Becoming a toff

Ralph ironman's astonishing rise from literally the ashes of a deprived family life in 1930s leicestershire is a testament to energy, inquisitiveness and enterprise. whether he's relaxing en famille in denmark, stalking moose in sweden, or indulging in a little light industrial espionage in florida, the author is constantly observing, collating and storing the ideas buzzing in his head. it's really a story of survival. if your father pays you no attention and your mother is tragically depressed, you go out and find someone who cares. and that's exactly what sergeant ironman did at the end of world war ii. sixty happy years of marriage, forty years of business life as a free-lancer all over europe and the usa, and he has reached complete contentment - and, as he calls it, 'toffdom'. enjoy this inspiring and heart-warming life story from a man who has every reason to relish his success. ralph ironman was born in leicestershire of working-class parents, and educated at local elementary and secondary schools. he subsequently received an engineering education at university college, nottingham, before becoming a staff-sergeant in the royal engineers. after service in holland and germany he was demobilized and emigrated to canada where he became the technical editor for the research division of a provincial hydro-electric power commission. after eight years, ironman returned to europe and held similar positions in england and holland before deciding to become a freelance technical writer and editor. he subsequently built up a successful technical news and advertising sales service for a group of us publications. ironman has lived in eight different countries and travelled extensively in some twenty more. he has a danish wife and two daughters and lives for a major part of the year in schleswig-holstein.