Featured Interview With Tony Levy
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born 14 August 1951 in Tottenham, London, England. I spent most of my formative life in and around Tottenham and London. I love football and always wanted to be a professional footballer (soccer) but was not good enough. I have always loved cats and presently my wife and I have two cats that we rescued from some terrible storms two years ago. We help out with the local CNR group to capture street cats and get them neutered then return them to the wild.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books and reading particularly historical non-fiction but have always loved reading about people and autobiographies.
I suppose I started really writing when I won a writing competition in my local newspaper. I had to write about my favourite football player from our local football team Tottenham Hotspur. I won the competition and my prize was a tour of the stadium and to meet all the players and staff this was back in 1967. I never really wrote much after that but in 1990 I entered a competition in a running magazine and again one the prize which was an entry into the London Marathon, which I completed in the time of 3hrs 42 mins not bad for a 40 year old.
But it was when I turned 60 that I started to write my first book and have now written three more since then.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite author is Sir Winston Churchill and his amazing book ‘The History of the English speaking people’. An incredible look at the English and England from the perspective of one of the 20th centuries great political leaders.
I love fiction too and read each Lee Childs books with relish whenever he releases a new Jack Reacher Story oh if only I could write fiction?
John Le Carre and his spy series are amongst my favourites along with Leon Uris, Len Deighton.
I am also fascinated with anything to do with the Battle of Britain and the stories of the fighter pilots of that period, the famous few. But any historical books on our world history is a particular interest for me.
I don’t have a favourite genre but like memoirs and humorous anecdotal books hence the way I try and write my books. Non-fiction spy stories and thrillers but am not really into horror
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Road to ‘L’ Do you remember your driving instructor? Well, they sure remember you.
My latest book is another biography but is a prequal to my other two books and my continued searched to find my own piece of El Dorado.
It is a humorous memoir. Set in Central London during the period 1981 to 1983 when I was a driving instructor in London working for The British School of Motoring. Pitched somewhere between the old English classic carry-on films and a series of sexy films called Confessions of… It is a humorous memoir of my time as a driving instructor; I reveal the stories of what can happen on a driving lesson, the offers of sexual favours and the actual driving routes I used all around the famous and historic landmarks of London. My books are all humorous memoirs hopefully in the style of Terry Pratchett They should appeal to anybody who likes anecdotal tales, I have tried to write in the style that would make you believe you are in a restaurant and I am with you just recounted episodes of my life or in a pub having a drink with friends, and I’m relating anecdotal stories about my life to you. The Road to ‘L’ is an eye-opening poignant and often hilarious romp through my years as a professional driving instructor in Central London back in the early 1980s.
I’ll tell you about people’s behaviour, conversations and downright dangerous things that happened to me during their lessons and their time learning to drive in my tuition car.
Read about the amazing things that really happened to me which could have come straight out of a Bond movie, the inappropriate offers of sex I received, and you will meet the amazing sister Mary Clara and her meeting with one of the famous Beatles back in the day.
Travel throughout London and all the amazing sites this city offers and all on a driving lesson, or be part of being bombed twice in one day on two separate lessons, by the IRA.
Learn about the Falkland Islands war, from the perspective of both sides.
My book is a journey through the eyes of a professional driving instructor that will amaze you and also amuse you. It gives you a chronological history of the world events that affected London during this period, and of course about learning to drive a car and what can happen on a driving lesson.
But in reality, the book is about people and how they can reveal so much about themselves whilst in the company of their driving instructor. With some amazing stories, and some scary situations, but above all humour.
This book is a prequel to my first two books and a further look into the story of my life and my search for my own piece of El Dorado.
My first book published back in 2011 is called A Turnkey or Not? It is a biography of my 25-year service working in Her Majesty’s Prisons and my second book El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport is a follow on from the first book and continues my working career as a security officer working at one of the busiest airports in the world and people’s behaviour when confronted with modern-day air travel.
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