How to be happy.

How you can make a difference to your own happiness

When we start out in life we have so many hopes and aspirations. I used to have ambition once, yes ambition but with age a certain type of acceptance begins to set in. Don't get me wrong I haven't given up hope altogether, it's just that you become a bit more realistic and begin to realise that if you haven't "made it" already, it begins to look like your aren't going to.

But what is making it? This question is not asked enough. "Making it" can mean many things however and it can range from becoming a celebrity with millions to being happy with eking out a living in the lonely Highlands of Scotland or in my case making a living window cleaning.

For some they will never be happy with their lot in life but it's something that we will all have to come to terms with, sooner or later. To be philosophical about it all, what it boils down to is happiness or rather, the pursuit of happiness. You can look at happiness in different ways. It can depend heavily on your expectations. As much as we all seem to baulk at what our parents and grandparents used to say; "be content with what you have". As much as I hate to say this, it becomes more of a truism the older you get. You are not going to be able to "take it with you".

You begin to realise that relationships are becoming more and more important to you rather than "things". It's okay to have things but it dawns on you that they are transient and hollow towards relationships. I used to have this thing about cars. I love cars among other things but I was always striving to get a better one, a bigger one, a faster one. I must have had over thirty cars in my time and it took me many years to get over it. I know now that the car was a substitute for a lack of self esteem in myself. If I had an impressive car then people would respect me. Sounds pretty lame now doesn't it?

I even had a phobia about number plates. I would look at virtually every number plate of every car that passed. Was it newer than mine? Most often it was of course because I was never rich and of all those cars I owned, only three were brand new. But again it's a matter of perspective.

I began to make a serious effort to appreciate what I had and how lucky I was in reality. When I saw how many people could never have what I had and how many were actually starving to death, then I was living like a King in comparison. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't as though this was any kind of revelation or anything. I had been aware of all the horrendous things going on on the earth for ages, like we all are. So why did it not have an impact earlier on in life?

Well life's like that. Sometimes it takes a long time and many years of experience and maturity to see what life is really about. We all start out with good intentions, so what's it all about? Happiness is not necessarily about fun. It may be connected but it's far more profound than that. Happiness is something that is much deeper and usually more elusive but once you get what it is, then there is much more chance that you are going to be a lot more content with life. Happiness is a deep seated form of contentment and just being able to accept life but remember this, "their is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving" but we are not talking gifts here like birthday presents. We are talking about being kind and loving and generous at every opportunity, even with your enemies.

This at first will be one of the hardest things you ever did and indeed it might take years to be able to put it into practise. There is one person that I regularly come into contact with that is always terse with me. Sometimes I want to tell him to get stuffed but I used this as an opportunity to practise what I preach. The result? Well he's still the same years later but the effect on me is strange. I feel so much better than if I'd confronted him with the same attitude. I feel good about myself.

Emergency Landing

Indian Ocean, 1974. I was the aircrew man on HMS Lowestoft's Wasp helicopter. The pilot, Lt Kidd and I, were flying on a brilliant day at 400 ft above the sea when suddenly there was a loud bang!
The pilot and I looked at each other wondering what had just happened. The aircraft flew on as normal but I could detect an increase in vibration mainly by looking at the instruments. One of these, a basic temperature gauge was vibrating more than normal and I decided to look through my missile aimer's scope which was like a pair of binoculars. This confirmed that indeed there was extra vibration present. The pilot suggested that it might have been a sonic boom from an aircraft high above us but none were in the vicinity. I suggested the aircraft's gearbox. It was then that he requested an emergency landing on the nearest vessel with a flight deck. RFA Olna was visible and minutes away.

The landing went as normal. An engineer was dispatched and winched down to Olna using Falmouth's Wasp helicopter. He did a few tests and took oil samples but could find nothing so we flew back to Lowestoft where further tests were carried out. Nothing was found but I knew deep down inside that the gearbox was faulty. I tried to tell the flight crew and the pilot but no one would take me seriously. They even sent and engineer up in 451 to check out the scope but he returned saying it was fine. I knew it had changed dramatically. I was given a direct order to fly in 451 so I had no choice. My nerves were frayed.

Flying continued as normal but when we were asked to identify a large Russian warship on the horizon, I was unable to do so since the scope was vibrating too much. It was the Cold War years and I hate to think of how many missiles must have been locked on to us before we got too close.
Years later I found out that this ship was the USSR Leningrad, the flagship of the Soviet Union.

Lt Kidd, the pilot, was fond of doing excessive acrobatic manoeuvres with the helicopter such as stall turns which made me even more nervous. The helicopter just kept on flying as normal but when HMS Falmouth's Wasp ditched into the sea and was a complete wreck, the crew surviving, they requested to borrow ours. It was then that I had many mixed emotions. What if it should crash. I would feel responsible but I was not taken seriously.

For some days I had to live with this possibility until shockingly a message came through that 451 had actually crashed on the flight deck of the Falmouth. Miraculously, the aircraft had sustained no damage and had made a heavy landing on the deck when the gearbox had failed. Yes the gearbox!
Nothing was ever mentioned about this incident in relation to me suspecting that this was the problem but nevertheless, I was completely vindicated.

I would never have made a good aircrew man though and indeed after this incident and others such as metal fatigue that later that led me to be reverted back to Radio Operator.

Long Hard Slog

I've been cleaning windows for 26 years now, which is a long time. I know most of the "In's and outs" of this business now though, I know for sure that some have done better than me. It's okay though, I don't mind. I'm sort of glad they did it but for me, I chose to keep it small and simple.

That's not to say it wasn't a successful venture, this window cleaning. When I first started, I felt like a failure and that people would look down on me. Oh how things have changed! The way the economy is going, I suddenly feel like a King. My wage is nothing to write home about but I can tell you this; it's about double the minimum wage and for a lot less hours. I get home for my dinner virtually every day and my travel costs are negligible when you compare it to the long commute that a lot of people are struggling with it just seems unfair on them.

I like working for myself as well. As some of my readers will know, I have done a hell of a lot of things before I became self employed. I even wrote a book about it and that's why I began this blog site in order to promote it. I was told to promote it. Not my style really but if I don't then no one will know I'm on the planet.

This morning I got up to do my usual shift. More glass to clean and in freezing temperatures. Yesterday the water was freezing on the some of the glass, especially the conservatories since these are generally not heated. I don't use ladders anymore which is a big bonus for me, or anyone for that matter. I spent twenty years climbing ladders before I discovered other ways of doing it. Health and safety now demand that you find alternative methods but in this case I do believe that it is well founded. Only the other day I heard of a man who had been cleaning windows for thirty years and fell off his ladders and died. I never fell off but I had some very close shaves as it were.

Don't get me wrong though, window cleaning is not an easy business to be in. I have never had any trouble with competition but it is genuinely hard physical work, ladders or not. There is more to it than meets the eye as you will find with most things in life. There really is an art to it, if done correctly, not that even I can attain to perfection. My age is something that is beginning to get in the way now. At fifty-nine, it is beginning to get a bit like hard work, which it always was but I expect you know what I mean. It doesn't get any easier to quote my Dad.

I made the most of it though, regular and consistent employment for all that time tends to pay off after a while. I was able to buy a house, a semi in a nice area and believe it or not a retirement flat in Malta. I used the equity in my house to do this but don't imagine for one moment it was easy and indeed I'm still struggling to pay it all off.

At first I was not so enthusiastic about window cleaning but after a while I began to take more interest in it such as equipment and efficiency. This all paid off too since the speed I can properly clean a window makes it all look easy. I also started a YouTube site for others that are interested in starting their own businesses. Here's the link Window Cleaning Tips and Idea's take a look just for a laugh if you must!

Most Comical Moment - Top Autobiographies

Locked in a cabin

On my second merchant ship, the Orita in 1970 I was just a young deck boy. The First Officer was obviously gay and was forever trying to get me into his cabin. I had avoided this for months but the rest of the crew intent on a good laugh, had other idea's.

One day they grabbed hold of me and bungled me into the First Officers cabin. I knew I was in trouble and was terrified. My mind was racing as I frantically tried to figure a way out of the tight spot I was in.

In the meantime, I sat on his bunk as he asked me if I would like a drink. It was then that a cunning plan flashed into my mind and as he was distracted pouring the drink, I leaped up and in a flash I was out through the open port hole and out onto the passageway that ran alongside. I can still hear him swearing.

Of course I was young and slim and I had previously practiced this acrobatic trick before and this is how I lived to tell the story!

Metal Fatigue - Top Autobiographies

Metal Fatigue!

When HMS Lowestoft had berthed in Rosyth Dockyard in 1975 the morale of the ship's company was low. We'd just finished a tour of several countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Brazil. All this seemed a distant memory in the dismal weather of the British Isles.

This is a similar Wasp

 

On families day several weeks before, the ships helicopter, of which I was the aircrew man, had dropped a live depth charge into the sea to impress the hoards of onlookers as the ship sailed slowly through the sea just off the South Coast and Portsmouth. The pilot had miscalculated the distance between the depth charge entering the sea and the actual ship. The resulting explosion was impressive but was to have some interesting consequences. Most of the admiring families were soaked by the massive fountain of water that engulfed the ship including my future wife.

Damage had undoubtedly been done to the ship but this was erroneously attributed to sabotage. It was decided by the authorities, to fly in three detectives to the ship whilst in Rosyth Dockyard using the ships helicopter call-sign 451. On return, the helicopter was folded up and slid into the hangar, the detectives scurrying below.

It was my job as aircrew man to inspect the tail rotor after each flight. I had been careless in this regard in the past but since three detectives were on board it was just the impetus I needed to carry out the task. I can still remember clearly the dim lights in the now deserted hangar, the smell of fuel and the residual heat still coming off the engine as I made my inspection. All seemed in order as it always was and I was about to turn away when I noticed something. It was like a thin watermark that ran most of the way round the tail cone. At first I could not believe what I was seeing but there was no doubt that it was a classic case of metal fatigue.

Raising the alarm it was not long before most of the flight crew were in the hangar and I was given more commendation than I'd ever had before in my career. It was a strange feeling though since I knew that potentially, I had not only saved my own life but that of the pilot and the three detectives on the very next flight.

Become an Author - Top Autobiographies

Why not become an Author?

Ever thought of becoming an author? I never thought that I could do it myself. I've even surprised myself by writing my autobiography.

I began writing in a depressed state but soon after that I found that actually getting it all down on paper (computer), I found that I began to find it therapeutic. This was an unexpected bonus and was to change my life.

I can't say that my book is anything special in a technical sense but it's more about the experiences that I had and wanted to share. Indeed, some people appreciate this.

If you feel that you have experiences that others would like to read about, then have a go at it yourself. You might be surprised at how well you take to it. I never thought that I had the ability to write a book, not that it's a masterpiece of course but that's not the point.

At the very least, you will leave a lasting legacy for friends and family and have a lot of fun on the way.

Scariest moment of my life - Helicopter crash landing

What's the scariest moment of your life? What's mine - well let's think. To be honest I have a few but here's one. I was in a helicopter as aircrew in the Royal Navy and doing some exercises called auto rotation. This is where you practice engine failure.

We'd done a few of these descents but on the last one the engine failed for real. The ground rushed up to meet us and boy was I scared. With no more height left to recover we just fell toward the ground but just as I thought we were going to die, the stupid engine decides that it was also scared and it kicks back in just in time to scrub off some of the speed we were heading for the ground. Bang we hit the ground, the suspension bottoms out, the engine and rotors scream, the cows in the field produce more than the usual cow pats and we bounce back into the air and just manage to stay airborne.

I think that was my luckiest escape but I have a few more. If you are interested, watch this space. For an immediate fix just have a look at my book. It's all in there, all the sordid details of my farcical and sometimes dangerous life Running For Home a top autobiography, have a free review of the first few chapters you will be surprised at how much of this book you can actually read for free.

Fifty Shades of Grey - Is it really what you want? Top Autobiographies

Fifty Shades of Grey - Is it really what you want?

If you have read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, did you really enjoy it. Was it what you expected and how did it make you feel? I admit that I have not read any of these books so I can't comment on their content, the way they were written or how well they were written.

What makes a successful book? Is it attractive because its main theme is all about sex? Is this what it's all about, is this what makes it so attractive? Could it be that you wish that your life could be more like the characters within these sort of books and that you can live in a fantasy world and this will compensate for some sort of lack in your own?

Life rarely measures up to expectations and this is a fact. Is it possible for these sorts of books to enhance your life or have you realized
that reading this sort of book only makes things worse and leaves you with a feeling of emptiness? There are so many questions to answer that it might seem bewildering to you.

When I began to write my book I did so out of a sense of bitterness,  a longing to tell someone about my life and the way it went; about all the perceived failure that I had endured. I wanted to get it all off my chest as it were. As I progressed through the book though, I began to realize that I had something to share with others and that I could find a form of therapy in writing down all the things that I had done in my life. This I thought is genuine stuff, from the heart, something that people will want to read because it's real; something that actually happened and not some sort of fantasy. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Personally, I find it hard to get involved in fantasy. Maybe it's just me but I just can't. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a cartoon as much as anybody else but it's just when fantasy is concocted up as something that purports to be real, then I just can't get into it. Much of the time a film or a book becomes impossible for me to take seriously since much of the time it's just not plausible. Alright it might be entertaining but it is rarely satisfying. It might be fun but never ever confuse fun with happiness; never. It's actually not the same thing at all. Fun, you will find is superficial, happiness is a much deeper and more fundamental emotion which you may have already discovered, is elusive.

I realised very early on in my life that for most people if not all, we are in pursuit of happiness. We try to make ourselves happy in a myriad of ways and indeed there are so many things to get involved in that you just don't know where to start. We all tend to do it, money, alcohol, sex, ambition the list is endless but all in the pursuit of happiness.

Am I happy? I guess not but through all the things I did and went through, I made a few discoveries along the way that gave me a few clues. It might not be what you want to hear, but for what it's worth I now know why we as a society are not happy. Not that I have the answer of course, no, it's going to be a lot more complicated than that. There are no quick fixes here.

Like you I will have good days and bad days. Sometimes I feel on top of the world but the next day.......maybe not. You just have to make the most of what you got and try not to take life too seriously. Easier said than done. Hope you enjoyed my rant but I feel a bit better for it now even though it might come across as a bit controversial.

Top Autobiographies-Man Down

Top Autobiographies - Man Down

This is an excerpt from my autobiography when a man was "electrocuted" and I "saved" him:

Some of the things I would do to avoid certain situations would be to volunteer for anything going, as long as it wasn’t anything to do with my proper job. I would for instance, volunteer for dining hall party. All this involved was cleaning and setting up the dining hall, washing up and making sure that all the sauces and condiments were full. It was great and gave me a break from the nervous tension I experienced whilst trying desperately to do my normal job. My superiors just thought I was great for volunteering and that’s the irony, I got a really good report.

Of course this was only a temporary reprieve and after the allotted time I was back in the MCO. Things didn’t all go badly, since there were times when a bit of luck would occasionally come my way. I was on the broadcast as usual when one of the electrical engineers began to repair a nearby radio. I took very little notice when all of a sudden he screamed out and began to shake violently from electrical shock. I sprang into action, surprising even myself. Spotting a wooden broom that was close by, I grabbed it and swiftly pushed the poor rating away from the radio. He immediately fell to the floor as I threw the broom to one side. As I was about to feel for a pulse, he suddenly jumped to his feet and walked off. At first I was completely baffled until I heard the applause from the onlookers. It had been an exercise and I had passed with flying colours but I felt annoyed. It had all been a ‘set up’ but nevertheless, I felt a great sense of pride.

If you'd like to read more about my incredibly varied and farcical life, then you can have a free preview here Running For Home

How to write an autobiography - Top Autobiographies

How to write an autobiography - Top Autobiographies

Want to know how to write your own autobiography? I won't pretend that it's going to be easy but it can be done.

I began to write mine over a year ago. I had no training and no professional help to do this either. All I did was to get it all down on the computer and then allow the programme to correct everything including the grammar. Never be put off because you arn't an expert. If you do this, then you will never write it.

The first thing to learn is how to use Microsoft Word on your computer. This realy isn't too difficult and if you are determined enough, then you should have few problems once you get to know where everything is. When you get the settings right the programme will generally look after itself and make corrections as you go along which will inspire confidence.

Punctuation is another matter but don't dispair if you arn't good at this either. You could get a freind or relative to help. Failing this you could always get professional help but this is going to cost a bit. This could be worth it if you feel that you have something to say. Most people acutally do. I did not realise this until I began to write mine. I had not planned to write a book and I did not believe that I had enough knowledge to do it. My motivation for writing was more out of an emotional need to get it all off my chest. This gave rise to an unexpected bonus; I found a form of therapy by writing down my whole life story. It certainly began to give me a sense of achievment and an increase in self esteem.

If you wish to look at an example of an autobiography then you can have a preview of mine; Running For Home

Autobiography Example - Top Autobiographies

Autobiography example - Top Autobiographies

For an example of an autobiography, then look no further than "Running For Home", an autobiography that was written from the heart by a man that really lived.

After suffering a minor head injury at the age of six, the author embarked on a dizzying number of adventures many of which turned out to be nothing but farcical. Suffering much failure in his life, he nevertheless felt the need to share with others his many and varied experiences.

Without any formal training or any help other than a computer, the resulting Autobiography, Running For Home is an example of what can be achieved by a complete novice intent on writing a book.

With determination and enthusiasm, it is possible for you to do the same and leave a lasting legacy for your family. Click here to have a free preview of Running For Home top autobiography.

How To Get Free Books Forever - Top Autobiographies

Free Books Forever - Don't buy another book 

How would you like to have free books for the rest of your life? I'm not talking about any old books but up-to date books included! How is this possible you ask? What is the catch, surely their must be a catch? But, there is no catch whatsoever.

All you have to do is to go to Amazon and look for the shopping menu. If you click on this it will drop down and show all the shopping categories. Look for "Kindle Store" and click on this. It will take you straight to the Amazon on-line book store where there are literally millions of free books
Type in the box at the top Free Books or Top 100 free. This will take you to the free books.

These books are free because Amazon allows the Authors a period to promote their books and putting them on for free usually give them greater exposure and greater sales later on. I often put my book "Running for Home" onto this scheme with some success. In this way you can obtain as many free books as you wish for all time, many of which will be best sellers by famous authors.

But wait a minute I hear you say! I haven't got a Kindle or other device to get the books on. Don't worry, this is the simple bit. Guess what, you can convert your computer into a Kindle! Now that's what I call a bargain. Not only can you get more free books than you could read in a whole lifetime but you can also get them on your computer. How do I do this? It's not particularly difficult to do but if you are not too good on the computer just get some help since it will be worth it I promise you.
Just click on this link and it will take you to the site which helps you to instal the app required to give you a whole new experience. Now go and have a look at some of those top selling books for free.

Why Write an Autobiography? Top Autobiographies

Why write an autobiography? Top Autobiographies


This is acutally a good question. Why on earth I started writing mine,  I don't realy know. It was winter as I said somewhere before and I was a bit low. I was initially bitter at all the failure I had endured but began to realise that it wasn't neccessarily all failure and I just knew I had something to share after all.

Now it's done and published, I can now see the journey I have completed and what a journey with so many unexpected emotions and increases in self esteem, I can't begin to tell you how much it has improved my life.

So why write your autobiography? Well look at it this way, it will be a lasting legacy for your family and friends for the future. Not only this, you might find that once you start writing, all your demons will come out and will be banished. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved and this is such a truism if ever I heard one.

Your self esteem might be more intact than mine but I can tell you with honesty that if you manage to write this book, things will happen that you did not expect as it did for me. Originally the writing of a book was something alien and totally out of my comfort zone. I realy did not seriously think that I could with any conviction think that I would complete a book let alone publish it.

To complete a book gives you an amazing sense of satisfaction especially when you see it in print (allbeit as an ebook) but just because it's not in "proper" paperback or hardback if you like, don't ever let this put you off writing. What ebooks have done is to open up a whole new vista for amateur writers sell their stories on a world-wide platform rather than have to go grovelling to a publisher.

If you feel daunted as to where to start in writing your book then just start right at the beginning and keep going. Just don't worry too much about the grammar and spelling to start with since this will be dealt with once you got it all out there and it's all down on "paper" (computer if you like). Don't forget, it's not about how well you can write but it is about you and your experiences. As I have said before, write from the heart and pretend that you are literally talking to somebody. This is how it will come over in the most convincing way.

Don't be put off by the complexities of publishing your book to Amazon. This is a whole subject in itself but is not as daunting as it sounds and there is plenty of help out there for budding authors. Just leave this until the completion of your book and tackle it then.

I hope I have given you a little bit of confidence and inspiration to go ahead and do it and write that top autobiography that you always wanted. Come on, lets get cracking.

Like Autobiographies? Here's one with a difference.

Like autobiographies? Here's one with a difference. Top Autobiographies.

I don’t really know why I started writing this book. I was very low and it was winter, you know the sort of thing I mean. It’s dark and cold and wet and you feel low. Besides, I was bitter to the core at all the failure I had endured all my life. I wish it could have been different but it wasn’t to be.

Born into a military family in the 1950’s, I had what you’d call a strict upbringing. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all bad and some of the discipline did me good. I’d say that it was better than the other way round and yet......and yet the discipline never seemed to be administered with love and this is what makes all the difference.

The best part of my life was the carefree period when we got posted to Singapore at a time that was bereft of “health and safety” which led to a great emphasis on freedom, a freedom I miss and cherish and for which I will always be grateful...to have had a childhood full of adventure and activities that would astound people today.

Later, my Father wishing to “make a man” of me and to “broaden” my mind, sent me at the age of 14, to a Nautical College called the Indefatigable, a notoriously harsh school run more on the lines of a reform school. Ironically, my parents did not realise this at the time. The only person that seemed to know the truth was my mentally ill Grandfather who was not taken seriously.

The more I got into writing my book the more therapeutic it began to get. I was getting it all off my chest as it were and I became aware that I really had something to share with others. It was not until I began to write it all down that I knew just what I had done in my life and perhaps how it could help others. All the experiences came pouring out of me and my memory served me well.

I wanted to write from the heart and I had read somewhere that the best way to write was as if “you are speaking to someone”. This is how I set out to record my life with all its ups and downs, its humour, danger and sadness.

Often I get to reading my own book and cannot believe that I am the subject of it. Much of what I did was actually borne out of fear, fear of failure combined with a debilitating lack of self esteem and confidence which was to lead me into all sorts of farcical situations, many of which I could not cope with. To escape much of what confronted me, I would constantly seek ways to run for home and this is what forms the basis for the title of my book “Running For Home”.

 The Merchant Navy saw me in many scrapes and adventures in dozens of countries around the world. Life as a deck boy in the 1960’s was so different to what it is today.

Three different trades in the Royal Navy continued the pace of adventure especially when I trained to be an Aircrew man flying in helicopters and escaping death and injury by the “skin of my teeth” saving not only my own life but that of several others by being conscientious at just the right time.

Looking back, I have lived life to the full and actually don’t regret any of it, so if you like autobiographies with a difference you’ll like this, a book written from the heart, written with honesty without exaggeration in a style that is simple and straightforward. I hope you enjoyed this site Top Autobiographies.

How's Your Self Esteem? Top Autobiographies

How's your self esteem? Top Autobiographies

When I first started writing my book it wasn’t to make any money or to get famous or anything, no it was because I wanted to get all my bad experiences out there. Get it off my chest if you like.

I suppose I never intended to publish this book. It was going to be more of a family thing, a sort of memoir of what I’d done in my life which would serve as lasting legacy for them to read and at the same time a way of explaining all the things I did and why.

Suffering from lack of self esteem and confidence I found it painfully difficult to cope with life and to interact with people. This was to lead to many encounters which were farcical and indeed sometimes dangerous.

Born into an age of “deference”  it never crossed my mind that I should rebel in any way. I was scared to say anything against authority and that included my Father. What he said usually got carried out. I did as I was told.

Looking back, it now seems amazing that I could just do as instructed without question whether or not it was good for me. But this is how it was.

My new autobiography sets out just what happened to me, from growing up in a strict military family and all that this entails to growing up and leaving home and finally how I settled down doing what I should have in the first place.

I found my lack of self esteem and lack of confidence so debilitating that in many situations I would try to escape from responsibility by “Running For Home” which is the title of my new autobiography.

I could not settle at anything, being artistically minded this just did not fit in with much of what I did such as join the Merchant Navy and later the Royal Navy. These episodes were full of adventure and incident fraught with danger which I could barely cope with and took me to places I could never have conceived of previously. Ironically, I now do not regret any of it and can look back on all these years with a feeling of achievement at enduring all that I did and rather than considering it all a failure, I now feel a sense of pride at my all my experiences which I now share with you.

In writing my new autobiography, I felt that it was a healing process and very therapeutic to the extent that it has changed my life forever.

If you have ever felt unworthy, not confident or worthless then perhaps this account of my life and all its adventures, sad time and humorous times might just help you to come to terms with your own life. It might even encourage you to finally get round to writing about yourself; you never know where it might lead.

If you would like a free review of Running For Home then you are very welcome. Thankyou for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Running for Home Book Review - Top Autobiographies

Running For Home Book Rieview - Top Autobiographies

I began to write this book because I felt a sense of injustice and bitterness at all the failure that I had experienced in my life. But as I got further into the writing of this book I began to realise just how many experiences I could actually share with others and hopefully, be able to help others just a little, to come to appreciate their lot in life.

I was born into a military family in 1953. My Father was in the RAF, my Mother was a nurse. My sister and I had a strict upbringing which in some ways I am glad of.

I suffered greatly with lack of self esteem and confidence which was extremely debilitating and led me into all sorts of farcical situations many of which were actually dangerous.

Enduring an almost nomadic life as a Forces child I found it very difficult to engage with others and though I have largely got over this, even today I find it difficult to form relationships.

Much of my story covers my life as a child as one would expect from an autobiography. Brought up in an era where “health and safety” issues largely did not exist it made for an exciting and eventful childhood to say the least.

A posting to Singapore for two years was an adventure and possibly the best part of my young life. Singapore was a totally different place in the early 1960’s to what it is today. For a young boy it was exciting and we got up to all sorts of things. I often wonder how I survived that period without mishap.

My Father always in control, was intent on “making a man” of me and as such entered me into a Nautical Collage called the Indefatigable when I was 14 which was situated in North Wales. Unfortunately, this collage was more of a borstal unbeknown to my parents. Strangely enough my Grandfather, though mentally ill, knew this but was ignored because of his condition no doubt.

The Indefatigable was a harsh place run on military lines into which I did not fit yet I have a soft spot for the place today. I suffered the most horrendous homesickness here.

Entering the Merchant Navy at 16 as a Deck Boy on my first ship, the Canberra Star, I was out of place like a fish out of water but had many adventures on my subsequent travels round the world and a steep learning curve.

I would run for home at the slightest opportunity and this is why the book is entitled “Running For Home”. Indeed at one point I became a Psychiatric Nurse in the very asylum in which my Grandfather had spent time. This, for a while at least, enabled me to remain at home but the call of the sea came back to me and the Merchant Navy and Shell Tankers.

It wasn’t long before I joined the Royal Navy, first as a radio operator, then as helicopter aircrew. This was a particularly farcical period and it was almost miraculous as to how I was able to pass the course. This led to some very dangerous and expensive moments. During the Falklands war I was engaged as a Military Policeman but left the services shortly afterwards.

This was a strange period of time where my wife and I lived in Malta on a shoestring for two years but again it was to be a tumultuous time.

On return to the UK I could not find employment so started my own business as a window cleaner. This had its own form of humour and adventure which you can read about in the book, “Running For Home”.

You can get Running For Home from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com. Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Author Bio - Running For Home - Top Autobiographies

This is the authors bio; "Running For Home"

Christopher Dawber lives in Durham with his Wife and Son. He enjoys motorcycling and driving his sports car. He owns a holiday home on the isle of Malta to which he and his wife would like to retire.

The writing of his book “Running For Home” has given him a sense of achievement that was totally unexpected and has helped him turn his life around. This has certainly been instrumental in helping him to overcome his debilitating lack of self esteem.

He hopes that his varied life can help others to relate to some of his  experiences and gain something from them, if only to have a laugh or to appreciate their lot in life, just a little more.

His vast experience has given him a sense of achievement and satisfaction that is in part a result of the writing of his book. He is no longer bitter about his life and now regards life’s experiences as something that makes you who you are.

The author, now more settled and content with his life, is much happier now that he no longer worries about running for home.

 If you would like to read more, then why not take advantage of a free preview of his book by simply clicking on this link: http://goo.gl/D4nJP Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Want an ebook reader? Top Autobiographies

Want an ebook reader? Top Autobiographies

If you are not well informed about ebook readers then have a look at this site that I set up specially for this purpose. I really hope you enjoy it and can gain something from it.

There's loads of information on the site to help you make an educated choice of ebook reader.

If you like, just click on this link: http://www.e-bookreadercomparison.com/ Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Regards,

Chris

Free Book Promotion

Hi all, my book will be free for the next two days (Tue 21 and Wed 22 Aug) You don't need a Kindle to read it either since you can read it on your computer. To find out how, just read my previous post - it could open up a whole new world of reading that you never knew about.

Anyway, just help yourself to a free book in the meantime. http://www.amazon.co.uk/RUNNING-FOR-HOME-Autobiography-ebook/dp/B0072VTHAE

Kindle for Computer? Top Autobiographies

Want an ebook reader? Top tips from Top Autobiographies

Did you know that you don't need a Kindle to read kindle books? The fact is that you can actually read Kindle books on your computer or even your i-Phone if you want to. All you have to do is download the app for this, follow the steps which is quite easy and hey presto you've turned your computer into a Kindle!

My book "Running For Home" is on my own computer since I don't own a Kindle myself. This is no big deal since I can just read it on my computer. Of course a Kindle will be more convenient since it is smaller and lighter to carry around but if you want a taste of what is available from the Kindle store, then this is a good place to start.

You can benefit from thousands of popular book titles many of which are totally free. In fact you need never buy another book again. Many best sellers can be acquired this way since many of them will have what is called a "promotional period" in which they are free. If you do a search for free books on the Amazon Kindle Store, a list of them will appear. I personally think this is fantastic.

Most books however are in the paid section and it will require you to pay for them but unless you are after a particular book, then most of them will be very inexpensive. My book for instance is at a very low price. I don't make much from this as you can imagine but I would rather have it read by more people at first to give it the best chance of success later on.

If you fancy having a go at getting the Kindle app, then just click on this link: http://goo.gl/DBcA2
I really do hope I have helped you with this and it will open up a whole new reading experience for you as it did for me. Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Video excerpt from Running For Home

Here's a video excerpt from the book "Running For Home". Here I talk of one of my many dangerous experiences from my varied and tumultuous life. http://youtu.be/NpnfHWmW8jo

Therapy in writing - Top Autobiographies

Therapy in writing - Top Autobiographies

When I began to write my book, I did so out of bitterness, bitterness at all the "percieved" failure that I had endured in my life. I lacked self esteem and confidence which led me into all sorts of farcical and dangerous situations in my life.

After I had written a few paragraphs, I began to realise that I had something to say and tell others about. My experiences had value. I began to pour out my soul which gave me a strange sort of therapy and this in turn finally gave me some peace in my life.

On completion of the book I thus gained peace and rather than failure, I began to have a feeling of accomplishment and success.

It's a very strange sensation but one for which I am grateful. If you want to look at my book and get an idea of how I wrote it and why it gave me so much therapy, just click on the link for a free preview Running For Home and thankyou so much for taking the time to look at Top Autobiographies.

My Dog was shot! - Top Autobiographies

My dog was shot! Top Autobiographies

I was born into a military family and my early life was spent moving from RAF base to RAF base. One of these trips saw us in RAF Changi, Singapore. Life was good and there was a lot of emphasis on freedom. Health and Safety did not really exist and the following incident highlights just what it could be like in the early sixties....

        "At one time, there was a stray dog that used to come round because my mum would keep feeding it. I got quite attached to him and called him Ben. He was calm and gracious and I never heard him bark, not once. Then one day, when I was out at the back of our house, Ben turns up as usual and comes up to me and I stroked him. Then a Chinese guy comes along with a rifle. It was pretty common to see guns and I thought no more about it. Then he starts waving at me and at first I couldn’t understand what he was doing. Then it dawned on me. I backed off a bit and I screamed “No!”. The dog sensed something was about to happen and stared at the gunman. He raised the gun, took aim and shot the dog right in front of me. It gave a little yelp as the bullet entered its fore-head. It dropped dead right at my feet. Small drops of blood clung to my bare legs as I struggled to come to terms with what had happened. I guess they were scared of rabies. If he’d missed, the bullet would have hit our house. The dog and I had become good friends and I cried my eyes out. I was only 8 and Singapore was a whole different place in the early sixties......."

You will get a free preview of this book by clicking this link http://goo.gl/Rtwm4 Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Depth Charge! Top Autobiographies

During my Naval career, there were many incidents that occurred that I will never forget.
Here is another excerpt from the book "Running For Home" which highlights one of those incidents:

Depth Charge! Top Autobiographies

"The depth charge looked like a large bomb, complete with fins but with a flat nose instead of a cone. It was set at a very shallow depth which would give the maximum effect for display purposes. We took off, depth charge at the ready. It was a totally brilliant moment and one of the best in my career. It was one of those unforgettable moments that live with you for the rest of your life.

We flew along the port side of the ship. The direction of the wind was directly onto the port (left) side of the ship. After a few dummy runs the pilot said; “What do you reckon, do you think that this is about the right distance?” It was difficult to judge, after all, we’d never dropped a live depth charge before. Too far away and it would lose its impact. Too close and being a real depth charge, well no-one knew what would happen.

The pilot had the release button on his joystick. I said it looked about right. He flicked up the safety catch, hesitated then pressed it. We could feel the thing release as the weight came off. Between the conversation and the actual impact with the sea, the distance between the ship and the now loose depth charge had somehow terrifyingly diminished. Still, it would certainly be impressive for the numerous onlookers that festooned the decks of the Lowestoft.

On release, the pilot had immediately banked over to get the best view. It was naturally panoramic since as usual, we were flying without doors on. I knew F was there amongst the onlookers and indeed the decks were crowded.

The depth charge plunged into the sea. The pilot and I could clearly see its trace of bubbles as it charged below the waves. There was a slight pause. Longer than I had imagined, then, as it detonated, a large dome in the sea appeared and the shock wave shot out at an astounding rate, right through the ship. After this, came the most incredible fountain of water I have ever seen. By now, the ship and this huge spout of water seemed so close as to be quite shocking. It shot skyward and it seemed as though it was reaching out to consume us. The view was remarkable as the huge water fountain, blown by the wind continued like some sort of monsoon and began to devour the whole ship".

Find out what happens in the aftermath of this incident by reading the book by going to this link Running For Home and thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Panama Canal - Top Autobiographies

Panama Canal - Top Autobiographies

The Construction of the Pamama Canal. (Connects the Atlantic to the Pacific)

Here us a short excerpt from my book called "Running For Home". This particular part shows how many lives were sacrificed to build a canal of this proportion:

"The earliest attempt at constructing a canal began in 1880 by the French but after the death of 21,900 workers from various diseases and also landslides, it was abandoned. A second attempt by the Americans saw the canal completed but not before another 5,600 more deaths had occurred. The canal was opened in 1914".

This is staggering and I did not appreciate this fact when I first travelled through this canal which is  truly an awe inspiring experience

If you want to know more and give me some support, then you can have a free pre-view of the book by clicking on Running For Home and thanks for looking at my site "Top Autobiographies".

USSR Leningrad - Top Autobiographies

USSR Leningrad - Top Autobiographies

Whilst in the Royal Navy, I had a lot of dangerous experiences. This was one in 1975 whilst on exercise in the Indian Ocean:

An excerpt from the book "Running For Home"

Here I am an aircrew man in the Royal Navy and after some damage to the gearbox of our helicopter, the missile aiming scope was vibrating and I was unable to identify the large and menacing Russian Warship that lurked in the distance:

One day whilst in the air we were asked to identify a large Russian warship that had appeared on the scene. I had previously been trained in warship recognition and as we flew toward this magnificent ship I could not identify it without getting too close unless I used the scope on maximum magnification. Of course the vibration had not miraculously disappeared and on maximum magnification it was all the more exaggerated. I could not identify the ship and by this time we were flying perilously close. Of course, she was bristling with all manner of weapons and I have no doubt that some of them were locked on to us.

We broke off our course without identifying the ship. Many years later I realised that it was the Leningrad, the Flagship of the USSR. It was still the Cold War years and we had been in yet another dangerous situation. Indeed, we must have come close to being shot down in peacetime.

Click on the link for a free preview Running For Home and you will get a free preview. Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Running For Home - A brush with Royalty

A brush with Royalty - Top Autobiographies

When I was in the Royal Navy and based at HMS Daedalus in Hampshire, a now redundant airbase, the following incident occurred:

........a large black car with a flag on the bonnet swept into view. The car swiftly pulled up beside me, the driver deftly placing the correct door right in front of me. “Well here goes” I thought as I grasped the door handle and swung it open…

I immediately saluted as the V.I.P exited the car. I nearly dropped dead when I saw who it was. His Royal Highness, Prince Philip. He thrust out his hand and we shook hands warmly, his piercing blue eyes looked right into mine as he said “Good morning” I replied, “Good morning Sir”, trying to look cool and professional, but all I could think of was how I hadn’t had a shave that morning as I passed him over to an  entourage of waiting officers in the control tower.

If you woul like a free pre-view of this book, then just click on the link:

Running For Home and get a free preview of the book. Thanks very much for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Rogue Missile - Top Autobiographies

Rogue Missile - Top Autobiographies

 Here is another excerpt from the book "Running For Home". This is where I was in the Royal Navy training for Aircrew:
We went round again, lined up as before and did all the sequence checks again. Permission to fire granted. This time it was the starboard side missile that was going, right next to the pilot. Once again there was an almighty whoosh but this time it wasn’t as disconcerting. The scalded cat was off again, I decided to change magnification on the scope a bit earlier this time and get control early. It was a big mistake. When I changed to X10 magnification the field of vision was naturally reduced. The missile was nowhere to be seen. Though I quickly changed it back I had already lost control. I caught the damn thing climbing into the sky like some demented rocket. Immediately I pushed the stick forward but it was far too late. The SS11 began its dive into the sea. The control towers comment was “he’s trying to bomb the target!” Then in an instant a great idea came to mind. I declared it to be a ‘rogue’ missile. We were warned that this could, in rare cases happen and the missile would be uncontrollable, in which case the wires were to be cut and the chopper banked as usual. The ‘rogue missile’ call was accepted and no one ever suspected what I had done. The cost of a small house had descended into Portland bay.

Why not have a free preview of this book at: Running For Home here, you will be able to read a substantial part of the book. Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

Running For Home - Rough Sea's - Top Autobiographies

Rough Sea's - Top Autobiographies

Here is an excerpt from my book "Running For Home" which gives a flavour of what it's about, but then again it's very diverse:

On one particularly rough day, we had gathered in the dining hall for dinner as usual and had settled at our places when all of a sudden there was a massive wave. The ship rolled over to the point where it was just impossible to hold on any more and we just slid back on our chairs, those opposite slid into the table and seemed to be suspended in mid air. All our plates and cutlery just flew from the tables followed by all the crockery that was stored in a special rack. It just came crashing out, smashing on the deck, then sliding noisily up and down in bits. The whole incident was terrifying since I thought the ship was about to capsize.

For a comprehensive preview of this book you can click on the link and read a substantial amount of it:Running For Home

Thanks for looking at Top Autobiographies.

One Thousand Books!

Hi everyone, I have passed the 1000 book mark. In fact more than one thousand people have downloaded my book to date. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I could never imagine that I could achieve such a feat when I first started out writing my book "Running For Home".

If you read this book, it will soon become apparent why it is called "Running For Home". I have intertwined the book with humour and also sorrow, but I believe that it is in balance.

If you are interested in writing your Autobiography, then you can see what I have done to achieve this without any formal training, no money and my own editing. It is not difficult to publish your book on Amazon since you don't need a publisher. Personally, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for ordinary people to publish when previously they would never have stood a chance.

I have also received some remarkable reviews for which I am extremely grateful. This I did not expect. This in itself is a minor miracle and is very rewarding. I would like to thank all those that have given me their support.

If you like the idea of true stories, memoirs and autobiographies written by ordinary people, then you can see my book for an extremely low price at the moment. Read the first chapters for free. You don't need to have a Kindle but did you know that you can download books on your computer or i-Phone. All you need is the app. Follow the instructions when you are on the Amazon page.http://www.amazon.com/RUNNING-FOR-HOME-Autobiography-ebook/dp/B0072VTHAE

Running For Home

Hi Everyone, I have finally completed my autobiography. I can't tell you how satisfying this has been. I never thought that I would ever write a book let alone have it published!

I began to write this book out of bitterness; bitterness at all the failure I have endured in my life.
I lacked confidence and self esteem which led me into all sorts of humorous and dangerous situations many of which I could not cope with let alone be able to carry out with any real competence.

From cleaning toilets, Merchant seaman, Psychiatric Nurse, Royal Navy Aircrew, Military Police and even a window cleaner, I lived life to the full and regret none of it.

Follow me through a sometimes tumultuous and humorous life though all my adventures from birth to the present day.

In the writing of this book I have realised that I have a lot of experiences to share and my hope is that I can encourage others to do the same or even to be just that little bit more satisfied with their lot in life in which case I shall be satisfied with my quest. http://www.amazon.co.uk/RUNNING-FOR-HOME-Autobiography-ebook/dp/B0072VTHAE