Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear
A. A. Milne and the Creation of "winnie-the-pooh"
St. Martin's Press · Print & ebook · December 2, 2025
For the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Winnie-the-Pooh," Gyles Brandreth chronicles the writing of this beloved classic and the life of its creator, A.
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- Who it’s for
- Follow the making of Pooh alongside the complicated family life of the writer who created him.
- Themes
- A. A. Milne’s life and writing, The Milne family’s history, Fame and family conflict
- Genres
- Writers' Lives, Children's Lit Crit
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Start with this bookAbout this book
For the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Winnie-the-Pooh," Gyles Brandreth chronicles the writing of this beloved classic and the life of its creator, A. A. Milne. Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear tells the remarkable story of A A Milne, a playwright, a bestselling crime writer, poet, polemicist, humorist, and the man who created Winnie-the-Pooh.
Continue reading
Gyles Brandreth explores "Winnie-the-Pooh," a bear beloved by millions: his genesis, his life across a hundred years, his special philosophy, and the reasons for his worldwide popularity. Brandreth’s book is also the intimate biography of three generations of the fascinating and troubled Milne family, which knew fame and fortune, despising both for a time, but a family that ultimately found a profound reason to be grateful for the riches Pooh brought them. With an extraordinary cast list that includes Elizabeth II and Walt Disney, Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear moves from idyllic childhood games in the English countryside to New York in the 1930s and the love affairs, litigation, and heartrending family rifts that touched the life of one of Britain's most brilliant writers and his most famous creation.
Behind the Bear
Follow the making of Pooh alongside the complicated family life of the writer who created him.
Come here for
- A literary life with more to it than one famous bear
- Pooh’s century-long journey and enduring appeal
Expect
- A layered portrait of A. A. Milne and three generations of family
- A story spanning childhood games, literary fame, and family rifts
Where it sits
| Writers' Lives | 98% |
|---|---|
| Children's Lit Crit | 63% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Writers' Lives
- British & Irish Literary Criticism
- Children's Lit Crit
- Authors
- Gyles Brandreth
- Publisher
- St. Martin's Press
- Published
- December 2, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- A. A. Milne’s life and writing · The Milne family’s history · Fame and family conflict
- Reading lane
- Writers' Lives