It's too late to make a contribution to the "I want a word" project, but you can still read the resulting book, "One from Many". It's available as a free pdf download (along with a couple of other books I've written) from www.lulu.com/christopherbaker. There's more details below, along with details of some of the other things I've written.
One
From ManyOne from many is the book resulting from the "I want a word project."
"When Islamic terrorists launch an unprecedented attack on American nuclear power plants, Chuck Stevens is as outraged as any American Patriot. But as he realizes that the greatest threat to American liberty comes not from terrorists but from his own government, Chuck begins to question his loyalities. Does he stand behind his government in a time of national need, or does he fight against them as their decisions threaten to rip his own life apart?
As his life begins to unravel, Chuck quickly learns that the real threat to Western Civilization comes not from terrorist bombs, but from the reactions that they cause. But has he learnt this lesson in time to do anything about the danger his country faces, a danger far greater than any he has ever imagined?"
The Story of the Bandit King is my first novel and it follows the exploits of a young man, Harry Abrahams, as he travels to colonial Africa in search of fame, fortune and adventure. To give you the full blurb:
"On a hot and sultry night in Marrakech, Harry Abrahams hears a story that will change his life forever. As long as he can remember he has dreamed of leading the life of an explorer; a life of heroism, fame and fortune. But this life is not what Harry expects and a long and arduous journey into the desert leads him to a world he had a never imagined as the dream quickly becomes a nightmare.
Follow Harry as he treads a perilous path on an epic adventure across colonial Africa, a land of unknown risks and unimaginable rewards. Loneliness, fear and failure are his ever present companions as danger lurks at every corner, pushing him onwards in a desperate scramble to salvage something of the man he dreamt of becoming."
If you like the sound of that, you can download a pdf copy of the first two chapters by clicking on this link.
Unfortunately, I couldn't persuade anybody to publish the book, so I ended up publishing it myself. It's available at www.lulu.com/christopherbaker.
In
2005, I was lucky enough to travel to Tanzania with the aim of attempting to
climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was a fantastic experience, and I ended up writing a
book about it, which is also available from
www.lulu.com/christopherbaker.
Any money I make from the sale of the book is donated to the Kilimanjaro Porters
Assistance Project, an excellent cause that campaigns for improvements in the
conditions for porters on Kilimanjaro. The Kilimanjaro porters are probably the
hardest working people I've ever met, and they most definitely deserve a fair
deal for the work that they do: at the moment they don't necessarily get it, and
that's what the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project is trying to change (if
you're interested, you can read more at
http://www.kilimanjaro-hakuna-matata.com/the_cause.htm). And to tell you a
bit more about the book itself:
"At a height of 5,895 metres above sea level, Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain, and the highest mountain on Earth that it is possible to climb with no technical mountaineering experience. It is this accessibility that makes Kilimanjaro such an attractive destination, with 25,000 people attempting the climb every year; it is also what attracts people with absolutely no experience of climbing or high altitudes: people such as Chris Baker.
Join Chris as he learns exactly what it takes to climb one of the world's highest mountains; it is a journey that will push him to his very limits as he battles against exhaustion and altitude sickness. After plunging him headlong into the culture shock Tanzanian life, it will whisk him from the equatorial rainforests of Africa to a world that he never knew existed, a world of both unimaginable beauty and outright hostility. He will watch as his expedition comes perilously close to disaster, lose the sight in one of his eyes and lick a glacier.
But will he make it to the summit?"
I've also written a number of travel articles, which you can read here (you can also get a better look at the photos by clicking on the thumbnails):
Fiesta of Fire.
This is all about Las Fallas, a crazy festival that takes place in the Spanish
city of Valencia every March. This article was recently published in the online
travel magazine ItchyFeet. You
can download a copy of the relevant issue by clicking
here.
The Sign for Six.
This article tells the story of a recent trip that I made to Shanghai in China.
It was a rather overwhelming place, but brilliant fun too. The Sign for Six has
also been published in
ItchyFeet, and you can download
a copy of the relevant issue by clicking
here.
An Ice Cube on the
Moon. A couple of years ago I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,
Africa's highest mountain. It was an amazing experience, though often hugely
unpleasant: the article tells of my experiences. You can read a copy by
clicking
here.
Wide Eyed in Whistler.
During my PhD I was lucky enough to be sent to a conference in Whistler,
British Columbia. Although I spent most of my time listening to lectures, I did
manage to see a few sights and do a bit of skiing. Click
here to read all about
it.
A Passage to Paignton.
One of my favourite pastimes is swimming, and I'm particularly interested in open water
swimming (which basically means anything not in a pool). This article tells the
story of a swim along the South Devon coast, from Torquay to Paignton. To read
the article, click
here.
On a Wing and a Chair. One of the strangest nights of my life was spent beneath the dreaming spires of Oxford. If you want to read all about it, click here.
If you're the editor of a newspaper, magazine or website and you're interested in publishing one of these articles, feel free to email me at the address given on the "Contact Me" page. Likewise if you're interested in commissioning an article.
© 2007-2012 Christopher M. Baker