The Thomas the Tank Engine man : the life of Reverend W. Awdry

The stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have delighted generations of children and adults, but what do we know of the man who created them? A devoted pastor and family man, the Reverend W Awdry first started telling the stories in order to amuse his own children, with no idea that the characters would lead to a global phenomenon that now, seventy years after their first appearance, shows no signs of waning. In this fascinating and warm biography, prolific author Brian Sibley brings to life one of the most eminent children's writers of the twentieth century, tracing his story from his Edwardian childhood through his time at University and into World War 2. A convinced pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another, because of his beliefs. Never afraid to fight for what he thought was right, he argued with his publishers and his illustrators, demanding the best for his favourite creations - the trains and their friends. "The Reverend W. Awdry was a devoted pastor and family man, who adored trains. He started to tell stories about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends in order to entertain his son Christopher. Those stories have now gone on to entertain generations of children around the world. A convinced pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another during World War II, because of his beliefs. He was a man of courage, who believed that you should live by certain rules. He built his imaginary world on the island of Sodor on these rules, and showed how those who transgressed them would always be "punished, but never scrapped," as he said. The Thomas the Tank Engine Man is a charming biography and a fascinating insight into the life of Reverend W. Awdry. First published 20 years ago before the Britt Allcroft/Ringo Starr animations took Thomas to a worldwide TV generation, this biography is now fully revised and updated"-- provided by publisher The enchanting biography of Reverend W. Awdry, a devoted pastor and family man, who adored trains. He started to tell stories about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, in order to entertain his son Christopher. Those stories have gone on to entertain generations of children around the world. A convinced pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another during the Second World War, because of his beliefs. He was a man of courage, who believed that you should live by certain rules. He built his imaginary world on the island of Sodor on these rules, and showed how those who transgressed them would always be 'punished, but never scrapped', as he said. The Thomas the Tank Engine Man is a charming biography and a fascinating insight into the life of Reverend W. Awdry. The fascinating biography of the Reverend W Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine which celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2015.