David P Dean

Beans or Peas? David P Dean

Enlisting as a Boy Entrant Cook in the RAF wasn't Dixie Dean's first choice of employment, but, having failed as a dancer, he decides to follow in his brother's footsteps. It's 1956. He's angry, rejects authority and has an unswerving conviction that he's always right. The rebellious Dean's life is punctuated with scrapes, scraps and available women but, nevertheless Dean's endearingly roguish quality draws people to him. When Dean meets Anne his sexual appetite and reckless disregard for those in authority are seriously challenged and his world starts to change in ways that he hadn't imagined possible. Marriage, children and a tour of Singapore open up a new and exciting chapter in his life. The now responsible family man lives through race riots, the Malaysian conflict and an eye-opening detachment to Thailand. The story weaves across two decades from war torn London to the flesh-pots of the Far East. From meeting his fellow recruits on Paddington Station to making shortbread for Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew, Dean goes on a compelling journey from arrogant, rebellious youth to mature, reliable husband and father.