All biographical and autobiographical books by Old Shirburnians.
In Velvet: Elk. Wapiti and Deer Stories – in his compelling memoir, Dr. Jerry Haigh shares 34 years of hands-on experience working with deer across the globe. The book is divided into three fascinating sections: Part One: A behind-the-scenes look at zoo and free-ranging elk (wapiti) projects in Western Canada, blending science with storytelling. Part … Read more
The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal is a chilling exposé of psychiatrist Dr William Sargant’s experimental treatment of women in the 1960’s and 70’s at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Author Jon Stock tells the stories of these women using their personal testimonies as well as Sargant’s papers held at the Wellcome Collection and … Read more
In an age where financial dreams can seem like unattainable fantasies for Millennials and Gen Z, Risk Required is the rallying cry for those determined to seize control of their future. It’s an unapologetic guide to escaping the constraints of the rat race, amassing personal wealth, and achieving financial independence on your terms. The deck … Read more
A Suspicion of Spies – the biography of Wilfred ‘Biffy’ Dunderdale CMG, MBE. 1920 Odessa Ukraine. The Russian Civil War is at its height, a young British man working for Naval Intelligence picks up a report from one of his agents. The crew of the Russian submarine OUTKA are going to mutiny and throw their … Read more
As an Oxford undergraduate in the early 1960s, Stanley Johnson, along with two friends, embarked on an ambitious journey to retrace the steps of the 13th-century explorer Marco Polo. Their goal was to follow Polo’s legendary route from Venice to Beijing. Stanley’s new book, “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo,” begins with this adventurous expedition … Read more
This is the first known biography of Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell GCMG, former Governor of the Straits Settlements and District Grand Master of the Freemasons in the Eastern Archipelago. The book traces his early life as an officer in the Royal Marines, where he served for 15 years, ending up with the rank of … Read more
Running on Empty: 18,000 miles down Africa with Parkinson’s by Guy Deacon. ‘An immense feat of endurance, a remarkable achievement, and a truly inspirational adventure filled with courage and hope’ – Sir Ranulph Fiennes. At the age of sixty, and having lived with Parkinson’s disease for over ten years, Guy Deacon CBE set out on … Read more
Imagine it’s 1965, and you’ve just fulfilled a boyhood ambition and graduated from the vet college in Glasgow, Scotland. The very next week you find yourself in Kenya, treating wild animals. This is what happened to Dr. Jerry Haigh, who in Wrestling with Rhinos takes us deep into the post-independence Kenya of 1965, and shows … Read more
Richard Youens’ decision to give up an interesting job in the wine trade to work in insurance might have seemed a recipe for a safe but boring career. It proved otherwise. Life for Youens had never been dull, but it suddenly became a lot more colourful when he joined a firm which specialised in film … Read more
The Final Curtain: Burma 1941-1945 compromises interviews with some of the very few surviving veterans of this most arduous of campaigns. In their own words, soldiers, sailors and airmen now aged between 95 and 101 vividly recount the experiences that they endured more than 75 years ago. Imprint: Pen & Sword Military Pages: 312 Illustrations: 120 … Read more