To Ride a Red Engine

This book tells you what it is like to do just that. The author, who served for twenty-seven years at busy inner-London fire stations, gives a fascinating account of his life as a London Fireman. From attending the biggest fire in post-war London to achieving the Chief Officer’s Commendation for bravery, this book takes you through the highs of saving lives to the lows of multiple child deaths. Skillfully blending drama with farce, it will have you chuckling out loud.

Described in American reviews as, ‘the best first-person account of firefighting ever!’

Warning: Not recommended for long train or aeroplane journeys, where continuous chuckling out loud might be considered anti-social behaviour.

Touch Down

Touchdown of Apollo 11 had many unknowns for the first lunar landing. Dodging the craters and boulders on the moon to land on a firm surface without totally running out of fuel for the return to Earth was a breathtaking experience. The author recounts his press briefing to the world's journalists prior to the 1969 launch at Cape Kennedy, followed by how he became an aerospace engineer. Building a suit to protect the astronauts from the unknowns encountered in the extremes of space and on the lunar surface was an ongoing challenge. Details such as the effects of cosmic rays, thermal extremes and micro-meteoroids on the human body were addressed as they were discovered over the eight-year period following JFK's challenge. Key engineering changes to meet the new requirements for the space suit that had to be tested and implemented before each mission are described. Applications of the new technologies, materials and processes developed in the space programs adapted to industrial and consumer products are also delineated.

Two Marriages: From Paradise into Hell and Back Again

In Two Marriages: From Paradise to Hell and Back Again, Jette tells the story of her journey through love and heartbreak. The first third of the book is written from the perspective of a narrator and details Jette’s career, social life, and the betrayal by her first husband. The last two thirds, written by Jette in the first person, is a tribute to her second husband, Ernest Edward John Paradine, a former Major of the British Royal Artillery, who was honored by the Queen in 1981 with an MBE. Jette recounts the couple’s move to England and her experiences travelling with Ernest to India, Pakistan, Brunei, Singapore, and Jordan. Along the way, the reader learns of Ernest’s family secrets and Jette’s love for England and classical music. The book is a true love story and a glimpse into life in ‘third world countries’ from 1988 to 2000, with unbelievable coincidences playing a role in both Jette and Ernest’s lives.

Waiting in the Wings

Completely without any professional qualifications, Brian Hutchinson had 31 different jobs during a long working life. From acrobat to special advisor to a cabinet minister; all completely unplanned through opportunity knocks! Brian (Hutch) Hutchinson: Acrobat, Musician (Sax/Clarinet), one of the youngest Justices of the Peace at Inner London Juvenile Courts, Civil Servant, Special Advisor to Cabinet Minister, Music Business Executive, Theatrical Agent, Recording Studio Partner, Record Factory MD, Director Brixton Business Centre, Board Member Brixton City Challenge, General Manager on secondment The Princess Diana Memorial Fund, Patron Macmillan Academy Teesside, Independent Assessor for Commissioner for (Ministerial) Public Appointments, Corporate Affairs Director Allied Zurich Plc, Chair UK Trustees International Fund for Animal Welfare, Former Trustee National Centre for Circus Arts. Taken out of school at 15 years old to join my Father’s troupe of acrobats on tour with Boswell’s Circus in Southern Africa; I was untrained as an acrobat and learned the basics on the two weeks’ boat journey from Southampton to Cape Town. I also played alto Sax and Clarinet in the circus band. I guess I’m an entrepreneur; it was easier in the 1950s–1970s to succeed without formal qualifications such as a university degree or even a couple of A Levels. I was also one of the youngest JPs in the Inner London Juvenile Courts thanks to advice from the Master of then Rolls and support from Lady (Elspeth) Howe.

Witness To History

For almost fifty years, Mohinder Dhillon was one of Africa’s foremost news cameramen and documentary filmmakers. This book is both a personal memoir and a photographic record of the many remarkable events he covered over the course of an extraordinary career – events that were to change the course of history.
This book is much more than a collection of photographs. It offers fascinating insights into the behaviour of contemporary African leaders: Emperor Haile Selassie, Jomo Kenyatta, William Tubman, Julius Nyerere, Milton Obote, Idi Amin, Col. Gamel Nasser, Léopold Senghor, Kwame Nkrumah, Muammar Gaddafi and Robert Mugabe among them. Mohinder’s encounters with these and other leading figures of the day took place against the backdrop of the Cold War proxy conflicts that were then tearing Africa apart.
While primarily a vivid eye-witness account of the many turbulent events that shaped Africa during and immediately after the colonial era, this wide-ranging memoir also documents events that Mohinder filmed in South Yemen, Vietnam and elsewhere in the world.
To the fore throughout is Mohinder’s deep and abiding sense of compassion, both in his approach to photojournalism and as a committed humanitarian.

Last Touch

Dean Jamieson was murdered on 04/04/2006, leaving an irreplaceable void in the lives of those who held him dear. Dean's mother, Josephine, pens a devastating novel that is a deeply intimate and personal examination of the life and death of her child and the grief that accompanies such a loss.Jamieson critiques the landscape following an untimely death; the support of the social sector and the police, the role of the media and reportage and the effect on family.Jamieson's prose, whilst at times visceral, portrays the emotional weight of burying a child but offers, amongst the darkness, hope. This is a work, whilst being intimate, that transcends the personal and offers solidarity to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

Don't Worry, He Doesn't Bite

The vets on TV are always depicted as perfect clinicians, with sunshine and rainbows bursting out from their individual patients. But what media companies fail to show you are the more ‘uncommon’ cases, like a dog eating some used condoms, for example. This book aims to rectify this perception, specifically taking the reader on a journey through what life is like graduating as a veterinary surgeon. You will read about some pretty stupid cases my colleagues and I have experienced, all of which are true, though I must admit, I do have a habit of not letting the truth get in the way of a good story. So, sit back, relax, and take a break from this mundane existence we call life, as I show you the world through the eyes of a newly graduated veterinary surgeon.

Maxamillion the Great

Drawing on countless real-life stories from his embattled life, Maxamillion the Great is a captivating and moving autobiography told in the only way it could be, through the eyes of his beloved owner, author Barbara Goodier.

Taking the reader through the lows of his joyless puppyhood into the highs of his new found family, it persuades us to revisit the idea that miracles really do exist and sometimes even more than once.

Creative in its narration and affecting in its story, it will move you to re-evaluate what is important in your own life, will make you cry when you least expect it and lay bare the unbreakable bond between a dog and his mum.

The Dublin Marilyn House

Jackie Devoy, the ‘Dublin Marilyn,’ invites you into her vibrant world filled with color, passion, and a touch of Hollywood glamour. In The Dublin Marilyn House, Jackie shares her inspiring journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams.

From her humble beginnings in Dublin’s inner city to her adventures on reality TV and her unique Marilyn Monroe-themed homes, Jackie’s story is a testament to the power of embracing individuality and finding joy in life’s unexpected turns. With heartwarming anecdotes, design tips, and a sprinkle of Irish charm, this book will leave you feeling uplifted, inspired, and ready to create a life as colourful as Jackie’s.

Across the Atlantic and Nearly Back

There are many aspects to sailing a small yacht in a big ocean from unfathomable joy to abject fear; from a sense of freedom to frustration and from a deep sense of peace to foreboding terror. You are masters of your own destiny but there are skills needed. Gone are the solid floorboards, exchanged for an ever-moving deck. Simple things become a challenge. Joy can be the simple pleasure of a night watch, with the rhythmical sound of the moving yacht, the phosphorescence of the wake and the myriad of stars or it can be the fear of what can happen in a storm. Cruising is a different way of life. Most of the time it is rewarding but things can go wrong. Piracy is real. Getting to know the ways of new countries and people is a rewarding experience.

Beyond the Sea

An extraordinary tale of a merchant mariner, Born in British India unfolds during the final dark days of World War II. This gripping narrative includes high seas murders, showcasing courage and seamanship in stormy weather, and harrowing experiences like being stuck in ice in the North Atlantic.

The story takes readers through visits to Chinese ports during Mao’s China in the 1960s and recounts the sinking of the S.S. Pegasus in the Arabian Gulf. It details the perilous task of loading crude oil amid the Iran-Iraq tanker war and the misfortunes of the MV Marienfels, which caught fire, lost its rudder, and drifted aimlessly in the Atlantic.

The mariner’s adventures include spending seven days adrift on a dinghy in the Indian Ocean, witnessing Captain Gregg violating the U.N. oil embargo on Apartheid South Africa, and thwarting armed piracy on an oil tanker voyage from Nigeria to Uruguay. He also survived encounters with urban guerrillas in South America.

Born in British India is a testament to resilience and adventure on the high seas, capturing the indomitable spirit and relentless determination of a life spent navigating the world’s most treacherous waters.

More Than Music

This is the third part of a joint autobiographical trilogy based on the letters and diaries of two professional singers Christopher Davies and Barbara Kendall-Davies. It also relates to their young son, Giles and his blossoming career as a singer.

There is a good deal of music, of course but also many unexpected and divergent paths as well, including a major Hollywood movie.