Chris West

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Born
in The United Kingdom
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Member Since
July 2014


I grew up in a country village north of London. As a boy I filled endless notebooks with stories - not all of them finished! As a young man I played in various (unsuccessful) bands, then worked in the City of London. I studied philosophy and economics as a 'mature' student (though I wasn't very mature). After leaving uni I went backpacking in China, and wrote a book about that adventure which came out in 1991. Since then, writing has (along with family) been at the heart of my life, though I've had other jobs, too, largely in Marketing and PR, working with small businesses. In 2008, I found an old stamp album in the attic of my parents' old house, and became fascinated by the contents and the way they seemed to mirror history. Each stamp wa ...more

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Chris West Hi - I'm so sorry it's taken so long to reply; I haven't been on Goodreads for ages! When my dad passed away, I had to clear out the old family home, …moreHi - I'm so sorry it's taken so long to reply; I haven't been on Goodreads for ages! When my dad passed away, I had to clear out the old family home, and I found my childhood stamp collection in the attic, where it had sat untouched for nearly 40 years. I decided to try and fill some of the holes in it, and as I did so, became more and more interested in the history behind the stamps - as individual items (someone stuck this on a letter in 1906) or as more general indicators of how nations saw themselves at a given time. I had no plans to turn these into a book at first, but the more information I gathered about the stamps, the more I thought that a book would be fun. Having decided, it was then time to work out which stamps told the best stories, which took a while. Actually writing the book was a great labour of love!
thank you so much for your question and for putting up with my slow reply
Best wishes
Chris (less)
Chris West Hi Franklin - thanks for your question. To be honest, I'm not sure. I fear Canada and Australia are both too small a market to make it work financiall…moreHi Franklin - thanks for your question. To be honest, I'm not sure. I fear Canada and Australia are both too small a market to make it work financially. Maybe the British empire? Or Europe? Right now, I'm writing a book on European history since 1956 as seen through the Eurovision Song Contest (which, if you're not familiar with it, is a rather wonderful but bizarre annual TV competition that takes place every May in Europe).
Best wishes
Chris
(less)
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More books by Chris West…

Chris’s Recent Updates

Chris West liked a quote
An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope
“All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good.
And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, 'Whatever is, is right.”
...more
Alexander Pope
Chris West rated a book it was amazing
Slave of the Passions by Deirdre Wilson
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This review contains spoilers. That doesn’t matter that much, as this isn’t a ‘plotty’ book, but I just thought I’d warn anyone reading this…

I’m interested in books about philosophy and how it intersects with ordinary life (or fails to), so this titl
...more
The Enlightenment Club by Chris  West
"I read a lot of books that I enjoy. I'm pretty good at curating my reads and not picking books I'll hate. But the ones that make me feel something deep don't end up on my radar very often. From the description of this one, I didn't really expect it t" Read more of this review »
The Enlightenment Club by Chris  West
"✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨
REVIEW - BOOK TOUR

The Enlightenment Club - Chris West

4/5⭐️

✨✨✨✨✨✨
This book was definitely different than my usual reads but I really did enjoy reading! Stella was such a different fmc to follow. I truly just don’t know exactly how to feel wit" Read more of this review »
The Enlightenment Club by Chris  West
"The Enlightenment Club by Chris West.
This was a good read. I liked the cover. The blurb sounded interesting. This isn't something that I would pick up myself. But I'm trying new genres. I am glad I gave this a go it's a good story. I wasn't sure how" Read more of this review »
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Quotes by Chris West  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The stamp soon became known as the “Black Jack.” (The Confederates also issued a Jackson 2¢, the “Red Jack.” Both sides were eager to co-opt this formidable character.)”
Chris West, A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps

“I owe my life to my hobbies—especially stamp collecting,”
Chris West, A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps

“though the depiction of him on the stamp is not exactly flattering. A number of Washington portraits share this quality. Energetic and impatient, especially when young, he hated sitting around posing to be painted, and it usually shows. He also had bad teeth, some of which had been replaced with ivory replicas, which explains the puffiness around his mouth.”
Chris West, A History of America in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps

Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Perks Of Bein...: Team Top Gun 598 240 May 01, 2021 11:33AM  
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

“Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being. If not, leave this gathering. Half-heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty.”
Rumi, The Essential Rumi

“All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good.
And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, 'Whatever is, is right.”
Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

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