THE COMEBACK KID, MEMOIRS OF THOMAS L. HAY
Bookshops nowadays are filled with biographies written by so-called celebrities. The majority contain barely a chapter of genuine interest, and next to nothing of genuine achievement.
Thomas Hay is not a celebrity, and is probably little known outside his circle of friends and relatives. Unlike all those fame-addicts and magazine-fillers, however, he has lived a life which is worth recording for posterity.
At the outset he states that this record of his life is intended primarily for his family and his descendants, at the same time hoping that perhaps other readers might find his story intriguing.
Mr. Hay takes us from his childhood in small town America through his active service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, to his time spent in Saudi Arabia. En route we learn, for example, never to substitute dynamite for fireworks, why the top bunk in a Navy ship is highly preferable, and why Saudi Arabian men always eat with their left hands. As a Scot, I finally learnt why there are 18 holes in a round of golf, and why a golfer shouts "Fore!" when hitting near another golfer. (Clearly there are gaps in our Scottish educational system.)
It's not easy to write an honest, warts-and-all biography, particularly when some of it is to the detriment of the author. Thomas Hay is painfully honest about the hearts he has broken along the way, and the times his own heart has been broken. He also writes about the many adversities he has had to overcome - some of them self induced. Hence the title of the book; The Comeback Kid.
Each chapter of his life is reflected in the lyrics of a particular song, which I thought was a nice touch.
Throughout the book there are tantalizing hints of alien abduction, and I gather this is to be fleshed out in the sequel.
The Comeback Kid works well both as a biography, and as a record of the major events in recent American history and of the changes in American society throughout this time.
And yes Tom I really did find your story intriguing, and I very much look forward to reading “An Abduction Revelation.
Bob
Atkinson, Author
