Roll over image to zoom in
The Thomas the Tank Engine Man: The life of Reverend W Awdry
The Thomas the Tank Engine Man - 9780745970295
-9%
£11.82
in stock
Thomas the Tank Engine: Complete Collection 70th Anniversary Edition (Classic Th
£13.46
in stock
The Railway Series Classic Thomas the Tank Engine 26 Books Collection Boxed Set
£36.43
in stock
Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection by (delete) Awdry Board book The
-84%
£4.61
out of stock
Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection By Awdry
£4.92
out of stock
The stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have delighted generations of children and adults, but what do we know of the man who created them?
A devoted pastor and family man, the Reverend W Awdry first started telling the stories in order to amuse his own children, with no idea that the characters would lead to a global phenomenon that now, seventy years after their first appearance, shows no signs of waning.
In this fascinating and warm biography, prolific author Brian Sibley brings to life one of the most eminent children’s writers of the twentieth century, tracing his story from his Edwardian childhood through his time at University and into World War 2. A convinced pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another, because of his beliefs. Never afraid to fight for what he thought was right, he argued with his publishers and his illustrators, demanding the best for his favourite creations – the trains and their friends.
Read more
by Eugene Didier’Serre
Having known the Author, the book really does him justice.
by BOULLANGER Jacqueline
LIVRAISON RAPIDE – PRODUIT CONFORME A LA COMMANDE
by Robert and Alyssa Carlson
Included enough interviews and first hand stories from the Awdrys to rise above hypothesis and actually show the work and inspiration that went into the Railway Series. Growing up in the 90s I was exposed to both the commercial Thomas on television and the classic one of the Awdry books and here in Brian’s book you can learn where they both came from.
by Anne
This is an amended version of a previously published biography of the Rev WV Awdry who is most famous for writing the ever-loved Thomas the Tank Engine books. It was originally written when the subject was still alive and able to provide material and clarify matters. The author is clear that the author read the finished book and asked for no amendments and I think that this is likely true because there is very little that could be construed as a criticism of Rev Awdry in the book, it is very much a narrative of his life and works rather than a critique of his books and life choices.
Rev Wilbert Awdry was born into a clerical, train loving family. The story of his early life and how he and his brothers were brought up is an interesting look into early twentieth century middle class life and is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of material from the diary written by Rev Awdry’s mother. He chooses to become a Church of England clergyman and a conscientious objector during the Second World War. Following the war he marries, starts a family and the books are born. It is at this time of the narrative when the author stops chronicling Rev Awdry’s life in detail and begins to concentrate on the trains – I might have liked to know more about his life as a clergyman but this book is really about his life as an author.
The book really concentrates on Rev Awdry’s love for trains and the books he created and although I know the books well (I have read them far too often to my sons) I did think that there was way too much detail here. The information about the illustrators and the rules that Rev Awdry made for his world were fascinating as was the detail about objections to the world he created and the animation but there was just too much about each book, his enthusiasm for preserved railways and negotiations with his publisher. I won’t say that I was bored but I was within sight of that status.
This is an entertaining look at a man and his work which has an enduring appeal. Rev Awdry comes across as a very genuine man and his moral outlook and how it is reflected in his books gets plenty of attention. I might have wished for less train and related detail but on the whole this was an entertaining read and I enjoyed learning about the man and his books.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.
by Matt
A good read for anyone that would like to learn about the life of Awdry. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I’m glad I purchased it.
by Tate
A present for my Grandson and he thought it was brilliant. He found the history so interesting.
by Kellie Kiernan
Nice book (for adults) about the Thomas the tank engine author – interesting biography
by MSC
A superb read especially if you have enjoyed the Thomas books and videos (at least those narrated by Ringo Starr).
by metalhip
As a long standing fan/reader/collector of the ORIGINAL railway books it was extremely interesting to find out about the man and his sometime struggles to get his books printed as he wanted them. Some real in depth facts and history and very readable.
by J Bak
This is a great autobiography, such a lot of information and background to the Thomas books.
by E Coleman
Maybe you have to be a certain age, a ferro equinologist and live in the Parish of Kings Norton, Birmingham (like me) to enjoy this book. But I suspect it has a far greater appeal and will make even more sense of why Sodor lives on.
by Jonathan Tad Fisher
great for all age young or old
by Tyr
If you’ve ever seen something related to Thomas the Tank Engine and wanted to know the history of the man who wrote about all those trains and their stories on the island of Sodor, then you definitely should check out this biography. You definitely want the 2015 edition so you can read about what came after Awdry’s death. Read all about Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Toby, and the rest all from this book.