At my desk...
I am the author of more than 40 books, specializing in history, puzzles and popular science, mythology, cinema and arts.
And as an editor, I have more than 30 years’ experience of editing and proofreading on a wide variety of subjects including history, medicine and health, cinema and arts, travel guides and personnel and business . . .
Please scroll down this page for testimonials – and navigate through the site to see examples of my work. You can also browse my Amazon page and make purchases here.
In History & Mythology, look out for my illustrated book The Medieval Castle, which uses Guédelon Castle, the fascinating project in Burgundy to build a 21st-castle using medieval techniques and materials as a focus for a study of castles in the Middle Ages.
In Puzzles & Popular Science, check out A Sherlock Holmes Escape Book: The Adventure of the British Museum and its follow-up The Adventure of the Analytical Engine, both written with Melanie Frances. Far from elementary . . .
Also available on the site – the lovely picture book I. C. the Ice Cream Van, written by me and beautifully illustrated by the artist Heather Bower. And my young person’s adventure reader Into the Lake Forest.
TESTIMONIALS
“
Charles is one of the most dependable and enthusiastic people I have had the pleasure of working with. Whether writing, editing or researching material, he has never let me down – even when we are faced with very tight deadlines. He has an excellent ability to convey information clearly and concisely for a lay audience and has repeatedly demonstrated a real flair for bringing even the most mundane and technical subjects to life.
“
As a freelance editor and proofreader, Charles brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job. He has worked on a diverse range of titles for Peter Owen, from a Turkish novel in translation to a book on the circus, and on each occasion his input has gone way beyond the brief – saving both author and publisher from potentially embarrassing gaffes and tidying up the text in expert fashion. And yet everything is always turned around bang on time with never a deadline missed... Strongly recommended.
ALISON MOORE
PARTNER AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR
ASTRA CONTENT
SIMON SMITH
SENIOR EDITOR
PETER OWEN PUBLISHERS
“
I have commissioned Charles to write several history books on a variety of subjects over the last 12 years. Whatever the subject is – from medieval castles to the history of tartan – he has fulfilled the brief impeccably, to budget and on time. Invariably the manuscripts he produces conform to the original brief, are well researched, and excellently written. He has also copy edited for me, and transformed hopeless manuscripts into publishable material. He is calm, flexible, highly organised, and a pleasure to work with.
JOANNE RIPPIN
COMMISSIONING EDITOR
HAYNES
“
Charles Phillips is a remarkable mix of an imaginative and creative writer and a consummate professional. He is meticulous in planning and utterly dependable in delivery. And as if that isn’t enough, he’s a great pleasure to work with. He has helped me on numerous occasions, over many years, developing project ideas as well as providing text that reads so well it needs minimal editing and is thoroughly checked for accuracy too. I’ve lost count of the books we’ve worked on together. In my case most of these have been books of brain games and visual puzzles but I know this is only a small part of his repertoire. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
HAL ROBINSON
PUBLISHER
BOOK CREATION LTD
ADDRESS
CONTACT
124 Becklow Road
Shepherds Bush
London, W12 9HJ
Email: charlesphillips1@mac.com
Phone: 07791 832 308