-- Reviews by the Famous and well Known
I was curious as to how I would react to Desert England by David Williams - after all I'm female and not much of a fan of football. I needn't have worried. From the word go, the book grips you and draws you into a strange but compelling world. Here things are not black or white. There's a huge grey area, and it's into this greyness that David Williams takes us with mastery and mystery. All this is played out against the colourful backdrop of Europe and Dubai, with the author providing us with juicy little details of the latter that only an ex pat could know. I found it fascinating, whilst at the same time full of foreboding as the climax drew closer. Above all, I loved the brilliantly drawn Detective Inspector John Milton and just hope to goodness we'll get to meet him again in a follow-up novel. Make that novels - hell, he could sustain a whole series!
Siân Lloyd, TV Weather Presenter
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An awesome and thrilling account of organized hooliganism and the great lengths and risks taken by police forces to infiltrate the gangs and attempt to identify the ring leaders. Although a fictional account the authors true life experiences are such an influence in the brilliance of his writing that you have to keep reminding yourself that the characters and events are fictitious. The author captures the terror and uncertainty felt by undercover operatives as well as the fierce loyalty of the individual gang members brilliantly. An absolutely first class read! A must for all with an interest in all angles of football hooliganism, organized crime and undercover work.
Jim Dawkins, Author of 'The Loose Screw' and 'The British Crime and Prison Quiz Book'
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A few years back I had a chance meeting with David Williams during which he asked me how I personally went about writing the books I have written. The answer was simple; we all have at least one good story to tell but it is having the dedication to sit down and put pen to paper or thump your fingertips upon a keyboard in order to tell it, that is the hard bit. That dedication comes from having a belief in your work, a belief that the story is worth telling and that others will enjoy reading it.
Over the past decade some of the world’s foremost publishers finally had their eyes opened to the fact that a whole new market, a whole movement if you like were not being catered for. Nowadays the boom in books relating to football fans and in particular football hooliganism culture, both factual and fiction, has grown to such an extent that all the leading bookshops have dedicated shelving space allocated to that movement; something that when looking back would have been unthinkable in the late eighties to mid-nineties when the games supporters were seen by society as being the scum of the earth. Oh how times and football has changed!
Thankfully David Williams had the dedication and belief to sit down and write his story and so his book Desert England is now added to those shelves. Mills and Boon it most definitely is not. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly did and I feel privileged to have been one of the first to have read it.
Keep the faith.
Eddy Brimson, Stand-Up Comedian & Best Selling Author - Written the Foreword
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Desert England doesn't pull any punches, but it certainly lands a few - against the emptiness of violence dressed up as patriotism and camaraderie. Like watching a street fight, it's very more-ish. You don't want to look, but you can't help turning the page.
Lembit Öpik, Member of Parliament (Montgomeryshire)
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A must read for all football fans – a spectacular football thriller!
Jason Marriner, Author of 'It's Only A Game'
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A great read by an excellent author who has witnessed and observed organised gangs throughout the world. David Williams talent brings these fictional characters exploding into the readers mind. Top Marks ...
Lindsay Frayne, Author of 'The Frayne Bros'
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A must read for all football fans, this extraordinary book of cat and mouse on professional hooliganism and the profession of the undercover police, captivates and enthrals the reader hungry for the next page and chapter.
David Williams amazing talent in journalism, not to mention his unique writing skills as an author, bringing each character to life with such ease, you will be absorbed all the way into this fascinating and excellent book.
Leighton Frayne, Author of 'The Frayne Bros'
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David Williams' "Desert England" is looking like sitting shoulder to shoulder along side the likes of the Brimsons and Cass Pennant at the upper end of this genre of football reportage. Evocatively written and superbly observed, this book is another fascinating insight into the world of football hooliganism.
Peter Miles, Author of 'The Southend United Quiz Book'
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Desert England is both shocking and disturbing in equal measure yet I couldn’t get enough of this book; what a real page turner. I get the impression that David Williams has seen a thing or two in his life but whatever that’s involved: there is no doubt that he has used his experiences to his advantage. What a gripping and intelligently written book by clearly, a very talented writer.
Andrew-Henry Bowie, Author of 'Two Miles to Tynecastle'
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A slow start but it picks up and gets you hooked! It took me out of jail for a day and a half (so it must be worth a butchers!)
Thumbs up, and a must to all soccer firms.
Charles Bronson, Famous Prisoner & Author
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I've read many books over the years and for three days I was hooked. The more and more I read the further engrossed I became and what a twist and finish to the book. It's got humour, excitement and you just cant wait to turn the page to see what happens next. A must read and I cant wait for the next book. (Photo: Author David Williams (middle) with Annis Abraham Jnr (far right) at a book signing at Waterstone's, Cardiff).
Annis Abraham Jnr, Author of 'From Shattered Dreams to Wembley Way'
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Not necessarily being a big football fan was no barrier to enjoying this book. Dave Williams whets the appetite and slowly but specifically pulls the reader into this intriguing plot.
The suspense of the novel, although frustrating at times is addictive. Each chapter leads the reader to believe that at last, the truth will actually be revealed when in fact Williams cleverly keeps the reader waiting a little longer whilst still moving the story on.
Readers will no doubt be intrigued by the woes of main character Detective Inspector John Milton and his personal circumstances. Will he manage to hold together his flaying marriage? Can he ever rebuild a successful relationship with his children or will his misguided commitment to his job continue to dictate his future?
Diane Modahl, Former England Middle Distance Runner
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-- Newspaper and Website Reviews
DESERT ENGLAND
Gulf News (United Arab Emirates Newspaper)
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ENGLISH HOOLIGANS
Powys County Times and Express
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DESERT ENGLAND
U's Review: The Official Matchday Magazine of Colchester United Football Club
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The Sports Editor writes ...
I am reminded by one Welsh bar owner "Taffy" that although I often mention Scotland I seem to ignore Wales. Well when Cardiff City, managed by Dave Jones beat Middlesbrough 2-0 I thought I had better put things right.
I interviewed Welshman David Williams a former sports journalist with the Sunday Sport and author of "Desert England".
I caught up with David at his home in Jordan where he moved to from Dubai.
So how did you get that cracking job? I asked Dave
I was getting a bit fed up with the whole tax and immigration thing in the UK and decided to look overseas. I was lucky enough to land the job as sports editor in Dubai.
I understand you then moved into media relations and public relations for sporting events?
Yes that is right, after spending around 18 months covering the events. I noticed that they were not well managed to their full marketing and media potential so I started working with the main sponsors like Dubai Duty Free and Emirates to help promote their events.
So what big events have you organised and where?
In Dubai I worked on the Dubai 7s, the Dubai Tennis Championship and the Desert Classic. I also worked on diverse events like the Desert Challenge, the World Sailing Cup and FIFA U20 World Cup. I then did a stint back in Manchester in 2002 working on the Commonwealth Games. That was a huge event which played a big part in London successfully getting the Olympics.
You are now in Jordan and working as an adviser to Prince Feisal Al Hussein, the brother of King Abdullah. So how did you land another plumb job like that?
I met Prince Feisal in 2004 when he had just been elected as the President of the Jordan Olympic Committee. He was dynamic, polite and overwhelmed me with his enthusiasm and passion for both his country and sport. He asked me to be an advisor and it was an offer I simply could not refuse. It has been an extraordinary experience. We have travelled all over the world and he is now regarded as one of the most influential sporting figures in Olympic circles. We have succeeded in bringing major world cups to Jordan, and the World Rally Championship, the first time it has been held in the Arab World.
Jordan really is an amazing place.
Now I know you have followed the Welsh football team since 1991 - (well I guess somebody has to) and when you worked in Manchester as the press officer for the 2002 Commonwealth games you got an idea to pen your latest book "Desert England" published by my good friend Chris Cowlin at Apex Publishing Ltd.
So how did that happen?
My father was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 so I felt it was time to be home and the Commonwealth Games job provided the opportunity. I was also playing semi-professional football in the League of Wales and we qualified for Europe, playing in Bulgaria. It was an awesome experience. But I shared a house with a member of the England supporters club so we had many hours discussing the various things we've seen on the continent. Then I thought "why not write a book" and Desert England was born!
I know you have a second book planned about the Soul Crew of Cardiff City and the Welsh Football scene.
I guess that will be a thinner book than the one about England (I laughed)?
Don't say that to the Soul Crew - they are not the sort of lads to be laughed at! The book is actually about a small wannabe village firm whose team draws Cardiff in the Welsh Cup. It is a laugh a page book.
I was watching TV coverage of how the police in Italy, Germany and Holland deal with the hooligan element. I am glad I watch most of my football these days in England.
Surely the English football supporters are not as bad as they are painted?
To be honest, it is like when any large groups of British gangs go anywhere whether it is stag nights, holidays or football matches. There will be singing, drinking, womanising and, unfortunately, fighting. Something I must add is that very few British football fans do look for trouble. The gangs in Europe though are more organised and sinister. Eastern Europe is a different story all together. I have been to places like Poland, Azerbaijan and Serbia where the concept of racist chants is part and parcel of their culture. I remember even the police doing monkey chants in Belgrade every time a black Wales player got the ball. It seems UEFA turns a blind eye to countries not in the headlines. Even Spain and Italy are slipping back into the bad old ways of hooliganism though.
So the English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish and other fans from our part of the world are not as bad as they are painted?
Absolutely. I truly believe that British supporters are the best in the world.
Back to your book "Desert England" published by Apex ISBN 1-906358-08-7 in case any of our readers want to purchase a copy.
Desert England is truly unique. It is the first fictional thriller on a theme about football hooligans. There are more twists in this book than a Chubby Checker CD.
Thanks for that David. I found Desert England a cracking read. I can thoroughly recommend to readers of The Paper here in Tenerife and Lanzarote.
A final word from a neutral on a couple of football issues.
Who do you think will win the English Premier League?
Probably Manchester United
Which team will win the FA Cup?
Cardiff City naturally.
Finally who will win Euro 2008?
Maybe Germany then (unfortunately)!
Well thanks again David. That was as interesting discussion on what is incorrectly called "The English Disease".
What is apparent is that what might have affected the English game some years ago which quite rightly attracted bans and condemnation from FIFA should be no longer called "The English Disease".
It is almost certainly now a new strain, a new strain which we might like to call "The European Strain".
Football is a sport enjoyed by millions each week across the goal. It is a game followed with passion a fervour and unfortunately be a few racist, vicious thugs who under no circumstances should be called "football supporters".
They should be rooted out and banned from visiting grounds to watch the beautiful game.
Until we meet again whether you watch your football in Santa Cruz or Southampton have a great time.
John Riddle, The Paper (Sports Editor)
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DESERT ENGLAND
World Soccer Magazine
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A few years back I had a chance meeting with David Williams during which he asked me how I personally went about writing the books I have written. The answer was simple; we all have at least one good story to tell but it is having the dedication to sit down and put pen to paper or thump your fingertips upon a keyboard in order to tell it, that is the hard bit. That dedication comes from having a belief in your work, a belief that the story is worth telling and that others will enjoy reading it.
Over the past decade some of the world’s foremost publishers finally had their eyes opened to the fact that a whole new market, a whole movement if you like were not being catered for. Nowadays the boom in books relating to football fans and in particular football hooliganism culture, both factual and fiction, has grown to such an extent that all the leading bookshops have dedicated shelving space allocated to that movement; something that when looking back would have been unthinkable in the late eighties to mid-nineties when the games supporters were seen by society as being the scum of the earth. Oh how times and football has changed!
Thankfully David Williams had the dedication and belief to sit down and write his story and so his book Desert England is now added to those shelves. Mills and Boon it most definitely is not. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly did and I feel privileged to have been one of the first to have read it.
Keep the faith.
www.eddybrimson.com
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The English disease
Desert England by David Williams
FORMER North Wales journalist David Williams looks like being on to a winner with the release of his first book.
Williams began his journalistic career with NWN Media, parent company of The Denbighshire Free Press and knows more than most about the disease called football hooliganism that blights the world game.
The former journalist has faced the knife wielding gangs of Azerbaijan; the vicious skinheads of Prague; the racist thugs of Serbia and the no-nonsense 'disabling' tactics of riot police in Germany and Belgium so writes with some authority on the subject.
Desert England is a disturbing tale of organised football hooliganism involving England fans across Europe.
But this was no natural phenomenon; this was a wholly man-made weapon of terror, dubbed by the foreign media as 'the English disease': football hooliganism.
In the months leading up to FIFA's decision as to which country would have the prestigious honour of hosting the 2006 World Cup – England or arch-enemies Germany – the level of wanton, indiscriminate violence at overseas match locations in the name of British patriotism was escalating out of control … but why?
Williams' book tells the story of how an undercover cop infiltrates an organised military style operation to wreck England's chances from a Middle East base.
But where does the funding come from and what are the real motives behind such mindless violence?
Williams manages to untangle the mystery in a way that keeps the reader clinging to every paragraph and the final unexpected twist comes right out of the blue.
Desert England is a gripping read, the conclusion is unexpected and as every chapter tantalisingly points you in the direction of the next, you will find it hard to put down.
The book, published by Apex Publishing is on sale at £7-99, and is also available from http://www.desertengland.com
Denbighshire Free Press
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In his impressive debut, ex-pat Welsh writer Williams takes readers on a dirty trail stamped by the Doc Martens of the UK's football terraces and leads them to intrigue in the skyscrapers of "Desert England" Dubai.
With instinctive charactisation, he draws us into the mind of Detective Inspector John Milton, who puts his marriage on the line as he engages with Interpol, in his bid to crackdown on football hooligansim once and for all.
Sally Williams, Western Mail
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A must read for all football fans – a spectacular football thriller!
www.jasonmarriner.com
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DESERT ENGLAND
More Than 90 Mins.
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DESERT ENGLAND
Welsh Football Magazine
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David Williams' Desert England is a disturbing tale of organised football hooliganism involving England fans across Europe.
At the very time that Italian football, and indeed the Italian government, is in crisis over mounting violence surrounding their national sport it tells of a similar crisis affecting England's bid to win the chance to stage the World Cup.
It tells the story of how an undercover cop infiltrates an organised military style operation to wreck England's chances from a Middle East base.
But where does the funding come from and what are the real motives behind such mindless violence?
Williams manages to untangle the mystery in a way that keeps the reader clinging to every paragraph and the final unexpected twist comes right out of the blue.
The truth lies in the most unlikely area - but does it?
Watch the mindless violence and the unsavoury scenes currently wrecking the Italian game and you will surely think twice as your mind goes back to this novel.
Desert England is a gripping read, the conclusion is unexpected and as every chapter tantalisingly points you in the direction of the next, you will find it hard to put down.
Graham Breeze, North Wales Living Magazine (Publishing Director)
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The opening paragraphs of Desert England read like a horror novel or the acme of some macabre science-fantasy story – but don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil them for you by saying too much. Suffice to say that Desert England is a disturbing tale that goes to the cold, dark heart of football hooliganism, and verifies the old adage that things are not always what they seem.
Williams’ book involves an odd company based in the Middle East that seems, on the surface, to provide work for British ex-patriots who have served their Queen and country. But behind the façade lies a well-disciplined army of military operatives who are chillingly efficient at something far, far different – causing chaos on the streets and destabilising entire nations. Pitted against them is a veteran policeman who is determined to bring their reign of terror to an end.
What neither the police nor the henchmen of the company’s boss know is that they too have been duped. The charismatic ringleader of the private army they are so loyal to has his own, malignant agenda. The question is whether the truth will be outed before it is too late.
The beauty of Desert England is that the plot is both appealingly simple and yet subtly complex at the same time. This is due to Williams’ ability to take readers along for the ride without losing them in literary back alleys – the downfall of many an otherwise good novel.
As the story reaches its climax in Germany you can feel your guts tightening, and yet the author manages to create an aura of menace without sickening the reader with gratuitous violence. It’s a cliché to say, “The violence is necessary to the plot”, and Williams manages to avoid falling into the trap. True, there are violent episodes, but he doesn’t dwell on them. The true drama lies in the hidden motives of some of the principal characters, and you can feel them lurking wickedly in the shadows.
Next time you see mindless thugs on the rampage on TV, you’ll think back to this novel and wonder whether something far worse is waiting in the wings.
Don’t miss it!
Mike Hallowell, The Shields Gazette
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David Williams in his book, Desert England, has committed to print a superb story from start to finish. Particularly fascinating is when Detective Inspector John Milton decides to investigate and sort out the problem of organised gang warfare among football hooligans, an investigation of discovery that is fascinating to say the least. David Williams digs deep into the dark world of football hooliganism which the foreign media describes as the English disease. There are no mirages in this book where football matches, at times, can be more like desert warfare kicking off! A great read.
Philip Solomon, Wolverhampton Express & Star
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DESERT ENGLAND
Shropshire Star
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A rare find; a book that combines football and fiction and does a great job of it!
Vince Cooper, The League Magazine (Editor)
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A book which leaves you reeling like a DM boot to the head.
Mark Hodgkinson, Daily Telegraph (Sport Columnist)
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DESERT ENGLAND
Four Four Two Magazine
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THE ENGLISH MAKE THE BEST HOOLIGANS
Desert England by ex Sunday Sport journo David Williams gives vivid expression to an underlying rage and frustration against political correctness and the institutions of government, police and military.
The premise of the book is that football hooliganism is symptomatic of a sick and repressed society.
We all realise now that team sports can be a substitute for battles between nations and this is infinitely better than the tragedy of actual warfare, however what is not openly acknowledged and which is explored in this book, is that many otherwise well behaved English men enjoy and are fulfilled by violence and war - it is the ultimate form of team building and 'belonging'.
Although crudely written and marred by one dimensional characterisation, the story proceeds at a tabloid pace and readers of sport fiction will probably enjoy it. However be aware that Desert England is a sort of detective story - there's nothing about football or sport in it. It gives us good reasons for wanting to desert (in the sense of abandon) England.
LUSH Magazine
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DESERT ENGLAND
4Men Magazine
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DESERT ENGLAND
David Powter, Winger Magazine
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DESERT ENGLAND
Programme Monthly & Football Collectable
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Detective Inspector John Milton enters a world which is alien to most decent ordinary folk. The reader accompanies him on his uncomfortable ride with the football hooligan element and discovers the reasons for their righteous anger and secret agenda.
David Williams takes a topical subject and turns it into a story worthy of international debate. The writer creates believable characters: the hard-working and respectable - and the not so nice. He takes the reader with Milton on a descriptive journey to foreign parts and the reader can only hope the DI comes out unscathed. The reader also has to decide where their sympathies lie - and whether the story is far-fetched or has elements of fact.
Janet Lee, Cannock Chase Post (Reporter)
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DESERT ENGLAND
The League Magazine
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NOVEL FOOTBALL BEST SELLERS SHORTLY PUT UP IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The author of the novel revolves most soccer events in Dubai and a candidate to become one of the most exciting sports novels, put on throughout the Arab world this week.
The events of the novel revolve around secret police investigations on the riots British football fans, and received praise from the novel range of critics, and described as «one of the most amazing stories of football that have been millennium so far, and is expected to become novel «Desert England» Best Sellers this story General, the author intends to put forward throughout the Middle East, where he spent most of his career journalists.
He said David Williams, aged 35 years and has resided in the city of Amman in
Jordan: «novel sheds light on the Middle East that does not know a lot of Westerners nothing about them. I am currently working with the publishing house for the dissemination of Arabic version of the novel in the near future.
The events of the novel revolve rapidly in 2000 when England were preparing to play a football game against rival Germany to host the World Soccer Championship (FIFA) for in 2006. The only factor that prevents the success of England is the riots that causes fans throughout Europe. Events and the novel moves to Dubai via events and developments and exciting junctions before they reach the dramatic climax.
Al Bayan Today (United Arab Emirates Newspaper)
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DESERT ENGLAND
Western Mail
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NOVEL FOOTBALL BEST SELLERS SHORTLY PUT UP IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The author of the novel revolves most soccer events in Dubai and a candidate to become one of the most exciting sports novels, put on throughout the Arab world this week.
The events of the novel revolve around secret police investigations on the riots British football fans, and received praise from the novel range of critics, and described as «one of the most amazing stories of football that have been millennium so far, and is expected to become novel «Desert England» Best Sellers this story General, the author intends to put forward throughout the Middle East, where he spent most of his career journalists.
He said David Williams, aged 35 years and has resided in the city of Amman in
Jordan: «novel sheds light on the Middle East that does not know a lot of Westerners nothing about them. I am currently working with the publishing house for the dissemination of Arabic version of the novel in the near future.
The events of the novel revolve rapidly in 2000 when England were preparing to play a football game against rival Germany to host the World Soccer Championship (FIFA) for in 2006. The only factor that prevents the success of England is the riots that causes fans throughout Europe. Events and the novel moves to Dubai via events and developments and exciting junctions before they reach the dramatic climax.
Al Ghad (Jordan Newspaper)
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DESERT ENGLAND
The Sun (Online)
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HOOLIGAN THRILLER SET FOR MIDDLE EAST LAUNCH
A Middle East-based football thriller which is set to become one of the most controversial sporting books of recent years is launched across the Arab World this weekend.
Desert England, written by David Williams, is based on an undercover police investigation into football hooliganism with a majority of the book centred around Dubai.
With widespread critical acclaim already labeling the book as "one of the most spectacular football thrillers ever written", Desert England is set to become a best seller and the author is particularly keen for it to make an impact across the Middle East where he has spent most of his professional career as a journalist.
"Desert England gives an insight into the Middle East that most westerners would never know about, so I am working with the publisher to hopefully produce an Arabic version soon," said Williams, 35, who is based in Amman, Jordan.
The fast-paced football thriller is set in the Year 2000 when England was bidding against rivals Germany to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The only thing blocking England's success appeared to be the problems its supporters were causing across Europe.
A police investigation takes the storyline to Dubai where the book goes through several breathtaking twists and turns before reaching its dramatic climax. Desert England, published by Apex Publishing Ltd, is available at all good book shops and through Amazon and other large on line retailers. Signed copies are also available through http://www.apexpublishing.co.uk or through http://www.desertengland.com
Arabian Business (United Arab Emirates Newspaper)
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NOVEL FOOTBALL BEST SELLERS SHORTLY PUT UP IN THE MIDDLE EAST The author of the novel revolves most soccer events in Dubai and a candidate to become one of the most exciting sports novels, put on throughout the Arab world this week. The events of the novel revolve around secret police investigations on the riots British football fans, and received praise from the novel range of critics, and described as «one of the most amazing stories of football that have been millennium so far, and is expected to become novel «Desert England» Best Sellers this story General, the author intends to put forward throughout the Middle East, where he spent most of his career journalists. He said David Williams, aged 35 years and has resided in the city of Amman in Jordan: «novel sheds light on the Middle East that does not know a lot of Westerners nothing about them. I am currently working with the publishing house for the dissemination of Arabic version of the novel in the near future. The events of the novel revolve rapidly in 2000 when England were preparing to play a football game against rival Germany to host the World Soccer Championship (FIFA) for in 2006. The only factor that prevents the success of England is the riots that causes fans throughout Europe. Events and the novel moves to Dubai via events and developments and exciting junctions before they reach the dramatic climax.
Al Arab Al Yawm (Jordan Newspaper)
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Novel about soccer events taking place in Dubai
The author of the novel revolves most soccer events in Dubai and a candidate to become one of the most exciting sports novels, today put on throughout the Arab world this week.
The events of the novel revolve around secret police investigations on the riots British football fans, and received praise from the novel range of critics, and described as «one of the most amazing stories of football that have been millennium so far, and is expected to become novel 'Desert England' Best Sellers this story General, the author intends to put forward throughout the Middle East, where he spent most of his career as a journalist.
He said David Williams, aged 35 years and has resided in the city of Amman in Jordan: «novel sheds light on the Middle East that does not know a lot of Westerners nothing about them. I am currently working with the publishing house for the dissemination of Arabic version of the novel in the near future.
The events of the novel revolve rapidly in 2005 when England were preparing to play a football game against rival Germany to host the World Soccer Championship (FIFA) for in 2006. The only factor that prevents the success of England is the riots that causes fans throughout Europe.
Events and the novel moves to Dubai via events and developments and exciting junctions before they reach the dramatic climax.
And published a novel Desert England, Publishing House APEX Publishing Ltd. available in all libraries in the Amazon and other places of retail sale of books. Available copies of the novel through its web site: http://www.apexpublishing.co.uk or http://www.desertengland.com.
Al Arab (Qatar Newspaper)
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As a sportswriter I have always been sceptical of attempts top use sport, and football in particular, as a vehicle for fiction. It rarely works because so much of what we observe and report is far more dramatic than anything portrayed in the pages of a novel. But David Williams has managed to make Desert England a brilliant exception. Here is a gripping tale, fluently told, based on what used to be known as the English Disease, football hooliganism. But with a fascinating difference, a highly original detective yarn embracing the sinister intrigue of global politics in a war where the foot soldiers are the thuggish followers of the national game.
It is clearly written by someone who has the inside knowledge of not only the Middle East, where much of the plot unfolds, and, having played the game at reasonable level himself, of what makes football and its fans tick.
Some might say it is a book you can't put down. Happily you can, because it is composed in bite-sized chapters that, for those whose reading time is limited, makes it easy to pick up again and follow before discovering the devlish twist.
I have not enjoyed a sports-related book more in many years.
Alan Hubbard, Independent on Sunday (Sports Columnist)
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THE HOOLIGANS ARE ON THE MARCH
English hooligans are the subject of David Williams' acclaimed novel, Desert England
By John McAuley
As superpower nations England and Germany jostle for the right to host the 2006 World Cup, something sinister is threatening to wreck British chances under the guise of football hooliganism. Detective inspector John Milton has been appointed to try to crack the case and his search, somewhat surprisingly, has taken him to Dubai.
The plotline forms the premise of Desert England, David Williams' first novel due for release in the emirate this week. The former resident paints a glossy image of Dubai that readers may find as unpredictable as its choice of destination for England's hooligan headquarters.
"When I first came here, Dubai was completely different to what I expected," recalls Williams as he explains how the novel was conceived. "I remember before I flew out in 1997 trying to locate it on a map. It was as unknown as recently as that, people just didn't know that much about it.
"But when I arrived and suddenly saw this thriving, booming expatriate community and the nightlife, it just blew me away. It was a bright-light city, like a Vegas in the Middle East."
What was supposed to be an initial six-month-stay in the emirate turned into Williams forging a career in the Arabian sun. A Sunday Sport journalist in Britain, the author "ended up in Sharjah" as sports editor of The Gulf Today when the newspaper launched in 1997.
He eventually moved into media relations and, when in Manchester for the 2002 Commonwealth games, decided to pen the novel after sharing experiences of travelling to international away games with his housemate.
"My flatmate had actually been to Dubai and I knew him through a friend who lived here. We just started laughing and joking a few nights over some drinks, and I had a few boring days at work, so started jotting things down and a few threads came together. And all of a sudden there was a story," he continues.
"When you consider the Dubai of 1997 is completely different to the Dubai of 2007, and will be different again in 10 years, I don't think there's a city in the world that rivals what's going on here.
"I left four years ago and talk to people about things and they'll have never heard of a place, or say that it's not around anymore, and that's quite incredible.
"We used to joke that somebody should write a book about it. It was like coming up with a theme that could underline some of the things that we all know and love about living in Dubai."
And that theme was moulded around, rather bizarrely, football violence. Desert England follows Milton's search to track down an organised gang of hooligans and results in painting a vivid picture of Dubai and its blossoming nightlife. It touches on some taboo subjects, but Williams reveals censorship was never an issue.
"I was doing a radio interview and the host described it as Football Factory meets the Holiday programme which I thought was a pretty good description," he admits. "It highlights part of Dubai that isn't mentioned in the tourist brochures, but it's a vibrant, fun city so why not talk about it and indeed write about it?
Despite some of the book's contentious issues, it was given the green light to be published in the emirate a few months ago. Williams insists this is indicative of how Dubai has changed since he first visited.
"I think Dubai has grown up to a certain extent and, with the influence of the phenomenal Royal Family, has really developed whilst still retaining that special uniqueness that it has as well," he says.
"It's an unbelievable part of the world that gives you everything you would want. And that's all credit to the powers that be here. Of course, you still have to use common sense, you can't write what you like. You've got to be sensitive to the issues here, but at the end of the day it's important to highlight what needs to be highlighted.
"These days there are no secrets in Dubai, everybody knows what goes on. The book touches on the cheap South Asian workforce there, but I think it's done in a way that it gets the message across without being offensive," adds Williams.
"We all know why people are working here, for a better life. I think everyone's a winner with Dubai and no matter if you're a 30-year-old expat lad, an Emirates air hostess, an Indian labourer or an Ethiopian business lady, there's something in the book for everybody."
The book has proved such a hit that Apex Publishing – an independent publisher in the UK – have signed Williams to work with them again in the future. The author, who scribed Desert England in just three months, also has designs on the novel making it onto the silver screen.
"The publishers have been fantastic and, by the looks of it, I'm going to be writing a few more books for them. They've asked me to do a couple more and I've just finished the second one, which will be off to them next week.
"The response from Dubai has been absolutely incredible. It's released at the end of the month but I already know of a lot of people who have got it through Amazon and various others places. And Magrudy's have even been taking orders for the last couple of months.
"It seems word of month has got around. I think there's a big market in Dubai for novels that cover the city and such is the interest from the film industry that I think there's going to be a lot more. I'd be happy to maybe set my third book here again."
If his third installment is as entertaining and enlightening as his first, expect Williams and detective John Milton to be joining forces at a local cinema in the not too distant future.
"I've got a deal with the publishers that, if it goes to the big screen, then we're all laughing," he adds with a chuckle. "Fingers crossed, because I think it would make a fun film."
Not that you would associate hooliganism with the word 'fun'. But then again, you would not associate it with Dubai either.
REVIEW:
David Williams makes an impressive debut with his fast-paced thriller that grips you tighter than a hooligan's headlock. His short, punchy style makes the novel a lightening-fast read, enjoyable without needing a passion for the "beautiful game".
The author paints a graphic picture of Dubai by night, far removed from the luxurious hotels and Arabic customs that we associate all too readily with the emirate. It's the perfect travel guide for those unfamiliar with expatriate life in Dubai, and it is clear from the author's conviction that he has sampled the revelry himself.
One criticism is that he doesn't delve deeply enough into his characters, but there is enough for the reader to empathise with detective inspector John Milton as he searches for answers. The language is simplistic and colloquial, but it serves to guide the reader through a book that is very hard to put down.
However, Williams has scope to do so much more with the novel, which lets it down a touch, but his sharp, concise chapters always finish strongly and convince the reader to give it just a few pages more.
The plot may be unsophisticated and a tad unrealistic at times, but the novel is ideal for those who want a fast-moving, enjoyable storyline. It resists the urge to dwell on the brutality of football hooliganism, as so many others in the genre do, making Desert England a pleasant read for football fans in the emirate.
Emirates Business 24/7 (Dubai Newspaper)
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Fujeirah Observer (United Arab Emirates Newspaper)
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Pick Me Up Magazine
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The Southwold Journal
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Farnham Herald
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Romford Recorder
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Newark Advertiser
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Full House Magazine
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ARE THERE ANY GOOD NOVELS ABOUT FOOTBALL?
The ready weekly drama of the pitch combined with the oft sluggish IQs of its protagonists has led to a dearth of fiction written about the beautiful game. That said, David Pearce's The Damned United (Faber & Faber, £7.99) showed a fine novel about football is possible.
Saturday at Cardiff Waterstone's, ex-Sunday Sport journalist David Williams will plug new novel Desert England (Apex, £7.99). A thriller set among the murky politicking of England and Germany's rival bids to become host-nation for Euro 2008, it's more detective story than sport book, but should provide a fun diversion until the season starts next month.
Sat, Waterstone's, 2a The Hayes, Cardiff, 11am, free. Tel: 029 2066 5606. http://www.waterstones.co.uk
Metro Newspaper
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Tenby Observer
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HOOLIGANS!
JO Magazine
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Cannock Chase Post
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Wokingham Times
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FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES
NOX Magazine
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The Brit (Madeira Newspaper)
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Crediton Country Courier
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Tenerife Property Guide
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North West Evening Mail
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Spalding Guardian
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I PREDICT A RIOT
Peter C Baker on an expat sportswriter who's crafted a hooligan thriller peppered with memories of Dubai.
There are still few enough novels set in the UAE that each new one seems to intrinsically merit at least a Saturday afternoon’s worth of attention. The most recent, David Williams’s partially Dubai-based debut Desert England, features an introduction by the British comedian Eddy Brimson. Publishers around the world, Brimson writes, have “had their eyes opened to a whole new market, a whole movement if you like”. And who might comprise this market/movement? Why, football fans! Book-hungry football fans looking for stories “relating to football fans and in particular football hooliganism”.
“Oh how times and football have changed!” Brimson hurrahs. Apparently this book boom “would have been unthinkable in the late Eighties to mid-Nineties when the game’s supporters were seen by society as being the scum of the earth.”
Desert England does little to dispel the stereotype. It opens with a shiver coursing down a young woman’s spine. “She sensed,” narrates Williams, “that something was not right.” Enter “hundreds of rampaging men with fists and feet flaying in all directions and at anything that stood in their way.” Football hooligans!
We quickly meet John Milton. “Detective Inspector John Milton, that is. Head of the English anti-soccer hooliganism task force.” (Why Williams uses “soccer” here and nowhere else is a mystery.) Milton doesn’t care much for football, but he hates, hates British football hooligans. To his mind they’re pillagers, murderers, war criminals; what’s more, they’re killing England’s chances for hosting the 2006 World Cup. Billions of pounds are at stake.
Milton knows this is the case of his career. After all, he thinks to himself, hooliganism “had become the biggest ongoing news story since the Gulf War”. But he’s not making any progress, a riot-cum-massacre breaks out at every England away game, his bosses are getting angry, his wife is fed up with his long hours and he can’t stop entertaining crazy theories. “He knew that football violence was orchestrated, organised, but could it be that there was some group, some force of trained men pulling the strings? Surely not.” Oh, surely.
The investigation seems to have dead-ended when the trusty Sergeant Waite bursts into Milton’s office. “Sir,” he pants, “you are not going to believe this. We have turned over a whole new leaf in this saga and it is going to give you a hell of a shock.” A suspect credit card belonging to one Carson Jacks has been traced to ... Dubai! “Where is Dubai anyway?” wonders Milton. “Saudi Arabia? Don’t they cut your hand off for picking your nose over there?”
Off he jets. Arriving at 1am, he declares Dubai “hot, very hot. Bloody hot!” He acquires an Indian driver, Gopal, whom he interrogates about “the fact that you wobble your head every time you speak”. (“Oh, sir, it is Indian tradition.”). He visits the Burj Al Arab, books a room at the Pheasant Hotel and gets to work, pausing only to read Gulf News and ruminate on multiculturalism. “When in Arabia, do as the Arabs do,” he quickly decides. “Despite Britain deciding it would bend over backwards to allow people to do whatever they wanted, there was no reason other cultures should.”
Eventually, Milton infiltrates a gang of British expats paid and trained to incite riots at England away games. “The plot thickens,” he thinks to himself (really, he does). The men profess to be motivated by love of England and hatred of the greedy non-English. By inciting riots, these Desert Englanders hope to stop the World Cup – and, by association, world culture, international visitors, asylum seekers and the like – from visiting their beloved homeland. “Football is our battlefield, John,” explains the mysterious Carson Jacks. “We are proud Englishmen and we need to get our buzz from what we are trained in.”
Milton gets to know and enjoy Dubai, and even gets attached to some of his fellow hard-partying hyper-hooligans, especially after he learns their sad backstories (let down by England, the army, and so on). And, of course, the plot twists a few more times before Milton’s trap is sprung. Along the way, Sergeant Waite spots Jacks chatting amiably with the German politician Hans Schmidt. “What the hell would Jacks be doing at the Home Office in Germany?” he wonders. Surely not ...
Williams lived in Dubai for three years, working first as the sport editor of Gulf Today and then in media relations. “It was the time of my life,” he said. “I really enjoyed the whole expat lifestyle and experience.” He currently lives in Jordan, where he is an adviser to King Abdullah’s brother, the head of sport in the country. I reached him by phone at the Beijing Olympics.
“I took the title from a newspaper article,” he explained. “The writer – there were lots of UK travel writers being brought out to Dubai back then – described Dubai as ‘England in a desert’. I always liked the phrase, because every time I was in a bar it was full of westerners. You see more English people in a pub in Dubai than you do in London.”
Williams has already written a follow-up: “a basically more lighthearted book that looks at a group of guys growing up in a rural community.” But he’s nervous about disappointing his new-found fans, who have been writing in asking about what’s next for John Milton. The plot thickens.
The National (Abu Dhabi Newspaper)
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East London Advertiser
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Powys County Times and Express
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Hackney Gazette
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David Williams tells Time Out about Desert England, the Dubai football thriller he wrote when no one was looking.
A sports journalist in the UK… advisor to Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan. How did you find time to write a novel?
I actually wrote it in Dubai shortly after the millennium celebrations. I had a quiet spell in a job I was working at and I thought I’d do something to prevent the days from dragging. At the time I was knocking about with a great bunch of mates and enjoying that side of life to the full – I wanted to record some of our mad nights out on the town.
* What’s your favorite Dubai memory?
Without a doubt it is working on the PR for Rugby Sevens in 2001. It was shortly after the 9/11 attacks and people in the West were turning their backs on the region: they didn’t want to be associated with the Arab world. Teams were pulling out of the event left right and centre, but the expat population of Dubai turned out in their thousands. The message was loud and clear: ‘Dubai is great, Dubai is fine, and we’re going to prove it by having a sensational event’.
* How did football come into the equation?
A couple of months later I went back to the UK to work on the Commonwealth Games. I was sharing a house with a guy who watched a lot of England football and I support Wales. We ended up talking about the fun that you have watching abroad and the problems you encounter too. I came up with the plot of a detective coming to Dubai to investigate a network of football hooligans.
* Why is football hooliganism such a problem in Europe?
I think you can trace it back a hundred years. Ultimately, it’s because there’s so much passion and history associated with the game, and that’s a good thing, but clearly there are risks associated when you get large groups of passionate men together and throw beer into the equation.
* Your central character is quite a tortured soul…
Yes, like many people he comes to Dubai to escape. The pressure of his career is affecting his marriage, which is sliding into the abyss. His investigation is going nowhere until he gets a small thread leading to a name in Dubai and it opens up a whole new avenue at a point when all other doors seem closed to him.
* Whose writing do you most admire?
I love reading the Red Dwarf books and also Emily Barr’s travel thrillers. Backpack is the one which inspired me most – the idea that you can use your own travel experiences to write an adventure story.
* What’s this rumour we hear about you and a bootilicious weathergirl?
[Laughs] All of a sudden sales of the book in the UK started rocketing even though I hadn’t done much promotion at that point. Then I heard that [Welsh TV weather girl] Siân Lloyd had written a piece in The Times saying how much she liked the book. I think she won ‘Rear of the Year’ in 2007.
* Has celebrity endorsement affected the kind of people who are reading the book?
Well I got an email from an 87 year-old grandmother who said she’d picked it up after reading Siân’s recommendation in The Times. She was very enthusiastic. It’s strange: when I set about writing this book I imagined it being a bit of a lads’ read but, with the detective angle, I’ve ended up writing something my mum could enjoy too.
Desert England, Dhs60, available from Magrudy’s.
Time Out (Dubai)
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Man Unlimited Magazine
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Powys County Times and Express
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Self Publishing Magazine
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THE UGLY SIDE OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL
Novelist David Williams has a hit paperback novel on his hands which highlights English football fans abroad whose antics are being conducted by a secret group of activists based in the Gulf.
Desert England is flying off the shelves and it's not only become a summer hit with male readers but airhostesses too _- perhaps caught up in the fever of Gulf Air's link with Championship promotion contenders Queens Park Rangers.
The former journalist, now based in the Middle East conducting sports consultancy for a member of the Jordanian royal family, said: "It has been selling extremely well in the UK and has become popular among the football firms as well as people with connections to the Gulf states.
"My book was based on experiences as a follower of football abroad and living it up in the Middle East. I think every expat will see a bit of themselves in at least one of the book's characters.
"The book tackles serious issues like why many Brits have left England for the Middle East. It also touches gently on issues that don't reach the travel brochures like boozing, Indian labour, African business ladies and the like!
"The book by no means condones football hooliganism but merely takes a unique and different look at it. I feel there is something in it for any expat and while initially it was meant to be a bit of 'lads' book', it seems to have gone down really well with the women - especially the airhostesses!"
The crime novel features a detective's bid to uncover those responsible for football hooliganism and to bring them to justice.
It is staged just months before a decision by FIFA as to which country would have the prestigious honour of hosting the 2006 World Cup - England or arch-enemies Germany.
His investigations take him to the Gulf and whilst working undercover he unearths a series of dark secrets and double-crossing.
David, 36, from Wales, added: "The reaction has been overwhelming. It went down a storm in Dubai and sold out in pre-orders."
He has been interviewed in Time Out magazine and by various Dubai newspapers and radio stations and David is currently on a book tour taking in London and Cardiff which moves on to Leeds, Shrewsbury, Carmarthen, Llandudno and other towns and cities in the UK in the autumn.
In Bahrain, many England football fans are preparing to embark on a series of 'Barmy Army' trips abroad including the 2010 South Africa World Cup qualifying group match in Kazakhstan next summer.
And the last thing they want is trouble - this trip will simply be for laughs and the adventure.
One Bahraini expat businessman who is helping to plan the trip, said: "We'll all be dressed as Borat - and we've even found a dead-ringer of the star, an Indian friend, who is coming with us as our guest and mascot!"
Borat Sagdiyev is a fictional character created and portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen. He is the eponymous protagonist of the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, in which he plays a Kazakhstani journalist.
Borat's humour derives from his outrageous socio-cultural viewpoints, his violation of social taboos and his use of vulgar language and behaviour ... a bit like some English football fans abroad!
Gulf Weekly
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-- Radio and TV
Desert England is a pedal to the metal, high octane thriller about the sinister world of organised football thuggery and hooliganism.
Although slow to start with, the story soons picks up and unfolds to reveal an exciting, intriguing, uncomplicated plot, which takes readers on a rollercoaster ride from Zurich and London to Paris and Dubai.
Somewhat surprisingly, and rather magnificently, Williams manages to work in a nice twist which keeps the reader guessing about how things will turn out for the book's hero, John Milton.
This is an impressive debut for Williams whose confident writing style reveals as much about him as it does about Milton, his team and the rather infantile men who still take part in football violence.
Carl Yapp, BBC News (Online Journalist)
Desert England was featured (and a competition run) on Swansea Bay Radio 102.1 FM, on 'The Jay Curtis Show'.
Swansea Bay Radio 102.1 FM
David Williams in his book, Desert England, has committed to print a superb story from start to finish. Particularly fascinating is when Detective Inspector John Milton decides to investigate and sort out the problem of organised gang warfare among football hooligans, an investigation of discovery that is fascinating to say the least. David Williams digs deep into the dark world of football hooliganism which the foreign media describes as the English disease. There are no mirages in this book where football matches, at times, can be more like desert warfare kicking off! A great read.
Philip Solomon, Wolverhampton City Radio 101.8FM (Presenter)
A compelling action packed read that will grab your attention form start to finish, and I found it impossible to put down!
Focusing on the world of football hooliganism, it will take you on a journey into a realm of sinister expats who have decided to take matters into their own hands, or so it seems, but the truth behind their actions is actually much more sinister, and the final plot twist will wrench your stomach as well as your mind.
Impossible to put down, this dark and compelling thriller is one of the must reads of the year, and having lived in Dubai myself, it paints a scarily accurate picture of what life is like in Desert England.
Luke Wilkins, Ocean FM (Presenter)
David Williams appeared on Jordan Radio. He was interviewed about his book 'Desert England'.
Radio Jordan
David Williams was interviewed on 'The John MacDonald Show'. David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Sunny Govan Radio 103.5 FM
David Williams appeared on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM (Arabian Radio Network). He was interviewed on the 'Talking Sport' show, talking about his book 'Desert England'.
Dubai Eye 103.8 FM (Arabian Radio Network) - Talking Sport Show
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Setanta Sports
David Williams was interviewed on 'The Martin Starke Show'. David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Ocean 96.7 FM
David Williams was interviewed on 'The Mike Rossiter Show'. David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Yorkshire Radio
David Williams was interviewed on 'The Simon Pauley Show'. David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Insight Radio
Wyvern 96.7 FM reviewed 'Desert England' written by David Williams. They also gave a five copies away in a radio competition.
Wyvern 96.7 FM
David Williams was interviewed on 'The Sports Show with Tom Urquhart'. David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Dubai Eye 103.8 FM (Arabian Radio Network) - The Sports Show
A cracking tale that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. When Detective Inspector John Milton goes undercover to crack an organised gang of football hooligans, he embarks on a journey of discovery which will make him question his life thus far, the value of friendship, and the importance of belonging. Williams explores a murky world of football hooliganism against the back-drop of an Arabian paradise. A great debut novel.
Mark Jacques, BBC (Writer and Broadcaster)
ART Sports Satellite Television (United Arab Emirates Television) interview David Williams and feature his book 'Desert England'.
ART Sports Satellite Television (United Arab Emirates Television)
David Williams was interviewed on the Talking Books programme on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM (Arabian Radio Network). David answered questions about his book 'Desert England'.
Dubai Eye 103.8 FM (Arabian Radio Network) - Talking Books Show
David Williams was interviewed on Dubai Radio 2 about his book 'Desert England'.
Dubai Radio 2