Ali Nelson
Some reviews from UK readers below, but first...
Ali Nelson was born at an early age in a leafy suburb of Planet Earth called England. His formative years were spent playing the trombone, flying kites and avoiding awkward questions about spoons, however life moved at a pace and the world of work soon beckoned. The young Nelson, (just like his namesake), joined the Royal Navy, but his career was cut short after an aircraft carrier, piloted by the young rating accidentally crashed into Westminster Abbey. The transition into civilian life was not a smooth one and after more disastrous jobs, (an igloo cleaner & Prime Minister), he decided to up sticks and go and live in the year 1858. Generally, the Victorian period brought him happiness and without the distractions of modern trappings, he began to explore the art of creative writing. It was during a chance meeting with Charles Dickens at a car boot sale that he got his first big break when the legendary author asked the young novelist to become his copyist; and so the `Dickens` tribute act was born.
The `Oliver Twit Five` were soon established on the music-hall circuit and enjoyed many years on the road, but after a while Ali wanted to move in new directions and started to perform `un-plugged` , however audiences weren’t ready for a new, experimental concept and attendances declined dramatically. The final tour of September 1864 was a total disaster – during the first set at a gig in the Civic Hall – Leeds, he fell out with his drummer over the tricky timing of the middle-eight in `Little Dorrit` while the bass player suffered from what could only be described as, being dead. The group collapsed and by now Ali was missing his modern environment, so he moved back to the present where he became an adviser to the Royal Society of Chicken Upholsterers - a role he continues to hold to this day. Although this commands a lot of time, Ali still finds time to keep up with his favourite hobby – writing!
Away from work, Ali likes to use his musical skills to arrange the songs of Bob Dylan for the hard of hearing and enjoys working with cardboard. His heroes include Sir Edmond Celery (the first man to swim up Mount Everest), and Mrs. Abigail Smooch (1758 – 1805); the inventor of the pocket.
Reviews of `The Rest is History` from the UK :-
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, quirky and thought provoking
5 June 2019
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
A very entertaining read from first time author, Ali Nelson. Had a couple of laugh out loud sections and some great characters that pop up throughout. Some nice twists as you journey through Sophie’s imagination........excellent!
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and engaging
8 June 2019
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I found this a witty book and easy to read. We follow Sophie through a crazy mix of her Imagination and reality, revealing how she relates to the people around her and her bumbling boss. Part 2 and more please.
5.0 out of 5 stars Novel and engaging
11 June 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Certainly a new take on history, but a captivating one; The Rest is History carves a unique furrow which is well worth following.
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly good
10 June 2019
Format: Paperback
Enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
Exciting, funny, sad and thought provoking but most of all its totally different from the norm.
Such a well thought out story line.
Cant wait for the 2nd part!
4.0 out of 5 stars Quirky comical unconventional debut novel.
22 April 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
An aspiring first time author, has come up with an enjoyable and well thought through concept. A diverting read for the discerning reader.
Looking forward to the direction Part 2 will take.
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, creative and compelling!
13 June 2019
Format: Paperback
I loved this book. It is funny, dramatic, sad and thought-provoking and a brilliant first novel from Mr Nelson. A very original story and I'm hoping that we are going to see a lot more from this new author. I even enjoyed reading his bio on the Amazon site. He is quite clearly from another planet.
5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating read that does not disappoint.
18 June 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Great read that kept me guessing as to what would happen next. The book is well written and is definitely a different take on history, containing funny moments and emotional moments. I enjoyed every page and look forward to future writings by Ali Nelson. Keep up the good work!!
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent!
19 July 2019
Format: Paperback
The Rest is History is an engaging, funny, insightful and moving story, the true definition of a ‘page turner’. You will laugh out loud and have your heart warmed as well as enjoying an unconventional history lesson. The twists and turns are clever and left me excited about reading part two when it comes out. Hard to believe this is Ali Nelson’s first novel. Keep writing, we want more!
4.0 out of 5 starsOriginal and captivating storyline with a twist
24 July 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is an amazing work of first-time author Ali Nelson. Its original storyline (the title will make sense to the reader soon) and the unexpected twists make fore very good reading. It took me a little while to get into the story but I was soon hooked and couldn't put the book down at all. I read it in a weekend and really can't wait for the second book to come out and read more about Sophie and her adventures.
4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining escape from reality
31 July 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
A unique take on historical events, cleverly interwoven into the quirky concept behind the storyline. This concept is thought provoking and inspires the reader to look at history from a different perspective. When we see how Sophie may think, feel and react when placed within the leading role of the diverse historical scenarios running through her active imagination. It inspires the question how might we the reader experience things and react in Sophie’s shoes?
An easy read which was entertaining with a smattering of light heated humour.
