Charles Wood - Author, Documentary Maker, Illustrator, Blogger

Book Reviews

Click on image to read full review.

'Charles Wood, in his own inimitable style, has brought out another amusing book on the more recent exploits Somerset County Cricket Club. Halsgrove, the well-known West Country publisher, have again produced a nice sized, extremely well presented book for the author they feel the need to disown again in their Publisher’s Disowner. I know they like him.

A highly entertaining and amusing account of Somerset's more recent past.'

Andrew Roberts - Cricket Statistics on Another Somerset Century.

The author puts his own unique style on the ups and downs of his beloved Somerset and a interesting, informative and very entertaining read it is, too.

Richard Walsh - Sunday Independent on Another Somerset Century.

click image to read full review

'Charles Wood's enthusiasm for cricket is infectious.'

Andrew Roberts, Cricket Statistics on Bats, Pads & Gladiators.

'Painstakingly researched and lovingly compiled.'

Rajesh Kumar, Cricket Statistician on Bats, Pads & Gladiators.

How Botham Dogged Rival And Other Tales

Click image to read Western Gazette article about Bats, Pads and Cider

“Charles Wood is something of a hero to local writing and this, his latest offering captures life on Exmoor and in the South West perfectly. A wonderful gem.”

Waterstones on Exmoor Amour

click image

Book signing at Waterstones, Taunton, 2010

'Congratulations for providing the drawings for such a lovely book.'

Sir Chris Bonington, Mountaineer, about Exmoor Fun

You're Having A Laugh

click image

You know you’re from Somerset when your first driving lesson’s in a tractor, and until the time you run away from home the tallest building you ever see is Debenhams in Taunton … You know why to avoid Bridgwater and you think Bristol is ‘up north’; there are places where men are men and sheep are nervous.

It’s a great start to an hilarious look at ‘How to Survive in Somerset’ by Charles Wood, of Wiveliscombe. A book which he insists is “not a book about self sufficiency”; far from it, he doesn’t grow his own fruit and vegetables, or keep chickens….

After family summer holidays in the country, he settled here in in the mid-1980s, giving up the legal profession and the stress of work in Libya and Hong Kong and for the last 20 years he has managed to avoid wearing a tie to work, eking out an existence in the Somerset custom of self employment.

There are 32 lessons in the book, with such colourful titles as long strides and dining forks, hairy John and daisy brandy, bats pads and penguins, and even the big bang theory.

But he sees signs of progress beginning to nibble at the county as it goes into the future, ever hopeful.He warns there are many dangers of living in the county – for instance, a pheasant might just arrive on your lap through an open car window or you could have rigor mortis at a bus stop!

This is a very funny boook for the local to have a laugh at yourself, the visitor to laugh at our expense and – well, just for anyone who wants a good laugh really!

Harris Dee, Somerset County Gazette, about How To Survive in Somerset

click image

Outlandish Language

Knowing his Fairy Toots from his Pew-moaniers Charles likes to buck the trend. And to borrow the outlandish language of his books, it's a muddy-want to a bim-bom that he'll stay that way.

John Hudson, Western Daily Press, about Surviving Another Somerset Year

A 'timberyard' of authors, World Book Night 2011, Waterstones, Taunton. I'm on the far right!

News

How To Survive In Staffordshire, published 2016.

Bats and Belters - A light-hearted novel about village cricket. Published 2014.

click image to read All Out Cricket review

Another Somerset Century The book that's found its way into the Lord's library earns three 5-star Amazon reviews: 'A very good read, by a brilliant author. The best of the SCCC books that have come out for a while.' 18/11/13. 'Tackles all the the recent stories from numerous runner's up finishes to major ground and personnel changes.' 12/12/13. An enjoyable read for a Somerset supporter or fan of cricket. The sort of book one can pick up, read a bit, and return to with ease.' 20/12/13.