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A round-up of book signings, author interviews, news and events.

Chasing after Chimpanzees

Having moved from zoology to psychology to anthropology on both sides of the Atlantic, Bill McGrew developed a fascination for chimpanzees which led to him spending four decades studying our nearest living relations in their African homelands. He held a series of academic posts in the USA and UK, culminating in a professorship at the University of Cambridge and ending in retirement to Scotland. As he puts it: “I was lucky enough to be paid by various academic institutions to do what I would have paid them to let me do”.

This memoir consists of a series of stories and vignettes from a varied and colourful life, mainly involving animals, and naturally focusing on chimpanzees. All proceeds will go to organisations that rescue and care for chimpanzees.

“One of the world’s foremost primatologists, who sought adventures in Africa to follow chimpanzees in the wild, offers glimpses of his life. Funny, warm, unexpected.”
Frans de Waal, author of Mama’s Last Hug

“Chasing after chimpanzees can be hilarious… McGrew came to be the world’s expert on the richness and diversity of chimpanzee cultures as well as a commentator on the comedic aspects of the lives of those who study them.”
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mothers and Others

“Renowned primatologist William McGrew has written a lovely memoir, a series of vignettes about key moments in his life and career. A heartfelt glimpse into one scientist’s fascinating life, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.”
Craig Stanford, author of The New Chimpanzee

See more about Dr William McGrew here and here

25th November 2021 0

Rhymes of the Newfangled Mariner

Following ‘Rhymes for No Reason’, his first exploration into the wilds of humorous nonsense poetry, Dick Dixon has now embarked on a new journey with  ‘Rhymes of the Newfangled Mariner’. There is little evidence of actual seafaring in this new volume, it must be said, and while it may be a comfort to have it handy on a long voyage, the book will not actually assist much in the process of dead-reckoning. However, there are other advantages.

Contained within are over thirty rhyming poems about all manner of unusual subjects, including the ticklish problem of what to do if the elephant in your room goes missing, and also of course how to handle the discovery of waking in a cooking pot while gradually becoming someone else’s lunch. Such problems are not commonplace, and neither is the unnerving discovery that your bathtub, full of hot water and of course your good self, has suddenly decided to convert its legs into a working version in order to go on a walk around town.

Each poem is illustrated in full and glorious colour by the well-known French artist Reine Mazoyer, who, having survived the last journey, agreed to join in.

I think you will agree that she has made a brilliant contribution.

We do hope you will enjoy your voyage with us.

27th October 2021 0

Heart in Lockdown

In this seventh book dedicated to her late and painfully-missed husband, Doreen Kerry reminisces about holidays abroad in the 1970s, when she was in her teens, and shares some further thoughts over the terrible mistakes by NHS staff that led to her losing the love of her life. Returning to the present day, she has strong views about the Covid pandemic, having become a victim of the disease herself.

8th October 2021 0

Cheeky Jurgen by Mereo Books

When five-year-old Annabella saw Jurgen Klopp on her grandfather’s TV, she couldn’t help noticing that the great football manager was the spitting image of her eccentric, crazy Pappi. She spoke up – and a legend was born.

A few tweaks to his outfit and a set of fake teeth later, ‘Cheeky Jurgen’ was ready to be unleashed on the football-following public. He has hardly been out of the news media since. This is his book, fully interactive, full of jokes and full of fun for footie fans and an ideal stocking filler for all Anfield fans.

With a foreword by Jonathan Swain, who says:

”What started as a cheeky selfie with Jurgen Klopp to tease a mate who is a Liverpool fan suddenly became a global talking point where I was the one on the receiving end of being teased. I laughed about it then and still do now. I don’t normally ask for selfies but I was excited about the match. ‘Jurgen’ was standing right there happily posing with other fans, and he seemed approachable, so why not?

Talking about being scammed on the telly the next day, was perhaps not the best idea, but great for ‘Cheeky Jurgen’.

His popularity escalated from posts on social media to mainstream media. Not just in the UK but around the world it seemed everyone loved the story about an experienced TV correspondent being fooled by a Jurgen Klopp look-a-like. He’s got the teeth, the hair and the accent, and if asked he could probably pick a decent football team too. Fair play Ray.
Enjoy the book, but it’s the last time I ask any managers for a selfie, Ja?’

– Jonathan Swain, senior news correspondent, Good Morning Britain, ITV Breakfast Television

4th October 2021 0

A Rainham Lad by Mereo Books

In his previous books, Robert Smith (better known to his mates as ‘Nige’) told colourful tales of his apprenticeship in the 1950s at Chatham Dockyard and his subsequent 42 years in the MoD.

In this new book he delves further into the past by describing his boyhood
adventures among the youthful community of Rainham, Kent, his home town, and then goes on to recap the dockyard training that followed.

4th October 2021 0

Journeys Through My Life, Bachelorhood – Part One by Mereo Books

It was reading the adventure novels of John Buchan, coupled
with a youthful fascination for rocks, that gave young Tony
Brewis the urge to become a mining engineer. The stuffy
attitude of his school and the resistance of his family could not put him off his chosen course in life, and within a few years he had begun a career which was to take him and his young wife around the world. This is the first volume of a three-part auto-biography, relating the story of his early life, romance and
marriage.

Part Two and Three are also available – see separate pages

3rd October 2021 0

Journeys Through My Life, Our Early Years – Part Two by Mereo Books

This second volume of Tony Brewis’ memoirs deals with early married life to Meg, raising a family and meeting the challenges of a mining career which often took him away from his family to far-flung parts of the world for weeks at a time at short notice. From Sierra Leone to Sydney and from Hawaii to Hell (the one in Norway), his adventures were as entertaining as they were challenging…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part One and Part Three also available see on separate pages

 

3rd October 2021 0

Journeys Through My Life, Mining Magazine – Part Three by Mereo Books

After a varied career as a mining engineer travelling around the world, described in volumes 1 and 2, the author was appointed editor of a leading mining publication. In this third and final part of his memoirs, he describes his equally colourful adventures as an international mining journalist visiting ground-breaking enterprises from Sweden to Santiago and from Alice Springs to Venezuela, interspersed with more mundane family matters nearer to home as he and his wife raised their two children and became involved in their local community.

Part Two and Part One also available – see on separate pages

3rd October 2021 0

One Step Ahead by Mereo Books

Tracy comes from a very ordinary working-class home but has the self belief and confidence to ‘get on’ although entirely ignorant about how to do it.

However, things soon change when she secures a job on Financial Today newspaper. She’s told by her boss that she can attend courses to learn more about business and how ‘city institutions work’.

She enrols, but soon after starting realizes that her tutor and another student are in a relationship and are embarking on illegal schemes to deal in shares from the inside. This is also with the help of another student who works for an oil company. They plant a story that there is corruption in the oil company and the shares plummet allowing them to buy a large number of shares.

However, Tracy finds out that the three of them have used her by tape recording her conversations after taking an interest in insider dealing, in the hope that they can put the blame on her.

The three underestimate Tracy because she records their conversations about the scheme.

Finally, there is a series of trials for the three culprits during which Tracy is threatened, culminating in an attempt on her life, in an attempt to dissuade her from giving evidence. She isn’t dissuaded but she pays a high price when her parents are murdered.

Tracy is now all alone until her lawyer comes to the rescue and they begin an affair, but as fate has it, the solicitor doesn’t turn out to be as honest as Tracy first thought.

20th September 2021 0

The Long Road to the Straight & Narrow by Mereo Books

There were deep personal motives for John Hedge’s original decision to enter the Probation Service as a young Social Science graduate in 1970; his own mother, a struggling publican, had been put on probation during his youth, and he had seen how the service can prevent a criminal conviction from ruining a life beyond repair.

He spent the next 37 years working to try to give offenders a chance and help them move away from crime and find their way to a law-abiding existence. The barriers to success were all too often the attitudes of police and sentencers, the state of prisons and the prejudices of ignorant or biased politicians. This is a candid account of those years of hard work, frustration, and occasional triumph

20th September 2021 0
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