The Benevolence of Rogues is John Righten's remarkable story of the realities of life as an aid worker and is a tribute to the tenacity and good will of the cavalcade of unlikely heroes who joined him in voluntary service. John Righten draws upon his experiences from the two parallel worlds he inhabited. His 'humanitarian' world was full of good natured but socially unpredictable diamonds in the rough, while his 'normal' world is even more surreal, but this is where he recruited the 'rogues' from Australia, the United States, Ireland and the UK to get his convoys on the road. In times of crisis these rogues were magnificent to behold; though their methods unorthodox. The Benevolence of Rogues is an eye-opening account of what life as an aid worker is really like, exploring the individuals who are attracted to this risky line of work, underscored throughout by scorching gallows humour. It has much in common with the dark humour of John Kesey's, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Richard Hooker's, M.A.S.H. It is a truly compelling, though adult read.
About the Author: John was born in London and raised on one of its toughest estates in Kings Cross. He has worked as a volunteer in many countries, including organising and delivering medical aid to orphanages and hospitals in Romania, South America and Bosnia during the war. Over the years he has had over 40 different occupations ranging from tree-lopper, cocktail barman, managing major government infrastructure projects, and working in a mental health facility in Manhattan. Recently he rode a 1950's British Army motorbike across India to raise money for several children's charities. His first novel, The Benevolence of Rogues, tells of the roguish characters he encountered in his travels around the world whose help he called upon years later to complete his humanitarian aid missions. He followed this with Churchill's Rogue, the first in The Rogues Trilogy, a rousing pre-war historical adventure thriller, followed by The Gathering Storm and The Darkest Hour. John has written seven novels. His latest novel, The Alpha Wolves, is the final novel in The Lochran Trilogy. He has also published The Pane of Rejection - the misspelling is deliberate - a guide to writing, which also takes a wry look at the publishing industry based on his unusual experiences. In 2015, Churchill's Rogue was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Inaugural Adventure Writing Awards.