The Idiot Boy

Bob Turney must be the first 'dunce'¿-¿and from the wrong side of the tracks-to win a debate at the Oxford Union, to have addressed assembly at Eton College, been welcomed as a guest at No. 10 Downing Street, dined at the House of Lords and whose existing writings are in regular use at universities in the UK and abroad. In this captivating and very readable book Bob tells how he overcame multiple disadvantages: dyslexia, being wrongly categorised as educationally subnormal, drug and alcohol misuse and 20 years on-and-off as a guest of Her Majesty. It is a compelling true story of how against all the odds he survived trauma, misfortune and life 'in the gutter' to become a much respected family man, community leader, friend of the great and the good, and a commentator and public speaker on crime and punishment: a prisoner reborn as a probation officer and whose new world took on a fresh and unique life of its own. As his friend and mentor the late Lord Longford frequently put matters, Bob is "a remarkable man who made a great recovery from the depths." A true story of courage, persistence and determination - valuable to anyone recovering from adversity as it offers considerable hope and encouragement. With a Foreword by one of the UK's leading lawyers. O saints! what is become of him? Perhaps he's climbed into an oak, Where he will stay till he is dead; Or, sadly he has been misled, And joined the wandering gipsy-folk. 'The Idiot Boy', William Wordsworth, Lyrical Ballads, 1798. Bob Turney is well-known in his field and a by-word for positive change. His previous books include I'm Still Standing (1997 onwards) and Going Straight After Crime and Punishment (1999) (with Angela Devlin). With Stephen Fry and others he is a founding father of Unlock, the National Association of Ex-offenders.