Press cuttings
Jungle Beat – Drumming up Sales
We always appreciate readers’ reviews for our books whether good or bad. Feedback on what we publish is an invaluable tool to improving our selection process as well as the editorial and production work we undertake to challenge the way we see things. This year is the tenth anniversary of the publication of The Jungle Beat: Fighting Terrorists in Malaya, written by Roy Follows and published by Eye Books.
Sales of this book continue, especially on line where a cadre of enthusiasts, academics and people interested in military history have found and appreciate Roy’s book. This is just one example of a recent review, reproduced here in full from Amazon:
I can’t think of enough superlatives for this book. It is exciting, funny, informing and very very observant all at the same time and written without the swaggering testosterone that is so evident in so many military accounts that one can read today (not saying that that is bad, just different). It harks back to the sunset of the British Empire and is a first hand account of a down-to-earth, no-nonsense individual who conducted exhausting and nerve racking operations deep into communist terrorist jungle territory. From the events and actions detailed in this book you would initally have thought this was some special forces unit, but in fact these were all the actions of the then Malayan Police, who were every bit as tough and uncompromising.
The book is quite short, but that in itself is a redeeming feature as they prose is kept short and sweet. It never goes into minute by minute break down of events but nevertheless paints a vivid picture.
I highly recommended this book.
Thank you for all the support that you provide to our “back catalogue”.
Eye Books acquires world rights to Morgan Tsvangirai official biography
EYE BOOKS ACQUIRES WORLD RIGHTS TO
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF
MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, PRIME MINISTER OF ZIMBABWE
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai: A Villager’s Journey to Prime Minister.
Proposed Publication Date: Spring 2010.
All rights available: enquiries contact Dan Hiscocks – dan@eye-books.com Tel: UK: 0203 239 3027
At Frankfurt Book Fair contact: Jill Hughes Foreign Rights International Rights Centre Y3
Nominated for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Morgan Tsvangirai is the first non-lawyer recipient of
The 2009 International Bar Association human rights award
International Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 from the Spanish Foundation Cristobal Gabarron
The worldview of Zimbabwe is a country in turmoil. Despite being rich in natural resources and minerals, the country has been run down by a Dictator and wracked with massive corruption, inflation and conflict. Zimbabweans have constantly called out to the world to intervene and end the rampant racism and “black-on-black” oppression that it strangling its chance to contribute to the world and provide a fair democratic society to its people.
The view of Morgan Tsvangirai is one of hope and change. A man who despite beatings and charges of treason and a personal tragedy of losing his wife, Susan, in a car accident, has stood by his resolve and strength to run the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and a country which can lead Africa out of political and social mire.
What made the son of a rural bricklayer, who dropped out early from high school to help his family look after his eight younger siblings, feel equipped to challenge Robert Mugabe, the liberation war icon who turned into one of the most feared dictators in history?
Through a simple and consultative leadership style, which has parallels to US President Barrack Obama, he earned the simultaneous respect of the poor, academics and the famous. His nimble-footed and smart approach to rally the nation against serious odds surprised many, propelling him into the club of young, promising African leaders with as yet unexplained capacity to navigate through a murky political terrain for public good.
Tsvangirai is neither a Mahatma Gandhi nor a Nelson Mandela but very much his own man. This book gives us the insight to Morgan Richard Tsvangirai a new force on the world stage.
About the Author
As his personal assistant, advisor and spokesperson, T. William Bango and Morgan Tsvangirai have shared alot together over the last 6 years – not least the recent infamous beatings which nearly cost both their lives at the hands of Mugabe’s Zanu militia. Prior to this, Bango’s spent 23 years in journalism which took him as an aide to Robert Mugabe, a founding editor for the banned Daily News, and a Masters in journalism from University of Cardiff, and a three-year stint as a journalism lecturer at the Institute for Advancement of Journalism. He has recently completed a sabbatical to complete an MPA from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.
T. William Bango lives in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Book of the Month at the Architect’s Journal
Eye Books’ hilarious Crap Cycle Lanes is the book of the month in this Month’s Architect’s Journal. http://tinyurl.com/archjourn “Architects come up against short-sighted planning on a daily basis – not least when they get on their bikes”. An appropriate choice as the 2009 Cycle Show has just opened at Earls Court. See our special 2009 Cycle Show offers for special discounts on all Eye Cycle titles.
Peter Burden in the press
Since The Guardian broke the news of the extent of the News of the World’s phone hacking, our author Peter Burden has been asked for his views on Sky News, BBC News, ITN, Newsnight, Radio 4’s The World Tonight, 5 Live BBC One’s The Big Questions (click here to see this programme on BBC iPlayer) and many others. He has also written an article for The Guardian, (click here to read), for Comment is Free on The Guardian’s website (click here to read), and another article for the Independent on Sunday (click here to read).
He has also been interviewed or mentioned in the below articles:
- The Guardian, “News of the World phone hacking: MPs grill media”
- The Guardian “The biggest media story in years – so why the silence?”
- The Guardian “Masters of the dark arts”
- Yorkshire Post “Hacks and hackers hit the headlines”
- Book Brunch Daily (membership required)
Check out his blog at www.peterburden.net
Peter Burden’s News of the World in The Guardian
The revised edition of Peter Burden’s News of the World, Fakes Sheikhs & Royal Trappings, received attention in The Guardian, today. Burden’s revised publication contains the scoop behind the Max Mosley case and reveals the other side of claims in the Fake Sheikh’s autobiography. It also bares all on the B&B naturists, which is what drew the interest of The Guardian’s Media Monkey, who reported that,
The revised edition of Peter Burden’s book… features two controversial pictures newly inserted by the author, one of which Monkey would rather forget. It shows the paper’s chief reporter, Neville Thurlbeck, reclining in a state of unfortunate undress, his blushes saved only by pixelation. Expect a torn-out page and an errata slip from the publisher if News International heads to the courts once again.
If you wish to view Media Monkey’s full post regarding Peter Burden’s book, you may do so by clicking here.
EyeCycle’s spokesperson launches new blog
EyeCycle’s very own Rob Ainsley has launched a new blog. In his announcement of its launch he wrote:
“Cycling in London has more than doubled in the last ten years – but looking at blogs and websites, you would hardly know it.
So I thought it was about time that someone started a cycling blog that was genuinely witty and fun to read; well illustrated; well informed; bang up to the minute with the issues; and, most important, refreshed every single day, giving you that regular office fix.
And who knows, one day that might happen. Instead, in the meantime, there’s my new blog ‘Real cycling’:
If you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoy writing it, then I’ll enjoy writing it twice as much as you enjoy reading it.”
And if you missed it, he wrote the highly amusing and amazingly practical: 50 Quirky Bike Rides Around England and Wales. You should buy it and give it to a cycling friend.
The Intrepid Duo
Tom Holman kindly acknowledged the heroics of our intrepid duo in yesterday’s Bookseller (16th October):
“The most committed visitors I’ve met so far are the intrepid duo from Can of Worms Press (that would be Paul and Helen), who set out by car from London late on Monday, crossed the Channel during the night, drove across France though Tuesday morning and set up their stand by late afternoon. About 40 hours since they last slept, they were still going strong on Tuesday night. Go easy on them if you meet them.”
Do of course visit the intrepid duo at our stand: Hall 8.0 L972 before they make their way back across La Manche.
We have a great array of new titles:
The Inkspot Monologues written and illustrated by Keith Pointing
Good Morning Afghanistan written by Waseem Mahmood
The Tempest illustrated by Oscar Grillo
Ten Lessons from the Road (by another intrepid traveller – this one cycled around the world) Alastair Humphreys
100 Ways to Change the World by Michael Meegan photos by Manuel Scrima
Each Day A Small Victory by Chips Hardy
And a tremendous back list of titles and services for other like minded publishers. Have a great Fair!
Waseem Mahmood’s latest project makes news
Waseem Mahmood, author of Good Morning Afghanistan, is again showing us how the media can be used for good with his new project, Ye Hum Naheen. What started out as a song became a worldwide anti-terrorist movement, with more than 62 million people in Pakistan signing up. In his own words, Waseem explains why he decided to take action.
The inspiration for the song came from my children who were tired at the way a minority of misguided young people were vehemently putting forward a message of radicalization and terrorism that was at odds with what the majority of Muslims believe. It was time to re-address the imbalance, and from the smallest child to the oldest person, Yeh Hum Naheen sought to give a voice to the voiceless. [...] The objective of the Yeh Hum Naheen foundation is to build on the essence of Islam as a faith that promotes tolerance, peace and harmony removing prejudices within the community and amongst non-Muslims around the world.
The Independent has published an article about the phenomenal success of Yeh Hum Naheen, including an interesting interview with Waseem.
Review from the CTC
The Cycling Touring and Campaigning (CTC) magazine, Cycle, has published a review of 50 Quirky Bike Rides by Eye Books author Rob Ainsley.
A bit like Dr Who’s Tardis, this slim paperback conceals a cavernous interior, with copious facts about unusual biking experiences all over England and Wales. Each ride includes a ’snackstop’, a ‘bevvy break’, a tourist tick list (making sightseeing a doddle) and details of further information sources. Yet more icing on the cake comes in the form of a dedicated website with maps of all the routes shown. The book will interest a whole spectrum of riders, from casual pootlers to dedicated cycle tourers. A great book.
Visit Rob’s website here.
Review of Thunder & Sunshine
Thunder and Sunshine by Alastair Humphreys has been reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott, of the online book journal Curled Up With a Good Book.
Excerpt from Barbara Bamberger Scott’s review:
In an age when there are, in the older way of looking at things, no new frontiers, an adventure like this is a great achievement and no doubt an inspiration to others. There may be no roads untraveled, but there are still new ways to travel them and much to learn along the way. Humphreys is a hopeful person – there is no taint of cynicism or world-weariness in his writing. Constantly self-motivated, he had only himself to thank when he got up each day and cycled another few miles. He was nearly always treated with kindness and “nobody ever refused me water.” He concludes, “Don’t believe what you see on the TV; the world really is a good place.”
What a great product!
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