Alarge part of me felt that this book should never have seen the light of day. There is no one to blame but myself. Finally, after years of discussion with my good friend, publisher John Blake, it is over. Am I happy? I don’t know. Close friends tell me it will help others – a glimmer of consolation. This book is very basic and brutal and I hate its content myself. I can only apologise to those who might now see me in a different light.
I wish to record my deepest thanks to my dear friend of nearly twenty years, Noel Botham, without whose dedicated help this book would not have been possible.
If you read my book you will no longer be surprised I needed assistance in its writing. My problem in committing anything to paper has been a continuing, and emotionally disabling one. Even today, all my sermons and lectures are planned mentally, and remembered. I can give an hour-long talk without even referring to notes – there are no notes. Nature appears to have compensated for my severe dyslexia and difficulties with written communication by blessing me with an exceptional memory.
In the past Noel has helped me with two books to raise funds for The Passage, the charity for the homeless founded by the late Cardinal Basil Hume. It seemed only natural, when I agreed to tell my story, that I should again seek his help.
I trusted him to transfer my spoken word to the pages of this book as far as is humanly possible, and he has done a remarkable job, even down to capturing my emotional reaction to fully reliving it for the first time.
I would also like to thank John Blake and his wonderful team for their sensitive handling of the book and its publication.