Peter Pook
Encyclopedia
John Anthony Miller better known by his pseudonym
Peter Pook, was a British
author of humorous novel
s.
Writing between 1960 and 1980, Peter Pook produced a series of twenty-three "autobiographical
" novels in which the real events of his life were mingled with fanciful situations, and Pook himself is presented as an amiable dunderhead who is taken advantage of at every turn. After the first book in the series, 'Banking on Form', every subsequent volume has Pook's name in the title: 'Pook in Boots', 'Pook in Business', 'Pook Sahib', etc.
Recurring themes in the books are Pook's obsession with physical culture
and sport
, his military
career in the Royal Marines
, overseas travels, his ambition to be an actor
and his own writing career. The earlier books are totally light-hearted, though in some of the later works, particularly those depicting the war years, occasional glimpses of grim reality break in.
Ironically, after twenty-three volumes of autobiography, Pook's real name and real life history remained well-kept secrets. Peter Pook died suddenly on 8 September 1978.
, Cornwall
, he grew up in Southsea
, Hampshire
and was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School. At various times in his life he was a boxer, footballer, bank clerk, diver, Royal Marine, Indian Navy Lieutenant, antique dealer, schoolmaster, lecturer and author. His first novel, Banking on Form, was published and reprinted by Robert Hale in March, 1962, when he was forty-four, but his sense of humour won him a national liteary competition when he was only nine. His pen name was from his mother as she was born a Pook and came from a Portsmouth family which had its origins in Devon.
Peter wrote his own blurbs (i.e. description of the book printed on the inside and the biographical details printed on the back of the jacket).
His wife the author Val Manning wrote that " He also enjoyed a lasting amour with historical London and the literary giants who flourished there. One of those was William Shakespeare
who had established himself as a playwright of some esteem in London by the time he was twenty-five and whose works delighted Peter's language palate. Dickens' London and in particular 48 Doughty street where Dickens lived from 1837 – 39, reaped many of his leisure hours and he could quote at random from Dickens' works with fluent ease. It is also an interesting fact that Peter's father was born opposite Dickens' birthplace at Portsmouth. Peter never tired of the old city walks, St Paul's, the churches, the bridges, the inns, the Thames and the quaint streets with names to conjure delicious imageries of a historic populace. He courted them all.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Peter Pook, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author of humorous novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s.
Writing between 1960 and 1980, Peter Pook produced a series of twenty-three "autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
" novels in which the real events of his life were mingled with fanciful situations, and Pook himself is presented as an amiable dunderhead who is taken advantage of at every turn. After the first book in the series, 'Banking on Form', every subsequent volume has Pook's name in the title: 'Pook in Boots', 'Pook in Business', 'Pook Sahib', etc.
Recurring themes in the books are Pook's obsession with physical culture
Physical culture
Physical culture is a term applied to health and strength training regimens, particularly those that originated during the 19th century. During the mid-late 20th century, the term "physical culture" became largely outmoded in most English-speaking countries, being replaced by terms such as...
and sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
, his military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
career in the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, overseas travels, his ambition to be an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and his own writing career. The earlier books are totally light-hearted, though in some of the later works, particularly those depicting the war years, occasional glimpses of grim reality break in.
Ironically, after twenty-three volumes of autobiography, Pook's real name and real life history remained well-kept secrets. Peter Pook died suddenly on 8 September 1978.
Early life
Born John Anthony Miller on the 25th April 1918, in FalmouthFalmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, he grew up in Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School. At various times in his life he was a boxer, footballer, bank clerk, diver, Royal Marine, Indian Navy Lieutenant, antique dealer, schoolmaster, lecturer and author. His first novel, Banking on Form, was published and reprinted by Robert Hale in March, 1962, when he was forty-four, but his sense of humour won him a national liteary competition when he was only nine. His pen name was from his mother as she was born a Pook and came from a Portsmouth family which had its origins in Devon.
Writing style
Although he has used his own background to impart authenticity to his novels, his characters are fictitious insofar as they do not reflect any single person in his or her entirety. Often they are a composite of several quite different people, who, once created, develop a personality uniquely their own. Honners is a good example of this.Peter wrote his own blurbs (i.e. description of the book printed on the inside and the biographical details printed on the back of the jacket).
His wife the author Val Manning wrote that " He also enjoyed a lasting amour with historical London and the literary giants who flourished there. One of those was William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
who had established himself as a playwright of some esteem in London by the time he was twenty-five and whose works delighted Peter's language palate. Dickens' London and in particular 48 Doughty street where Dickens lived from 1837 – 39, reaped many of his leisure hours and he could quote at random from Dickens' works with fluent ease. It is also an interesting fact that Peter's father was born opposite Dickens' birthplace at Portsmouth. Peter never tired of the old city walks, St Paul's, the churches, the bridges, the inns, the Thames and the quaint streets with names to conjure delicious imageries of a historic populace. He courted them all.
External links
- http://www.peterpook.com