Thomas Olsen’s First World War

How much can a man take without falling apart? And what’s the cost of holding on? When Thomas Olsen learns that his old, drunken father has died, memories hit him hard. We witness Thomas defending himself and his little brother against their own father – and defending his father and the rest of his family against their surroundings.

With its many unforgettable scenes and striking main character, Thomas Olsen’s First World War grips the reader from the very first page and holds on even after the last page is turned.

Praise for Thomas Olsen’s First World War:

”Anders T. Andersen’s brilliant storytelling and his profound ability to create believable scenes in incomprehensible atrocities makes this novel a sensational literary debut (...) Andersen’s genuine talent and his immense creative ability, now as an author as well, are indisputable”
(VG)

”Convincing debut about surviving against all odds ”
(Bergens Tidende)

”The will to explore the extreme, makes this novel stand out”
(Aftenposten)

“A merciless Norwegian runaway novel (…) Andersen succeeds in conjuring up a young boy’s anxieties and fears with an almost unbearable credibility.”
(Dagbladet)

“Raw, bleak – and well written. This is a novel that you cannot read without being marked.”
(Fædrelandsvennen)

”He is an artist who gives life to both people and nature (…) Although he is unbearably personal, he does not make us feel overwhelmed. Powerful!”

(Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen)

First published: 2010, Aschehoug
Anders T. Andersen: Biography and bibliography