Ablibris Publishers have published a new ebook entitled "Graystone - The Curtis Connection" by Anthony Finlay. The book covers more than 300 years of Curtis family history and their ancestral estate of Graystone in Ireland, current home of a former Irish Prime Minister. The book is 205 pages long and can be found in the Biography Section on the Ablibris website - www.ablibris.com. It retails for £4.99. A free chapter is available to "browse" the e-book. I would be very grateful if you would draw the above to the attention of your readers - I apologise if this email breaches any etiquette of your group. Sincerely Martin Ellis (Editor Ablibris) PS below is a brief synopsis of the book: The fascinating history of one family's journey from rural Ireland to service in the SAS! Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always entertaining. From the 1660s in Ireland to the present meet some of the colourful characters of the Curtis family. Austin Curtis (called "The Settler") moves to Ireland about the time of Cromwell's reign, from his home in England and becomes, despite his being a staunch Protestant in a Catholic country, a prosperous farmer and land owner. His sons and their descendants experience mixed fortunes, largely due to a certain prodigality and (in some cases) an unconventional love life. Some however were prudent and did well. Religious tensions come between father and sons on occasion when the sons wish to marry Catholics and the father, being Protestant, is opposed. Making a will is likewise fraught with difficulty when there are filial tensions. Mainly the family is prosperous but does go through hard times. A fortunate win on the Irish lottery comes to the rescue of the family, preventing the sale of the large family home, to which they would otherwise be condemned. Several Curtises perform heroic acts: rescues at sea and on land. One descendant of Austin the Settler prospects for gold in South Africa, in the course of which he suffers a tragic accident. Later, life on mainland Europe beckons but results in mixed fortunes, materially and morally. The Boer War is seen graphically throught the eyes of Lt Curtis: the suffering of vanquished and of victor. The war brings heartbreak to Lt Curtis when his sweetheart dies of fever in South Africa. Another descendant, Walter convicted of a (technical) felony is transported to Australia where he eventually becomes a successful farmer. At one stage he digs for gold but unearths only a dull heavy white metallic substance, thought useless at the time but whose tremendous importance was much later discovered. Vividly, the Great War comes to life as experienced by Matthew Curtis. Austin's latest descendant, Richard, recalls National Service exploits and SAS training and experiences.