Sliding Down the Hypotenuse

Explore the captivating memoir, 'Sliding Down the Hypotenuse', penned by veteran journalist Eric Beardsley. This literary gem, published by Canterbury University Press, encapsulates eight decades of life, history, and vivid tales from Christchurch and Canterbury. Measuring 152 x 228 mm and comprising 224 pages, this book offers a delightful mix of memoir, biography, and history that is sure to engage readers. Dive into Beardsley’s breezy account of his free-range childhood during the Jazz Age of the 1920s, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. With astute reflections on the educational challenges of the past and the evolution of the University of Canterbury, Beardsley illustrates the complexities faced by a hopelessly idealistic journalist navigating through shifts in societal politics. The narrative is rich in humor, providing readers with piquant and punchy observations that bring the past to life. This book is not just a memoir; it is a vivid portrait of a life that weaves through personal and communal histories, showcasing the character of a province and its people. Perfect for anyone seeking an engaging read that combines humor, poignancy, and historical reflection, 'Sliding Down the Hypotenuse' is a must-have addition to your collection. Indulge your literary appetite today!

Author: Eric Beardsley Publisher: Canterbury University Press

Dimensions: 152 x 228 mm
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01-07-2011

In the 80 years since veteran journalist and broadcaster Eric Beardsley arrived in Christchurch from the West Coast, he has lived a full and varied life and devoted much time to observing the Canterbury scene, its people, politics, conflicts and progress. The result is Sliding Down the Hypotenuse, an eclectic and wholly delightful mix of memoir, biography and history. Beardsley gives a breezy account of a satisfyingly free-range childhood spent in the wasteland of sandhills and scrub that was Aranui in the Jazz Age of the 1920s and the miserable Great Depression days of the 1930s. His is a story of distant and different schooldays when strap and cane ruled, where the Sugarbag Years dominated the lives of the workless poor, and of a career as night messenger, reporter, sub-editor and leader writer at the Press - work that did not always sit comfortably with his more radical outlook on life. As information officer for the University of Canterbury, he slipped readily into academic life for nearly a quarter of a century and used his journalistic skills to tell the university's story both to itself and to the city and province as it expanded into the spacious new Ilam campus, and began to turn from being a teaching to a learning institution intent on research. Superbly written and rich in humour and piquant, punchy observation, Sliding Down the Hypotenuse will bring lasting pleasure in its vivid portrait of a life well lived, of a province and its university, and of New Zealand over the last eight decades.