Crean - The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero - Tim Foley

Tim Foley, a former consultant and magazine columnist who has worked as a Project Consultant to a number of UK television programmes, has, since 2010, spearheaded a campaign to honour Tom Crean, an Irish explorer from County Kerry whose life-saving exploits during the pioneering age of Antarctic exploration, earned him the prestigious Albert Medal for bravery.

From a young age, Foley has been fascinated by the heroic tales of the Irishman, whose story he discovered while spending time in his own father's birthplace of Keel, County Kerry.

The book begins in Ireland under the governance of the British Empire and continues through Crean's career in the Royal Navy and his time serving under the leadership of Scott and Shackleton on three Antartic expeditions.

Taking us through Crean's incredible courageous feats, his retirement and his return to a changed Ireland in the aftermath of rebellion and in the midst of a War of Independence, the book questions why and how Crean's story was largely forgotten, both during his lifetime and after his death. Tim Foley's book encourages to ask why, when Crean's epic bravery has earned him international recognition, his homeland is yet to officially recognise him.

In writing this, his first book, Tim has immersed himself in years of research and study of Crean at some of the world's most respected archives.