The Books
Michael Arnold was born in Lodz, Poland, educated in the Middle East and England, held degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and was a former Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. He lived in Iraq, Egypt, Chile, French West Africa, Panama, Honduras, the Arabian Gulf, the Sudan and the USA. He worked for international oil companies, was a commercial advisor to a Japanese Trading House and a political advisor to the US Senate. He spoke eight languages and collected dictionaries for a hobby. He and his wife celebrated their Golden Wedding in 2005: he completed this book for her shortly before his death that year. His life was so amazing that, as his obituary said: “He could have been a character from a picturesque novel..” (The Guardian)
A Game With Dice
"The life of man is like a game with dice: if you don't get the throw you want, you must show your skill in making the most of the throw you do get." (Terence, Adelphi, 1.739)
“Captivating…laced with dry wit” (Petersfield Herald)
“The story of this amazingly resilient boy's escape from the Nazis and subsequent youth spent, largely despatched alone to foreign parts and schools where he quickly and resourcefully picks up new languages customs and a certain deviousness is a remarkable 'read'. Always moving forward, eventful and well written” (Amazon reader review)
“A tantalizing mixture of adventure and excitement” (Petersfield Post)
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Their Manners Noted
“Wand’ring from clime to clime, observant strayed,
Their manners noted, and their states surveyed.”
Homer, Odyssey Bk.i, l.5. (Pope tr.)
In the glittering world of post-war Cambridge, a young man prepares for life, and falls in love. He becomes a reporter, but trades in his Newcastle garret for an adventurous job in oil: this leads him to the mountains of Chile and the swamps, jungles and deserts of Africa, to encounters with cannibals and the fabled city of Timbuktu.