Tristan's Quest - Allingham

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Résumé :
This book is the second novel by Allingham who came late to the lists with his great romantic story of Arthur Thomas's Quest. Tristan's quest is an epic story despite spanning only one year in present time. Unknown to Tristan, King Arthur has sent Merlin to inspire him to put aside old age and infirmity and to seek, find and follow an honourable quest to keep alive the spirit of Camelot, until he returns to put to right all that has gone amiss. At the start, Tristan is acerbic and difficult. Not knowing how he might find an appropriate quest, he comes to up to London to be banker or bookmaker never the clerk or punter. Events beyond his control beat him down to abject penury. However despite everything he makes friends and meets with Harry Evans a remarkable man who is Master of Retreads, a shelter for tired old soles. Comedy and adventure follow, leading Tristan to agree to take on a challenge that he did not expect.

Biographie:
Allingham 1936 - 2012 Allingham spent a happy childhood in Halifax the third and youngest child of William, a Welsh born policeman, and Winifred, a local Yorkshire lass. Apprenticed at 16 to a local iron foundry Allingham's progression to qualified engineer was interrupted by two years of national service, serving as a subaltern in the 1st Guards Brigade. Qualifying as a professional engineer didn't limit his work experiences and over the succeeding decades Allingham travelled to over 65 countries, pursuing careers in public relations, local government, retailing, brewing and innkeeping, this last role earning him a two-page spread in the Daily Express as The real Mr Fawlty. Founding the journal Hong Kong Engineer before his thirtieth birthday and writing all its early leaders demonstrated Allingham's interest in writing, confirmed by a lifetime producing professional technical papers as well as writing, for his own interest, a series of short stories, light verses and other narratives. In retirement and drawing on a lifetime of rich experience Allingham was at last able to work full time on his final opus: The Grey Haired Knights. This series of four whimsical fantasy novels tells the stories of four 70 year old codgers inspired by the spirit of King Arthur's Merlin to each undertake their own life-affirming Quest.