Michael Foreman: A Life in Pictures

by Michael Foreman, Michael Morpurgo (Foreword)

"One of my earliest memories is lying on the floor in front of the kitchen fire, drawing..." Michael ForemanDuring the war, paper was in short supply but, the large biscuit tins delivered to his Mum's shop were lined with white paper. The tins were about twelve inches square, so unfolded, the paper would be four feet long. Perfect for drawings of marching soldiers and convoys of tanks, the village traffic of his childhood.This is a celebration of Michael's life as a master storyteller and illustrator told through his own autobiographical tales, diary extracts, original sketches and illustrations from his award-winning publications. Beginning with his childhood in wartime Suffolk and his early career as a young artist, and culminating with his collaborations with world-famous authors Terry Jones, Michael Morpurgo and Quentin 'BLOOMIN' Blake, this book showcases his 'greatest hits', and reveals the places, stories and people that inspired him along the way.Divided into three of Childhood (Looking through War Boy, After the War Was Over and War Game.)Far-Flung Places (Looking through Treasure Island, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, World of Fairy Tales and Classic Fairy Tales.)Friends and Collaborators (Looking through Eric the Viking, Fairy Tales, Nicobobinus, Animal Tales, Fantastic Stories, Arthur, Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, Billy the Kid and Farm Boy.)'I have been lucky with writers. None have been real trouble. Some I never met. Some I meet only after the book is finished, and some, the easiest to get along with, are the dead ones. Most become friends.' Michael Foreman

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Michael has worked on magazines, book jackets, animated films, TV adverts, and even for the police, sketching criminals described by witnesses. As well as illustrating many of his own books, Michael has illustrated over a hundred books for authors such as Shakespeare, J. M. Barrie, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde. Michael has travelled widely - to Africa, Japan, the Arctic Circle, China and Malaysia, the Himalayas, Siberia and New Zealand - to research his books. "I do a lot of research when I'm travelling - I find it thrilling to discover the particular 'art' of different landscapes and work them into a book. But I find I have to travel by myself, otherwise I'm constantly getting involved in other people's impressions of a place... I try to be invisible when I'm travelling, so I tend to listen in on conversations rather than participate in them - I just want to look and draw."

Reviews

[Maeghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My gouge for a great book is one that makes me want to read more by that author or ones that author mentions. This book does both.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chose this book because of the art work, but a fascinating story of life

[Vcmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book bursting with stories, friendships, fun and travel. As he says himself he has been a very lucky boy and has travelled the world drawing and exploring. He also mentions that the most successful of his peers at Art School were the ones who worked hardest and the sheer volume of his work indicates that among the fun he has really worked at his craft.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book in a bookshop face out on the bookshelf and went over to take a look. I loved the pictures so I bought the book. The biography is interesting too.