The Small Back Room

Fine novel by a writer who was part of wartime weapons research. Balchin was well regarded as a technical researcher and industrial psychologist. These talents shine through every part of this novel. He has a sharp ear for office talk and politics which both form a major part of the story. His technical abilities are apparent in a lucid account of a bomb defusing episode which is the climax to the story.

For more about Balchin:
https://balchinfamily.uk/nigel-marlin-balchin-1908-1970

Boffins working on ingenious weaponry or other special wartime projects, but most of all on battling the obstructions and office politics of the services they work for and with. Clearly based on real experience in the Britain of World War II, and as such a useful counterpoint to some of the cheery patting on back of recent Bletchley Park tales. The tone here is mainly humorous, not indignant, and so we get an early, and enjoyable, portrayal of the extent of banter, of a tongue in cheek mentality, in our technocratic work world. The energy, brisk pace, and the punctuation by drinking recall also the Patrick Hamilton novels of London life from a decade or so earlier. But from the very first sentence of this book, it’s clear that the show more reader will be breezily entertained: “In 1928 my foot was hurting all the time, so they took it off and gave me an aluminium one that only hurt about three-quarters of the time.” show less

Interesting novel about a physicist who works in an apparently somewhat unofficial capacity developing weapons for the British government in World War II. It took about half the book for me to get oriented regarding all the different figures in the book and what branch of the government they belonged to, but as this also seems to be a concern of the protagonist, I think it was intentional. The book deals both with Sammy's tenuous position at work and his strained romantic relationship with a woman from his office. I found this more interesting as a document of the time period than as a novel; it felt oddly disjointed and distant, but this "back room side" of World War II is pretty fascinating.

Great little tale with a hero who isn't always likeable, but always very real. Great Powell and Pressburger film from the Archers, 1948. Both very entertaining and very British.