Author:John Diamond
At the time of his death from cancer on 1 March 2001, journalist and broadcaster John Diamond had completed six chapters of what was to be "an uncomplimentary look at the world of complementary medicine". These chapters, based on his own experience and on researched fact, which were emailed each week to his editors at Random House, are both personal and poignant, hard hitting and controversial, tackling the issues raised by alternative medicine with total candour and his usual wit. The second half of this book features some of the best of Diamond's writing, including a selection of emails to colleagues and friends, articles from "The Times" and the "Jewish Chronicle" and other publications, together with excerpts from his final notebook. For seven years he wrote an immensely popular weekly column in "The Times" which, following his diagnosis with cancer, was given over to following the progress of the disease. As well as gaining him a Columnist of the Year award, it resulted in an avalanche of mail from thousands of his readers.
...allows a glimpse into the mindset of an anorexic
—— GlamourA brave, brilliant and beautifully written memoir
—— Vicki EdgsonCompellling
—— Easy LivingThere have been many books on the subject of anorexia but this is the first that I have read that both moved me to tears AND gave me the tools to help anyone around me who might suffer from this consuming demon. This book will give hope and help to both sufferers of anorexia and, just as importantly, those who are close to them. A brilliant read and a great, great help.
—— Susie Forbes (Editor) , Easy LivingRemarkably insightful and entertaining, with Clare proving himself to be the most enthusiastic, open-minded, intelligent and incorrigibly romantic of travellers
—— Mail on SundayClare has produced an enthusiastic, often elegiac, chronicle of his encounters with the swallows
—— Brian Schofield , The Sunday TimesHis eye for detail and his elegant pen give flavour of each country he crosses: great veldt and high plateaux, Congo's "green vastness", the "sandy seas" of the Sahel and, finally, the fertile plain of the north African coast
—— The EconomistThe resulting book, travel writing at its very best, is enthralling, passionate, hair-raising, quirky, hilarious, informative, occasionally mad and utterly, utterly brilliant... irresistible stuff.
—— Val Hennessy , Daily MailHoratio Clare pays tribute to the extraordinary migratory journeys of the swallow...a book that combines travel with natural history
—— MetroIt's graphically done, making me feel I was with him all the way
—— The Sunday Telegraph, Seven MagazineClare is engaging and makes a convincing case for the futility of borders
—— Philip Womack , Daily TelegraphAn exciting book, and often very moving
—— Susan Hill , The LadyThis is a book of rare lyrical beauty
—— Brian Maye , Irish TimesHis descriptive prose is faultlessly evocative
—— Daily MailThis is a really excellent critique of the travel industry . . . If you are interested in the tourist industry this book is highly recommended, being easy to read, while being very thorough and searching in the questions it asks.
—— Fiona Archer , www.ecozine.co.ukExcellent and thoroughly compelling . . . The Final Call deserves to be read by those of us lucky enough to be able to fly on a regular basis . . . Hickman's book is a sobering, thoughtful and intelligent reminder that it is a privilege we need to be forcefully reminded not to take for granted.
—— Irish TimesThoughtful and thought-provoking.
—— Mick Herron , GEOGRAPHICAL magazineWell written and engaging without being too gloomy and prescriptive, this book makes for uncomfortable, yet necessary, reading for anyone who enjoys travel.
—— TelegraphThis much appreciated book should be a must-read for everyone who likes to travel, and should be translated into the languages of the world's tourism champions. It should also be a must-read for politicians and decision makers in development agencies to finally understand that tourism has lost the 'virginity' of a harmless leisure sector to develop into a dangerous global driving force which needs to be regulated and restricted.
—— Contours magazine