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The Fascinating History of My Direct Royal Ancestors and Their Descendants
The author traces his direct ancestors for 40 generations, commencing with Egbert Saxon, king of Wessex in generation 1. King Edward III is described in generation 18. He was the last monarch in the author’s Direct family tree. He and his wife, Philippa of Hanault, are the author’s 21 times great grandparents. The author narrates the history of his direct ancestors up to his grandparents in generation 39, from English royalty to Scottish nobility, ending with the Krio elite in the former British colony of Sierra Leone. This was as a result of the acting governor of Sierra Leone, the Scottish Kenneth Macaulay, the author’s 4 times great-grandfather, having a relationship with a liberated African, which led to the birth of the author’s 3 times great-grandmother Charlotte Macaulay, who was of mixed race. The book is an entertaining, fascinating and accessible piece of family history with a wide-ranging scope and engaging manner of dialogue, which will be of interest, not only to historians and genealogists, but also to non-fiction readers in general.
£12.99 -
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man
For most of my life, I have been infected by wanderlust. When I see an airplane flying overhead or a ship on the horizon, I can’t help but ask myself, “I wonder where they are going?”
Life, as it has evolved, has led me on a journey that is beyond my imagination. I participated in one of the most polarizing events in U.S. history, the Vietnam war. I also was a participant in, quite possibly, the most important event in U.S. labor history, the 1981 air traffic controllers’ strike.
The second of those events led me to an amazing adventure. I lived outside of the United States for nine years. I have crossed the Pacific Ocean 11 times. I have crossed the Indian Ocean seven times. I have crossed the Atlantic Ocean more times than I can count. I have been on six of the seven continents and visited more than 90 countries. Along the way, a brilliant and beautiful young woman decided to become my partner and accompany me on that journey.
This is the story of that adventure.
£9.99 -
The Expert Within
The human mind and how it works, what it thinks and perhaps more importantly, why it thinks what it thinks, is a subject that has fascinated humans from time immemorial. The first scholar to tackle this subject was Aristotle, but he was certainly not the first to wonder and ponder the mysteries of human perception, comprehension and interpretation. Since then psychologists, psychiatrists, philosophers and even novelists, poets and artists have tried in their own inimitable way to penetrate and reveal that most fascinating of all mysteries – the workings of the human mind.
This book is the story of a human mind ... not the human mind ... as all authentic stories of the ‘human mind’ must be. This book tells the story of the author’s mind; the only mind of which she can truthfully speak in spite of the fact that she has qualifications in Psychology, Philosophy (Theology) and Journalism. For all that, the qualification upon which she relies most is that of human experience – life and living. In adolescence her mind declined into insanity, lingered there for some years, then painfully and insightfully regained its place in the world of sanity ... only to go on and penetrate the world of formal, academic, or professional (whatever you wish to call it) education/understanding.
This book was not written for the edification of those called mental health professionals. It was written to share wisdom and understanding with the ordinary, everyday lay minds of those who care too much to embrace or be embraced by the word ‘professional’.
£8.99 -
The Eternal Effo
The Eternal Effo: How to Avoid a Career in Aviation offers an insightful and often humorous look at a three-decade journey in commercial aviation. This memoir is not about the high-flying life of fighter pilots, test pilots, Concorde captains or astronauts. Instead, it’s a candid exploration of a less glamorous but no less eventful and enjoyable career in the skies.
In these pages, the author shares the lighter side of aviation, from amusing anecdotes to the unexpected joys of the job, as he successfully navigates the industry into retirement. This book is for anyone who’s ever been curious about the realities of a career in aviation, minus the typical heroics and high-octane adventures. It’s a testament to the day-to-day effort and perseverance required to stay aloft in this challenging field.
£9.99 -
The Deeper Water is Ashore
Although the author’s graduation from his pre-sea nautical HMS Conway was both expected and anticipated, to be honoured at the same time with the Queen’s Gold Medal was certainly not, coming as it did as a deeply humbling surprise. Acceptance into the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company as a Cadet was far less of a given, as a pre-requisite was to successfully conclude a month at the Outward Bound Mountaineering School at Ullswater. There, one would be taken into the ‘tender care’ of three Marine Commandos, charged with ensuring that character building would indeed follow from adventures in mountaineering, canoeing and fell walking, not to mention the Commando assault course, athletics, and copious amounts of Kendal Mint Cakes!
His career path appeared to become even more defined as he gained Commission with the Royal Naval Reserve, his Master Mariner’s Certificate of Competence, and rose through the Officer ranks of the P. & O. Steam Navigation Company. However, the Seamans Strike in 1966 brought about a startling, but enervating, state of swiftly changing issues that demanded a fresh approach to, well, everything!
The Deeper Water is Ashore focuses on, and develops with, both fact and humour, the substantial changes which followed from significant strike action, and the eventual personal outcomes. If one can but briefly plagiarise and use the words of the poet and cleric John Donne (1572-1631), it was a case of “Seek not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” (But never in the subjunctive tense!)
£10.99 -
The Deconstruction of Humanity’s Voice, But We Are Still Standing
Playing his clarinet inside one of London’s most exclusive members’ clubs reminded him of the privilege the elites can enjoy, but also the illusive duality of his identity, as the echo of his clanging Ashanti beads around his wrist, the scent of shea butter and sandalwood oil immersed upon his mahogany brown skin, reminded him of his true African identity.
Jesse Yaw takes us through his journey as a young black man, exploring the racial constructs of relationships and modern society. With its destructive perceptions of class, race, truth, and equality, coloured by the trajectory of historical discrimination, and prejudiced western norms that have been embraced by the global community, Jesse seeks to explore the psychological impact that assimilation to westernised ideologies of beauty, governance, education, economy, law, class, and politics has on humanity. And what that consequently means for his self-determination.
He acknowledges that, for too long, negative perceptions have cast a dark shadow upon black lives and subdued black potential. For these destructive perceptions to be removed from the eyes, lips, minds, and hearts of the global village, the re-education of the human mind is central. Jesse deconstructs the subconscious voice of the human mind, and establishes the unaltered truth of who we really are.
£7.99 -
The Day the Sun Fell
The Day the Sun Fell captures on a deeply human and personal level the devastating effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945. The author, who at fourteen was seriously injured by the A-bomb, skilfully combines tender lyricism and stark realism to recount her own experiences and those of other members of her immediate and extended family in the aftermath of the bombing, and decades later. Not only a harrowing depiction of tragic historical events, nor just a remarkable story of survival, The Day the Sun Fell reveals aspects of the bombing never aired openly before, forcing the reader to pause to reflect on these haunting events and their continuing legacy seventy years on. It also makes for inspiring reading, for Hashizume never fails to discover hope and joy in living even in the darkest of moments.
£16.99 -
The Cruise Vacation
The Cruise Vacation takes readers on a wild ride through the highs and lows of addiction, as told through the unfiltered lens of a former nurse turned drug addict. From the hectic pace of a UK hospital to the dizzying rush of snorting, injecting and smoking any narcotic he could get his hands on, the protagonist’s story is a cautionary tale of excess and adventure. As he spirals out of control, he exchanges his professional life for a world of self-anesthetisation, casual sex and multiple attempts to kick the habit. Through community rehabilitations, untold pain, regrets, and a horrific example of failure, the protagonist’s childhood sweetheart remains by his side, helping him cling to life and recognize his own mortality. This personal journal takes readers through the heart-wrenching journey of addiction, offering a stark reminder of the destructive power of drugs and the importance of love, family, and community in the face of overwhelming temptation.
£6.99 -
The Corridors of Hope
Author Eric Buhle Gumbi has penned a captivating memoir that delves into his personal encounters, both challenging and interesting, as he navigates various socio-political landscapes. The Corridors of Hope takes readers on a journey through the author’s youthful experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Through his narrative, Gumbi explores the people who have supported him along the way and how they have helped to redirect him towards success. Looking back on his childhood, the author identifies moments of both rise and fall, paying particular attention to his high school and socioeconomic endeavours that have kept the ball of life rolling.
With a keen eye for detail, Gumbi brings his personal history to life, weaving a compelling story that captures the complexities of growing up in a rapidly changing world. The Corridors of Hope is a powerful memoir that offers readers an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs that have shaped the author’s life.
£8.99 -
The Complete Response
Stanley lives life to the full--working hard, playing hard. In 2016, his life was turned upside down with a serious medical diagnosis; he had a stage 4 bowel cancer which had spread extensively to his liver and was inoperable. Many people might have given up but Stanley looked at the challenge of beating cancer with positivity. Stanley carried on working throughout the medical process ahead of him and developed his own strategy with the help of others around him and his life experiences. The plan of attack worked, which ultimately led to his survival and a complete response to treatment. No viable trace of the disease remained, a very rare 100% response. Stanley carried on living as before and is still free from cancer. The Complete Response will inspire anyone looking to overcome the unthinkable!
£9.99 -
The Colours of Love
The Colours of Love is a real-life testimony on how a life should be lived and how it should not. It recounts my love for my parents, love for a woman that I loved more than my life, love for my daughter, friends, love for the countries where I lived. Love, crime and science-fiction-like experience, triggered by delusions and hallucinations, are interwoven in this narrative of life.
I wrote this book when I was 55 years old, as a culmination of my life. It recounts my utmost remorse for the things that I did, but I should not have done, and for things that I did not do, but I should have done. The consequences of my decisions resulted in extraordinary loss of property, physical and intellectual. I lost my share in five houses and one apartment; I lost my profession, my wife, my daughter, my social status and freedom. None of this was my desire. Why did this happen to me? I had all prerequisites to live a successful and wealthy life. My father was a medical doctor, my mother was a piano teacher; I was a medical doctor; my wife was a medical doctor. I had permanent residency permits in two countries, Sweden and Australia. However, I ended up in prison with almost nothing.
The book is written for adolescents who are just about to face challenges of their lives. It is also aimed at adults, as a mirror of how good or bad their lives are compared to a non-standard life.
£13.99 -
The Burden Within
Born into a wealthy family in England in 1942, Christopher could’ve expected a privileged life. It was not to be. At six years of age, he entered boarding school. The burden of undiagnosed dyslexia led to an aversion to schoolwork, and violent sexual abuse from a fellow boarder became the impetus for leaving school. He embarked on a life of hard manual labour, before returning to his parents’ farm, but continual frustrations between him and his father culminated in a stint of involuntary commitment. On release in 1964, he left for Australia as a ‘10 Pound Pom’.For the next ten years, he roamed Australia – working in its cities, rural towns, and outback. But a rolling stone gathers no moss. Christopher, the adventurer, insidiously became a hard-working, hard-drinking and hard-playing drifter on a downward spiral. In 1973, on a remote aboriginal settlement in the Northern Territory, new things impacted him and became the impetus for him to think he may have a future – if he survived. True stories provide insight into the tortuous journey of a lonely, insecure child and young man in England; a unique view through the eyes of an immigrant drifter in Australia; and the rollercoaster ride of reintegrating himself into mainstream society.
£13.99