Increasingly Samuel Beckett’s writing is seen as the culmination of the great literature of the twentieth century succeeding the work of Proust, Joyce and Kafka. Beckett is a writer whose relevance to his time and use of poetic imagery can be compared to Shakespeare’s in the late Renaissance. John Calder has examined the work of Beckett principally for what it has to say about our time in terms of philosophy, theology and ethics, and he points to aspects of his subject’s thinking that othe...

The Garden of Eros brings to life some of last century’s leading cultural figures, who shaped our modern thinking and defined the tastes of an entire generation, changing for ever the way we look at literature and the world around us. Drawing from the accounts of two fellow publishers Maurice Girodias and Barney Rosset, who were also active in the heady days of 1950s and 1960s Paris, London and New York and from his own personal recollections, John Calder talks about the challenges of bein...

Like all the greatest writers, Samuel Beckett was primarily interested in discovering the meaning and purpose of life and of the world into which we are born. Knowledgeable about the religion his family and education instilled in him, which as an adult he could neither accept nor reject, he used it extensively in his novels, plays and poetry. Beckett's works also explored philosophy and the imaginative world of Dante and Milton, as well as the theories of Darwin and scientific speculation,...

John Calder's new poetry collection, 'Solo', avoids strict poetic forms in favour of a casual and natural expression of thought. Honest in its pessimism, the tone is often questioning, and some of the biggest issues, such as politics and war, are not shirked.

“Publish and be damned”, Wellington’s famous adage, runs like a leitmotiv through John Calder’s memoirs. He has been damned by a censorious press, by politicians, by other publishers and by organs of the state for publishing books on sensitive issues. Damned also for publishing such authors as Henry Miller, William Burroughs, Alexander Trocchi and Hubert Selby Jr, as well as for bringing to public notice the abuses of the armies and security forces of colonial countries. He took on America...

Radarman John Calder’s memoir offers a firsthand account of USS *Stoddard's* pivotal role in early Vietnam War naval operations.The first U.S. Navy ship assigned to defend Da Nang—home to a critical airfield and deep-water port—USS Stoddard was the first naval vessel to fire in the Vietnam War, on July 18, 1965. At this critical point in the early days of the war, the Stoddard worked unusually closely with both the Marines and an Underwater Demoli...

Whoever said taking a second chance on your first love was a good idea obviously had nothing to hide…They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But shagging a guy with a “Bad Decision” tattoo is never a good idea. It’s a warning label. Trust me.So when a friend coerces me into taking part in a charity dating auction, I jump at the chance to leave London - and my bad decisions - behind for a weekend.But Max Foste...

HE’S a hot actor with an image problem and I’M supposed to be his redemption??Hollywood megastar Greyson Vaughn needs a girlfriend to help him combat rumours that he’s stalking his ex. I need a distraction from grad school, bills and my nonexistent love life. So when he offers me a job as his fake girlfriend for the weekend so the paparazzi can snap some cozy photos, I’m in.But Greyson is either a better actor than I thought or I’ve fallen...

Is shagging the boss you love to hate called a hate-shag? Asking for a friend.My boss:Uptight.Straight-laced.American.Knobhead.If he calls me Ms. St Julien one more time, I might stab him in the eye with a pen.Also my boss:Sexy AF.Dirty-talker.Funny??That tour of London I was supposed to be taking him on kind of ended up in his bedroom. Oops.

How do you tell your best friend you had the best sex of your life with her brother in short-term parking? Short answer - you don't.I probably should have declined my bestie’s invitation to spend the summer in England working at her family’s castle-turned-hotel. But, dammit, it was either that or teach summer school math. Two doors down from my ex.Obvious choice, right?Except now I’m living within kissing distance of Jasper for the entire s...

★★★★"If you're looking for a lighthearted space saga, then this is definitely a book you're going to want to pick up." - Literary TitanAfter finding himself alone and very far from home, astronaut Wil Calder does his best to make his way in the Galactic Commonwealth.It ain’t easy.After assembling a crew of misfits from across the Commonwealth, Wil takes a job. Break into a space station. Straightforward enough. Except it’s not. It’s the space statio...

The first three books in the exciting Space Rogues series.Wil Calder is an astronaut or rather was. He got lost, then picked up by pirates, then… well, a lot happens. Needless to say, he isn’t an astronaut anymore. He’s a smuggler, a privateer, bounty hunter and sometimes savior of the Galactic Commonwealth.He and the crew of the Ghost can’t seem to help finding themselves in the middle of things they aren’t even remotely qualified to be in the mid...