ABOUT THE BOOK

Print Edition
eBook Edition

‘Happy’ Norman, Volume I (1927-1957)
"Give me the child… and I will give you the man"

“Give me the child… and I will give you the man” is the first of five volumes that constitute the autobiography of Keith Norman. Having approached an age when one is naturally drawn to reflection, Keith decided to share his experiences through letters to his grandchildren, offering friendly advice, - not designed to instruct, but rather to protect and illuminate. After the first letters were enthusiastically received, and succumbing to pressure from friends and family, Keith embarked on a task of writing about his life to a wider audience.

The first book begins with the question whether our lives are more determined by our childhood experiences and environment or by our DNA. St. Francis Xavier Cabrini seemed to assert that anyone’s potential can be formed in the first 7 years of a child’s life, but is it so? As the details of his life are placed on paper in an orderly fashion, Keith is attempting to discover how and why his life unfolded the way it did: from a young boy who spent his early years as an WW2 evacuee with little direct adult guidance and away from his parents.

Only after his release from the Army in 1948 was he reunited with his family, and within a year he had set out a completely independent path of his own. This period would account for his immense sense of independence and self sufficiency. But what made him seek and attain some of the best university degrees the Western World had to offer? And how this mixture of experience and education guided, sometimes mislead him, in his personal and entrepreneurial challenges in life.

This first volume presents an entertaining and intelligent self-examination of the formative years of a life that stretches over eight decades, five continents, dozens of cultures and industries with wit, integrity and humility. When you turn the last page of this volume you will see that there is nothing ordinary about Keith Norman, - as he opens the door into his life and invites you on to a journey which cannot fail to move and entertain.”

BOOK DETAILS

Book Details:
  • 256 pages
  • Standard Color
  • 8.5 x 11.0 inches
ISBNs:
  • 978-1-4602-8568-8 Hardcover
  • 978-1-4602-8569-5 Paperback
  • 978-1-4602-8570-1 eBook
Categories:
  • Biography & Autobiography, Historical
  • Biography & Autobiography, Personal Memoirs
  • Biography & Autobiography, Military
Keywords:
​Coming Of Age, WWII, Memoir, UK, Post-War Era, British Army, 1930s

BOOK REVIEWS

“This book is truly well thought out biography of a very successful man in his personal and professional life.  It has been well written, documented and the letters of his life to his grandchildren are something so special that will be appreciated by many future.  They are written with joy, intellectual challenge and from the bottom of his heart.  Including quotes, photographs and stories makes you feel like you are living and experiencing the “Happy Norman” life with him.

It is full of details, interesting stories of life, marriage, family, schooling and hard knocks called “LIFE COLLEGE”!.  We can see through generations how different they can be especially when in the beginning of the book Mr. Norman writes his letter to his grandson Ethan Norman and at the end of the book Ethan writes back stating that he can now see how life was different back in the life of his grandfather.  He also states something interesting that “I would like to be a wealthy man, but I would rather enjoy my job than be rich”.  There seems to be a difference in two people, one that grew up having to earn everything he has worked for, the other who grew up with easier life which I believe today’s Millennials attitudes are just like Ethan’s. 

I truly enjoyed this book and the biography of “Happy Norman”.  Well done, great stories we can all learn from and good education of a very interesting and very smart man.
- Dagmar Sands – Real Estate International, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia
"Purity, candor,  sincerity, honor, clarity"
 “Happy Norman” was such a delight to read.  To inspire wisdom to his Grand-Children,  a man in his late 80’s early 90’s, shares with them his life through letters.  As they reveal not only his  extraordinary life experience but also some uncommon historical facts, the read becomes an absolute “page-turner”.  With a spontaneous and genuine approach, the author brings beauty and inspiration by offering a new perspective of a challenging war time.  This book is refreshing and alive.  We can easily be his shadow, following him throughout his most unique life and journey.  We can feel his passions, his thoughts, his innocent liveliness, his charisma and successes.   This is not only a very interesting and different read but also a precious teaching of care and wisdom.  I look forward to the next volume and the further unfoldment of his life. Just unbelievable that this book is his first and most of all, done at 90 years of age. 
Passions, history, growth and experiences
- Françoise Gagne, Educator, Oregon
“Happy Norman” was such a delight to read. To inspire wisdom to his Grand-Children, a man in his late 80’s early 90’s, shares with them his life through letters. As they reveal not only his extraordinary life experience but also some uncommon historical facts, the read becomes an absolute “page-turner”. With a spontaneous and genuine approach, the author brings beauty and inspiration by offering a new perspective of a challenging war time. This book is refreshing and alive. We can easily be his shadow, following him throughout his most unique life and journey. We can feel his passions, his thoughts, his innocent liveliness, his charisma and successes. This is not only a very interesting and different read but also a precious teaching of care and wisdom. I look forward to the next volume and the further unfoldment of his life. Just unbelievable that this book is his first and most of all, done at 90 years of age."
- Helene Boucher
"First, I must warn that this book is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea. Now that I've said that, I must say it was an absolute delight! It's perfect for a history buff like me, and it fills a niche that I've been missing out on - personal stories. Let me explain:

If you're into history, I'm sure you read all sorts of books from general overviews to particular analysis to biographies of the movers and shakers of the time. I've read so much history that once I bought a book on Chinese history and, a third of the way through, realized that I'd just re-bought a book I'd already read. It had been re-released with a new cover and I hadn't realized until the writing started to seem oddly familiar, ha ha. Suffice it to say that I read a lot of history!

But I've never read anything quite like this!

It's a personal journey of - as the blurb declaims - an ordinary man living an extraordinary life and it's something special and unique that I've never seen before. Keith Norman has lived a stunning life and this book recounts everything from his time spent in Asia during World War II to his education in the halls of the Ivy League to his pursuit of wealth and accomplishment.

Yet through it all, he comes off as an ordinary, down-to-earth man. I feel like I could sit with him before a fireplace and listen to him recount his life's tales over a hot cup of tea. His writing is that approachable.

In the end, I was left with the sense of a young, ambitious man who could seemingly never be defeated - whether it was through hard work or the fact that it just never occurred to him to stay down. His life story is a snapshot of an all-too-human young man living in a time of chaos and growth and making the choice to do the best he could with what he was given. The entire book was fascinating.

But even more so, it was inspiring! Give it a read and I promise you won't regret it!"
- Amazon Customer