Fun, Sun and Sadness: A Life of Ups and Downs Across the World - Softcover

Angela Barry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1848760663 ISBN 13: 9781848760660

Publisher: Matador, 2009

Synopsis

Well-written and wide-ranging, this interesting autobiography covers the period of 1931-2006 both in England and in many countries across the world both with and without the Diplomatic Service.

About this title

Synopsis:

The author takes us from a childhood destabilised by the Second World War, through aseries of jobs that included a year at Hatchards in Piccadilly, where she encounteredsome of the celebrities who gravitated there for their books. The need to consider atempting proposal of marriage at this time, away from London, led her to take off toSweden for three months, where she taught English to the children of two families andwas herself taken in hand by the parents. Amongst other things, they took her on TheGrand Tour of Italy and showed her a life of art, beauty and culture, which shecontinued to develop. The three months became nine years and the author gives aninteresting description of those years.An urge to travel might have been inherited from a purported forebear, Captain JamesCook, the illustrious explorer and navigator. The book gives an account of the author'sresearches into this connection.A long and varied career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office followed, withpostings to Copenhagen, Berlin, Caracas, Kuwait, Singapore and Geneva, with furthertravel on her own in between postings.

Ill health forced her into early retirement at firstto Dorset and then, at the age of 72, to the sunshine of Andalucia in Southern Spain; abold move that she describes in vivid detail. It is an interesting and entertaining read.

About this edition

• Publisher: Matador
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1848760663
• ISBN 13: 9781848760660
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296