Product Description

The official biography of a national treasure - now in paperback.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22704 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
"Fred Dibnah's World" celebrates the life and work of Britain's best known steeplejack and national treasure, Fred Dibnhah. Before his death in 2004, Fred presented many popular series, including "Magnificent Monuments", "The Age of Steam" and "Made in Britain", all of which attracted viewers in their millions. "Fred" is the companion to the 12-part "BBC2" series celebrating the life of this great man, which combines highlights from some of Dibnah's classic programmes with previously unseen footage. The book can of course go much further than the series, including an extraordinarily account of Fred's childhood which evokes a lost England and our great industrial heritage. Fred's passion for the glories of the Victorian age and his fascination with the landscape he grew up in, plus his admiration for the craftsmen and labourers who made it all possible, captivate us on every page. Fred is the personification of everything that made England great in the first place. And this is a glorious tribute to a man whom millions came to love.

From the Back Cover
Fred Dibnah won the hearts of millions of viewers with his television programmes about his life as a steeplejack, and his passion for the industrial history of Britain. With his trademark flat cap, enthusiasm and knowledge of the country’s steam past, his gift for storytelling, and his cry of ‘Did you like that?’ as another giant chimney slid to earth behind him, he quickly became a genuine favourite with viewers.

This is an intimate portrait of Fred, from his childhood in Bolton, to his days as a steeplejack – the job he was to love above all others – and on to his successful television career. We discover all the different sides of Fred’s personality – engineer, steeplejack, artist, craftsman, steam enthusiast, inventor, storyteller and eccentric. This definitive biography will delight Fred’s many fans.

‘Fred Dibnah, philosopher and steeplejack, has been representing the people for nearly 20 years’
Sunday Telegraph

‘Dibnah, a true man of the people…you can almost hear the echoes and smell the oil and smoke in this affectionate delve into his life’
Manchester Evening News

Customer Reviews

Chuffing lovely
It really is a nice read, the author, I feel, really brings Fred's character into the book, yes there are a few repetative bits, but it's all by the by really. What really comes accross is Fred's drive, passion and ambition not forgetting his sense of humour. I for one thoroughly enjoyed reading it and whole heartedly recommend it. Time for a pint.....

Flawed impression of a fascinating man
With the greatest respect to Mr Hall; he has not really done justice to Fred.
Personally, I found this rather repetative and awkward. To be frank, it's not very well written.
Mr Hall obviously admires "Our Fred" and they had a good working relationship backed up by a genuine friendship.
On the plus side one does get a good all round picture of a remarkably talented and deceptively gifted man; a man out of his time in respect of his character - he was a true "Victorian". It also balances the image of Fred by his "difficult side"; he had three wives and they had to put up with his relentless obsession and (often) uncompromising attitude. He could be "an awkward so-and-so". Conversely, he was open, engaging, warm and genuine.
Fred was a walking encylopedia of Victorian engineering/construction and virtually one of a kind.
For me, this edition was a little hard going; I got bored with and Fred was anything but boring. I wanted more, much more.
I understand that Fred's third wife, Shelia, is putting something together? Maybe that will prove a little more rewarding?

Talking to Fred would have been better!!
Fellow Lancastrian here! I live a few miles from where Fred used to reside. The tales of old Bolton were fasinating and the young Fred made for an interesting read but, the book for me, was too long. Although Steam Engines were such a large part of his life, I feel only a fellow enthusiast could have not fallen asleep with the amount of text devoted to the telling (and re-telling, and re-telling) of the Steam engine renovations.

Fred was married three times in his shortened lifetime, I can certainly see why!

The Biography does deal with some of the reasons for his failed personal relationships including his serious drinking, his smoking habit and of course his selfishness. Chuck in there the Author's hinting slant towards misogyny and you nearly have the man. Fred loved to be centre of attention and was a natural speaker, craving an audience where he could find one - even on his death bed there were a line-up of people waiting for a few words with the man..... But most of the real reason for the book was his passion for STEAM ENGINES. Not my best read of the year, I do feel that talking to the man would have been more interesting from my own point of view as some of his TV programmes were quite good.