FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

The story behind the book stretches back some 70 years, following a childhood fascination for history, a growing awareness of art, and a lost treasure trove of paintings, sketches, cartoons and an old box of watercolours. A real life tale that can be found by clicking on the picture below.

Thirty years after the find, it took retirement, lots of thought and six years of research before I set pen to paper, or keyboard to screen to be more accurate. When I eventually began writing, it was influenced by the Seanchaí, Irish storytellers, keepers of oral history in which historic facts are correct, but with some creative non-fiction added to the mix to bring the memoir to life.

Flights of Fantasy is a beautifully illustrated paperback book published in 2020 by Suzanne Lau of World of Creative Dreams, a lovely lady without whom my flight of fantasy would still be just that.

The book is written for everyone, from great grandparents and grandparents who lived through the events, to young adults who didn’t. And everyone with an interest in the history of the first half of the 20th Century; aviation enthusiasts, art lovers and folk who just enjoy compelling yarns. The perceptive Jenny wrote…

“This book is excellent, put together from personal family memoirs, drawings & paintings from the author’s father. It follows his life from Ramsgate, where he witnessed Bleriot’s flight across the Channel from his father’s fishing smack. When Ramsgate became the most heavily bombed city in WW1, the family moved to Liverpool, ironically our second most bombed city in WW2.

Follow George’s fascination with aircraft from both world wars, his excellent sketches & paintings, along with the fascinating people he met along the way – and how they fit into this fascinating memoir. “I’m really not into anything to do with wars…but the illustrations in this book pulled me in and then I couldn’t stop…it’s a lovely read and George Snr was obviously a very talented artist. I’m glad George Jr put it all together for us to enjoy

And a few pages to whet your appetite…