Titan of the Thames: The Life of Lord Desborough

Whether you know of Desborough’s name from the Thames, from rowing or racing punting, from Maidenhead or Henley, from the Olympic movement or just from me, the book will offer the first account of his many sporting achievements, his campaigns and work as a public servant. We also explore family life with his wife, Ettie, a key figure in the Souls, an elite social and intellectual group, and the five children (with all three sons dying, two in WW1).

We have now signed a contract with the very successful publisher Unbound, and the book is to be called Titan of the Thames, reflecting his position as a figure of exceptional achievements, many of them connected to the river. We have explored many publishing options but have now opted to go down the crowd funding path. Unbound helps with that process of raising funds for the book's publication, and on the basis of which (if successful – if not full refunds are paid) they complete the editing, printing and distribution of the book itself. It will be a well-designed hardback edition, and extensively illustrated.

Our task now is to generate the funding which will carry the book through to publication in 2023. Here is a link to the project funding page - https://unbound.com/books/titan/. We would be delighted if you would visit these pages as they include an outline of the book and an excerpt from one of our chapters. The pages also set out how you can order in advance a copy of the book and avail yourself of the various ‘rewards’ on offer relating to different levels of support.

Sandy Nairne and Peter Williams