The Shadow In His Eyes: A Human Interest Story

REVIEW

The Shadow in His Eyes
By
Benoy B. Chowdhury, Ph.D.

Publish America - ISBN 1-60813-650-7

The author has brilliantly depicted a two generational father/mother and son story of events and the quality of life in the counties close to London during the early part of the 20th century, through WWI, the 1918-39 “in between” years, WWII and through about twenty of the relatively peaceful and prosperous years that followed.

The Shadow in His Eyes paints a picture of Anthony Mayhew’s life among the well-to-do class living in and around the quaint and beautiful village of Buntingford, Hertfordshire – North of London. His son, Manny, was born in 1917 and sadly for them both his beloved wife died shortly after his birth. There follows a description of how together father and son coped with the demands of this particular period in time when England was in the process of being heavily influenced by political, social, advancing technological and economic influences from overseas. Whilst still clinging too much of its former Victorian grandeur, power and class system it had to adjust its educational policies to satisfy the political, social and industrial demands of the exponentially evolving basic and applied science, increasing affluence and materialism within the former working and middle-classes. The subsequent events of WWII and its aftermath proved how Britain’s resulting post-war technical education system served the country well.

The book’s main character, Manny, was an extremely clever and complex child. Throughout his life he was afflicted with not a malady, but a human condition of deep and eternal love for the loving mother who was never able to bring him up. He sought affection all his life that was mingled with perpetual bewilderment about the others around him. His school years at exclusive private educational institutions and subsequent university education eventually lead him into a brilliant career in science, participation in the wartime code breaking activities at institutions depicting those at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, and on to the postwar establishment of Great Britain’s Atomic Energy Research. The latter so hurriedly setup during WWII at an abandoned RAF field and destined to change the world and balance of power for ever.

The book is quite short and moves quickly in time. In retrospect so did the times it describes. It gives penetrating and unique insights into the now all but disappeared way of life in the counties neighboring Hertfordshire and around London during the first two thirds of the 20th century. It compliments his previous book entitled Blossoming Spirits, Withering Souls which also described the uniqueness of the London educational and social scenes during the 1940’s and 50’s.


Reviewer: Gerald B. Ansell. Ph.D.
Like the author, from the late 1940’s to mid 1960’s he worked in British industry, government and teaching establishments whilst gaining his technical qualifications. After this period he too immigrated to the USA in 1967. Since then he has held numerous scientific research, educational and managerial positions. He has over 50 refereed technical publications and 20 published articles and letters dealing with sustainable energy policy.