Ivory Madness

This was my first book and despite the garish cover, has sold consistently for 25 years. The original price was Z$4,95 but God only knows how many millions it goes for nowadays! Copies are still available through College Press in Harare and I occasionally spot it looking tired and forlorn on the shelves in Kingstons..

Africa's Inland Sea

This battered little booklet was the first official Tourist Guide to Kariba and its surrounds. Reprinted twice, it did well in the halcyon days when we still had Tourists in Zimbabwe. We don't get them any more, but I still have my copy of the booklet to remind me of days when life in Zimbabwe was fun.

Kariba Adventure

For some obscurely atavistic reason, I take it into my head to do something vaguely challenging from time to time. My first real adventure was to row an open dinghy (I called her Hobo) from one end of Lake Kariba to the other and back again. Despite a reader's report branding me a 'colonial racist with a Tarzan mentality' and another one calling me sexist, College Press produced this little book for 10 - 12 year olds. It was repeatedly reprinted and even now, is remembered fondly by many young Zimbabweans. I love it when my name is recognised in Zim and strangers say 'Ah - Hobo.'

Rhino

I enjoyed writing this story and when it was published by Penguin in Johannesburg, I thought I had taken my first step on the ladder of scribbling success. Huh! Despite rave reviews in South Africa, the book seemed to sink without trace and for some reason that even Penguin don't seem able to understand, I have never made a penny from it. I don't even have a copy of my own which is a bit sad. It was a good story though and although I wrote it in England, the writing allowed me to roam through the Zambezi Valley again - if only in my mind.

Man Eater

I have fond memories of working in Marondera High School and combined a few of the young characters I met there with a lifelong fascination for leopards to write this one. Another Penguin publication, it followed Rhino into early and financially unproductive extinction. That fate for what was a very good story taught me that big publishers are not always the ones to bring success to would-be scribblers. 

Hobo Rows Kariba

I liked the blurb on this one. 'He had heard that no-one had ever rowed the lake before,' it said. 'So he set out to write his name into the history books.'

I didn't. It was merely something I wanted to do, so off I went. It was pretty hairy at the time, but I survived and as I approach my dotage, it is nice to look back upon - particularly as it is unlikely that anyone else will ever do it. I still see copies of the book in Kingstons and other bookshops on my trips home. The trouble is that Zimbabweans can no longer afford to buy books. African Publishing House brought this out 12 years after the row. Unfortunately, it was round about the time that visitors ceased coming out to Zim, so they must have a shed full of copies somewhere.

Killer Cat

Set in Marondera during the nineties, the story line for Killer Cat quite literally came to me in a dream. Confronting a rather large lion, I hurriedly woke up and started writing. Good old Ben Mugabe (he denies any relationship with Bob) of College Press took it on and my Zimbabwe bank account continues to fill up with worthless royalty money. This was the only book I received an advance for too. Ben gave me Z$1000 which not only bought me a 3 month air ticket to the UK, but left enough for me to live through those 3 months. How times change. That amount wouldn't buy a single match nowadays.

Never Quite a Soldier

Any war brings a plethora of books in its aftermath. I suppose it is a way of exorcising the bad memories and writing Never Quite a Soldier was certainly a cathartic experience for me. Taking the advice of Leo Cooper who studied the manuscript, I published the book myself and my edition was ordered from twenty three different countries so easily covered the printing costs. In 2006, Galago Books brought out an illustrated edition in South Africa and this is also selling well. I have received many, many letters about the book and apart from one review in which the Natal Outpost accused me of 'showing disrespect to my senior officers,' reaction has been entirely favourable. So many people had similar experiences to mine and the book seems to have helped a lot of people. I still have a few copies left so if you haven't read it and you live in the UK, why not send a cheque for £12.00 (covers postage as well) to Albida Books, France Lynch. GL6 8LJ and we will send you a personally signed copy.

Blood Sweat & Lions

 2006 was adventure time again. I have always wanted to walk right around Lake Kariba and although 61 was probably far too advanced an age to embark on such a challenge, I  managed to complete the first 1200 kilometre section from Kariba to Binga. It proved pretty hellish at times, but as with my rowing trip and a later cycling marathon down Africa (I didn't get a book out of that) the walk should provide ever fonder memories as time goes on. It also made a pretty good book, recently published by Grosvenor House. It is available through Amazon and the book shops, but if you want a signed copy, you will have to send a cheque or postal order for £11.00 (UK) and £13.00 (overseas) to Albida Books, France Lynch. GL6 8LJ. I make more on the copies I sell myself and you get a personally signed book so that works well on both sides.

Tokoloshe

After the success of Blood Sweat and Lions, I decided to bring out a little 'back to front' adventure trilogy before hanging up my publishing boots and concentrating purely and simply on scribbling. So the second volume of this set is Two Wheels and a Tokoloshe, which tells the story of my marathon cycle ride from Nairobi to Cape Town. During the trip, I suffered well over 50 punctures, fell off a few times, was arrested twice and beaten up by arm,ed soldiery on another occasion. It all sounds somewhat traumatic, but yet again has proved the basis for many wonderful memories.

Like Blood Sweat and Lions, the book was published by Grosvenor House, costs £8.95 and is vailable through Amazon or your local bookshop. Signed copies - my handwriting becomes ever more inbdeciperhable but people like having books signed - have to be done through me at Albida Books - the address is given above. To cover postage costs, we charge 11.00 for UK orders and £13.00 overseas.

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Hobo 

The third volume in my ‘back to front’ adventure trilogy just had to be a re issue of my Hobo Rows Kariba, although I have renamed it Hobo, which was my original choice of title.. Possibly because it was the first of my ‘real’ adventures, that book was always a favourite of mine, even though it ‘bombed’ badly in Zimbabwe. Renowned International wild life artist Guy Hammond painted a superb cover for me and using the expertise of Grosvenor House once again, I reckon we have produced an excellent book which I hope will – unlike the original – sell well and pay for further adventures.

Who knows, the trilogy might yet be expanded.

Hobo costs £8.95 and is available through Amazon or your local bookshop. Signed copies - my handwriting becomes ever more indecipherable but people like having books signed - have to be done through me at Albida Books - the address is given above. To cover postage costs, we charge £11.00 for UK orders and £13.00 overseas.