On a cold morning in Grimsby, Albert Hardcastle wakes up to the first
day of his retirement. His days of working in a shop are behind him, and
he and his wife, Alice, decide to celebrate by taking the luxury cruise
of which they always dreamed.
Meanwhile, on the Essex coast, Rear Admiral Sir Benbow Harrington, a
retired Royal Navy officer, is trying to assemble a fleet of passenger
ships. His newest vessel, the Golden Handshake, is ready for its
maiden voyage. At least that's what Sir Benbow thinks, and if others
disagree, he ignores them. When Albert and Sir Benbow embark on the
Golden Handshake's first cruise, they encounter characters and
experiences more colourful than they could ever have imagined and meet
with both triumph and disaster as well as plenty in between.
The Voyage of the Golden Handshake is a warm and charmingly funny
story which reminds you that life is for living, and in which Terry
Waite shows an unexpected talent for comic fiction.
Terry Waite was born in Cheshire in 1939, the son of a village
policeman. He worked with the Anglican Church in Uganda, then in Rome,
before becoming a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's staff. He
negotiated the release of many hostages in Iran, Libya, and Lebanon.
Contrary to popular belief, he is not a clergyman.
While negotiating the release of captives in Beirut, he was taken
hostage and spent 1,763 days in captivity, more than four years of which
were in solitary confinement. Since his release in November 1991, he has
dedicated himself to study, writing, lecturing, and humanitarian
activities.
He is president of Emmaus UK, an international charity working with
homeless people; founder and president of Hostage, a charity providing
support for hostages and their families; and joint founder of YCare, a
development agency for young people.
Awarded the MBE in 1983 and CBE in 1992, he holds many honorary
doctorates both in the UK and overseas. He continues to travel widely
and is much sought after as a public speaker. He is the author of three
previous books: Taken on Trust, Footfalls in Memory, and Travels
with a Primate. The Voyage of the Golden Handshake is his first
novel.
