Reviews of my books






Reviews of my own books

How Not to Write a Book (Mereo, 2017) - Amazon reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 
For would-be writers
You may think you can write a half decent piece of prose but think again - If you haven't seen Chris Newton's HOW NOT TO WRITE A BOOK, you have a lot to learn. This book is packed with a mass of subjects you have never even considered. It is the best book on How to Write or Not Write a Book I have ever seen and for would-be writers it provides useful funds of information. It is truly a MUST READ.

5.0 out of 5 stars 
You will not be disappointed!
This is the most entertaining book about writing I have come across since Lynn Truss' 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' - but for my money it's more useful. So many books about writing sound as if they have been written by a lecturer in English. 'How Not To Write A Book' by Chris Newton is refreshingly down to earth. It will do a great job of helping ordinary people (like me) who have never written a book before to get the job done properly, using extracts from famous and not so famous books as illustration. It is really accessible and really great value.

5.0 out of 5 stars 
Just what I was looking for 
Really enjoyed reading this book. It is exactly what I was looking for, as I'm only a beginner. Lots of information was totally new to me, but was explained in a very clear way. 

5.0 out of 5 stars 
Packed with excellent advice
Not just the 'How to write' but other useful topics like 'What to write ' and even 'Why are you writing?' Includes many practical examples, plus lots of useful appendices, contacts etc. All clearly laid out and effectively and entertainingly written. 

5.0 out of 5 stars 
Really useful, and often very funny
This author spends most of his working hours fixing amateur manuscripts that have gone wrong, and his experience shows. This new book goes over all the mistakes amateur authors make when writing books (some of them are hilarious) and shows you exactly how to avoid them. Every page has useful tips, like how to tell events in the right order, how to start and finish a book, how to think of a good title or a good ending and how to use point of view properly, as well as some useful stuff about the real differences between trade publishing and self-publishing. The examples from manuscripts that have gone wrong are spot on, and often very funny (‘a man’s heavy boots came rushing down the stairs’). It’s a great read even if you’re not writing a book.

A Midsummer Night Stream (Mereo, 2019) 

"The best book I have read for a very long time... sure to become a classic." - Sandy Leventon, Trout & Salmon 

"What distinguishes this book is the quality of the writing and the generosity of its imagination... clear, even luminous prose... I read the book at a sitting and wished for more." - Chris McCully, Trout & Salmon

"It flows as freely and picturesquely as the sea trout rivers it details, with some lovely twists and turns of phrase along the way." - Amazon reader review 

"Often funny, sometimes sad, and always entertaining, this book brought out my subconscious memories of the great joys and frustrations of angling in equal measure. I can’t recommend this book highly enough." - Amazon reader review





 




A Life on the  Edge (Medlar Press, 2008)

“The most astonishing book... A Life On The Edge has a good claim to be the finest biography of an angler anyone has ever written." – Andrew Herd, Waterlog

"Superb - [A Life on the Edge] is right up there with the best biographies of the year." - Independent on Sunday

"An excellent and beautifully-written hook, full of passion, humour, sadness and drama" - Fiona Armstrong, judging the Lakeland Book Awards

“An outstandingly good book. He has made a splendid job of chronicling the life of a hugely talented, tortured character. Very well written and laced with revelations, it makes one in turn angry and sad. Do read this book.” - Sandy Leventon, Trout and Salmon

"A fine, yet merciless biography… Newton subjects Falkus to dispassionate, modern scrutiny, with results that are sometimes wince-making, sometimes hilarious - Charles Clover, Daily Telegraph 

“Chris Newton’s wonderful biography of the man tells it warts and all… by far the best biography ever published of a pioneering fly-fisher” - Malcolm Greenhalgh, Fly Fishing & Fly Tying

“There are two things hard to believe about this excellent biography of the maverick angler Hugh Falkus - that it’s the author’s first book and that he never met his subject. Chris Newton has captured this enigmatic man with notable shrewdness and flair… he has done him proud” - David Profumo, Country Life

'Gripping... well-researched, well-written, horrifyingly compelling... I took it with me everywhere until I finished it' - John Humphreys, Shooting Times

'Chris Newton has got under Falkus' skin and revealed a story of a rather complicated man... The research is thorough and the writing first class... Don't miss this one. It's one of the best.' - Graham Marsden, Fishing Magic

The Trout's Tale (Medlar Press, 2012)

"Newton writes with a precision and humour that beguile; historical accounts are enlivened by the author's wry wit. A huge body of information which in a less-assured author’s hands would have been indigestible... an education and a delight." - John Aston, Trout & Salmon

"A fascinating book… The Trout's Tale contains probably the best summary of trout evolution, adaptation, geographic range and genetics I have read. To pack so much information into a short chapter and make it easy and enjoyable to read is a skill the author demonstrates throughout the book." – Denise Ashton in Salmo Trutta, the Wild Trout Trust magazine

'Effectively a history of the trutaceous world in 14 chapters... Mr Newton steers us through with panache and, along the way, there is plenty of intriguing detail about moss-packed crates, repelling cannibals, epic mountain treks and perilous sea voyages.' - David Profumo, Country Life





Share by: