Better Late than Never (update)

Barnaby Capel-Dunn's award-winning novel Deck of Cards (Pack of Cards in the British edition) has been shortlisted for the "Lost Man Booker Prize - a one-off prize to honour the books published in 1970 that were not eligible for consideration for the Booker Prize".

The other books listed are:

The Birds on the Trees by Nina Bawden (Virago)
• Troubles by J G Farrell (Phoenix)
• The Bay of Noon by Shirley Hazzard (Virago)
• Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault (Arrow)
• The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark (Penguin)
• The Vivisector by Patrick White (Vintage)

"Three of the authors on the shortlist have previously had success with the Booker Prize. J.G. Farrell's The Siege of Krishnapur won in 1973; Muriel Spark was shortlisted for her novels The Public Image (1969) and Loitering with Intent(1981) and Nina Bawden was shortlisted in 1987 for Circles of Deceit. Barnaby Capel-Dunn, Patrick White, Mary Renault and Shirley Hazzard have never been shortlisted for the Booker or Man Booker Prize."

Deck of Cards, which also achieved fame when set to music by a certain Wink Martindale, is set amidst the horrors of the Italian Campaign in the latter days of the Second World War. Let me quote from the introduction: "A bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike, and they arrived in a little town called Cassino.
The next morning, being Sunday,several of the boys went to church. A sergeant commanded the boys in church, and after the chaplain had read the prayer, the text was taken up next.
Those of the boys who had a prayer books took them out, but, this one boy had only a deck of cards,and so he spread them out.
The sergeant saw the cards and said, "Soldier, put away those cards".
After the services were over, the soldier was taken prisoner,
and brought before the Provost Marshall.
The Marshall said " Sergeant, why have you brought this man here?"
"For playing cards in church Sir."
"And what have you to say for yourself Son?"
"Much, Sir," replied the soldier.
The Marshall said, " I hope so, for if not,
I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished." "I say, Sir, steady on", said the soldier. "You want I beat him up big time, sir?", inquired the sergeant. "No, I don't think I need detain you any longer, sarnt-major", purred the colonel. "As for you, sunny Jim, you are an absolute shower and a disgrace to the regiment. If there's one thing I won't tolerate in my outfit it's being idle on parade. And I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that this man has been very idle on parade."

What happens next is described in no uncertain terms by Mr Martindale himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgVQdBLbHs