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Acquisition of an Affordable Collection - Alec Smith.
Alec Smith has a passion for books. He collects rare books, first editions, as well as letters and original documents. He has amassed an amazing collection of books over the years including some unique Tolkien and JK Rowling editions. A recent acquisition is a letter written by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson a week before the Battle of Trafalgar eerily predicting his own death.
Alec will discuss how to put together a book collection without necessarily draining monetary resources, with newscaster, presenter and author John Suchet. He will also talk about what first inspired him, his successes and failures, joys and disappointments.
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Adult Acting Workshops with Galore Theatre.
Galore Theatre Company are continuing their successful Adult Acting Workshops this autumn.
Galore Theatre Company is a vibrant, community-focused theatre group based in South Devon, working with both young people and adult actors across a range of projects and performances. Alongside our thriving youth theatre, we are really keen to create opportunities for adults to explore acting in a supportive environment.
Our adult workshops are designed for anyone aged 18+ who is curious about acting - whether you’re completely new or returning after time away. Sessions are relaxed and friendly, focusing on building confidence, developing skills and technique and enjoying the process without pressure.
Over two 6-week blocks, participants will explore character, voice, movement and simple scene work through engaging, accessible exercises, learning at their own pace while gaining a solid foundation in performance.
Each workshop will end with an optional showcase performance, offering the chance to share what’s been developed.
£9 per session or £7 concession.
Session run from 15/9-20/10 and 3/11-8/12.
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Becoming the Ocean : Julian Carnell
Julian Carnell has been Director of The Sharpham Trust for over ten years. The Trust owns a historic estate on the banks of the river, downstream from Totnes, offering mindfulness retreats with a focus on reconnecting people to the natural world. Three years ago, he helped create the Wild Dart Partnership to bring together over twenty organisations, landowners and community groups with the aim of restoring the health of the river.
Julian will talk about his new book Becoming the Ocean – a River Dart Journey Through the Wild, the Ancient and the Sacred which follows the Dart from its source high in the peatlands of Dartmoor, through valleys of temperate rainforest, the farming lowlands and the estuary before reaching the sea at Dartmouth. Along the way discovering the amazing history, people and wildlife associated with the river and what we can do to try and reverse its decline and the decline of all our rivers.
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Bosun Bob – Erin Allgrove
Bob and his feline friend have escaped shipwreck and are off on a nautical treasure hunt. They meet many friendly animals along the way who guide them to an oceanic volcano where the treasure is hidden and guarded by a mysterious creature. Will the friends find the treasure, will they escape the volcano?!
This beautifully written tale is the perfect sequel to Bosun Bob The Salty Old Sea Dog. Created by Erin Allgrove and beautifully illustrated by Emily Langstaff Ellis this book and the creatures inside will really capture the imagination of children and adults alike, perfect for reading together.
Yachting Monthly Magazine
FREE TO ATTEND
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Dartmouth History Research Group.
Come along to this session if you are interested in our fascinating local history. Members of the group will be available to talk about their work, and their locally published books will be available to buy. Their most recent publication is: When War Came to the Dart, by Gail Ham and Hilary Sunman, which combines the memories of local people with official records and other contemporary accounts to chart the impact as the communities of the Dart were immersed in war.
Dartmouth History Research Group has published 40 books and booklets on the area’s history. Books have been written on local figures including Thomas Newcomen, John Davis, John Flavel and Willam Veale; and on local places including Hawley’s Fortalice, The Castle Hotel, Bayards Cove and Slapton Sands.
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Dartmouth Writers Walk : Jonathan Turner
A 1.5 hour guided walk around Dartmouth visiting the places where Dartmouth writers lived and worked.
Hear stories of a non-conformist preacher, banned from Dartmouth, whose sermons are still in print today; of the Victorian politician and inventor who wrote a gothic ghost story for his friend, about Dartmouth’s Gomerock Tower. Listen to poems about the River Dart, and Townstal Church, by a Dartmouth artist and see his painting of the Governor of Dartmouth Castle in the Guildhall. See Flora Thomson’s house with its stunning harbour views, where she wrote her trilogy Larkrise to Candleford, and Chritopher Milne’s (aka Robin) bookshop, a Dartmouth landmark for over 30 years. Visit the grave of a Medieval merchant and privateer, the inspiration for Chaucer’s Shipman’s Tale, and Dartmouth Museum founded by writer and historian Percy Russell, author of the first and best-selling History of Dartmouth and its Port.
As well as the literary sites, you will see the heart of Dartmouth, its backstreets, medieval and Tudor buildings; its steep steps, and magnificent harbour views.
The walk is 1.25 miles long and will involve two short climbs up to wonderful viewpoints, and some steep steps down again!
Maximum number for each walk: 15
Dramatically Different 2026 (7+)
Dramatically Different Youth Theatre is a fun, energetic drama group where young people can grow, explore, and express themselves. Students build confidence, discover their voice, and form genuine friendships in a supportive, creative environment.
This is a drama-focused group with less emphasis on musical theatre and more emphasis on performance skills such as improvisation and devising, physical theatre, voice and characterisation, writing and script work.
This group is perfect for anyone who wants to develop acting skills, stretch their imagination, and enjoy the excitement of performance.
Director and facilitator, Rachel Swain, is an award-winning Youth Theatre Practitioner, with over 25 years teaching experience, Rachel writes original Youth Theatre productions to ensure all young people have their moment to shine. Her youth group ‘Dramatically Different Brixham’ has been the resident Youth Theatre in Brixham for over 10 years and ‘Dramatically Different Teignmouth’ has been a huge success since it was established in 2019.
Suitable for ages 7 to 18 years There are two weekly sessions on a Wednesday - please make sure you book into the correct session. The earlier group at 4pm will be for younger children and the later group at 5.15pm will be for the older age group, but we are very happy to vary this depending on what suits your individual child, so please contact us if you wish to discuss.
Session 1 ‘Juniors’ 4pm to 5pm - Younger age group (typically age 7 to 9)
Session 2 ‘Transitions’ 5.15pm to 6.15pm - Older age group (typically age 10+)
Classes begin on Wednesday 9th September
16th September
23rd September
30th September
7th October
14th October
21st October
11th November
18th November
25th November
2nd December
The sessions cost £95 per term, which will normally include between 9 and 11 sessions depending on the actual term dates, but dates and term lengths can vary.
A number of subsidised places are available to Dartmouth Residents through our Bursary Scheme. Please email Lindsay Ellwood for details of the bursary scheme on:
flaveldrama.bursaries@gmail.com
Elemental : Arthur Snell
Arthur Snell - in conversation with Mary Nightingale
Arthur Snell is an expert on the interaction between geopolitics and climate change with a degree in History from the University of Oxford. He has over 30 years’ experience in conflict zones and fragile states through the Middle East and Africa and has advised governments – including Ukraine during the current conflict – on a range of security and conflict-related issues. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, the world’s oldest think tank, a former British Ambassador, and has hosted numerous podcasts which have had millions of downloads.
In Elemental, Arthur describes how the climate crisis is already affecting the lives of millions of people. As natural disasters and increased scarcity shake the established world order to its core, he reveals that an alternative future is still possible.
In this groundbreaking study Arthur Snell visits rapidly changing societies to show how we can
live on a warming planet. He presents a vision in which Africa powers Europe with solar energy,
where autocratic oil states are no more, and new shipping routes across the melting Arctic bring
Asia, Europe and North America closer than ever before. In Russia, huge areas of highly fertile
land will be exposed by the melting ice for whoever can seize it, while China's stranglehold on
rare minerals looks set to make it the world's leading superpower.
‘An extraordinary mastery of geopolitics, combining years on the ground in the most
challenging places, a raw instinct for politics and a deep ethical concern for the world in the
face of climate catastrophe. A masterpiece.’ RORY STEWART
Arthur Snell will be in conversation with Mary Nightingale.
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Exhibition on Screen : James McNeil Whistler (U)
JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER
In an era of great change and great beauty emerged the character of James McNeill Whistler. Considered by some to be one of the great innovators of 19th century art, he was a contemporary of the Impressionists, much admired by Van Gogh and Manet. Boldly experimental and famously witty, Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating “art for art’s sake” and earning himself a place in the history of great art. He found a parallel between painting and music, and entitled many of his paintings “arrangements”, “harmonies” and “nocturnes”, emphasizing the importance of tonal harmony in his work.
His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler’s Mother, is a revered and often parodied portrait of motherhood. It is arguably one of the most famous paintings in history and this film will unveil the artist behind the art.
Tate Britain is now holding the first major retrospective of Whistler in three decades. This blockbuster exhibition promises to reawaken the world to just how important Whistler is to art history, uniting world-famous masterpieces with rarely seen works. Exhibition on Screen will bring these stunning works and the incredible story behind them to cinemas around the world while the exhibition is still running, bringing this truly global artist to a global audience. This will be an unmissable chance to get to know this visually spectacular artist and the influence he has had on those who followed.
“An artist is not paid for his labour but for his vision.” James McNeil Whistler
Made in close collaboration with Tate Britain.
Directed by David Bickerstaff
£14 adults/£11 under 16’s
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Family History as Inspiration for Writing - Alison Huntingford
Alison Huntingford is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family.
This inspired her to research her family history and led her to write her debut novel, ‘The Glass Bulldog’, based on the true story of one of her ancestors, which was nominated for the Walter Scott prize for Historical Fiction in 2019. Her second full length novel, ‘A Ha’penny Will Do’ was published January 2022. 'Dance A Fearful Jig', her third historical novel, was published in January 2024.
Alison has a degree in Humanities with Literature and has always enjoyed reading, especially the great writers of the 19th Century. In September 2021 Alison set up the South Hams Authors Network – an organisation which aims to support and promote the work of Devon writers. This is a free, informal group which meets on a monthly basis and has a devoted and loyal following. The group have been involved in book readings at libraries and shops, stalls at local fayres, radio interviews and local newspaper articles. This culminated in the much praised Dartmoor Edge Literary Fest in October 2022, followed by the South Hams Literary Festival around Ivybridge in 2023.
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Fiesta : Daniel Stables
Daniel Stables – in conversation with Martin Hesp
Daniel Stables is a travel writer and guidebook author based in the UK, specializing in regions such as
Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. He has authored or contributed to over 30 travel
books for various publishers, including Rough Guides and DK Eyewitness, and writes for outlets like BBC
Travel and National Geographic Traveller. In 2021, he was shortlisted in the Freelance Writing Awards for
his work in travel writing. You can find more about his work on his website danielstables.co.uk or follow him on Twitter
@DanStables
Fiesta explores the vibrant tapestry of human festivity, delving into the extraordinary lengths to which we go to express
our cultures and commemorate life's milestones. From drunken pilgrimages to sacrificial funerals, national days to
neo-pagan necromancy, festivals represent human culture at its most vivid and varied, and the resulting account is both
a rich collection of travel writing and an anthropological exploration of the roles that festivals play in society. Through
colourful characters, vibrant sights, and varied locales, Daniel Stables takes a curious, humanistic look at festivals
across the world, unravelling the universal threads that run through our diverse global celebrations.
Daniel Stables will be in conversation with Martin Hesp.
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HELENA CLEWS: LIFE DRAWING CLASSES..
HELENA CLEWS: LIFE DRAWING CLASSES
(max 30 participants)
£135 for block of 6 classes to include complimentary hot drinks and biscuits
Tuesday 15 September
Tuesday 22 September
Tuesday 29 September
Tuesday 6 October
Tuesday 13 October
Tuesday 20 October
10am -12.30pm
Book your place and join in on the hugely successful life drawing workshops at the Flavel. It's a wonderful opportunity to draw alongside Helena and practice one of the fundamental skills of art.
The workshops are for all abilities. Helena will be available to provide individual feedback and help as necessary. The sessions are divided into the first part of short poses, ranging from 1 - 20 minute poses, a short break and then one long pose for around 55 minutes.
Information on what you need:
Please bring materials that you would like to draw with; ideally some charcoal (compressed and willow), coloured soft pastels, soft pencil (2B or softer) and a rubber. If you have your own paper/sketchbook then please bring that too.
Drawing boards will be provided and sheets of A2 cartridge paper is available to buy in cash on the day - 4 sheets for £1. There will also be some basic materials available on the day in exchange for a cash donation.
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Jeremy Hunt : Can We Be Rich Again?
Is Britain stuck in a doom loop of higher debt and higher taxes? Or can we fix the
British economy?
In Can We Be Rich Again? Jeremy Hunt argues that getting out of Britain’s low
growth is a solvable problem, and that we should approach the country’s economic
future with optimism.
Hunt asks the key questions: How deliverable are the changes we need by a Labour,
Conservative or Reform government? How do we get the economy growing despite
dangerous levels of debt? How do we sell long term reforms when our leaders have
so little political capital? But countering pessimism needs solutions not just
assertions, and they need to be realistic – plans that politicians can actually deliver in
a democratic system and the majority of the electorate can get behind.
Jeremy Hunt was elected Conservative MP for South West
Surrey in 2005. He was first appointed Secretary of State for
Health in September 2012, then served as Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from July 2018 to July 2019, and Chancellor of
the Exchequer from October 2022 to July 2024. Before his election as an MP, Jeremy
ran his own educational publishing business, Hotcourses. He also set up a charity to
help AIDS orphans in Africa in which he continues to play an active role. Jeremy
lives in Godalming and London with his wife, son and two daughters.
Jeremy Hunt will be interviewed by John Suchet.
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Michael Rosen : Getting Through It
Join poetry legend Michael Rosen as he presents his new one-person show Getting Through It, formed of a double bill of monologues, The Death of Eddie and Many Kinds of Love.
Getting Through It is a powerful, deeply personal yet universally relatable, double bill of monologues and poetry.
In the first part, The Death of Eddie, Michael explores his experience after losing his 18-year-old son to meningitis, recalling the strange and contradictory mix of emotions felt after the unexpected loss. This story, memorably captured in Michael’s children’s book The Sad Book, is told in vivid and poetic detail.
In the second part, Many Kinds of Love, Michael recounts his 48-day period in intensive care, after contracting COVID-19 early in the pandemic, and having to face his own mortality. Both stories are told with Michael’s signature positivity, humour and poetry. Together, the two pieces are a testimony to the spirit of recovery.
"Simple yet powerfully affecting, it is a remarkable event" ★★★★★ West End Best Friend
"A universal human journey" ★★★★★ Everything Theatre
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Patrick Gale : Love Lane
Patrick Gale – in conversation with Sophie Pierce
From beloved, bestselling author Patrick Gale comes a searing portrayal of escape and the power of love, home and a family.
Love Lane is a brilliant new standalone novel featuring characters from Patrick’s Costa-shortlisted novel A Place Called Winter.
1950s Northern England. Three generations of men, two of women.
When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is brutally obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.
His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long-buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is. Can Harry stay and make a new life before
it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?
From the rural plains of Canada to 1950s Liverpool and Yorkshire, Love Lane is a searing
portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful exploration of what home and family
can really be.
Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester before going to Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land's End. One of this country's best-loved
novelists, his most recent works are A Perfectly Good Man, the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter and Mother's Boy. His original BBC television drama, Man In An Orange Shirt, was shown to great acclaim in 2017 as part of the BBC's Queer Britannia series, leading viewers around the world to discover his novels.
Love Lane has been selected for this year’s Book Festival Big Read
Patrick Gale will be in conversation with Sophie Pierce.
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Rock Idols - Sophie Pierce and Alex Murdin
From devils and druids to timeless tors, join artist Alex Murdin and writer Sophie Pierce for an illustrated talk exploring the magic and mystery of Dartmoor. Their new book, Rock Idols: a guide to Dartmoor in 28 tors, is thought to be the first illustrated guide to Dartmoor in many years, with new, original drawings of these mysterious monoliths. Sophie and Alex will share their adventures exploring the tors, as well as some of the fascinating folklore, geology and history of Dartmoor. They will show Alex's new drawings of the tors, as well as intriguing Victorian etchings of some of Dartmoor's most famous features including Scorhill Stone Circle and the Dewerstone.
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Roger and James Deakins : Reflections: On Cinematography
Roger & James Deakins – in conversation with Monty Halls
We are delighted that Roger and James Deakins can join us this year to talk about Roger’s fascinating career in cinematography, as described in his new book, Reflections: On Cinematography.
From two-time Academy Award winner from 16 nominations, and five-time BAFTA award winner from 11 nominations, Sir Roger Deakins - widely regarded as the greatest cinematographer of all time - a one-of-a-kind visual memoir, telling his life's story by way of his iconic, beloved films, including The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall, Fargo, Blade Runner 2049, The Big Lebowski, 1917, and No Country for Old Men, among others.
Over the course of a brilliant 50-year career, Sir Roger Deakins has proven to be the greatest artist & visionary that the craft of cinematography has ever known.
In Reflections: On Cinematography, Deakins offers his fans and film enthusiasts a one-of-a-kind look into his life and improbable road to Hollywood immortality. Readers will discover how "the boy from Torquay, England" overcame a troubled childhood to enter his way into art school; his fortuitous entry into world of documentary filmmaking (including a yacht race around the world); to shooting groundbreaking music videos such as Herbie Hancock's "Rock It," to his singular film career, including his longtime collaborations with the Coen Brothers, Sam Mendes, and Denis Villeneuve.
Filled with never-before-seen storyboards, sketches, and diagrams, Deakins shows readers how he created some of the most iconic scenes in the most beloved films of all time. Through candid, lyrical prose, Deakins reflects on his life and each of his projects; how he helped shape them, and how they shaped him.
A truly unique visual memoir, Reflections is for film fans and general readers alike, and for anyone looking to find inspiration, beauty, and creativity by looking through the singular lens with which Roger views the world.
Roger & James Deakins will be in conversation with Monty Halls.
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Rosie Nixon : From Magazines to Mentor: How I Reinvented My Life
Rosie Nixon is a visionary leader, author and coach. She is the author of four novels and one non-fiction collection. After a long career in women’s magazines, latterly as the award-winning editor-in-chief of Hello! Magazine, Rosie is now a qualified coach.
In 2024, she founded Rosie’s Reinvention retreats, a series of day retreats supporting midlife women through career, business and wellbeing transformations, enabling them to realise a more fulfilling way of life.
Rosie will be talking to Erin Allgrove about her own journey from burn-out to the realisation that something in her life needed to change. Reinvention became the answer.
Rosie’s book, the PRO Method (August 2026) explains three simple steps to reinventing your life.
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The Big Lebowski (18)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Showing as part of Reflections: A Roger Deakin retrospective - a series of films celebrating the cinematography of Dartmouth’s Academy Award Winner.
The Big Lebowski begins with a case of mistaken identity which escalates when Jeffrey Lebowski - alias The Dude - attempts to seek recompense for the despoilation of his ratty-ass little rug, and then finds himself entangled in a kidnapping caper as a bagman - a situation that goes from bad to worse due to the interference of his hapless bowling partners.
In The Big Lebowski the Coen brothers have taken on the preoccupations of Raymond Chandler, but have given them a postmodern spin, while at the same time leaving Philip Marlowe's ethos intact as The Dude wanders through the fractured world of nineties LA trying to do the right thing. Like the award-winning Fargo, The Big Lebowski is suffused with a droll humour and a verbal felicity that is as delightful as it is startling.
This classic screening is presented as part of Dartmouth Book Festival 2026 – at which Sir Roger will be talking about his new book: Reflections.
The Flavel | Roger and James Deakins : Reflections: On Cinematography
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The End of Oak Street (12A)
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighbourhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
Starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, THE END OF OAK STREET also stars Maisy Stella and Christian Convery. The film is written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and produced by J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, David Robert Mitchell, Matt Jackson and Tommy Harper. The executive producers are Chris Bender, Jake Weiner, Joanne Lee and Leeann Stonebreaker.
Tickets £9 Adults £6.20 Under 16’s
All tickets include a venue levy £2 per adult and £1.50 under 16’s
The Owl and the Nightingale - Poetry Group
In this session, members of Dartmouth Poetry Group invite you to share their love of poetry.
There will be readings from Simon Armitage's The Owl and the Nightingale.
Dartmouth Poetry Group are poetry enthusiasts who meet monthly at The Flavel. New members are always welcome to come and share in their love of poetry.
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The Storyteller’s Journey : Keith Rossiter and Jonathan Posner
Join writers Jonathan Posner and Keith Rossiter on an adventure into the world of imagination.
Jonathan Posner is a full-time author and publisher based in Exeter. He has written and published six action-adventure novels set in Tudor England. He has also written and published two anthologies; one of short stories and the other of ‘old bloke having a rant’ articles. Earlier works include libretto and lyrics for three full-length stage musicals plus a one-act play. Jonathan gets a thrill from seeing his books in print and getting great feedback from readers, which is why he is so keen to share what he has learned about the craft of writing with others.
Keith Rossiter is a former journalist turned full-time novelist. He has published one thriller set in Greece, The Chaos Game, a young adult novel White Raven, and a novel for middle-grade readers, Shadow Lands: The Poacher’s Trap. He is also a screenwriter and filmmaker.
He admits that in the years since leaving journalism he has been on a steep learning curve – and he is eager to share that adventure with new and improving writers.
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Three Rivers : Robert Winder
Robert Winder was Literary Editor of the Independent (where he ran the Foreign Fiction Award for translated novels) and Deputy Editor of Granta. He is the author of many titles (both fiction and non-fiction) including Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain and The
Last Wolf: The Hidden Springs of Englishness. The former helped inspire the Migration Museum Project, which aims to create a major museum on the theme of migration in Britain and for which he was a founder trustee.
Three rivers: the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po. Each one coursing down from a single patch of Alpine ice in the jagged heights of Switzerland. Together they gave birth to three different European cultures – German, French and Italian. The very heart of Western Europe – its languages, religion and agriculture, its science, politics and art – has been nourished by these waters, from the Romanesque buttresses and vines of Provence to the Wagnerian music of the Rhine and the artistic miracles of Lombardy.
Setting off from the dramatic mountain landscape where this story begins, acclaimed historian
Robert Winder traces the rivers’ journeys, revealing in shimmering detail their impact on Europe’s rich history as they flow towards the sea.
‘Full of flavour and sparkle.’ The Sunday Times.
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Tim Spicer : An Axe and Four Balloons
An Axe and Four Balloons is Tim Spicer’s fascinating biography of Brian Franks, who has been accredited as one of the founding fathers of the SAS, although until now, he has been largely unknown outside the Special Operations world.
Brian Franks was loved by officers and soldiers alike; he was tough, charismatic and charming. Initially, he joined the hotel business, but in 1939 Franks was commissioned into the Middlesex Yeomanry. Soon he gravitated to the world of more esoteric military operations, which suited his unconventional temperament, moving first to the GHQ Reconnaissance Regiment or ‘Phantom’, then to the Commandos. He became the Brigade Major of the Special Service Brigade in 1943 and took part in the invasion of Sicily, and the operation at Termoli in Italy where he won the MC.
He was posted to 2 SAS in early 1944. He commanded the Regiment on operations in France, Italy, Germany and Norway. During Operation LOYTON in the Vosges mountains in September 1944, he parachuted in to lead operations behind enemy lines. Thirty-one of his soldiers were captured, tortured and executed by the Germans. Franks was determined to avenge them and set up an “off the books” war crimes hunting team to bring the perpetrators to justice. For Operation LOYTON he was awarded the DSO, Croix de Guerre and Legion d’Honneur.
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE has led a life filled with action and adventure. During his twenty years in the British Army, he saw active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands campaign, the Gulf War and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus and Germany.
Key appointments have included Chief of Staff of an Armoured Brigade, Staff Officer at the Directorate of Special Forces and Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, among many others.
Over the course of this illustrious military career, Spicer has developed extensive knowledge of intelligence, counterterrorism, complex relations and protective security. In 2001 he founded the private security company Aegis, which has counted the UK, US and Italian governments among its clients.
He is author of An Unorthodox Soldier: Peace and War and the Sandline Affair (2000), A Dangerous Enterprise (2021), and A Suspicion of Spies (2024).
Praise for An Axe and Four Ballons:
“Gripping, intensively researched and a fitting tribute to one of the founders of Special Forces soldiering. A fabulous read about an inspirational commander of the wartime SAS.” DAMIEN LEWIS, author of the SAS: Great Escapes series.
“Tim Spicer has an amazing superpower among authors of discovering fascinating and
vitally important figures whom history has somehow ignored or sidelined, and to bring
them alive with vividness and immediacy. In this well-researched, grippingly written and terrific story, he also provides profound insights into the theory, nature and practice of courage under fire, something he knows a good deal about from personal experience.” ANDREW ROBERTS, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
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