Alumni Authors

Published by The Book Guild Ltd ISBN: 978-1914471469 On 27th September 1962 Rachel Carson’s seminal book Silent Spring – stimulated by concerns about the impact of pesticides in the United States of America – was published. Controversial at the time, it is celebrated as one of the most important books to influence the subsequent development of the global awareness of ecology, environment and biodiversity over the last 60 years. In 1971, ‘seduced by the adventures of a young David Attenborough in Zoo Quest’, Larry Patterson, a recently graduated vet, set off on his own adventure in Africa. Larry’s entertaining and thought-provoking Aiming to Save: A Vet’s Life in Conservation is a fascinating 50-year record of a full life as a practising wildlife vet, scientist, pioneer and business entrepreneur in his adopted home, Botswana. The book begins and ends in the Prologue and Epilogue with the individual and collective fate of the elephant as an icon of the African ecosystem, but Patterson addresses a wider and deeper range of issues. He demonstrates throughout the book how his deep immersion in, and awareness of, the ecological, economic, political, social and cultural changes of the last 50 years has shaped his views on the problematic relationship between the full range of Botswana’s wildlife and humanity and how these might be addressed. Unlike the searing summers of Botswana, this is not a dry book. It is littered with anecdotes which drive the authentic storytelling style which pervades the book. ‘Copious amounts of alcohol and red meat’, dozens of vehicle accidents, hair-raising plane and helicopter flights, detailed descriptions of the aerial survey, darting and capture techniques and several brushes with the ever-changing legal boundaries which shape the practice of wildlife management in Africa pepper the narrative. This is a Bolton School Old Boys’ trek on steroids. The personal and professional motivation for Larry’s emerging career, one driven by a love of the animals, landscape and people he lives and works with, is evident. He is not afraid to express an opinion on the issues at a personal, local and a wider organisational and national level if needed. He is passionate, but doesn’t preach. Drawing on a life which ranged from the spaying of cats in Ramsbottom to rubbing shoulders with Presidents, billionaires and royalty, his plea is for a pragmatic and balanced approach to wildlife management based on scientific investigation without sentimentalism. For those exercised by the increasingly apparent threats to the environment from climate change and wishing to shape a life engaging with the messy business of influencing change which realises individual potential and skills whilst fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of youth, this book will inspire.

Stephen Parry (Class of 1975)

Published by AuthorHouse UK ISBN: 978-1665590877 If you liked CS Lewis’s Screwtape Letters you might like this. Malcolm Rothwell’s OMG Emails from Tom is a contemporary exploration of belief in Christianity and God from rational and faith perspectives. A series of email exchanges provides the framework for the dialogue between Tom, a young man exploring the role of faith in his life, and Malcolm, writing from the perspective of a practising Christian and chaplain, whose faith has developed over his life. Together they consider the idea of God, the meaning and credibility of key events as described in the Bible, and the arguments for living a Christian life in the 21st century, taking into account all its scientific, technological, social and cultural complexity. The book encourages all to bring their questions and doubts in a spirit of open inquiry. Twenty-one email exchanges consider the broad sweep of questions on the relationship between belief in the scientific method and personal faith in God. The middle section of the book discusses the Bible as a historical and factual record and the importance of metaphor and symbolism to a fuller understanding of the meaning of the Bible narrative including discussion of key pillars of the Christian faith, including the creation, the birth of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The second half of the book considers aspects of living an abundant life, responding to suffering, the role of prayer, aspects of meditation, the value of retreats and the current relevance of church attendance and membership. This is a readable and thought-provoking book which explores with humour and openness the questions which belief in Christianity, and modern interpretations of the Bible in particular, pose. The email exchanges are supported by interesting quotations and useful references for further investigation of the arguments for those wishing to explore more deeply. The book stands as a useful introductory instruction guide. The email dialogue does not consider in any depth notions of belief or different notions of God from other faith traditions. There is, however, an acknowledgment of these in the emails which explore meditation and silent retreat approaches and how they have influenced the development of Christian practices. Some of the more detailed theological debates – for example those relating to the ideas of the Trinity – are discussed and signposts for more detailed consideration offered. Malcolm Rothwell has provided us with an excellent introduction to the perennial questions raised about God and the lessons from the Bible within an explicitly Christian framework. For those wishing to explore or support others in considering a life shaped by Christian belief I think OMG Emails from Tom could be a good place to begin that journey.

Published by Nick Hern Books ISBN: 9781848428935 Andrew Hilton is best known as the acclaimed director of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, the theatre company he founded in Bristol in 1999 for which he directed 39 productions. The Times hailed the company ‘one of the most exciting in the land’ and The Guardian recognised Andrew as ‘one of the great tellers of Shakespeare’. Andrew was born in Bolton in 1947 and attended Bolton School from where he went on to read English at Cambridge. His theatre career began in 1972 at the Mermaid Theatre in London after which he joined the National Theatre as an actor in 1975.

Andrew played many seasons at the Bristol Old Vic and has appeared extensively on television and radio. He went on to teach performing Shakespeare at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In 2013 he was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Bristol for his services to theatre in the city. His book Shakespeare on the Factory Floor was published earlier this year. It is an exploration of Shakespeare’s greatest characters and tales, written with the nuance and passion of a man who has spent a lifetime working to conjure those words to the stage. The book is a guide for actors, designers and directors – a potted history, including production notes, of practical expertise and theatre craft geared to ‘uncover’ and recover the potential of Shakespeare on the stage. It is also a scholarly dance with longstanding questions of literary interpretation. Andrew encourages those who pick up his book to come to Shakespeare with fresh eyes and sensibilities. He takes us back to the text and travels through it with us as an experienced guide. The book explores all of the knotty issues of staging great plays. For instance, there is a section titled, ‘Is Ophelia Portable?’ Here, Andrew asks us to consider the implications of exporting Ophelia to a modern setting, taking up in the discussion whether we can find comparable contemporary drivers to the Early Modern ones that form her character.

We are asked to interrogate key moments, to lead interpretation through action and emotion, to consult with sources, to speculate about the wider world of the play, to play out unbelievable moments in the text with a historical pragmatism, to consider the position of listening well as a way into illuminating the dynamics of a scene and to play with the original text. Shakespeare on the Factory Floor reengages us as explorative and critical readers, throws open our imaginations, insists on and asks us to hunt down detail; it handles Shakespeare with the reverence and rationality of an exhilarated explorer breaking new earth. Naomi Lord (Girls’ Division Class of 1998; Boys’ Division Staff)

Published by Sudden Glance ISBN 978-0-9929545-1-2 There is a limited run of copies available of this Report first published in 1980. It is accompanied by a retrospective commentary and has been distributed to interested organisations and individuals, including Bolton School. Duncan Sledge was a pupil in the 1960s and, as an early graduate in Computer Science, was engaged to assist in an investigation, based in Durham, into the possible uses of computers in schools. Initially funding was a problem: “in those days computers were impossibly expensive ... how to teach computing without computers was therefore the conundrum of the day.” The proposal that the recently developing microcomputer be investigated was at first dismissed, “a passing American craze like hula hoops.” Following later agreement, the team, stimulated by the progress of enthusiasts recorded in specialist magazines, was able slowly to construct machines to be installed in chosen schools. The evolution of BASPIC, a specific development by the Durham team from the BASIC programming language, was crucial. This enabled the creation of software beyond limits previously achieved and the team became a leader in the already crowded field. There were innumerable requests for the Report when it was published. Together with the Preface, it records an important moment in the development of computer education. It is comprehensive in range with guidance for management and for teachers who think the novel processes “too baffling and time-consuming to justify the foreseen educational pay-off”. It illustrates the energy, persistence and ingenuity of the Durham team and the many assistants they recruited. One purpose of renewed publication is to reward their almost forgotten efforts. The Preface is fluent and engaging in presentation, including quotations from significant thinkers from Socrates to Michelle Obama. I particularly liked the example from a popular mechanics magazine of 1949: “In the future, computers may weigh no more than 1.5 tonnes.” Charles Winder (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1999)