DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Keeping Afloat

Up a French Canal ... without a Paddle

John Liley author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Loose Chippings Books

Published:17th Jul '09

Should be back in stock very soon

Keeping Afloat cover

Keeping Afloat is a light-hearted tale of John Liley's exploits on the canals of France. John was working for a boating magazine when he was overcome with a dream of owning and operating a hotel-barge in France. Now, thirty years on, he tells of his often hilarious misadventures in the early days of setting up a business that would keep afloat. Characters such as The Whizzer, Mighty Min and Monsieur Bertrand would be unbelievable if they were not true. Barge enthusiasts and landlubbers alike will laugh with and at John's exploits.

Very entertaining reading - Timothy West Brilliant raconteur and accomplished wordsmith. Amusing, informative and honest. Forget all the shiny, sanitised travelogues and fat, fluffy guide books; this is the real deal - Sailing Today It's a cracking read and you'll have trouble putting it down - Canal Boat Magazine Entertaining prose and lively style - Living France John Liley is one of England's canal experts. A nice relaxed style and lots of wry observations on people, France and bureaucracy - G.C.Barrow Strong character depiction and a wealth of incidents bring this book to life. Well worth reading - H. Davie

ISBN: 9780955421754

Dimensions: 228mm x 155mm x 15mm

Weight: unknown

208 pages