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Independent Playak Review: Tall Stories, Andy Jackson a Biography – Ronald Cameron

About the Author

The blurb of the book states that Ronald Cameron “is a crofter, adventurer and author of a number of school history books and various magazine articles (in both Gaelic and English).” So what is a crofter I asked myself? ‘One who rents and cultivates a croft; a tenant farmer’ - as I found out. Ronald was Andy’s tenant for about six years and wonders if this was a good idea. When Ronald was 43 and Andy Jackson 19, they became friends. He has no regrets about their friendship.

Content

I had admittedly not read a biography before this one and was a little skeptical, but considering this was a book about a fellow paddler and about the sport I love so much, I thought I might enjoy it; I was not wrong.

The story starts in chronological order from when Andrew (as his father refers to him) was just a blighter and up until his untimely death. From his relationship with Bridget Thomas to his hundreds of friends, you’ll meet them all. The adventures span the globe and you’ll read about his travels across Nepal, Chile, Iceland, North America, Europe, New Zealand and of course, his home turf, Scotland.

The content is often written by Andy himself, but a lot it also from his many friends who joined him on these madcap adventures, whether it be kayaking or paragliding and skiing. It makes for very enjoyable reading. There are several stories in the book that were published in magazines and these too make for excellent reading.

Conclusion

Andy Jackson was a Scottish paddler who sadly passed away in December 2004. This book portrays his life in the time before. It is an inspirational read and even if biographies aren’t your thing you’ll still enjoy all the wonderful stories of adventure held within it. It certainly makes you question yourself, and what you’re doing with your own life. Well worth the money!

The Physical Book

The book itself comes in a soft cover format and is A5 in size, but almost double the width – so a sort of square. There are over 140 pages. The print is a decent size and this makes for very easy reading. Bar the odd black and white photograph, all the others are colour. The quality of these photos is of a very high standard and definitely adds handsomely to the book.

Where to order

Pesda Press