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Richard Madeley is fascinated by the speed of change in family life and how being a father has changed since the time of his father and grandfather. InFathers & Sons, Richard looks back at his own family to illustrate just how far British men''s relationships with their sons have moved. Richard''s grandfather had a childhood of almost unimaginable betrayal and sadness. His family abandoned him as a child to older relatives and emigrated without telling him. He grew up in a miserable situation and without any positive parenting role models yet managed to marry and have a son of his own. Richard''s father was aware of his own father''s discomfort and occasional frustration and anger, and grew to understand that this was due to his upbringing. He remembers no affection, or endearments from his dad and was packed off to a desolate boarding school in an echo of his own father''s betrayal. In a bucking of the family trend, Richard''s mother, a Canadian, introduced more loving and demonstrative relationships which Richard has continued with his own son and step-sons. Both a family story and a wide-ranging look at Britain''s evolving social character, Fathers & Sonsis a uniquely honest and touching exploration of how our families operate.
About the author
Richard Madeley left school at 16 to be a cub reporter on his local paper. By 19 he was a deputy editor, and that same year joined BBC local radio in the newsroom. He went on to work as a reporter/presenter for Border Television, Yorkshire Television (where he covered the Peter Sutcliffe serial murders) and Granada Television, meeting fellow reporter and wife-to-be Judy Finnigan. The two went on to launch ITV's This Morning programme, and after 13 years joined Channel Four for their eponymous teatime series, which ran for eight years. Richard now works as a freelance, covering for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, Michael Ball on Radio 2, and live TalkRadio programmes. He has written three Sunday Times top ten bestsellers and is currently working on his fourth novel. He and his wife have run the hugely influential Richard&Judy Book Club in association with WHSmith since 2010.
