''This is a book of exceptional quality'' The Gunner
''Major Goddard does provide a valuable insight into the experiences of the liberation of France and the Low Countries from the perspective of artilleryman'' Britain at War
An autobiography of a retired Army officer, Master of None follows the complete life story of Major Douglas Goddard, from his early memoirs of childhood days in south east London and Suffolk farms, then focusing on his service as a regular army officer who fought with the 43rd Wessex Division during World War 2 from the Normandy landings through to Bremen. After the war, he was involved in the repatriation of some 30,000 Russian & Polish displaced people from the area around the Belsen/Bergen Nazi concentration camps (including attending the trial of the camp guards) and saw post-war service in the Middle East during the Suez Canal crisis.
Aside from his military career, from 1959 onwards, the book covers his successful career in the Building Industry, including various campaigns to enhance public opinion of the Industry, his extensive community service including Chairmanship of the Wokingham District Council at a time of great change and growth, and his pro-active roles in numerous local and national organisations – charitable, sporting, arts and heritage to name but a few. One outstanding example was the raising of the money to build the Wokingham Cancer Day Care centre and chairing the Trust.
The broad range of his experiences, talents and interests, together with his engaging and charmingly self-deprecating writing style, underpin the title of the book - Master of None.
