New book based on war diaries
From the Henley Standard
A WARGRAVE author will be signing copies of his new book at the village library next week.
Gavin Roynon’s latest work, Chaplain At Gallipoli, is a collection of war diaries kept by Kenneth Best, a First World War chaplain who served at Gallipoli in 1915.
The author has dedicated his time to editing since he retired as a teacher of French, German and history at Eton College in 1999.
Mr Roynon, of Loddon Drive, said: “This book took around four years to come together. It all started when I asked some of my pupils to bring into class any diaries which their fathers or grandfathers had.
“One boy brought in the diary of his grandfather and I was so impressed by the quality of the eye witness accounts of the first battle at Ypres that I volunteered to edit six volumes.”
Mr Roynon, whose previous works include Ypres Diary 1914-15: The Memoirs Of Sir Morgan Crofton, Home Fires Burning: The Great War Diaries Of Georgina Lee and Massacre Of The Innocents, completed his national service during the Cold War.
He said: “I served in Germany, which gave me an insight in the field and pricked my interest. I hope to do another book as I want to tackle a new project. That could be a biography or more diaries dealing with either the Great War or Second World War.”
Mr Roynon and his wife Patsy have lived in Wargrave since 1989. They have five grown-up children.
The book-signing will take place on Monday at 6pm and copies will be available for the special price of £10.
Chaplain At Gallipoli is also available to buy from the Bell Bookshop in Henley.
