A Delicate Wildness  -  the Life and Loves of David Thomson, 1914-1988, is the first exploration of the contribution  -  and soul  -  of a relatively unsung but uniquely talented man. This resonant biography boasts more than 50 unseen photographs. Thomson was a Scotsman who became an honorary Irishman, writer, folklorist and radio producer. His life took a fateful turn when, while a history student at Oxford, Thomson came to County Roscommon in the early 1930s as tutor to an Anglo-Irish family. He fell in love with the daughter of the house, became a farmer and 'went native', caught up in the history and landscape of counties Roscommon and Leitrim. He wrote his first book when he was forty, The People of the Sea, an exploration of seal lore. He went on to write eleven published works including autobiographical fiction, before turning to the genre in which he most excelled  -  memoir: Woodbrook (1976), about his time in Ireland, is regarded as an Arcadian masterpiece and minor classic. For his final book, Nairn in Darkness and Light, he returned to the north of Scotland to meditate on childhood, and was made Scottish Writer of the Year in 1988. David Thomson had an impish grin, was wary of literati and drank with the London homeless. His friend Seamus Heaney described him as having a 'delicate wildness'.

A Delicate Wildness: The Life and Loves of David Thomson, 1914-1988

Biographies & Memoirs

Vignoles, Julian

Arts & Literature

The Lilliput Press

<p>Rory Gallagher is revered as one of the greatest guitarists. He bounded across the stage with the swagger of a rock star, but offstage he was a shy, unassuming man. There were no wild parties, no marriages and divorces. His short life shifted between the bright lights of his success and the darkness of personal struggle. Gallagher was a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer and champion of blues music. His career began in an Irish showband, followed by four years as the central talent of Taste, one of the great Irish bands. He went on to even greater fame as a solo artist in the 1970s. His short life was dedicated to a steadfast musical vision, one that continues to burn brilliantly in rock history. Drawing on extensive interviews, Julian Vignoles casts new light on the familial, musical and other influences that inspired Gallagher, and on the complex personality that drove his career. He reassesses Gallagher's song writing, often overlooked because of his dexterity as a guitarist. Crucially, Vignoles shows how many songs speak eloquently - and poignantly - about the person who penned them. Meticulously researched, this portrait is the insightful biography that Rory Gallagher deserves, as revelatory for his legions of loyal fans as for curious rock and blues enthusiasts.</p>

Rory Gallagher

Arts & Photography

Music

The Collins Press

<p>What makes the Eurovision Song Contest so popular? And why do so many others feel such disdain for it? Is the voting fair? Will Ireland or the UK ever win again? This book is Eurovision uncovered. For the first time, one of its insiders reveals the inner workings of the Contest, the controversies, and the key players over the last ten years. With a plentitude of color photos.</p>

Inside the Eurovision Song Contest: Music, Glamour and Myth

The Liffey Press

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Books by Vignoles, Julian