James Hamilton Paterson Boeken

An account of aerial combat in World War I, revealing the terrible risks run by the men who fought and died in the world's first air war.

The story of the composition and revolutionary impact of Beethoven's Third Symphony, the 'Eroica'.

Gerald Samper is a ghostwriter for various celebrities, including a one-armed sailor and a mystical environmental group's poster girl. He yearns for more prestigious work, particularly the memoirs of the renowned conductor Max Christ.

An illustrated celebration of the golden age of aircraft, cars and locomotives from 1900 to 1945.

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2004 Cooking with Fernet Branca is a gleefully tasteless bad dream of modern Italy, told through the eyes of Gerald Samper - effete Englishman, culinary adventurer, and ghostwriter to the stars. 'Wickedly witty . . . Anyone who does not add this hilarious divertimento to their summer reading list should be put on a forced diet of Gerald's inimitable Alien Pie.' Michael Dibdin,Guardian 'A deliciously nasty farce set in [Hamilton-Paterson's] adopted Tuscany . . . Cooking with Fernet Branca had me laughing out loud and uproariously. All Tuscanites should read it, preferably over a plate of stewed otter chunks in lobster sauce.' Sunday Telegraph 'Larded with bitter satire and piquant wit, at the expense, often, of its readers and their dreams of Italy . . . I laughed out loud several times a chapter.' The Times

Gerald is a ghostwriter to the illiterate stars, from rock singers and racing drivers to ski champions. And to Millie Cleat, the monstrous one-armed sailor, whose around the world voyage has made her the toast of Britain. Gerald pines for greater things, however, and would prefer to write the memoirs of Max Christ, the celebrated conductor. While he schemes to land this unattainable catch, he muses hilariously and viciously from his Tuscan hilltop on the world of which he is such an unwilling part. Meanwhile, some oceanographers are planning revenge on Millie Cleat for her destruction of their greatest coup. Mayhem follows.

People hunting monkeys in the jungle once devised a simple yet effective trap: When the creature found a banana in a large jar with a narrow neck, it would plunge its paw in to retrieve it. But it couldn't let go. And unless the monkey released the banana, it was stuck.We are, of course, the stuck monkey, paralysed by our modern lifestyles and consumer habits: our constant stream of online shopping deliveries, our compulsive dependence on digital devices, our obsession with ourpets. These addictions, as small and harmless as they may seem, are quietly destroying the planet. And the eco-friendly alternatives that alleviate our guilt are often not much better.In Stuck Monkey, James Hamilton-Paterson uncovers the truth behind the everyday habits fuelling the climate crisis. Drawing on eye-opening research and shocking statistics, he mercilessly dissects a wide spectrum of modern life: pets, gardening, sports, vehicles, fashion, wellness, holidays, and more. Ferociously unflinching andintelligent, this book will make you think twice about the 'innocent' habits we often take for granted.

A Very Personal War, first published in 1971, was James Hamilton-Paterson's first non-fiction book, and though out of print for many years it retains its force and relevance today. 'In 1969 my agent called me into his office to meet a mysterious man who wanted his story told.

The hero of this black farce of a book is Gerald Samper, a ghostwriter to unbearable sports celebrities and rock stars, whose dream is to write the libretto of an opera. After an unsuccessful sojourn in Suffolk that ends in the accidental death of an ancient aristocrat, Gerry returns to Tuscany to the site of his collapsed house, now a place of pilgrimage after the strange apparition of a deceased English princess with great legs. A sinister estate agent smells a chance to make serious money, and Gerry is persuaded to go along with the scam in return for certain favours. Meanwhile, Gerry is motivated to collaborate on an opera about the life of Princess Diana, the not-quite-saint who has inspired such strange devotion. The premiere will be the high point of his life, though not quite in the way he imagines.