A Touch of Paradise in Hell
A Touch of Paradise in Hell
Overview
Away from the turmoil of battle in the Ypres Salient, the town of Poperinge developed into the nerve center of the British sector. In the heart of this bustling town, the Army Chaplains Philip ('Tubby') Clayton and Neville Talbot opened an 'Every-Man's Club'. It was an alternative place of wholesome recreation where all soldiers, regardless of their rank, were welcome. The inspired way in which Tubby ran this 'home from home', turned Talbot House, or 'Toc H', into the best-known soldiers' club of the British Army - a sanctuary for half a million men on their way to or from the Front. The first part, Portrait of an Every Man's Club, paints a graphic picture of Talbot House against the immense background of the waste and horror of war, from its early beginnings at the end of 1915 till the private owner's return early in 1919. The connecting thread is provided by a wide selection of Tubby's letters, mostly to his mother. These are supplemented with extracts from his diaries and other wartime writings, as well as letters and accounts from dozens of other eyewitnesses. Together they provide an intimate, vivid and complete picture of what life at the House was like. They give us a fascinating insight into the lives that Tubby and his guests were living, the kind of thoughts they were thinking, and the visions, hopes and ideals that gripped their minds. Indeed, they tell the authentic history of Talbot House In the second part, A Home from Home, Tubby shows us around the House so that we get a clearer picture as he passes from room to room, from the lively and noisy gaiety in the canteen to the peace and serenity in the chapel. This 'guided tour' is flavored with recollections of some 40 officers and other ranks relating how they experienced the unique atmosphere radiating from the various parts of the remarkable building. In A House of People, the focus is first put on the Padre and his batman, Private Arthur Pettifer. Then follows a colorful palette of stories by the 'innkeeper', each about one particular 'customer' who, for one specific reason or another, stood out in his experience. But also a number of 'Talbotousians' have a tale to tell. Browsing through their memories, five of them relate a significant incident that will forever be associated with Talbot House or Tubby. The final chapter takes us beyond the walls of the Old House. In a few poignant sketches it describes Tubby's visits to his parishioners in the slums of warfare. It portrays the comradeship of shared experiences, the excitements and the miseries, and the triumph of the human spirit over unimaginable suffering. Some rare reminiscences of the short-lived and much-tested daughter-house in Ieper complete the picture. The appendices, all wartime documents produced at Talbot House, shed further light on its early history, management and day-to-day working. "A Touch of Paradise in Hell" can not only be enjoyed by the reader at home but also can be used as a guidebook during a visit to Talbot House and serve as a 'Talbot House guide' to the Ieper Salient and the Somme, as it links people and stories to locations. The annotations contain a wealth of interesting background information.Description
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
Away from the turmoil of battle in the Ypres Salient, the town of Poperinge developed into the nerve center of the British sector. In the heart of this bustling town, the Army Chaplains Philip ('Tubby') Clayton and Neville Talbot opened an 'Every-Man's Club'. It was an alternative place of wholesome recreation where all soldiers, regardless of their rank, were welcome. The inspired way in which Tubby ran this 'home from home', turned Talbot House, or 'Toc H', into the best-known soldiers' club of the British Army - a sanctuary for half a million men on their way to or from the Front. The first part, Portrait of an Every Man's Club, paints a graphic picture of Talbot House against the immense background of the waste and horror of war, from its early beginnings at the end of 1915 till the private owner's return early in 1919. The connecting thread is provided by a wide selection of Tubby's letters, mostly to his mother. These are supplemented with extracts from his diaries and other wartime writings, as well as letters and accounts from dozens of other eyewitnesses. Together they provide an intimate, vivid and complete picture of what life at the House was like. They give us a fascinating insight into the lives that Tubby and his guests were living, the kind of thoughts they were thinking, and the visions, hopes and ideals that gripped their minds. Indeed, they tell the authentic history of Talbot House In the second part, A Home from Home, Tubby shows us around the House so that we get a clearer picture as he passes from room to room, from the lively and noisy gaiety in the canteen to the peace and serenity in the chapel. This 'guided tour' is flavored with recollections of some 40 officers and other ranks relating how they experienced the unique atmosphere radiating from the various parts of the remarkable building. In A House of People, the focus is first put on the Padre and his batman, Private Arthur Pettifer. Then follows a colorful palette of stories by the 'innkeeper', each about one particular 'customer' who, for one specific reason or another, stood out in his experience. But also a number of 'Talbotousians' have a tale to tell. Browsing through their memories, five of them relate a significant incident that will forever be associated with Talbot House or Tubby. The final chapter takes us beyond the walls of the Old House. In a few poignant sketches it describes Tubby's visits to his parishioners in the slums of warfare. It portrays the comradeship of shared experiences, the excitements and the miseries, and the triumph of the human spirit over unimaginable suffering. Some rare reminiscences of the short-lived and much-tested daughter-house in Ieper complete the picture. The appendices, all wartime documents produced at Talbot House, shed further light on its early history, management and day-to-day working. "A Touch of Paradise in Hell" can not only be enjoyed by the reader at home but also can be used as a guidebook during a visit to Talbot House and serve as a 'Talbot House guide' to the Ieper Salient and the Somme, as it links people and stories to locations. The annotations contain a wealth of interesting background information.Description
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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