Alumni in Print

BOOKSHELF

The Stars Move Still

Andy Regan (BB, 1981-85)

What happens when a cold calculating individual chooses to punish the most vulnerable in the community for misplaced revenge?

In May 1927, a quiet town in Michigan suffers the most traumatic of days as its school becomes the target.

Based on the true events of the deadliest school massacre in US history, ‘The Stars Move Still’ is set against a backdrop of disease and illness, prohibition, racism and rumours of gangland activity. The violence of the First World War and other conflicts remains an ever-present memory.

Preoccupied by the intricacies of daily life replete with temptation, ambition and fear, the community remains oblivious to the danger poised to strike at its heart.

A town called Bath, hurtling towards mayhem. Only one person saw it coming but everyone was affected…

Abandoned Castles

Kieron Connolly (GG, 1985-90)

Ruins perched on cliff tops, towers enclosed in ivy and moss, battlements watching over frontiers that have ceased to exist. When we see the remains of castles we are bound to wonder; who built them? What battles were fought there? When did they fall into ruin?

From Ancient Greece to the Crusades, from the Hundred Years’ War to the American Civil War, ‘Abandoned Castles’ tells the stories, in 150 striking photographs, of more than 100 hill and sea forts, strongholds, towers and citadels from Europe to Africa and America, from India to Japan.

The First Afghan War

Richard Macrory (LL, 1963-68)

A British military invasion to secure regime change in a foreign country. Initial success in toppling the existing ruler but no proper planning of what to do once in occupation. Faulty intelligence that ignored the danger signals and a failure to understand local politics. British forces sent with ill-suited equipment, compounded by economic squeezes from London. Confusion in lines of command between the political and the military, and several years later a mission that ended in humiliation and failure.

The Coggly Poon

David Hornsby (GG, 1945-50)

David Hornsby, who wrote Tom’s Bomb, which has appeared in several anthologies and is a favourite poem of many children, has been urged by his fans to publish more of his work. He has now produced a collection of humorous verse, for ages 8-100, with his own amusing drawings. This book includes Sir Samson Simpson's Sloop, with every single word beginning with S, and The Coggly Poon, introducing the reader to lots of unusual words – all of which can be found in the dictionary.

A Voyage to War – An Englishman’s account of Hong Kong, 1936-1941

Hugh Dulley (BB, 1954-58)

Hugh Dulley’s father Peter Dulley (KS, 1917-22) became a Kings’ Scholar at the end WW1. He rowed at Westminster and was in the College Vlll, who were winners of Lamprobatics in 1922. After leaving Westminster, he rowed in the Thames RC Grand Vlll which was chosen to represent Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Peter worked in Chile and then joined Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong in 1930. He was a keen weekend sailor and as a result, became a member of the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR) in 1935. Four years later at the outbreak of WW2, he was called up in the HKRNVR. Peter eventually graduated to commanding an ocean going tug of 500 tons, which he took from Hong Kong to Aden, calling at islands still enjoying pre-war peacetime and navigating by sextant across the Indian Ocean. Peter returned to Hong Kong in September 1941 and three months later was killed during the Japanese invasion.

Collected in this book is six years of correspondence from Peter to Therese, his wife. Edited and condensed by Hugh, it paints a unique and often humorous picture of life in Hong Kong at the time. The recent Commodore of Peter’s sailing club, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, has written a preface to the book commemorating the HKRNVR and those who lost their lives. This December will be the 75th anniversary of the Japanese invasion.

Churchill: The Greatest Briton

Christopher Catherwood (AHH, 1968-72)

There are few figures in British history more famous than Winston Churchill. Renowned for guiding Britain through the tumultuous Second World War, his speeches echo through history, and his wartime leadership was recognised as essential for weathering WWII. But there is so much more to the man than his speeches and official images. ‘Churchill: The Greatest Briton’ explores that hidden history in detail, tracking Churchill's nine-decade life from his early childhood, all the way to his last days. Few characters in history have written as much as Churchill, and his writings and photographic records happily provide the opportunity to put together a unique illustrated portrait of this remarkable man. This book is full of revealing personal letters, documents, and speeches, which draw attention to the unforgettable power of the man’s oratory prowess. Churchill was not without fault - the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, the creation of Iraq in 1921, his blind spot over India - all these contributed to a reputation for unreliability that dogged much of his public life. This results in an exciting, colourful retelling of this political titan's life; a must-read.

Bloody History of America

Kieron Connolly (GG, 1985-90)

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness may have been proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but in pursuing – and defending – those ideals, the United States has witnessed the shedding of much American blood and that of its enemies, too.

From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, and from World Wars to the Cold War, conflict and bravery have been a part of America’s history, as have the ill-treatment of its native peoples, slavery and the persecution of African Americans even after enslavement was abolished.

Yet the story of America is also one of religious tolerance and the Pilgrim Fathers, of the rule of law, and of opportunity.

‘Bloody History of America’ traces the narrative of this still young nation from the adventurers of the 16th century, to the soldiers fighting Islamic State (ISIS) today. From the Salem Witch Trials to the McCarthy-era witch-hunts, from Prohibition to Hollywood excess, and from religious cults to political corruption.

Illustrated throughout with 180 captivating paintings, photographs and illustrations, ‘Bloody History of America’ is a vivid account of the darker side of the United States.