An English Baby Boomer: My Life and Times

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.