An Ordinary Man

From Chew Valley to corporate boardrooms - the quietly extraordinary life of a Somerset boy. In An Ordinary Man, Michael Boyd reflects on his idyllic 1950s childhood in a Somerset village - fishing, bird-nesting, and exploring the marshes of Chew Valley Lake - before charting his unexpected rise through the stormy world of industrial relations at brewing giant Courage. What begins as a modest countryside memoir becomes a tale of sharp negotiation, career ambition, and personal reinvention. Told with warmth, humour, and humility, this book is for readers who enjoy This Boy by Alan Johnson or Toast by Nigel Slater. A nostalgic, heartfelt journey through a life that was anything but ordinary.