Reviews

‘Better Born Lucky than Rich’

From his ‘monochrome’ and solitary start to life, amid the constraints of growing up in Epsom during World War 2 with a gaggle of aunts, this is the fascinating tale of a man who went on to lead a ‘technicolour’ life at sea, becoming a Captain in the Royal Navy. We witness a colourful slice of history through his recollections, including the Queen’s Coronation, the Korean War and the ‘gin and tonic diplomacy’ of the Cold War era. Set against the simultaneous joys and tragedies of a vibrant family life, we follow his story through the decades. Illustrated by photos throughout, this book is a riveting read and a personal testament to living life to its fullest. His motto, ‘Better Born Lucky than Rich’, continues to serve him well at 93 years of age.

*

‘Some time ago, my son asked me to jot down stories from my past. I tried but hit the buffers, so I asked Ibby to help me write my story.  She proved to be a gentle, talented, and very sympathetic personality with a flair for storytelling. I looked forward to the monthly sessions with her with warm anticipation. I have no hesitation in recommending investing the time in this kind of enterprise.’ 

Michael P.

‘Interesting but wild’

The remarkable life of an artist and writer, campaigner and mother. By summarising her life decade by decade, we follow her story; from Bohemian beginnings in London, via working on a farm in Worcestershire in WW2, to emigrating to Australia with her husband before returning to her English roots in her 80s. Combining some of her photos with insights and observations from friends and family, this book is a visual treat and a warm encapsulation of a life well lived, for all who know her and generations to come.

*

‘I have known this amazing lady for most of my life, but didn’t know that much about her younger years. It was lovely being asked to write a contribution for the book and to hear from some of her other friends and family members, as well as learning so much more about her life. And to spot a photo of me as a little girl, wearing a rather bizarre dress! This book really caught her personality and brought back lots of good memories.’ Helen M.

‘AIM: The story of people, maps and decisions’

It’s the mid 1980s. Being able to access digital, interactive maps on a screen and zoom in to a street corner anywhere in the world is twenty years away. In a grand old house in the English countryside, paper maps are being cut up, photographed and converted onto videodisc. Complex software systems are being devised with just 128k of memory...the size of one single JPEG photo.

A man with a vision for helping people make complex decisions in a crisis gathers together an inventive group of young coders and engineers. Keen as mustard, naive and talented, they are pushing the limits of what technology can do. Over the next 21 years, the people in this messy, brilliant, creative company called AIM helped change the world. This is their story.

Driven by interviews with the family and several members of staff, this book is a rich, highly visual mixture of case history, dramatised scenes and analysis, punctuated with illustrations and photographs.

*
‘Having run a company with my father and other members of my family for 21 years we were keen to have a record of our adventures – but had no idea how to start. Enter Ibby & Sophia, wonderful storytellers who listened to us and many of our former employees and somehow distilled a limitless supply of anecdotes, experiences and hard facts to create something beautiful, interesting and readable. In doing so, they captured the essence of what our life in business had been all about. We loved working with Ginger Tale Books and commend them to anyone looking to “tell their story”.’ Alastair P.

*

‘Thanks for all your hard work on the book. It's a fantastic result and a perfect reflection of a unique family business.’  Hans T.