Fortunes of War

1987 • Drama

Fortunes of War is a 1987 BBC television adaptation of Olivia Manning's cycle of novels Fortunes of War. It stars Kenneth Branagh as Guy Pringle, lecturer in English Literature in Bucharest during the early part of the Second World War, and Emma Thompson as his wife Harriet. Other cast members included Ronald Pickup, Robert Stephens, Alan Bennett, Philip Madoc and Rupert Graves. The series stays relatively faithful to the original novels, with no notable departures from their plot.

Reading Olivia Manning's novels, 'The Balkan Trilogy' and 'The Levant Trilogy,' offers a richly textured exploration of World War II from the vantage point of civilians caught in the maelstrom of war. Manning's prose brings to life the historical depth and cultural intricacies of the settings, from Romania to the edges of the Sahara, presenting a vivid landscape where personal stories unfold alongside global turmoil. Unlike the condensed narrative of the television adaptation, the books allow for deeper immersion into the characters' psyches and the atmospheres they navigate. Manning's exquisite detail and nuanced characterizations evoke the fears, hopes, and resilience of people living through profound uncertainty, pulling readers into an intimate connection with history's turbulence. Experience the raw emotions and unexpected alliances through Manning's skillfully crafted narrative that only the written word can fully convey.