This was a great quick read as it has 120 pages. The author tells part real life part fiction stories of what lads from the Welsh coal mines did. Also how hard it was living in the area. There choices were mine or become a soldier. These stories were very well wrote and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I just wish the book was longer as I was enjoying them that much. It was a very interesting read and the author really brought out a great sense of atmosphere and tension. I also felt many different emotions while reading this book. I definitely recommend this book if you love learning about what life was like in small Welsh towns. Also if you a fan of literary fiction or cultural books. Or like me love reading anything Welsh.

Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing us these fantastic stories to enjoy.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/boys-of-gold-by-george-brinley-evans-parthian-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

Semi-autobiographical, these are accomplished stories that introduce the reader to the harsh conditions of work in Welsh coal mines, but also impress upon the reader the kindness, gentleness, good humor, and compassion of the Welsh character. Fathers and sons, brothers, families as a whole, mothers, husbands and wives, work mates, and bands of soldiers -- all are treated with delicacy, honesty, great insight, respect, and a deep sense of how, to the Welsh, we are all connected by love and the many forms of community.

I really enjoyed this book, was different to what I would usually pick but I am glad I've read it. Thank you

Beautifully written evocative vignettes, largely autobiographical, of life in the South Wales mines and on service in Burma in WWII. This new edition has a useful introduction, and also includes a short essay by the author on fellow writer B L Coombes. Gentle but unsentimental, the stories conjure up a harsh life long gone, and the book is not without its political asides. Very enjoyable.

Evan's "Boys of Gold" is one of the most haunting set of short stories I have read this year, and one that depicts both the world of the British army and that of a small mining community, comparing and contrasting the hardships and struggle shared by both of them.