Monday, 10 November 2014

Publication is now set for Feb 28th 2015
                                                                          
Looks at the Cardiff Pals and other local regiments who fought in the Great War and how the experience of war impacted on the area, from the initial enthusiasm for sorting out the German Kaiser in time for Christmas 1914, to the gradual realization of the enormity of human sacrifice the families of Cardiff were committed to as the war stretched out over the next four years. An important place for Coal export this book looks at how the balance between working and fighting was achieved by the Dockyard workers The Great War affected everyone. At home there were wounded soldiers in military hospitals, refugees from Belgium and later on German prisoners of war. There were food and fuel shortages and disruption to schooling. The role of women changed dramatically and they undertook a variety of work undreamed of in peacetime. Meanwhile, men serving in the armed forces were scattered far and wide. Extracts from contemporary letters reveal their heroism and give insights into what it was like under battle conditions.

Voices of the Welsh

This weekend I was interviewed by Emil Franzi on radio for the show Voices of the West which broadcasts from Arizona - Voices of the West is a radio program originating in Tucson, AZ over AM 1030 KVOI on Saturday at 4pm.

I enjoyed the chat and find it incredible that here I was, communicating via Skype, sat in wet and windy South Wales while my voice was being broadcast live across the west. I've never set foot in Arizona, though I believe several of my books have made it there and now my voice travels ahead of me. Voices of the West is a great radio show that western fanatics will love and many of the episodes are made available online after broadcast - You can hear my episode by clicking HERE and while you're there you might as well check out all of the old shows in the archive. Western fans are bound to find much of interest.

This weekend also saw the Rememberance Day services across the UK, and the Great War was very much on my mind because at the moment I'm going through the final edits on my book, Cardiff and the Valleys During the Great War which is due out next February from Pen and Sword Books. Add to that several other projects that I'm working on and it's pretty chaotic here at Archive Towers. I've recently gone through the proofs of my next Black Horse Western, The Man From Jurusalem (out next year) and am falling behind on a western novel, Outlaw Fury. I'm also working on the next Granny Smith novel, Murder Plot, which will see a sad loss in Granny's household and a gruesome murder in the vegtable patch. Never fear though because Granny Smith, Miss Marple on steroids, is here to put things right.

As well as all that I need to find time to eat and sleep - ahh well, pipe full of Virginia Flake in mouth, and it's back to the grindstone. No rest for the wicked, I suppose and believe me I can be wicked......


Tainted Stats

Weekly Stats Report: 3 Nov - 9 Nov 2014
Project: THE TAINTED ARCHIVE
URL: http://tainted-archive.blogspot.com/

Summary


  Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun Total Avg
Pageloads1842301772012001992501,441206
Unique Visits1742101671871861932261,343192
First Time Visits1732071661871831912251,332190
Returning Visits1310321112