Five of Hugh Neems' uncles served their country in the First World War. In the stinking mud of the trenches, on horseback, on a Douglas motorcycle and in RAF aircraft, they each played their part, suffering injury and ultimately, death. This fascinating and beautifully written account of their war combines the bigger picture with snatches of personal experience, offering a soldier's-eye view of events and trying to make sense of what it was like to battle for days and weeks to gain just a few yards of desolate ground.
Throughout five hundred years of English history no member of the Neems family has achieved fame or notoriety. Mostly farmers, they lived largely hidden lives in small villages near to market towns such as Faversham, Tetbury or Brentford. Their work was 'down to earth'. Alice, named in her father's will of 1572, received three sheep. Rebecca, widowed mother of Tim Neems, a musketeer in Cromwell's Army, struggled to keep her small leasehold following the Restoration of 1660. Joseph, trader in farm produce, and later a publican of 'go ahead' Brentford Market in mid 18th century London, these are some of the characters appearing in these pages. Wedded to the land, the people we meet in 'Only Footprints' portray a distinctive English character.
Beyond the Reef" is about the South Pacific Island of Samoa and its people where the author lived and worked for 14 years as a Teacher, Bookshop Manager and a travelling Inspector of Village Schools. During that time he was expected to be proficient in the Samoan language and understand its culture and customs. He reflects on the manner in which these Polynesian people responded to a succession of onslaughts by representatives of the White Man's world, explorers, traders, missionaries, colonial servants and a horde of American troops during the 2nd World War. The author arrived in Samoa in 1954.
A history of Oceania based on the personal experience of the author. It relies on the imagery of seven giant Pacific 'rollers', or tsunami, to describe the settlement of the South Sea Islands by different groups of people. Part Two is concerned with the fortunes of one particular group of islands, those of Samoa from 1941 onwards. Her people had to come to terms with the occupation by American troops in the Pacific War 1941-1946, and its aftermath. Further major upheavals took place as Western Samoa became Independent in 1962. The writer lived through fifty years of 'progress'.
The families named Pughe, Lloyd, and Pryce have been born and raised for over 400 years underneath the mythical Giant's Chair. They are the Giant's Children. Their story begins with Richard son of Hugh who sold a part of Pughe land on the 9th of November 1625, and ends with the generation of Hugh Pughe Lloyd and his sister Catherine Pryce Lloyd, my mother, who both died in the 1980's. Family members have set out for London as drovers either to be wrestling champions at Smithfield, or guardians of their sons going up to Oxford University, others to be farmers, fell runners, teachers, tanners, dyers and printers, individuals who made their mark in the Cadair Idris locality.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
A history of Oceania based on the personal experience of the author. It relies on the imagery of seven giant Pacific 'rollers', or tsunami, to describe the settlement of the South Sea Islands by different groups of people. Part Two is concerned with the fortunes of one particular group of islands, those of Samoa from 1941 onwards. Her people had to come to terms with the occupation by American troops in the Pacific War 1941-1946, and its aftermath. Further major upheavals took place as Western Samoa became Independent in 1962. The writer lived through fifty years of 'progress'.
The families named Pughe, Lloyd, and Pryce have been born and raised for over 400 years underneath the mythical Giant's Chair. They are the Giant's Children. Their story begins with Richard son of Hugh who sold a part of Pughe land on the 9th of November 1625, and ends with the generation of Hugh Pughe Lloyd and his sister Catherine Pryce Lloyd, my mother, who both died in the 1980's. Family members have set out for London as drovers either to be wrestling champions at Smithfield, or guardians of their sons going up to Oxford University, others to be farmers, fell runners, teachers, tanners, dyers and printers, individuals who made their mark in the Cadair Idris locality.
Throughout five hundred years of English history no member of the Neems family has achieved fame or notoriety. Mostly farmers, they lived largely hidden lives in small villages near to market towns such as Faversham, Tetbury or Brentford. Their work was 'down to earth'. Alice, named in her father's will of 1572, received three sheep. Rebecca, widowed mother of Tim Neems, a musketeer in Cromwell's Army, struggled to keep her small leasehold following the Restoration of 1660. Joseph, trader in farm produce, and later a publican of 'go ahead' Brentford Market in mid 18th century London, these are some of the characters appearing in these pages. Wedded to the land, the people we meet in 'Only Footprints' portray a distinctive English character.
Beyond the Reef" is about the South Pacific Island of Samoa and its people where the author lived and worked for 14 years as a Teacher, Bookshop Manager and a travelling Inspector of Village Schools. During that time he was expected to be proficient in the Samoan language and understand its culture and customs. He reflects on the manner in which these Polynesian people responded to a succession of onslaughts by representatives of the White Man's world, explorers, traders, missionaries, colonial servants and a horde of American troops during the 2nd World War. The author arrived in Samoa in 1954.
Five of Hugh Neems' uncles served their country in the First World War. In the stinking mud of the trenches, on horseback, on a Douglas motorcycle and in RAF aircraft, they each played their part, suffering injury and ultimately, death. This fascinating and beautifully written account of their war combines the bigger picture with snatches of personal experience, offering a soldier's-eye view of events and trying to make sense of what it was like to battle for days and weeks to gain just a few yards of desolate ground.
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