Book Review | Just Passing Through, Interactions with the World 1938 - 2021 by Daniel Snowman

I was recently sent a book to review, Just Passing Through - Interactions with the World 1938-2021 by Daniel Snowman, interested me because of the poignancy of the title - we are all 'just passing through' and sometimes everyday history, from the man on the street, normal people like you and me, can be the most fascinating.  

Just Passing Through by Daniel Snowman

Daniel Snowman is the author of over a dozen books, he has had a long and active life which gave him opportunities to interact with the wider world and some of its most famous inhabitants.

Just Passing Through is a memoir of these experiences.  

Sometimes just normal life is the most fascinating - a Jewish child's memories of schooldays, of the Second World War and VE Day, life at university, Daniel talks about his family and friends, his travelling and career.  But with personal and historical anecdotes that draw the reader into his life.  He also tells us about the countless celebrities he has met along the way, watching Churchill make one of his last public speeches for example, or meeting John-Paul II,  Lord Snowdon and Harry Truman.

Daniel has many diverse interests including cricket and opera.  He is a long time member of the London Philharmonic Choir with a strong interest in music and musicians and has written books on the Amadeus Quartet and Plácido Domingo.  He is a social and cultural historian and worked at the BBC as Chief Producer (Features) and specialised in ambitious, multi-programme projects.

I felt that Just Passing Through is the sort of book we'd all love to write, a diary of our lives however mundane, because each one of us represents a tiny part in history.  Daniel however, has had such rich experiences it is wonderful to travel with him through the decades and changing social backdrops, it feels like eavesdropping on the neighbours but with permission!

Daniel starting writing his book as long ago as 1970 and added to it over the years until it lay dormant for a long time, but he came across the draft again during the Covid lockdowns of 2020/21.  It is the result of meticulous research and personal information from sources such as his mothers Record Book of his childhood!  I wonder if my children will be pleased I kept records for them too!  I like to think of my blog as a personal record of my life, something that will be stored long after I have gone.

Just Passing Through by Daniel Snowman is available to purchase as a paperback or on kindle at Amazon.

Love from
Michelle xx


Disclaimer: this book was sent to be as a gift for review.

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