Last year I was given the opportunity of publishing a remarkable book - "My Dad's a Policeman" - about the childhood and adolescence of Robert Druce, who grew up in South East Essex before and during the Second War. Robert Druce’s account of his childhood and youth is a wonderfully written and evocative story. Intelligent and inquisitive, Robert describes in vivid detail his relationship with his dominating, ambitious father and the hardships of life in the outskirts of London during and after the Second World War. The author died before he was able to publish, and I was asked by the author's widow to publish it - firstly as an e-book and subsequently, in 2017, as a paperback. Please take a look at the website for more information: My Dad's a Policeman
I thought I would just add here some extracts from some recent reviews of "My Dad" and also mention that if you are based outside the UK it would probably be best to buy your copy via Amazon to get the best deal on postage. I can supply post free to UK addresses but the rates for overseas posting are shocking! To see more reviews please visit: Reviews What an utterly engrossing account of so many different aspects of the first chunk of Robert’s life. Written with panache but never overdone, it strikes just the right note. (Carolyn Thomas-Coxhead) My Dad’s a Policeman is an astounding book! I am enjoying it so much that I have to ration myself to a few pages per day as I don’t want to get to the end too soon! (Dick Spall) It amazes me that writing of such high calibre should have been difficult to get published, given the amount of dross on the market. It’s brilliantly written and bears out Robert’s delight in language. The images and expressions sparkle off the page and bring the subject alive in every line. On top of this, Robert is so honest about himself; his failings and doubts are presented with naked candour, but one also admires his strength of character and his determination to endure the most gruelling situations, many of which he sought out voluntarily. Having been a Secondary school teacher myself, his experiences of teacher training, probation, inspection and so on, ring sharply true. Although he was born only 14 years before me, less than a generation’s difference, his experiences were so much harsher than my own. Life was so much harder then but I enjoyed the same range of childhood freedoms as Robert, freedoms denied today’s kids. (Richard Crawley) I recently spotted My Dad’s a Policeman in the window of my local bookshop, so picked one up without any fuss – a lot of book for £9! When I looked into it at home, I didn’t put it down for several hours – transported back into the hard world of my first memories. The book really covers a lot of ground and is an excellent record of growing up in those different times. (Martin Parrish) ….totally absorbing. (David Hinkin) I was staggered at the clarity of Robert’s memory……he has a unique turn of phrase that is very engaging and gives life to his work. It brought back to me just how much freedom children had back then. Today parents would be terrified of there being a paedophile around the next corner and never allow a child such an opportunity to get up to mischief. It was an excellent recollection of the time and very worth reading. (George Dyson)
