{"title":"Neil G M Hall","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"salisbury-in-the-great-war-book-neil-g-m-hall-9781473843738","title":"Salisbury in the Great War","description":"'The war invisibly regulated our lives', commented a Salisbury resident when recalling the calamity, now known as the Great War. Much of life in the city - with its ancient cathedral, the finest spire in England, medieval New Town built on 'chequers' and meeting place of five rivers - would be challenged. Vast areas of the nearby plain, recently purchased by the military, became an add-on, tented city as thousands of men responded to Kitchener's call. Soldiers from the far-flung Empire arrived too, including one Canadian with his mascot bear. What bear? A bear, whose name would one day resonate in popular children's books. With a vastly increased population, trade boomed, but why were Special Patrols required in the dark alleyways? In contrast, how did some wounded officers, back from the trenches, find themselves surrounded by great masters in luxurious surroundings? The war affected everyone. The mayor's son won the Military Cross twice, while fellow citizens received heartbreaking telegrams. A parson's son survived the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, but did he survive the war? Many did not, so families, businesses and country estates were gutted.Hardly a street or village failed to witness what Wilfred Owen called the sad 'drawing down of blinds'. In 1918 the war ended. The people of Salisbury had adapted, endured and 'done their bit'. Surely they believed this had been the war to end all wars. Uniquely compiled from extensive archives, personal interviews and with striking images, Hall's book unveils the minutiae of the Salisbury Home Front.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49544969814289,"sku":"GOR007915546","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53261833863441,"sku":"GOR008488037","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1473843731.jpg?v=1751339089"},{"product_id":"english-baby-boomer-my-life-and-times-book-neil-g-m-hall-9780952741220","title":"An English Baby Boomer - My Life and Times","description":"Our Baby Boomer, Neil Hall's very early days include life at an ex-Nazi U-Boat Base in occupied Germany, followed by dreamy times in the 1950s England, as the sun sets on The British Empire. Turbulent teenage years ensue at Marlborough College, Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge's Alma Mater.  The successes and vicissitudes of running a business in London are tantalisingly peppered with a legion of quirky characters - the famous and not so famous. A brush with an Ambassador to the Court of St. James's adds high drama  Publishing his first book for his eldest son, the writer and journalist, Tarquin Hall, and dabbling in Hollywood film making with his younger son, Alexander, spice up life.  These are only a few of the happenings in Neil Hall's ordinary, but extraordinary life. Perhaps, the not so ordinary is time spent in the wilds of the tribal territories in north-west Pakistan and living in Istanbul. How did his 18-year old ginger tom cat come to be buried in the Anglican churchyard in that fabulous and mysterious city? Other travels in the USA and Europe add gritty ingredients to this eccentric tale.  As Neil Hall's later life unfolds, eastern philosophical influences surface. Jokes, poetry, quirky tales, Baby Boomer popular history - political and social - plus blissful nostalgia abound in this charming book.  And if the English intrigue you, this journey is punctuated with glimpses of what makes them tick. England is a country of dreamers, explorers, businessmen, wheeler dealers, inventors, scientists and creative types who bafflingly absorb the people who invade or wander on to their shores. Resonances of this composite inheritance jump from every page.  Never taking life too seriously and maintaining an abiding sense of humour also helps Neil Hall to survive. Above all, one senses that, at this point in history, his zest for learning and that of his compatriots is greater than ever. Perhaps, the future survival of the English depends on it. Neil Hall's favourite story - and his life is influenced by many - The Happiest Man In The World, echoes this yearning for knowledge and the truth. To discover if our Baby Boomer becomes the happiest man in the world, order a copy of An English Baby Boomer - My Life and Times by Neil G. M. Hall.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49633871331601,"sku":"GOR011127902","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50407118143761,"sku":"GOR005977234","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0952741229.jpg?v=1751423361"},{"product_id":"english-baby-boomer-my-life-and-times-book-neil-g-m-hall-9780952741237","title":"An English Baby Boomer - My Life and Times","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51729033855249,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51729033986321,"sku":"GOR008733803","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0952741237.jpg?v=1750748327"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-neil-g-m-hall.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}