Charles Gidley Wheeler

JANNAWAY'S MUTINY

In September 1931, the sailors of the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Fleet staged a mass mutiny at Invergordon, Scotland. In this historical novel, Charles Gidley Wheeler tells the life story of Frank Jannaway, a British sailor who finds himself at the focus of the mutiny. Sent into the Navy against his will, Frank experiences the hardship and injustice of life on the lower deck aboard a coal-burning cruiser on the China Station. After serving with distinction at the Battle of Jutland, Frank reunites with Anita Yarrow, whom he has known since his youth, and who has been sent to Malta in disgrace. Anita helps Frank, her childhood hero, to gain promotion to officer rank. Years later, when Anita’s brother, Roddy Yarrow, is bullying his officers aboard a cruiser of the Atlantic Fleet, Frank Jannaway is appointed to his ship. The result is tragedy. Encompassing an era from the Edwardian Golden Age to wartime Britain in the blitz, Jannaway’s Mutiny paints a vivid picture of love, ambition, self-sacrifice and heroism; and of the part that captains and admirals of the Royal Navy played in ringing down the final curtain on the British Empire.

The sequel to Jannaway's Mutiny is The Raging of the Sea, which was withdrawn from book shops and libraries soon after publication in 1984. It is an autobiographical novel that tells the story of Frank's son, Steven Jannaway, who joins the navy as a cadet in 1955, serves as a fleet air arm pilot, and leaves twenty-five years later.

EXTRACTS FROM REVIEWS OF Jannaway's Mutiny

MID WEST BOOK REVIEW:
"...a vivid and totally engaging story that grips the reader's attention from first page to last. Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to a community library's fiction shelf, Jannaway's Mutiny is a deftly written action/adventure historical novel that will linger in the reader's mind long after the book is placed back upon the shelf."

AMAZON:
*****"A masterful work of historical fiction … a wonderfully human story … reveals a great deal about class consciousness and society in early-20th century England. Charles Gidley Wheeler has really given us a fabulous work of historical fiction here, and I give Jannaway's Mutiny nothing less than my highest recommendation." — Daniel Jolley.


AMAZON:
*****"Fans of historical fiction in general and military fiction in particular should definitely give this one a once through." - Jeffrey Leach.

AMAZON:
****"...the history of the mutiny is fascinating." - Orrin Judd

NAVAL-HISTORY.NET:
"Hard-to-put-down and often moving novel by ex-serving RN officer, "Jannaway's Mutiny" is the story of the 1931 Invergordon Mutiny. But more than that it provides a well-researched link from the Edwardian Navy through WW1 to the Navy of WW2." - Gordon Smith

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THE RAGING OF THE SEA

From his first days at Dartmouth naval college, Steven Jannaway resolutely pursues his naval career, thrusting aside any doubts about the system to climb more swiftly up the ladder of promotion. Bound by both his loyalty to his family and to the service, Jannaway finds it increasingly difficult to stifle his unease about the role he is expected to play in the politically dominated navy.

‘[Gidley] writes with the kind of knowledge only an insider could have …. One of the best sea novels to appear in years.’ Publishers Weekly

‘A very fine, compelling, thoughtful novel.’ Cleveland Plain Dealer

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THE RIVER RUNNING BY

The British community of Portugal in the nineteen-thirties welcomes Ruth, the bride of wine-taster Bobby Teape, into a privileged and wealthy world of rolling hills, great rivers and endless vineyards. But the Teapes' marriage is overshadowed by guilt, because Natalia, the housemaid Ruth hires, is the girl Bobby once raped. In the post-war turbulence of Portugal under Salazar's fascist regime, the children of Ruth and Natalia inherit a future that is scarred by Bobby's secret from the past.

‘Fascinating...vivid...convincing...’ Homes and Gardens

‘A family saga of superior vintage.’ Observer

‘Ideal holiday reading.’ Sunday Times

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BASIC FLYING INSTRUCTION

Based on his recent philosophy degree course at the University of Durham, Charles Gidley Wheeler provides a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of Western philosophy, its relation to science and logic, and its application to personal, social, and political dilemmas of the twenty-first century. Starting from the premise that nothingness cannot exist, the author shows how both physics and philosophy seem to be leading us to the unavoidable conclusion that to think in terms of an absolute God who has the power to reward or punish us is not only irrational but divisive and dangerous to the survival of mankind. The important conclusion of the book is that until it is universally accepted that we are all one, and that to injure another nation is to injure one’s own, wars and terrorism will inevitably continue.

“Charles Wheeler has had the bright idea of using his own course in philosophy as a framework for an introduction to the discipline, and has written an accessible and lively book getting across his own particular enthusiasm for Spinoza.”— David M. Knight, MA, DPhil, University of Durham

“Basic Flying Instruction is a remarkable work of condensation, illumination and application of philosophical principles seen through our current historical lens.”— Brad Schreiber, Vice President Storytech Literary Consulting

“…an excellent book, clearly suitable for a bright school-age pupil.”— B.J. Lenon, M.A., Head Master, Harrow School.

"Wheeler's command of the material is impressive, and he is a welcome guide through the labyrinthine pathways of historical philosophy."-Kirkus


AMAZON:
*****"Most helpful guided tour of Western philosophy.
By reading this book [...] I've flown over the river of great philosophical ideas, developed a much better appreciation for the length and depth of the philosophical waters, and spotted a number of fascinating little landmarks I want to go back and explore further. Wheeler starts by introducing the big themes of philosophical thought: knowledge, ethics, logic, science, and God. He then sets out to show you how the ideas and arguments about these important subjects and themes have changed over time. On the way, you get a short introduction to some of the more prominent thinkers: Descartes, Spinoza, Kant, Schopenhauer, and the like. The contributions of lesser-known men (such as the exceedingly fascinating Wittgenstein) are also introduced and fleshed out a little bit. Eventually, Wheeler explains the basics of modern thought systems with such intimidating names as hermeneutics, phenomenology, structuralism, metaphysics, and existentialism. I must admit it feels good to actually have a handle on the meaning behind these scary names. Different readers will take different things away from this book. Many of the details probably won't stay with me for very long, but the overall perspective I have gained will. Philosophical arguments have gotten more complex over time, but modern thinkers really are still debating the very issues of ancient Greece's days. Philosophy has come a long way over the centuries, yet its true nature remains much the same. I should mention the fact that Wheeler lends a personal touch to his writing. His own ideas complement his descriptions of different arguments, and he concludes the book by enunciating some of the philosophical opinions he has come to after his years of study. I happen to disagree with several of those opinions, but that's perfectly OK. The important thing is that each person comes up with his/her own conclusions based on personal soul-searching and serious thought. Philosophy is basically the art (or, if you prefer, science) of understanding yourself and the world around you. You can't get to where you want to be overnight - especially if you don't have a guide. Wheeler can show you the different paths others have taken, but it is up to you to choose your own paths to go back and explore further."- Daniel Jolley.


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ARMADA

Tristram Pascoe is estranged from his murderous father Harry, who abandons him when he falls overboard from his ship the Russell. Sara Hussey is an Irish heiress trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to her Portuguese cousin. They are brought together by a priceless heirloom, but divided loyalties lay siege to their love. From the first rumours of a Spanish invasion to the horror of ships foundering on the gale-torn coast of Ireland, and from Drake’s attack on Cadiz to the launching of fire ships off Calais, Armada brings one of history’s greatest moments gloriously to life.

‘Binding the various elements of Gidley’s well-knit story … are two silver Madonnas: one wrenched by Tristram’s father from the neck of a murdered priest, the other given Sara upon her betrothal. They open and close the novel. Throughout it they enhance its artistry.’ Washington Post

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THE BELIEVER

Blair Harvey’s conversion to the evangelical fundamentalism of the Plymouth Brethren demolishes his marriage, his business and his standing in the world, driving him from the love of his friends and family and turning him into a figure of grotesque tragedy.

‘Powerful, compelling and richly detailed.’ Diana Athill
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THE FIGHTING SPIRIT

When Germany launches her attack on France in May 1940, Griff Wilmot, his French wife Simone and her illegitimate son David Odell are caught up in the great retreat and miraculous evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. No one who lived through those dark days emerged unscathed. This novel eencapsulates the tragedies and triumphs of a whole generation.

‘… a totally riveting account, leaving the reader feeling that he has been personally present throughout the campaign. In short a gripping story, not easily put down.’ The Naval Review

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THE CRYING OF THE WIND

Buenos Aires, 1939. Anna McGeoch steps off the boat, ready to join her brother’s work on a remote mission, only to hear of his tragic death. Alone in the Argentine capital, she bravely decides to stay on, and is soon caught up in the glamorous lifestyle of Argentina’s English community, with their magnificent estates in the splendour of the pampa.. When she marries Tito Cadoret, a handsome polo-playing landowner, a life of rich promise seems to stretch out in front of her. But with each passing year the political stability of Argentina comes under greater threat and when, unknown to Anna, Tito allows himself to be blackmailed by a powerful lawyer, he is starting on a road that can lead only to disaster for him and his growing family.

`Buenos Aires citizens have experienced anarchy, political upheaval and terror. In living memory, activists have been seized off the streets and "disappeared". Charles Gidley vividly encompasses that era and the Falklands War in this gripping family saga.' Kent Evening Post

A masterful, multi-layered, truly meaningful novel , May 1, 2006
Reviewer: Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA)

"First, let me say that Charles Gidley Wheeler is an enormously gifted writer who truly carries you away to whatever place and time he chooses to write about, and he gives you wonderfully real characters you cannot help but feel passionate about. The Crying of the Wind covers almost fifty years in the lives of a family, particularly a mother and daughter, transporting the reader back and forth between Argentina and Scotland , encompassing both World War II and the fight for possession of the Falkland Islands, and detailing the lives of an assortment of vividly drawn characters. Largely, it's a story of regrets, disappointments, and heartache. [...] Wheeler provides us with an insightful window into Argentine society from the years of English privilege to the birth of Peronism to the increasing violence and instability that come as the social and political fabric break down in the 1970s and early 1980s, as Peron's social revolution gives way to an increasingly fascist police state where "subversives" are rounded up, tortured, and killed in the name of nationalism. This is followed by the Falklands War, which first unified Argentina and then, after the British victory, gave way to self-examination and the overthrow of the military government that had terrorized Argentine citizens for years.

[...] this is a deep, detailed story that works on two levels simultaneously - and, believe me, I haven't even scratched the surface of the events that befall the Cadoret family over the decades chronicled here. These characters become a part of your life, more real than the strangers you pass on the street every day. Their entire lives - like our own - are irrevocably changed by the most ordinary of events, coincidences, and misunderstandings. There is no more painful question than "What if?" yet the answer to that question can come to define our very lives if we allow it to do so. This is not a joyous story, certainly, but The Crying of the Wind is the kind of novel that really connects with you emotionally, encourages you to put your own life into perspective, and changes you in some subtle way. I feel I'm a better person - with better insight into myself and my fellow human beings - for having read The Crying of the Wind, and I think that's about the highest praise I can give any work of fiction."

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