A BULLET SAVED MY LIFE
The biography of Bob Peters, a Welshman who joined the Canadian Mac-Pap battalion and was wounded at Brunete.
After being shot in the back, Peters served as a dispatch rider in the Republican Army. Incredibly, the bullet which had lodged near his spine moved with the jarring impact of the rough roads and doctors were eventually able to cut it out.
The book features more than thirty photographs and fascinating reproductions of Bob’s membership, pay and safe passage documents relating not only to the International Brigades but the Socorro Rojo Internacional and the anarchist CNT union.
It features a foreword by First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan and a preface by the late Alun Menai Williams.
Published by Warren & Pell, 2006.
“An excellent work” Antonio Diez, Brigastas de Gales website
“A book that is also full of small insights into the absurdities of war.” Publishersdiary.com
“Stories such as this one give us a greater understanding of the conditions prevailing then and the people who were involved in this particular struggle, presenting the reader with real history; not simply relying on a set of dates alone but something tangible – you can imagine you are there, sharing the dangers that these men and women had to face on a daily basis… [This is a] remarkable account of Bob Peters’ service in the Spanish Civil War.” Anthony Roy, gwales.com/Wales Books Council
“Book of the week” Morning Star
“Fascinating” Bexley Times
Tributes following Bob Peters’ death:
“When it comes to the Spanish Civil War, there are very few left alive today who can truly say, ‘I was there!’. Bob Peters was. …Understand his story and you will understand what the 1930s was all about.” Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales
“I am very saddened to hear of Bob’s death. Whilst I didn’t have the privilege of meeting Bob, I felt I knew him through Greg Lewis’s book and by speaking to Bob’s family when the book was launched. Bob was an amazing person having served in the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War, and he was not only Penarth’s last hero from those times but also Wales’ last hero.” Lorraine Barrett, Member of the National Assembly for Wales
“From Spain my condolences to Bob’s family. It is very sad to hear of Bob’s death. I did not know him but his book will let to all to know an amazing person.” Olga Gascón Flanagan (whose grandfather served in the International Brigades, British Battalion)
AIRMAN MISSING
The true story of World War 2 bomber pilot John Evans and his 114 days on the run in Occupied Europe.
Features more than thirty photographs and documents, including false identity papers and pictures of airmen hiding with members of the Belgian resistance in the Ardennes forest.
“A valuable record of a perilous time and the courage and hardship called for from allied airmen and their Belgian helpers.” The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Gapan magazine
“…tells the dramatic story of a bomber pilot shot down behind enemy lines during the Second World War… fascinating.” Peter Gawthorpe, Leamington Courier
Published by Newman Books, 2008
I FOUGHT THEM ALL: The Life and Ring Battles of Prize-fighting Legend Tom Sharkey
In the 1890s the fight game was changing.
The prize-fighters and bare-knuckle brawlers were disappearing as the new “scientific” boxers emerged to fight under the Marquis of Queensberry rules.
Irishman Tom Sharkey was the never-say-die fighter who bridged the gap between old and new.
Within a short time of arriving in America he took on all the top boxers of his day: his hero John L Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons and the man who would become not only his greatest foe but his best friend, Jim Jeffries.
Their 25-round world title fight at Coney Island was one of the most gruelling and compelling encounters ever seen inside a ring.
I Fought Them All prints the fact and the legend, and is chocked full of the rich characters who dominated the sport and politics of the period, from Wild West gunman Wyatt Earp to Tim “Dry Dollar” Sullivan of New York’s Tammany Hall.
It is the story of an Irish immigrant, a sporting celebrity who won and lost a fortune, and of a man described by the New York Times as a “ring immortal”.
Published by Magic Rat Books, 2010
*WINNER: WISHING SHELF PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2011**
“Hugely entertaining and exquisitely researched, I Fought Them All shines a penetrating and long-overdue spotlight on one of the most fascinating figures in boxing history. Revelations about Sharkey’s private life are eye-popping, and the book is especially thorough in covering the Earp controversy. ‘Sailor’ Tom himself would growl his approval, and his massive chest would swell even larger. It’s a great contribution to ring history.”
Pete Ehrmann, boxing writer, contributor to The Ring
“I Fought Them All is an excellent read. It’s well-researched and is good news for boxing fans everywhere. ‘Sailor’ Tom Sharkey was an aggressive, relentless and powerful heavyweight who ranks among the greatest who ever entered the ring. He was an earlier version of the splendid fighter, Rocky Marciano. Tom had the misfortune of fighting when boxing legends Jim Jeffries and Bob Fitzsimmons were at their best. Had he fought at any other time in history, he very likely would have been heavyweight champion of the world.”
Tracy Callis, boxing historian
“The book features an array of characters including Wild West gunman Wyatt Earp and boxing legends such as John L. Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. At its heart is the astonishing 50-year rivalry and friendship between Sharkey and Jim Jeffries, which started after their 25-round world title fight at Coney Island and lasted until the two men died a few weeks apart in 1953.”
Boxing Ireland
“…it emits quality from the first opening crack of the hardcover until its final satisfying closing.”
Marty Mulcahey, Max Boxing
“…A fascinating story… Very well-researched piece of work with many anecdotal gems… I Fought Them All is a tale of one man who travelled from his homeland and ended up inAmericato swap blows with arguably the toughest pugilists to have ever fought in the ring. Along the way we are introduced to ‘injuns’, gun-slingers, shipwrecks, tragic love stories, gambling, acts of heroism and, of course, gruelling fights. I thoroughly recommend this book.”
Glenn Wilson
Greg Lewis 