Introducing Andrew Norman
Andrew was born in 1943 in Newbury Berkshire. In the 1950s his family relocated to Africa for three years. He studied medicine at Oxford, but his career was cut short by a back injury. Subsequently he became a writer, employing the same detective skills that he had learned as a physician.
When he unravelled the mystery of Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance for 11 days in 1926, Andrew was interviewed by National Public Radio, USA. He later appeared on the European Culture TV Channel Arte, in the programme ‘Agatha Christie versus Hercule Poirot’.
Andrew also investigated the untimely death of Marilyn Monroe in 1962 at the age of 36, coming up with an entirely new theory, and appeared on Fox News TV Channel’s ‘Scandalous: The Death of Marilyn Monroe’.
Close to his heart is the story of his grandfather who was blinded at Ypres in 1915. Other topics about which Andrew has written are T. E. Lawrence: why did he become a virtual recluse; Charles Darwin: did he believe in God; why was Winston Churchill fearless, reckless even; did Hitler’s henchmen realise that he was schizophrenic; was Jane Austen ever in love?
His upcoming book about dinosaurs, in which he proposes a new theory as to why they became extinct, is to be published by Fonthill Media in 2020.
On a personal note, Andrew has two children Bridget and Thomas by his first wife. He is married to Rachel, and lives by the sea in Poole, Dorset.
Andrew Norman Books
For writers such as myself, before putting pen to paper there usually has to be a question. Why, for example did Agatha Christie disappear without trace for 11 days in 1926? What were the circumstances surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962 at so tender an age? Why did T. E. Lawrence choose to become a virtual recluse, and what were the circumstances surrounding his untimely death? With my medical background, I believe that I am in a unique position to shed new light on the mindset of such characters and many others. I therefore invite you, the reader to accompany me on a journey which I hope you will find both enjoyable and enlightening. Enjoy!
Andrew Norman Books
For writers such as myself, before putting pen to paper there usually has to be a question. Why, for example did Agatha Christie disappear without trace for 11 days in 1926? What were the circumstances surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962 at so tender an age? Why did T. E. Lawrence choose to become a virtual recluse, and what were the circumstances surrounding his untimely death? With my medical background, I believe that I am in a unique position to shed new light on the mindset of such characters and many others. I therefore invite you, the reader to accompany me on a journey which I hope you will find both enjoyable and enlightening. Enjoy!
My interest in writing biographies arose out of a sense of curiosity, sometimes because I wished to know more about a person whom I greatly admired, or conversely did not admire, or because there are certain aspects of their lives for which I could find no logical explanation. When a back injury ended my medical career, I was naturally greatly disappointed. However, I have since discovered that my medical training stood me in good stead, particularly when it came to understanding the workings of the human mind. In fact, I believe that without some knowledge of psychology and psychiatry, my task would in some cases have been impossible, for example the case of Adolf Hitler. It was therefore very satisfying to be invited to discuss Agatha Christie’s mysterious 1926 disappearance on US National Public Radio, and also to feature in the Fox News Channel’s programme ‘Scandalous: The Death of Marilyn Monroe’.
In southern England, where I live, and particularly in Dorsetshire there is much to stimulate the imagination of the writer. For example, a remote manor house which has been home to a crusader knight; the first vaccinator; and more recently the designer of the swing-wing aeroplane! An equally remote village, taken over by the army in 1944, memories of which I have been privileged to preserve. A castle, which a brave lady defended for the King in the English Civil War. As a youth, I spent time in southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), at a time of racial tension and this has also provided fertile ground for several books.
Having spent time as a child with my maternal grandfather, who was blinded in action during the First World War, I could not resist memorialising his experiences. I was fortunate to meet a crewman who served on HMS Hood prior to the Second World War. Meeting with the late Robert Mugabe’s secretary gave me an insight into the mind of a man who, I was surprised to learn, was capable of great kindness as well as unspeakable brutality. Access to such first-hand accounts was not only exciting and stimulating for me, but more importantly I believe I have achieved a freshness and authenticity in my writing which would not otherwise have been possible