Dad’s War – Chris Tarrant

THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY

A profoundly moving and heartfelt tribute to a much-loved father.

A humble commemoration of the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers of WWII.

DAD’S WAR - CHRIS TARRANT

Published by Virgin Books on Thursday 22nd May 2014, Hardback, £16.99

‘My dad was my closest friend. We had the same strong sense of humour, we played sport together, we watched sport together, I loved him and admired him for nearly sixty years – but, after he died, I realised I hardly knew him at all.’

Basil Avery Tarrant grew up in 1920s Reading, where the smell of beer and biscuits from the local factories filled the air. He worked as an administrator in a local factory and spent his Saturday nights down at the music halls. But what happened to Basil during the war, and how he came to be awarded the Military Cross, remained a mystery to his son, Chris, and his family for nearly sixty years.

In 2012, Chris took part in the TV series War Hero in My Family in an effort to find out more about his father’s time in the war. What he began to uncover gave him the inspiration to write this book. As Chris delved deeper into his father’s story, he discovered that Basil was involved in some of WWII’s most significant campaigns, including the Dunkirk evacuation and the D-Day landings, and also took part in some of the most brutal, close-range fighting in Kleve.

This book has been a raw and emotional journey for Chris Tarrant. It took more than two years to research and write. As part of his research, Chris tracked down and spoke to five surviving veterans who fought with Basil in the WWII. Their recollections feature in the book along with never-before-seen family photographs and extracts from Basil’s recently found war diary. It also contains anecdotes from Chris Tarrant’s own life – including his personal life and his rise to fame – making this the closest he has come to writing an autobiography.

Dad’s War is a book about fathers and sons, forgiveness and acceptance, and the courage of ordinary men.

‘It’s been a raw voyage of discovery … there is so much now that I want to ask him but it is too late.’ – Chris Tarrant

Author biography:

Chris Tarrant is an award-winning TV and radio broadcaster. He first came to our TV screens in the 1970s with the Saturday morning children’s show TISWAS. He also presented London’s number-one breakfast show on Capital FM for seventeen years. Today, he is best known as the host of the award-winning quiz show phenomenon, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, which ended after fifteen years in 2014.

In 2004, Chris was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Television Awards; and in 2005, he was presented with an OBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his services to charity and broadcasting.

In his spare time, when he’s not fishing, playing cricket or watching cricket, Chris loves to write.

Chris Tarrant is currently available for interview, features and profile opportunities. For more information please contact Alice Hill on [email protected] or 020 7840 8373 or