guilt and machismo. This book examines the way men are made and how they fall apart, about understanding in order to have a good son you must have a good father.