Peter Firstbrook

I'm self-publishing the book so that all royalties and profits from the sale of The Timeless Thames will go to the Dorchester Abbey maintenance fund. This magnificant Norman church dates back more than one thousand years, and the Abbey stands on the site of a Saxon cathedral built in 650. As you will read in my book, Dorchester-on-Thames has been a crucial hinge-point in the history of early England, and it's become a great inspiration for my writings.

The Abbey Church costs more than £800 a day to keep open, hence my decision to donate all proceeds to the Abbey fund. It really is a worthwhile investment for many generations to come--for my grandchildren and yours.

The Timeless Thames covers the history of England's 'Royal River' from its formation millions of years ago, through centuries of struggle, strife, and success. Despite its majestic title, I wouldn't call it a typical history book. It’s more of a book about history, told through the unique perspective of a river which has witnessed everything from Viking invasions to drunken Tudor watermen shouting profanities at passing nobility.

Instead of a neat textbook timeline, this is really a collection of short stories about major events which have revolved around England’s main artery, with London at its beating heart. You’ll find the timeline hops around like a caffeinated frog, but everything eventually fits together like a jig-saw puzzle. 

Sometimes you get life-altering catastrophes such as the Black Death or the English Civil War, which fortunately only lasted a few traumatic years. 

At other times, the story is told of 10,000 years. Superstitious obsessions are deeply engrained in us humans and for thousands of years, people have seen the Thames as a sacred waterway to the everlasting. They have thrown away good money, high-end swords and expensive jewellery into the water—all as a sacrifice to the river gods and in search of a divine favour or two. 

Most of all, The Timeless Thames is about the people who lived and thrived--and sometimes died--on the banks of the River Thames. There's the eccentric Major Allen who took photographs from his private aircraft and revolutionised our understanding of prehistoric life in the Thames Valley; the resourceful Lady Jane Whorwood who smuggled millions of pounds of gold bullion upriver into the royalist bastion of Oxford; and then there's the unfortunate Richard Roker, whose privy floor collapsed and he fell and drowned in his own cesspit. (Perhaps better not dwell too long on that one...)

The river flows through the Thames Valley at its own pace, carrying centuries of secrets, sewage, and royal embarrassments past the Palace of Westminster and into the open sea. You'll be amazed at some of the stories it reveals from its watery depths.

Release date early-mid 2027.