A noir narrative written with the intensity and power of poetry, The Long Take is one of the most remarkable books of recent years. Walker is a D-Day veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder; he can't return home to rural Nova Scotia, and looks instead to the city for freedom, anonymity and repair. As he moves from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco we witness a crucial period of fracture in American history, one that also allowed film noir to flourish. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.