New Milton Advertiser 30th Oct 2020

22 · Friday 30th October 2020

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book

the ambush of SS Persia by Alan Wren

The hurst cronicles: Harbringer by Robin Crumby

back to the UK, fearful Jeff tries to be brave in his new surroundings and meets Nor- man, a clever camel who lives on Jane’s mantelpiece. Disaster strikes when Nor- man sneezes little Jeff off the mantelpiece and on to the ground. Feeling out of pace, the little alpaca decides to make his own way back to Peru. In the kitchen he soon meets Alfie, the streetwise mouse from London, who loves his food. They become friends and head into the garden where Al- fie tries helping him get home to Peru – but there is danger in the form of Mr Mee-Yowzer, the cat from three doors down. Will Jeff make it back to Peru, or will he decide to stay in England? The book was appropriately launched in the New Forest at Petlake Alpacas, a family busi- ness in Bartley which hosts about 90 alpacas. The age range is for 7 years to adult and is published by Amazon. had just been ordered to the Mediterranean. The torpedoing of RMS Lu- sitania, with the loss of 1,198 lives, incensedGodfrey Herbert, captain of Q-ship Baralong. He had vowed never to take prison- ers from U-boats and allegedly went on to murder Valentiner’s cousin and some of the crew of U-27. The embittered Valentiner responded by switching tactics, from ‘stop and search’ to ‘shoot on sight’ which is how he at- tacked SS Persia. Alan said: “Many died with- out goodbyes. Only now can their voices rise and their sto- ries be told.” The Ambush of SS Persia is now available to buy from Buckler’s Hard bookshop and as an e-book on Kindle.

carded much information and kept more deliberately con- cealed behind the Defence of the Realm Act.” Alan received great support from Mary Montagu-Scott and Susan Tomkins at Bucklers Hard, as well as descendants of those aboard the SS Persia who shared letters and survivors’ ac- counts. His book gives an account of the SS Persia and many of the passengers and crew on her last voyage which began towards the end of 1915 when German U-boats had become a serious threat because the Royal Navy was unprepared for anti-sub- marine warfare. It recounts how Kapitänleut- nant Max Valentiner, submarine commander of U-38, had sunk 53 ships around Britain, but

pledge had forbidden such ac- tion? “Why were passenger liners left to fend for themselves in U-boat infested waters?” In a bid to find out more, Alan visited the Buckler’s Hard gift shop but was told there was no books on the subject, although many visitors had asked the same question. Alan, already a published au- thor of the 2003 book Project Management A to Z, took up the challenge of researching and writing a book himself. He said: “As I found during my work life, research was en- joyable and fascinating but time-consuming, with the add- ed burden of what to include and what to omit. “It was also frustrating at times, because authoritarian secrecy during World War I dis-

A CHILDREN’S book about a tiny, magical alpaca has been published by a Lymington au- thor who was inspired to write it by a dream. Sophie Kinsley teamed up with brother-in-law illustra- tor Paul Kinsley to create The Bravest Alpaca, a tale brim- ming with humour and small- scale adventure. Sophie said: “I have written for many years. This particular book was inspired by a dream I had of my cat chasing a tiny alpaca in my house. My cat features in the book too, under the name of Mr Mee-Yowzer. “Our book is about the ad- ventures of a tiny magical al- paca from Peru, who comes to live in England. It is a story of bravery, kindness and the im- portance of good friends.” The tale begins when Jane buys a tiny alpaca souvenir – who she names Jeff – while trekking with friends to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Little does she know that this tiny alpaca comes to life when no one is around. Flying FORMER ship’s cadet turned international project manager Alan Wren has spent five years researching and compiling a book exploring the sinking of SS Persia more than a century ago. Alan, who has lived in Barton for almost 40 years, became fas- cinated with the 1915 ambush of the passenger liner SS Per- sia after visiting the Maritime Museum at Buckler’s Hard five years ago. His book, The Ambush of SS Persia, has now been by York Publishing Distri- bution. Alan recalled: “I was capti- vated by a display on SS Persia and was left pondering many questions – why would a skilled U-boat commander torpedo a harmless passing mail lin- er when international law and his own government’s recent

HURST Castle is the setting for Harbinger, the latest in- stalment in Robin Crumby’s dystopian, near-future book series, The Hurst Chronicles. Featuring locations from throughout the New Forest and Solent, the story follows the trials and tribulations of a group of survivors who have made the fortress their home two years after devastating flu pandemic that’s infected bil- lions. If that sounds scarily famil- iar, no one was more surprised than the author who started writing the series in 2015, try- ing to imagine what life would be like in the aftermath of an unstoppable virus. In The Hurst Chronicles a military-led relief operation has created a safe zone, free of the virus, on the Isle of Wight, but not everyone shares the military’s aspirations for re- construction. Dark forces seek to prolong the lawlessness, pursuing their own ambitions. There’s a war coming that threatens to re- turn the whole Solent region to chaos. Hurst Castle once again finds itself in the path of the coming storm. Robin says: “Finishing book four in the middle of a real-life MARIA Claridge’s first chil- dren’s book, The Hafu Child, is welcome news for readers inter- ested in gaining a perspective on growing up in a multicultur- al environment. This is her second published book following her previous work, Hare and Tortoise Have Counselling. Maria’s children’s book debut is about a child in Lymington who is a “Hafu,” a Japanese term denoting a person who has two nationalities. The book follows the Hafu Child, Maria, as she navigates through her school years car- rying her Japanese and English heritage on her shoulders.

desk-based research instead.” In Harbinger, the Allies’ in- vestigation into the causes of the outbreak leads them back to the military research facility at Porton Down, north of the New Forest. However the search for a viable vaccine is just the be- ginning – a stepping stone to- wards a genetic revolution and a terrifying future that could change everything. All that re- mains is a race against time to save those they care about. The story will appeal to those who enjoy fast-paced post-apocalyptic thrillers like The Day of the Triffids or Sur- vivors. Robin says he was inspired to write the Hurst Chronicles after wandering the shingle beach at Milford, surrounded by the beauty and rich history of the Solent. He spent much of his child- hood messing about in boats, exploring the many water- ways, harbours and military forts of the Isle of Wight where the Hurst Chronicles series is also set. Harbinger is available from Amazon, published in both pa- perback and on Kindle: http:// amzn.to/1Rd4Roh able to express her love for Ja- pan. Maria is half-English and half-Japanese and was born in Lymington. She said she wrote the book hoping to help chil- dren feel not so alone when feeling a bit different. She also hoped to promote Japanese culture and the importance of embracing who you are. Maria is currently studying to become a counsellor. She also enjoys working as a yoga teach- er, teaching Japanese and as a personal trainer/class instruc- tor. The Hafu Child by Maria Claridge is now available on Amazon. Paperback edition £7.95. ISBN-13 : 979-8699088065

pandemic was hard. Life was proving stranger than fiction, playing out in real time. I needed the story to be true-to-life as possible which involved huge amounts of re- search into previous epidem- ics and the development of vaccines. “The search for a vaccine, the test and trace pilot on the island, and rolling lockdowns were now familiar concepts that needed to be taken into account. Plus not being able to visit locations meant lots of The protagonist grapples with her identity as she search- es for the right balance between fitting in with her predominant- ly white peers while embrac- ing her Japanese heritage that makes her unique. Maria Claridge projects a unique version of what it is like first-hand to feel stuck between two cultures, with a personal insight of sensing a difference from your peers. She hopes for this book to relate to children on a personal level, identify with mixed race children and aid them to em- brace their cultures. Through the love of family and a special friendship, the character Maria is ultimately

The Bravest Alpaca by Sophie Kinsley

The hafu child by maria claridge