Alfie's not really a bad guy. It's just that he has this overwhelming desire for the ladies. You might say that 'birds' are irresistible to him, sort of second nature. There's Ruby - 'A lust box in beautiful condition' ; Clare - 'You're all lathered in sweat, Alfie'; Siddie - 'My regular Thursday night bint, a bit leggy for my fancy, but you make a married woman laugh and you're halfway home'; and Annie - but who's counting? Certainly not Alfie. Three in one evening if necessary. And neces...

The Goalkeeper's Revenge is comprised of stories of a Lancashire childhood: of football on the streets, fishing, fighting and school, of growing up and looking for work, and of characters such as Spit Nolan the champion trolley-rider, Sim Dalt the goalkeeper and Maggie Gregory the amazing reader.

In this collection of stories, Bill Naughton portrays a selection of characters, including truck drivers, Irish itinerants and lamp lighters, in his inimitable pithy style. While each tale can be enjoyed on its own, together they provide a wonderful picture of post-war and a bygone era. With descriptions so graphic the characters could be based on real people, the lives, loves, hopes and disappointments of Naughton's characters will keep you gripped till the last.

This is a writer's journal of his friendships, encounters and observations during the 1950s and 60s, describing relationships with Cork author Frank O'Connor, Patrick Kavanagh, Charles Cape (onetime governor of Strangeways Prison) and the remarkable Margaret Radford, baglady and acquaintance of Shaw, Lawrence and Ford Madox Ford, with her vivid experiences of the Great War. Peopled by the colourful characters met in his profession, Naughton also gives an intimate portrait of a marriage and...

Set in the early thirties, this excellent story for boys comes from an author who is better-known as a playwright and deals with the escapades of Corky and Ginger, two of the scores of Pony Boys employed to deliver light loads - a common sight in City streets in those days. In the later chapters the urge takes the boys to see the world and they head for Liverpool with the idea of getting jobs on a trawler. Written with humour and understanding, the book is authentic but never old fashioned...

Alfie sees himself as a "Romeo", a ladies' man who loves 'em and leaves 'em - but underneath the cheeky humour is the poignancy of a young man who cannot find peace of mind. "And if you haven't got that you've got nothing." as he tells the listener in that direct and familiar style made famous by Michael Caine in the 1960s film.Originally a radio show, then a stage play, and finally a book by the talented writer Bill Naughton before the character was immortalised by Michael Caine a...