The helping goes on... Captain Tom to publish charity books
CAPTAIN TOM Moore’s efforts over recent weeks captured the spirit of the nation as he was hailed a hero for raising £33m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.
Now the 100-year-old Second World War veteran, originally from Keighley, is to publish two books under a new charitable foundation to help combat loneliness, support hospices and those facing bereavement.
An autobiography called Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day and a children’s picture book will support the Captain Tom Foundation.
Captain Moore’s autobiography, to be published on September 17, will tell of his time on the battlefields of Burma in the Second World War.
It will also tell how he used to race motorbikes competitively, how he took off for the Himalayas and Everest in his nineties because he had never been before and his fundraising efforts for the NHS.
He said: “I am so looking forward to sharing my autobiography with you, which will help launch my new foundation. I’d better get writing!”
The picture book, to be published on October 1 by Puffin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s, will follow key moments from his life.
Hannah Ingram-Moore, Captain Moore’s daughter, said: “As a child I was an avid reader. I often had two or three books on the go at any one time.
“I have wonderful childhood memories of going to meet authors at Puffin Book Club meetings, proudly wearing my Puffin
badge and asking authors to sign copies of their books.” Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said the picture book would illustrate how Captain Tom “showed the world that we are stronger and can achieve more when we work together”.
She added: “It is a message that we know will speak to families everywhere and will be at the heart of Captain Tom’s wonderful children’s book.”