A Man of Honour

The prequel to the million-copy bestseller, A Woman of Substance, where, high on the Yorkshire moors, the story of Blackie O’Neill and Emma Harte begins…

Orphaned and alone, 13-year-old Blackie O’Neill must leave County Kerry to find work and put food in his mouth. His only chance of survival lies with his mother’s brother, far away in Leeds.

There, amid the noise and bustle, the mills and manufactories of the clothing industry that have made Leeds one of England’s most prosperous cities, Blackie’s spark of ambition becomes a flame. Working in his Uncle’s business, he nurtures a dream of throwing off the impotence of poverty, of building houses and perhaps even of becoming a gentleman.

And then, high on the Yorkshire moors, in the mists of a winter morning, he meets a kitchen maid called Emma Harte. And as the Victorian world gives way to the freedom of the Edwardian age, so a young man and a servant girl seize a chance, against the odds, to build a better life…

‘Heart-soaring and hopefuly, this is a story about love, courage and ambition. A true treat for anyone fell in love with the original novel’ Yours

‘This captivating read chronicles 13-year-old orphan Blackie O’Neill’s migration from Ireland . . . when he meets Emma Harte, it ignites a lifetime of friendship’ Woman

Don’t miss this stunning new novel from Barbara Taylor Bradford!

Reviews

Praise for Barbara Taylor Bradford

‘An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death and passion.’
New York Times

‘A mighty saga. Little has been so riveting since Gone With the Wind’ Evening News

‘A long, satisfying novel of money, power, passion and revenge, set against the sweep of 20th-century history.’
Los Angeles Times

‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns’ Guardian

‘A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue … if you’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you’ Daily Mail

‘A stately home, a dangerous secret and two families whose fates have been intertwined for generations … a gripping period piece set on the brink of the Great War. Exquisite escapism of the highest order’ The Lady

About the author

Barbara Taylor Bradford was born and raised in Leeds. She left school at 15 for the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post.

At 16, she became a reporter on the paper and, at 18, its first Woman’s Editor. Aged 20, she moved to London and became a columnist and editor on Fleet Street.

Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, is one of the bestselling novels of all time and Barbara’s books have sold more than 90 million copies worldwide. In 2007, Barbara was appointed an OBE by the Queen for her services to literature.

Barbara was married to her beloved husband, television and film producer Robert Bradford, for 55 years until he died in 2019. She continued to live in New York and write novels, her last entitled The Wonder of It All, until she died in November 2024.