Jim Morris – författare

He Played A Boy's Game. He Lived A Man's Life. As a lonely child, Jim Morris took one thing with him wherever his family moved-his ability to hit and throw a baseball. For Jim, the passion of becoming a major-league ballplayer was his anchor and inspiration...until injuries and life got in the way.A decade after Jim walked away from the minors and began a life of fatherhood and mortgage payments, he made a promise to the hardscrabble high-school team he coached: If they could win their local championship, he would try out again for the big leagues. They did-and he did. Now, in this wondrous, heart-tugging book, Jim Morris tells the story of his remarkable life and his amazing journey to the Big Show at the age of thirty-five . . . and how he finally fulfilled his childhood dream.

He Played A Boy's Game. He Lived A Man's Life. As a lonely child, Jim Morris took one thing with him wherever his family moved-his ability to hit and throw a baseball. For Jim, the passion of becoming a major-league ballplayer was his anchor and inspiration...until injuries and life got in the way. A decade after Jim walked away from the minors and began a life of fatherhood and mortgage payments, he made a promise to the hardscrabble high-school team he coached: If they could win their local championship, he would try out again for the big leagues. They did-and he did. Now, in this wondrous, heart-tugging book, Jim Morris tells the story of his remarkable life and his amazing journey to the Big Show at the age of thirty-five...and how he finally fulfilled his childhood dream.

This is a fresh examination of the ‘intelligence’ gathered for the great train robbery.The suggestion of an Irishman (‘The Ulsterman’) was simply part of a package created by the robbers in time for their release from prison and to contribute to the subsequent book – everything since has compounded the ‘mystery’. Gordon Goody was one robber who ‘met’ The Ulsterman and speaks highly of The Ulsterman’s information, but this information could easily be found elsewhere, and some of it is incorrect.So who else might have given ‘intelligence’? One by one, other ‘suspects’ are identified and discounted, but with evidence for their defence.To use the metaphor ‘hidden in plain sight’, one can identify another ‘suspect’ with all the attributes The Ulsterman was said to have. If the reader is willing to look at the evidence afresh, it’s necessary to consider not what the robbers et al have said, rather what they haven’t said.The robbers were dishonest men who frequently lied – but writers and commentators have followed what they have said. And it hasn’t really led anywhere.To unravel the yarn presented, it wasn’t a senior official in either the Post Office or British Rail. It was an ‘ordinary thief’ with an extraordinary ability to blend into the background, and have fingers in a great many pies.Let’s expound the myth.

This is a fresh examination of the ‘intelligence’ gathered for the great train robbery.The suggestion of an Irishman (‘The Ulsterman’) was simply part of a package created by the robbers in time for their release from prison and to contribute to the subsequent book – everything since has compounded the ‘mystery’. Gordon Goody was one robber who ‘met’ The Ulsterman and speaks highly of The Ulsterman’s information, but this information could easily be found elsewhere, and some of it is incorrect.So who else might have given ‘intelligence’? One by one, other ‘suspects’ are identified and discounted, but with evidence for their defence.To use the metaphor ‘hidden in plain sight’, one can identify another ‘suspect’ with all the attributes The Ulsterman was said to have. If the reader is willing to look at the evidence afresh, it’s necessary to consider not what the robbers et al have said, rather what they haven’t said.The robbers were dishonest men who frequently lied – but writers and commentators have followed what they have said. And it hasn’t really led anywhere.To unravel the yarn presented, it wasn’t a senior official in either the Post Office or British Rail. It was an ‘ordinary thief’ with an extraordinary ability to blend into the background, and have fingers in a great many pies.Let’s expound the myth.

Murder is a deliberate act which exposes the worst of human traits. Rich and poor, old and young, male and female; it knows no social boundaries. From pre-Roman times until today, murder has a heinous history. Often it is a domestic incident where the assailant is quickly identified, a confession might even ensue. But it is when the act departs from the family that the odds against conviction grow. Where to start looking? Here are five murder cases where family involvement was quickly ruled out. Motives were said to range from robbery to revenge. Four are officially unsolved, but the fifth is officially solved, with the conviction of a nineteen year- old man, but was he really guilty? And why was a lady battered beyond recognition in her own kitchen? Gentleman traders brutally bludgeoned, and the postal clerk ruthlessly gunned down? These five cases cover the period from the mid 1930s to the mid 1960s; from a time of executions to a time of enlightenment and abolition.

The starting point for any investigation is a curiosity, and that curiosity will lead to questions. However, those questions will not always tabulate themselves neatly for ease of presentation. With a murder it is usually known early on just what the investigation will set out to discover because a body will have been found. So why is it where it is found? And what if a body is not found, such as in the most confounding of cases here? Who wanted the old-time dancing housewife and mother dead, and why was such a shocking level of brutality employed? In Scarborough during the war, who did the lady enter the disused bus garage with, and why? Was robbery a motive for the murder of the retired school teacher or the lonely widow?

Passion for football in England shifted in the second half of the twentieth century. Around 40 million spectators entered the turnstiles at the peak of the 1948/49 season. In the years that followed, the attendances varied but the football only got better, leading England to win the World Cup in 1966. There were a number of great players that graced the pitches of Great Britain in the 1960s and 1970s. This book tells the story of one of them. Gordon Banks is still regarded as England''s nest ever goalkeeper. His club career took him to Chesterfield, Leicester City and Stoke City. He was paid GBP2 a match at Chesterfield, and his transfer from Leicester to Stoke was for GBP50,000 - well below some current Premiership players'' wages today! Capped seventy-three times by England, Gordon went on to lift the World Cup as England''s goalkeeper and make arguably the save of the century in Mexico in 1970. The youngest of four brothers from Sheffield, Gordon abandoned plans to become a bricklayer when Chesterfield came looking. He was later to marry and have three children. As television allowed fans to watch from the comfort of their own living rooms or the pub, Gordon Banks was ever present, and he remains much admired and revered to this day.

On 8 August 1963, just about 30 miles north of London, a red light brought the ''Up'' Travelling Post Office to a halt. A few minutes later the locomotive and the first two carriages moved slowly forward - with a posse of extra men on board. It travelled the few hundred yards to Bridego Bridge, where it was robbed. The train, the robbers, the railwaymen and the postmen made the headlines as one of the most legendary crimes in British history took place. An act of audacity, cunning and daredevilry that became a story of tragedy, jinx and violence. Dubbed ''the Great Train Robbery'', it was the cops-and-robbers story to end all cops-and-robbers stories. Like it or not, with its newsworthiness and prevalence in books, documentaries and feature films, it has an enduring appeal.

Covering the whole squad, including key unsung members of the backroom team, and the inspiring figure of Sir Alf Ramsey, The Team of ''66 explores the very different individuals who pulled together to create one of the iconic moments in Britain''s post-war history. Under the peerless captaincy of Sir Bobby Moore, England team made it past highly fancied opponents to face the greatest challenge of all - the Germans, past masters in tournament success. With a portrait of each player, man by man, this book examines their backgrounds and personalities to piece together the ingredients of a world-beating team. Far removed from the multi-millionaire playboy players of today, England''s team of ''66 had what it takes. They didn''t just do it the English way with mud, sweat and tears - they gelled into a team of steely confidence and true inspiration. The Team of ''66 shows how, and what we can learn. And just when they think it''s all over, the book reflects on the questions: What do England''s team today need to go all the way to the final in Brazil 2014? And what does it take to succeed at the highest level, in sport or life, like those famous figures from ''66: Moore, Charlton (J.) , Charlton (B.), Banks and Hurst...

The Who’s Who of British Crime spans the whole twentieth century, and covers an enormous range of crimes and misdemeanours – by turns appalling, brilliant, gruesome and audacious.All the nation’s most famous wrongdoers are here, from the mystery of Lord Lucan to the Great Train Robbery, the Brinks-Mat robbers and Jeffrey Archer. And it’s not just the villains; some of the twentieth century’s top lawyers and police officers are included for the part they have played in upholding the principles of the law.An unsavoury roll call of the men and women whose misdeeds live on in the national memory, an exploration of some of our most notorious unsolved cases and a celebration of the advances made in the fight against crime, this guide tracks the changing face of criminal activity over 100 years.

The Who’s Who of British Crime spans the whole twentieth century, and covers an enormous range of crimes and misdemeanours – by turns appalling, brilliant, gruesome and audacious.All the nation’s most famous wrongdoers are here, from the mystery of Lord Lucan to the Great Train Robbery, the Brinks-Mat robbers and Jeffrey Archer. And it’s not just the villains; some of the twentieth century’s top lawyers and police officers are included for the part they have played in upholding the principles of the law.An unsavoury roll call of the men and women whose misdeeds live on in the national memory, an exploration of some of our most notorious unsolved cases and a celebration of the advances made in the fight against crime, this guide tracks the changing face of criminal activity over 100 years.

• Explains how the author became a student of Toltec spiritual teacher don Miguel Ruiz and how he traveled the world, as well as the astral realms, undergoing a deep spiritual journey of change • Details how the author discovered LSD after the Vietnam War and even tripped while skydiving • Recounts his time as a civil rights advocate and war correspondent, and how Toltec shamanism helped prepare him to ease his wife’s long end-of-life journey During his third tour of duty in Vietnam where he served as a Green Beret, Jim Morris was wounded badly enough to be retired from the army. He came home bitter, angry that his career had been ended. After reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, he realized that many members of Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters had also been combat officers. Following this spiritual “hint,” he spent the next couple of years as an acid head, even skydiving on LSD. Awakened by his LSD experiences, Morris immersed himself in the books of Carlos Castaneda as well as in Kriya yoga, Charismatic Christianity, and A Course in Miracles. From these experiences he was led to Toltec spiritual teacher don Miguel Ruiz and began a deep spiritual journey of change.Sharing his journey from PTSD to spiritual awakening, Morris recounts his time as a civil rights advocate for the Montagnard people in Vietnam and his years as a war correspondent at the same time he was following Castaneda’s Warrior’s Way. He describes his momentous meeting with don Miguel Ruiz as well as his travels around the world and in the astral realms. Sharing how his wife developed dementia and later became paralyzed, Morris explains how it required all his Toltec training, all his military training, everything he had to share her final years in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Written from a deep understanding of Toltec techniques this book shows in a heartfelt and resonant way what a spiritual path can give you.

• Explains how the author became a student of Toltec spiritual teacher don Miguel Ruiz and how he traveled the world, as well as the astral realms, undergoing a deep spiritual journey of change • Details how the author discovered LSD after the Vietnam War and even tripped while skydiving • Recounts his time as a civil rights advocate and war correspondent, and how Toltec shamanism helped prepare him to ease his wife’s long end-of-life journey During his third tour of duty in Vietnam where he served as a Green Beret, Jim Morris was wounded badly enough to be retired from the army. He came home bitter, angry that his career had been ended. After reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, he realized that many members of Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters had also been combat officers. Following this spiritual “hint,” he spent the next couple of years as an acid head, even skydiving on LSD. Awakened by his LSD experiences, Morris immersed himself in the books of Carlos Castaneda as well as in Kriya yoga, Charismatic Christianity, and A Course in Miracles. From these experiences he was led to Toltec spiritual teacher don Miguel Ruiz and began a deep spiritual journey of change.Sharing his journey from PTSD to spiritual awakening, Morris recounts his time as a civil rights advocate for the Montagnard people in Vietnam and his years as a war correspondent at the same time he was following Castaneda’s Warrior’s Way. He describes his momentous meeting with don Miguel Ruiz as well as his travels around the world and in the astral realms. Sharing how his wife developed dementia and later became paralyzed, Morris explains how it required all his Toltec training, all his military training, everything he had to share her final years in a meaningful and fulfilling way. Written from a deep understanding of Toltec techniques this book shows in a heartfelt and resonant way what a spiritual path can give you.

The Day the King Died concerns the shooting dead of two police officers and shows how the police convinced themselves that they had the right man. This new book contains a close analysis of the effect of the activities of lawyers and police on the jury in a capital case and reinforces the forceful claims of campaign groups connected to the case. There was a quaint British convention under which executions were stopped and sentence commuted to life imprisonment if scheduled to take place on the day the sovereign died. Alfred Moore was doubly unfortunate: he was on the scaffold an hour before the death of King George VI was announced. He protested his innocence all along but never could clear his name as he had vowed to do from the moment of his arrest. In this new book, the author re-assesses this case of the double murder of two police officers and shows why the trial at Leeds Assizes was a travesty of justice - packed with mistakes, inaccuracies, dubious recollections, supposition and conjecture.Set against the social backdrop of 1950s West Yorkshire, the book analyses the interactions of the lawyers, police and jury and demonstrates the need for caution where accounts may be driven by preconceptions or 'fit' too tidily with those of others.The result is a masterly explanation of the plight of a condemned man caught up in the questionable practices of the era: which adds to the voices of those calling for justice in a case in which police and prosecutors almost certainly put the wrong man on trial. 'My Lord, I protest my innocence. I am not guilty': Alfred Moore on being sentenced to death.