David St John Thomas
David St John Thomas (30 August 1929 – 19 August 2014) was an English publisher and writer who founded David & Charles.[1]
Early life and career
The son of writer Gilbert Thomas (1891–1978)[2] he shared his father's enthusiasm for railways,[3] particularly in the running of their Bassett-Lowke model railway.[4]
Brought up in Devon over the World War II period, his first job was as a reporter on the Western Morning News in Plymouth where he specialised in covering transport and holiday stories.[5] He later became a freelancer, combining journalism and radio and television reporting with fruit farming and being commissioned by the Dartington Hall Trust and others to produce reports on rural transport.[6] His first book (for young people) was published in 1959[7] and in 1960 he produced the first book in the series he was to edit (and later publish), A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, The West Country.[8]
Foundation of David and Charles
On 1 April 1960 he founded, with
In later years, he also published some books under his own imprint. He continued to write himself, including a series of well-illustrated books on railway topics with Patrick B. Whitehouse and others,[10] and more books on travel-related topics.[11] He was keen to encourage new writers, and to this end launched the magazine Writers’ News in 1989, since sold.[12]
The David St John Thomas Charitable Trust
Having sold David & Charles, to
Death
Thomas died in his sleep on 19 August 2014 at the age of 84 while on a cruise in the Baltic.[12]
References
- ^ "Publishing legend David St John Thomas dies, aged 84". torquayheraldexpress.co.uk. 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ Thomas, Gilbert (1932). The Master-Light — letters to David. London: Allen & Unwin.
- ^ Thomas, Gilbert; Thomas, David St John (1963). Double Headed — two generations of railway enthusiasm. Dawlish: David & Charles.
- ^ Thomas, Gilbert (1947). Paddington to Seagood — the story of a model railway. London: Chapman & Hall.
- ISBN 0-7153-8139-3.
- Routledge & Kegan Paul.
- ^ Thomas, David St John (1959). Trains Work Like This. London: Phoenix House.
- ^ Thomas, David St John (1960). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Vol. 1, The West Country. London: Phoenix House.
- ISBN 0-7153-8139-3.
- ISBN 0-7153-8530-5.
- ISBN 0-7153-9074-0.
- ^ ISSN 0033-8923.
Further reading
Thomas, David St John (2004). Journey Through Britain — landscape, people and books. London: