Description
Book Synopsis Sir Nigel Thompson walked to school around the bomb craters of the London Blitz--it made him want to build things, rather than knock them down. After studying structural engineering in Africa, he worked on hospitals and theaters in London, and later headed the team that designed University of Qatar. He went on to design Embankment Place, a massive office complex built over London''s Charing Cross railway station. Turning from building to rebuilding, he explored construction opportunities for British firms during the Gulf War, in Kuwait''s still-burning oil fields. Following the 1999 bombing of Serbia and Kosovo, he led a reconstruction task force in Kosovo at the request of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, for which he was knighted. Thompson''s memoir details his long career in architectural design and construction, and in restorative development.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword by Terry Farrell
- Preface
- Part I—An Aspiring Building Engineer 5
- 1. London During the War (1939–1945)
- 2. Willington School and St. Paul's School (1945–1955)
- 3. Starting Work and Rhodesia (1955–1960)
- 4. Return to England—Scholarship and Joining Arup (1960)
- 5. Friends and London in the Early 1960s
- 6. Meeting Nicky (1963)
- 7. Summer in Turkey (1964)
- 8. Senior Engineer and Marrying Nicky (1965)
- 9. The Mill and Nim's Arrival (1966)
- 10. Thompson's Eating House (1970–1972)
- 11. Grove Farm and Sam's Arrival (1972)
- 12. Iran and Phoebe's Arrival (1974–1976)
- 13. Doha and Kafrawi's Tower of Winds (1976–1978)
- 14. Life in Wiltshire and Africa Again (1977)
- 15. Commercial Buildings in the 1980s
- 16. Theaters and The Old Vic (1982)
- Part II—A Leader in Building Engineering and Business Development 79
- 17. Joining the Arup Main Board (1984)
- 18. British Overseas Trade Board and the Vineyard (1983–1984)
- 19. Hospitals in the 1980s: St. Mary's, London, UK; Onassis Hospital, Athens, Greece; Yangon Hospital, Burma (Myanmar)
- 20. Shopping Centers and Retail Developments in the 1980s
- 21. Lutyens House (1986–1987)
- 22. Nicky's Singing
- 23. Air Rights Buildings (1985) and Working with Terry Farrell
- 24. The End of the Vineyard and Arab Horse Racing (1988)
- 25. Fiftieth Birthday and Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary (1989)
- 26. Kuwait City (1991)
- 27. Nicky's Accident
- 28. Business Development (1992)
- 29. Zimbabwe (1997)
- 30. Financial Services Sector (1990s)
- Part III—A Leader in Restorative Development 149
- 31. Power in Kosovo
- 32. Serbia and Montenegro (2000)
- 33. Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe (2001)
- 34. The Island of St. Helena (2002)
- 35. Campaign to Protect Rural England (2003)
- 36. The Marlborough Brandt Group and BUILD (2004)
- 37. Action for the River Kennet (ARK)
- 38. Governor of St. Paul's School (2007–2011) and President of Old Boys (2015–2017)
- 39. Minal Parish Council (2000–2018)
- 40. The Trevor Estate (1976–2011)
- 41. Grove House and Estate
- Appendix I: Nigel Thompson Selected Titles and Awards
- Appendix II: Terms and Abbreviations
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
