Hey! Didn't You Used to Be John Dawe?

Book excerpt: An older and mature readership will remember John Dawe although prompts may be necessary as it has been a decade and a half since he graced the airwaves. But when prompted to remember him for his journalism and charitable work memories take flight and people react normally with much joy. With the right publicity campaign the market for this book could be in the tens of thousands especially among people who enjoy going on real journeys of discovery involving familiar events, places and people. This project began as a legacy book for family to enjoy but took on a memoir persona as the stories began to flow. According to renowned entertainment lawyer Michael Levine, Dawe was never a television superstar but while his varied work brought him into contact with millions only a few would be familiar with Dawe’s extraordinary background. For example, readers will either cheer or jeer Dawe’s decision to refuse the sexual entreaties one of Britain’s renowned courtesans and become her friend rather than a lover. Or the time he disrupts a significant speech by Prime Minister Diefenbaker. Dawe’s life proves that chutzpah, curiosity and openness can lead to the most fascinating experiences involving larger than life characters, some of whom are or were household names in Canada and Europe. It’s a book that only Dawe could write because of his feel for fact, having been there, and his knack for telling stories. Although he was well travelled, Dawe’s book is not a travelogue, rather, he takes a cursory approach to describing most places he has visited. All of the people mentioned are real and most have their real names used, the exceptions only out of discretion. His accounts will make the sensitive reader laugh and cry and shake their head at his stupidity or audacity.