 | Shooting History: A Personal Journey by Jon Snow The compelling autobiography of one of the great and most committed newsmen of our time: full, frank, and occasionally very funny, Jon Snow’s memoirs are as revealing about the great and the not-so-good as about his own passionate involvement in the reporting of world affairs. |
 | In Search of the Lost: The Modern Martyrs of Melanesia by Richard Carter From 1990-2005, returned volunteer Richard Carter, a British priest, was tutor, chaplain to the Melanesian Brotherhood, eventually becoming a brother himself. This extraordinary, powerful and moving book is based on his diaries from that agonizing time for the Community. |
 | China's English: A history of English in Chinese education by Bob Adamson China's English traces the history of English education in the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the present day. It uses the junior secondary school curriculum as the means to examine how English curriculum developers and textbook writers have confronted the shifting ambigulties and dilemmas over five distinct historical periods. |
 | Buttertea at Sunrise by Britta Das Buttertea at Sunrise is a travel memoir about Britta's journey to the mysterious kingdom of Bhutan which has been isolated from the rest of the world for many centuries. The book is a sincere account of the experiences of a volunteer physiotherapist at a remote referral hospital. |
 | A Ringside Seat by Michael Brunson As ITN's diplomatic editor, then political editor, Michael Brunson is a nationally known authority, as well as being a returned VSO volunteer. In this audiobook he goes behind the scenes to expand on events and personalities that have shaped the country. Told with his uniquely witty and engaging style this is an autobiography that will bring tears to your eyes! |
 | Inclusive Play: Practical Strategies for Working with Children Aged 3 to 8 by Theresa Casey Making practical suggestions and using tried-and-tested approaches, this book shows you how to help all the children in your care to feel included and involved in play opportunities. |
 | Where the Hell is Tuvalu? by Philip Ells Living in London, working for a high-pressure legal firm, Philip Ells realised that he was on a career treadmill. The lure of 'doing something better' led him to seek work abroad with VSO. This is the story of his two years as the People's Lawyer for the little tropical island of Tuvalu. 'His voluntary work for VSO, and this highly entertaining book he has written about it, deserve full marks' (The Times). |
 | The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans Returned volunteer, Nicholas Evans, is the author of this best-selling story of tragedy, soul-searching and romance, now also a major film. |
 | The Divide by Nicholas Evans Returned volunteer, Nicholas Evans, follows up his best-selling The Horse Whisperer with this powerful new novel, an 'epic thriller of the human heart'. |
 | The Moon in the Banyan Tree by Gael Harrison Gael Harrison worked for VSO from 2001 in the remote Vietnamese highlands where only ethnic dialects were spoken. The daunting task of existing and working in these areas, in spite of speaking neither Vietnamese nor the local dialects, reveals the qualities that allow Gael to tell her story of the seldom-seen world of the volunteer in a difficult and alien environment through very human eyes. |
 | Ciao Asmara by Justin Hill An account of life in Eritrea in the late 1990s. ‘This exquisite narrative ... has all the bittersweet anger and gratitude of Orwell’s escape from Barcelona [in Homage to Catalonia]' (The Independent) |
 | Green Oranges on Lion Mountain by Emily Joy Recounts the experiences of a VSO doctor in Sierra Leone. 'Very down to earth, very funny, very human' (Yorkshire Evening Post). |
 | The Accidental Optimist's Guide To Life by Emily Joy "This is for every VSO volunteer who came home and had children, then suddenly there was no time for good intentions. 'I would have saved the world but couldnt find a babysitter.'" |
 | Horrible Science Teachers' Resources by David Tomlinson et al. David Tomlinson is a returned VSO volunteer who worked in Nigeria developing their national curriculum and writing culturally-appropriate teaching resources to support it. |
 | Special Places to Stay by Alistair Sawday Alistair Sawday was a VSO volunteer in St. Lucia. He turned to writing travel guides after ten years running a travel company. 'Head and shoulders above the rest. Highly individual' (Bookseller magazine) |
| The Heart of West Africa: Global Issues Through Textiles by Nicci Wilson A practical and educational art and citizenship resource. |
 | Mission by Philip Spires The novel, entitled Mission, is a work of fiction and explores themes of identity, development, change and faith from the perspectives of five main characters, Michael, Mulonzya, Janet, Boniface and Munyasya. It is partly based on his experience as a volunteer headmaster/teacher in Migwani, Kitui District, Kenya. |
 | Just Another Mzungu Passing Through by Jim Bowen The book is set in Kenya in the late 1990's, and follows the experiences of Griff, a young, naive farmer's son from WEst Wales, as he settles into a teaching job in a failing school in Nairobi; a bitingly honest look at the life of a Welsh man teaching English in poverty-torn Africa. It is an engrossing story, and a social commentary foreshadowing the current situation in Kenya.
Jim Bowen was born in Swansea, runs an organic farm in Pembrokshire, and spent two years working for VSO as the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association's development officer from 1996-98. |
