The Absolutist

A fiercely interrogative novel that asks not just what it means to be a man but also what it means to be a human being in the extreme circumstances of war

Irish Times

A really enjoyable, if rather sad, read, full of historical and human interest

Irish Sunday Independent

A superb evocation of the Great War and its very human effects

Choice Magazine

A wonderful, sad, tender book

Colm Toibin

Boyne skillfully draws a thread through from sexual to moral to social shame... he tells a good story

Irish Independent

Boyne's fluid writing and strong characterisation brings the story to life and delivers a strong, unexpected emotional punch at the end

Edinburgh Evening News

Boyne's twinning of the subjects of homosexuality and conscientious objection is inspired

Metro

Compulsive, stylish and gripping

Reader's Digest

Extraordinary... The narrative is by turns surprising and tragic in equal measure while its troubling conclusion will stay with readers long after they've closed the book

Carlo Gebler

John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories. He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant and real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature

Colum McCann

Powerful, poignant and beautifully written. This will become a classic war novel

Bookseller

There is an old-fashioned feeling to this readable and well-written novel

Independent