Walking with Wallace - Hardcover

Koe, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1467889156 ISBN 13: 9781467889155

Publisher: Authorhouse UK, 2012

Synopsis

Walking with Wallace is about a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the debates he and the Brigadier have (in which, when visiting, his grandson Archie participates), as they walk in the beautiful South Northamptonshire countryside. These debates reflect philosophical and scientific concerns of man and dog, such as their origins and that of the Universe they live in. The Brigadier assumes that he can, pretty accurately, interpret Wallace's thoughts. However, Wallace is an intelligent dog and clearly might disagree with some of these interpretations, though perhaps too polite to tell him so. Since the sad death of his wife, Sara, the Brigadier, until the arrival of Wallace, lived on his own - though not alone, as he has fours sons, four daughter-in-laws and twelve grandchildren, whom he visits as often as possible. Over the last 13 years, he has, however, seen more of Wallace than any other living creature. They are both now ageing rapidly, though Wallace perhaps more gracefully. Their time remaining together is sadly limited, for everyone has an allotted lifespan - though dogs rather shorter than men, so it is likely that Wallace will 'move on' first. If so, the Brigadier will miss him horribly, but if not, who would then look after an old and rather spoilt Staffie? Whichever of them is left behind, will, like everyone else, just have to 'kick on'. In one of their more controversial debates, the Brigadier asked whether dogs too have souls? And if not, when in the evolutionary process did humans acquire theirs? Will he and Wallace meet again in another life? Wallace's philosophy is simple. The past is the past, live for the present and let the future take care of itself. The story told is largely factual and largely about Wallace, with a clearly identifiable relationship between the Brigadier and the author.

About this title

About the Author

Educated at Sandroyd School, Marlborough College and The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Michael was sent, as a young intelligence officer, to Washington DC during the Kennedy era, after which he served with the Royal Green Jackets in Penang, Borneo, Berlin, Cyprus, Tidworth, and Northern Ireland. His final posting was to Rheindahlen, as Brigadier General Staff Intelligence of the British Army of the Rhine and Northern Army Group. He attended The Royal Military College of Science (BSc Engr), Staff College (psc) and the Joint Services Staff College (jssc). He left the Army in 1984 to join a Defence and Security Company in Jordan and London. He and his wife Sara moved up to Northamptonshire in 1987. In 1992, Sara was diagnosed as having a comparatively rare neurodegenerative disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Details of this devastating disease and of the charity itself, which they set up together in 1994, can be found at www.pspeur.org. This was the subject of his first book, 'Charity Begins at Home' published in 2007. Sara died from PSP in January 1994. He continued to run the Charity until 2011. He has four sons, all married, and twelve grandchildren.

Edition details

• Publisher: Authorhouse UK
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1467889156
• ISBN 13: 9781467889155
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 284