Tosser or Tearaway

‘Hitler had it in for me right from the very start’ – was it the author’s childhood wartime memories that made him something of a rebel and prankster whilst growing up, or the lack of parental warmth from his violent father? David Snook’s wry sense of humour will make you smile as he recalls his antics growing up in London, with tales of his family, his experiences as a boy scout and later of his venture into the building trade with all the ‘real life’ experiences that the industry brings.

A thoroughly honest, and intensely personal narrative, Tosser or Tearaway is part memoir, part reflection. The author takes an astute look at life with all its tribulations, reflecting on such issues as prejudice of all forms, the power of the media, and questioning religion that inflicts pain and suffering on human beings.

Be prepared for some frank views, but enjoy a completely witty and compelling read.

Tosser or Tearaway
David Snook
Paperback - 152 pages (2003)
ISBN 1904018998 U.K. £6.99
Order from Amazon>>

Big Ships Little Ships

Roy Waters’ fascination with boats large and small started at an early age when, in 1942, he was evacuated to Lisbane near Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. His interest in matters maritime continued as he absorbed stacks of sea-faring novels and then, after the War, became the proud owner of a 12-ft sailing dinghy.
From then on it was anchors away for a life devoted to the sea, beginning with 16 years in the Merchant Navy, which culminated in his command of a deep-sea tanker, followed by 30 successful years as a Marine Surveyor and Examiner for what is now called the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
In his personal life, too, the lure of the ocean was strong, and Waters has sailed in almost every kind of vessel, from small dinghies to offshore racing yachts, including a restored yacht of his own.
Aimed primarily at a nautically-inclined readership, A Lifetime of Big Ships and Little Ships is an intriguing glimpse into the sailing days, past and present, of one passionate enthusiast. It shows why sailors never lose their sea legs.

Big Ships Little Ships
Roy Waters
Paperback - 282 pages (2003)
ISBN 1904018475 U.K. £9.99
Order from Amazon>>

Born on the Edge of White Water

Leonard Stocker’s formative years gave a whole new meaning to the term ‘sheltered childhood’. For Leonard was a lighthouse child who lived perched on the edge of a cliff behind whitewashed walls, protected from the world beyond the Irish Lights.
For an adult it was a harsh and spartan existence, spent battling the elements and adhering to impossibly strict routines. But for a young boy, lighthouse life was filled with excitement and all the wonders of nature, where every rock, every breaking wave, hid miraculous secrets.
Seen through the sensitive eyes of a child, Born on the Edge of White Water is a fascinating account of a solitary lifestyle that has now passed into the realms of history.

Born on the Edge of White Water
Leonard V Stocker
Paperback - 211 pages (2004)
ISBN 1904754-21-X U.K. £6.99
Order from Amazon>>

Can Cook Will Cook!

Ever wondered how chefs stay sane whilst cooking five different à la carte dishes at the same time? Then read on.
Can cook will cook! tells the story of Frank Stalley’s illustrious culinary career, from humble beginnings as a catering student to the dizzy heights of head chefdom in some of London’s most prestigious clubs and restaurants, where he satisfied the appetites of celebrities, royalty and even the odd food critic.
From ‘Memet the Incinerator’, whose nickname speaks volumes, to the practical jokers that are a legal requirement in every professional kitchen, Stalley brings to life the colourful cast of characters he worked with and their hilarious behind-the-scenes antics. But beneath the madcap behaviour and legendary tantrums is a dedicated team of creative maestros whose sense of humour is the only thing that comes between them and those other men in white coats.
Tuck in and enjoy.

Can Cook Will Cook
Frank Stalley
Paperback - 228 pages (2003)
ISBN 1904018-24-6 U.K. £9.99
Order from Amazon>>

In Search of Josephine Baker

‘J’ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris...’
Josephine Baker taught the world to Charleston in the 1920 and could still set the Paris stage alight fifty years later with her glamour, her costumes and her songs.

Beautiful, lithe, exotic, dark-skinned and radiating animal magnetism, ‘free spirit of St Louis’ danced and sang her way from rags to riches, from Boxcar Town to a chateau in France and international stardom.

How did her contemporaries see her? How did she really feel about her background? What went wrong with her marriages and her ‘Rainbow Tribe’ of adopted children at Milandes in the Dordogne?

All these questions are addressed here in a life story that is refreshingly non-judgemental.

The author, a radio and television journalist, met and talked to Josephine during the last year of her life. He then sought her earlier companions to discover the star who said ‘No’ to racial discrimination, and became a French Resistance heroine in WWII. She was courted by many but always sang of her two main loves ‘my country and Paris’.

In Search of Josephine Baker
John Kirby Abraham
Paperback - 227 pages (2003)
Illustrations
ISBN 1904018-71-8 U.K. £12.99
Order from Amazon>>

It's Only Me

‘I have been going to write my
life story for the last twenty years, and now that I have stopped living I can get started on it.’

Thus begins Josephine Bentley’s poignant, sometimes heart-rending tale, from her origins as the daughter of feuding, mismatched parents, to her mother’s virtual rejection of her, schooldays blighted by cruel, bullying teachers and a happy marriage cut tragically short.
There are good times too: a successful teaching career, so satisfying it almost prompted her to ‘work for free’; the birth of her four children; and a passion for travel that took her all over the world.
Written in light-hearted, witty prose, despite its often harrowing content, It’s Only Me shows that ‘ordinary’ lives can make extraordinary reading.

It's Only Me
Josephine Bentley
Paperback - 94 pages (2002)
ISBN 1904018424 U.K. £5.99
Order from Amazon>>