The Dig

By John D. Preston,

Book cover of The Dig: A Novel Based on True Events

Book description

In the long hot summer of 1939 Britain is preparing for war. But on a riverside farm in Suffolk there is excitement of another kind: Mrs Petty, the widowed farmer, has had her hunch proved correct that the strange mounds on her land hold buried treasure. As the dig proceeds…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Dig as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The popular Netflix film The Dig was based on this book, one of the few works of historical fiction that deal with ancient mounds. It tells the story of the 1930-era excavation of a Celtic Burial Mound. Not all mounds were burials, however. Some were ceremonial and their purpose remains largely unknown. The book gives a good sense of what archaeology was like a hundred years ago, both the practice and the politics behind what yielded the largest buried treasure in Britain's history.

From Jim's list on ancient mounds.

If you love The Dig...

Ad

Book cover of A Beggar's Bargain

A Beggar's Bargain by Jan Sikes,

Historical Fiction Post WW2.

A shocking proposal that changes everything.

Desperate to honor his father’s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm.
Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles and…

Want books like The Dig?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 62 books like The Dig.

Browse books like The Dig

Book cover of The Moundbuilders: Ancient Societies of Eastern North America
Book cover of Indian Tribes of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Adjacent Coast of the Gulf of Mexico
Book cover of The Natchez Indians: A History to 1735

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,783

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Dig, you might also like...

Book cover of Love and War in the Jewish Quarter

Love and War in the Jewish Quarter by Dora Levy Mossanen,

A breathtaking journey across Iran where war and superstition, jealousy and betrayal, and passion and loyalty rage behind the impenetrable walls of mansions and the crumbling houses of the Jewish Quarter.

Against the tumultuous background of World War II, Dr. Yaran will find himself caught in the thrall of the…

Book cover of The Last Whaler

The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves,

This book is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station in the Svalbard archipelago when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in widows, archaeological excavations, and presidential biography?

Widows 87 books