Book Spotlight: Telegraph Island by John Milton Langdon

I am thrilled to share with you Telegraph Island: Volume 2 - Jason Smiley Stewart - My Life Story. This book is amazing, and the author captivating so you're in for a treat!

Book Summary:

The industrial revolution in Britain is in full spate and electronic communication is in its infancy. Based loosely on fact author John Milton Langdon weaves a tale of romance and adventure on the high seas and in the Orient. Jason Smiley Stewart – My Life Story describes the life of an average man. Although he is born in humble circumstances, he shows how a combination of perseverance and intelligence aided by a little good fortune, can help any child overcome the disadvantages of a lowly birth status and poor education. In Telegraph Island, the second novel chronicling the life of Jason Smiley Stewart, the young man’s continuing adventures are described. He has his share of failure and success but once again demonstrates that his poor origins are no bar to fame and fortune when he leaves the life of a sailor to join the communication revolution in the Middle East and puts his courage to the test again.

About the Author:

John Milton Langdon was born in the seaside town of Barry in South Wales in 1937 and was educated at Barry Grammar School. After completing his basic education he spent the next two years as a national serviceman in the Royal Air Force servicing airborne navigation and blind bombing radars.

After demobilisation in 1958, Langdon joined the staff of the Chief Civil Engineer for South Wales Ports as an articled student and started his training as a Civil Engineer. This was successfully completed in 1969 when he became a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Due to the limited opportunity for promotion in South Wales Ports, Langdon moved to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board in 1970 on a two year contract as the Resident Engineer for a major port re-development. Following his transfer to the permanent staff in 1972 he worked as a Project Manager supervising all aspects of port re-development. The financial crisis that beset Mersey Docks precipitated a major reduction in staff and in 1975 Langdon accepted the offer of a post in Bahrain with a British Consulting Engineer.

This was the beginning of more than thirty years of almost continuous service in the Middle East as a civil engineer involved in port development work.

Between 1982 and 1983 Langdon studied at Liverpool University and was awarded the degree of Master of Engineering.

John Milton Langdon retired from full time work in 2005 shortly after a weekend visit to Khasab in Oman. During this short break he visited Telegraph Island with his wife and was inspired to write an article about the hardships endured by the telegraph operators who lived and worked on the island at the beginning of the telecommunication age during the reign of Queen Victoria.

This initial work was developed into four separate novels chronicling the fictitious life story of Jason Smiley Stewart. Three of the novels have been published and the fourth is expected to reach the bookshops early in 2009. Details can be found elsewhere in this homepage.

John Milton Langdon lives with his wife in the mediaeval Austrian town of Klagenfurt which is located on the south side of the Alps. From his first marriage he has three children and six grandchildren. He has also, two stepsons and a step grandson from his second marriage. Langdon and his wife share many interests including travel, the British canals, music and literature, but hiking in the mountains near their home is their preferred leisure activity.

Visit John Milton Langdon at his website HERE

Praise for Telegraph Island:

A vividly written second novel that had me on Telegraph Island and in the boat escaping with Jason Smiley-Stewart, not to mention wishing that he propose to Miss Evans. You have held my interest a second time with your writing, and I have enjoyed the second part of this young man’s story.

Michelle Simpson, Bank Manager, Wellington, New Zealand.