David Mitchell, author of A Boy from Nowhere (Sep 28-Oct 9)
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1ablachly
Please welcome David Mitchell, author of A Boy from Nowhere: v. 1 . David will be chatting on Librarything until October 9th.
Please note—this is not David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green, but a different David Mitchell.
Please note—this is not David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green, but a different David Mitchell.
2DavidMitchell28
Good Afternoon Folks ! Greetings from the lovely country of Devon in SW England.
My name is David Mitchell and I was born in London way back in 1928. I arrived just in time for the great crash at Wall Street followed by the Great Depression - but I assure you I had nothing to do with either ! In my book ((A BOY FROM NOWHERE written in two volumes)) I have recounted my long life - a life full of great experiences and adventures, a throwback to times which have now vanished and which we shall never see again, and, may I say, a life of which I had no right to dream, let alone live.
It begins in the slums and backstreets of London's East End Docklands where I was born to a poor family - it seemed everyone was poor in those hard days, but maybe the folks around us were poorer than most. But I rejected my father's view that we were working class people and that we should not try to rise above our station !
So against all the odds, with my education quite spoiled by the war, and through grit and determination, plus a slice of luck which we all need from time to time, I fought my way out of the East End and became successful in The City of London as an international businessman.
But may I make a suggestion - why not log in to my website on www.davidjmitchell.co.uk read it, and then fire away any questions you may care to put to me. I do believe that would be a better basis to start and the info on my website may prompt many questions from you which may not have occurred to you otherwise. I will gladly answer them all. This is a story for those who like 'rags to riches' tales - but this is not just a tale for it is all true.
David ((Mitchell))
My name is David Mitchell and I was born in London way back in 1928. I arrived just in time for the great crash at Wall Street followed by the Great Depression - but I assure you I had nothing to do with either ! In my book ((A BOY FROM NOWHERE written in two volumes)) I have recounted my long life - a life full of great experiences and adventures, a throwback to times which have now vanished and which we shall never see again, and, may I say, a life of which I had no right to dream, let alone live.
It begins in the slums and backstreets of London's East End Docklands where I was born to a poor family - it seemed everyone was poor in those hard days, but maybe the folks around us were poorer than most. But I rejected my father's view that we were working class people and that we should not try to rise above our station !
So against all the odds, with my education quite spoiled by the war, and through grit and determination, plus a slice of luck which we all need from time to time, I fought my way out of the East End and became successful in The City of London as an international businessman.
But may I make a suggestion - why not log in to my website on www.davidjmitchell.co.uk read it, and then fire away any questions you may care to put to me. I do believe that would be a better basis to start and the info on my website may prompt many questions from you which may not have occurred to you otherwise. I will gladly answer them all. This is a story for those who like 'rags to riches' tales - but this is not just a tale for it is all true.
David ((Mitchell))
3dominic12
your books are a big hit at my school my name is dominic pulver and i go to beatty fleaming public school in brampton.
4DavidMitchell28
Hallo Dominic12 and many greetings from England.
Nice to hear from you. But when you mention 'books' I wonder if I am the correct David Mitchell for you. I am not the David Mitchell who wrote CLOUD ATLAS and so far I have written just the one book i.e. A BOY FROM NOWHERE in two volumes. If you would like to know more about it and me please be so kind and visit my website on: www.davidjmitchell.co.uk and you can read all about me, my book, my short stories and my future intentions etc. After you have done so you might like to ask me some questions which I will be pleased to answer. So I hope to hear from you again. Meanwhile, best of luck in your studies. David
Nice to hear from you. But when you mention 'books' I wonder if I am the correct David Mitchell for you. I am not the David Mitchell who wrote CLOUD ATLAS and so far I have written just the one book i.e. A BOY FROM NOWHERE in two volumes. If you would like to know more about it and me please be so kind and visit my website on: www.davidjmitchell.co.uk and you can read all about me, my book, my short stories and my future intentions etc. After you have done so you might like to ask me some questions which I will be pleased to answer. So I hope to hear from you again. Meanwhile, best of luck in your studies. David
5justjim
Greetings David,
I have just had a look at the precis of your book on your website (I appear to have been visitor number 206!), it looks very interesting.
I would certainly like to pick up a copy and read it. By then I may have a relevant question to ask you, but by then, of course, you will have moved on from this LT interview!
Do you know if it is being distributed in Australia? If not, I may have to use "The Book Depository" to get a copy.
I would be curious to know why the "Welcome" page of your website has a little Aussie flag on the bottom saying "Proud member of Aussie Authors"? Your precis didn't say that you had visited here at any time. Maybe I missed something.
Jim
I have just had a look at the precis of your book on your website (I appear to have been visitor number 206!), it looks very interesting.
I would certainly like to pick up a copy and read it. By then I may have a relevant question to ask you, but by then, of course, you will have moved on from this LT interview!
Do you know if it is being distributed in Australia? If not, I may have to use "The Book Depository" to get a copy.
I would be curious to know why the "Welcome" page of your website has a little Aussie flag on the bottom saying "Proud member of Aussie Authors"? Your precis didn't say that you had visited here at any time. Maybe I missed something.
Jim
6DavidMitchell28
Hallo JustJim
Nice to hear from you. Firstly, my website is very new and my other site i.e. ww w.aboyfromnowhere.com is not connected up yet. I am very pleased you find my book interesting and I can confirm to you that it really is ! I know because I lived that life - all 81 years of it !
It is a book of interest to those who like to read about the old days, about the rags to riches story that it is, about old music hall, or Vaudeville stories, about historical facts, about military events - especially OPERATION MARKET GARDEN - I studied this operation very closely and write about it because my childhood pal, Alfie, died near Arnhem in 1944 at the tender age of only 19. I wanted to know WHY he died. It is of much interest too for those interested in life behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, about spies and how they work, and certainly of interest to those who like to read business stories.i.e what goes on behind the scenes - and many other incidents in my long and adventurous life. The Headmaster of our school here in Cheriton Bishop, George Austin, bought my book and told me he read every word in one go ! He said he couldn't put it down ! If you want to buy one or both volumes I suggest you do so via Amazon.co.uk to see what they are offering (they were offering postfree but I am not sure if that continues) and then compare with Amazon.com to see what is being offered there.
Regarding the "Aussie Authors" logo on my website - I had a lot to do with this organisation - just visit www.aussieauthors.com and you can read all about it and something about me. When they heard I was having a new website designed they asked me to put their logo on which I was happy to
do.
If you want to contact me after reading my book(s) you will find an option on every page of my website enabling you to send me an email. Do this and I will respond by sending you some short stories to read. Read the short story page and make a selection if you email me. Bye for now - or if you like, G'Day mate !
David
Nice to hear from you. Firstly, my website is very new and my other site i.e. ww w.aboyfromnowhere.com is not connected up yet. I am very pleased you find my book interesting and I can confirm to you that it really is ! I know because I lived that life - all 81 years of it !
It is a book of interest to those who like to read about the old days, about the rags to riches story that it is, about old music hall, or Vaudeville stories, about historical facts, about military events - especially OPERATION MARKET GARDEN - I studied this operation very closely and write about it because my childhood pal, Alfie, died near Arnhem in 1944 at the tender age of only 19. I wanted to know WHY he died. It is of much interest too for those interested in life behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, about spies and how they work, and certainly of interest to those who like to read business stories.i.e what goes on behind the scenes - and many other incidents in my long and adventurous life. The Headmaster of our school here in Cheriton Bishop, George Austin, bought my book and told me he read every word in one go ! He said he couldn't put it down ! If you want to buy one or both volumes I suggest you do so via Amazon.co.uk to see what they are offering (they were offering postfree but I am not sure if that continues) and then compare with Amazon.com to see what is being offered there.
Regarding the "Aussie Authors" logo on my website - I had a lot to do with this organisation - just visit www.aussieauthors.com and you can read all about it and something about me. When they heard I was having a new website designed they asked me to put their logo on which I was happy to
do.
If you want to contact me after reading my book(s) you will find an option on every page of my website enabling you to send me an email. Do this and I will respond by sending you some short stories to read. Read the short story page and make a selection if you email me. Bye for now - or if you like, G'Day mate !
David
7DavidMitchell28
Hallo Dominic12 once again !
In my response to you yesterday I wanted to tell you how lucky you are in going to a nice school as Beatty Fleeming High School. I envy you because when I was young my education was ruined by the war as when I returned to London in 1941 I found my part of the world almost completely devastated by bombing by the Luftwaffe. There was no school for me to go to ! They had either been bombed or had been totally evacuated to safer areas. I had been notified that I
had 'passed the scholarship' as we used to say. But it was of no value to me for no better school was available. So when they began a temporary elementary school in Poplar High Street I was forced to go there. But I learned nothing because they were teaching matters which I had already learned. On the lower floor of this temporary school was a BRITISH RESTAURANT - this was a government idea to provide a 2 course lunch to poor people for just one shilling ! But the main attraction was that people could eat there without surrendering food rationing coupons - all foods were rationed in the war. So when I heard they wanted a boy to peel potatoes for the restaurant I jumped at the chance and for doing this I obtained a free lunch every day ! But in any case, I came from a poor, working class, family and our tradition back then was that at the age of 14 boys left school to go out to work and help support their families. I had to do the same and my first job paid £1.10.0d per week - less than $5 dollars ! Of this I had to surrender £1 to my mother leaving me with just 10 shillings to pay my bus fares to work and my lunches each day. Guess how many lunches I had in a week ? Very few I can tell you but the worst thing was that not too far from where I worked was a Chop House where they cooked the most delicious chops, sausages, steaks, in the window. The smell of that food lives with me still - and I am 81 ! Well I didn't have the money to go into the Chop House and so I pressed my nose up against the window and had to be content watching others eat this lovely food. I decided then that when I became rich I would return to that Chop House and order one of everything they had ! But by the time I was able to do that the shop had closed down - I was bitterly disappointed.
But I am happy for you that you attend a nice school. So - carry on studying !
Bye for now
David
In my response to you yesterday I wanted to tell you how lucky you are in going to a nice school as Beatty Fleeming High School. I envy you because when I was young my education was ruined by the war as when I returned to London in 1941 I found my part of the world almost completely devastated by bombing by the Luftwaffe. There was no school for me to go to ! They had either been bombed or had been totally evacuated to safer areas. I had been notified that I
had 'passed the scholarship' as we used to say. But it was of no value to me for no better school was available. So when they began a temporary elementary school in Poplar High Street I was forced to go there. But I learned nothing because they were teaching matters which I had already learned. On the lower floor of this temporary school was a BRITISH RESTAURANT - this was a government idea to provide a 2 course lunch to poor people for just one shilling ! But the main attraction was that people could eat there without surrendering food rationing coupons - all foods were rationed in the war. So when I heard they wanted a boy to peel potatoes for the restaurant I jumped at the chance and for doing this I obtained a free lunch every day ! But in any case, I came from a poor, working class, family and our tradition back then was that at the age of 14 boys left school to go out to work and help support their families. I had to do the same and my first job paid £1.10.0d per week - less than $5 dollars ! Of this I had to surrender £1 to my mother leaving me with just 10 shillings to pay my bus fares to work and my lunches each day. Guess how many lunches I had in a week ? Very few I can tell you but the worst thing was that not too far from where I worked was a Chop House where they cooked the most delicious chops, sausages, steaks, in the window. The smell of that food lives with me still - and I am 81 ! Well I didn't have the money to go into the Chop House and so I pressed my nose up against the window and had to be content watching others eat this lovely food. I decided then that when I became rich I would return to that Chop House and order one of everything they had ! But by the time I was able to do that the shop had closed down - I was bitterly disappointed.
But I am happy for you that you attend a nice school. So - carry on studying !
Bye for now
David
8DavidMitchell28
Ho, Hum, Folks !
I am sitting here in my study looking over the lovely Devon countryside and wondering where you all are ! I would love to communicate with you all wherever you may be. Try to have a look at my website first (on www.davidjmitchell.co.uk) as it may suggest some questions to you that might not otherwise occur. I can answer any questions you like on old pre-war London and how it used to be in the old days, The Blitz and the War, Operation Market Garden (featured in the film A BRIDGE TOO FAR), historic London, how to battle one's way from poverty to a much better life as I did, the postwar period, how I became involved with communism and my first hand experiences behind the Iron Curtain, and with spies, why we chose early retirement to go for the good life instead of chasing more money, how we built our lovely villa in Spain and went there for 9 wonderful years that I will never forget, and I will answer any question about business. You see - there is plenty we can talk about !
I hope to hear from you.
David
I am sitting here in my study looking over the lovely Devon countryside and wondering where you all are ! I would love to communicate with you all wherever you may be. Try to have a look at my website first (on www.davidjmitchell.co.uk) as it may suggest some questions to you that might not otherwise occur. I can answer any questions you like on old pre-war London and how it used to be in the old days, The Blitz and the War, Operation Market Garden (featured in the film A BRIDGE TOO FAR), historic London, how to battle one's way from poverty to a much better life as I did, the postwar period, how I became involved with communism and my first hand experiences behind the Iron Curtain, and with spies, why we chose early retirement to go for the good life instead of chasing more money, how we built our lovely villa in Spain and went there for 9 wonderful years that I will never forget, and I will answer any question about business. You see - there is plenty we can talk about !
I hope to hear from you.
David
