As well as writing for television, Thompson wrote biographies of Hergé (1991), Private Eye editor Richard Ingrams (1994) (of which The Independent said, "The problem is that Thompson simply worships Ingrams, and his biography melts steadily into hagiography... [an] overlong panegyric") [10] and Peter Cook (1997). His novel This Thing of Darkness, a historical fiction about Charles Darwin and Robert FitzRoy, the captain of the Beagle, was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2005. Thompson described Fitzroy, rather than Darwin, as the book's hero: Funny and heartwarming, this is a dying mans tribute to a sport, and more importantly a team, that he loved. A must read or listen...... Funny, true, reflective, appreciative, humbling, and realisation that life is no rehearsal. Live life! If you're not sure if you'll enjoy this book, consider the following extract from the opening chapter: It is part sports commentary, part humour and part travelogue as you slowly warm up to the rag-tag team, then get angry with them and then cheer them on with a fair degree of exasperation.

Greater than the sum of its parts and the closest a book has ever brought me to crying. One of the best sports books ever written. blow for deathbed widow of Have I Got News For You writer". The Evening Standard. 23 September 2006 . Retrieved 14 August 2020. Thompson's book does roam wider. When Berkmann left to start a splinter club, Thompson carried on captaining Captain Scott, so he has several more years of club memories to milk. And the world tour carries him away from the village greens of England to take in Singapore, Buenos Aires and Antarctica. Sketching each stop with deft relish, Thompson almost launches another genre - the picaresque comic memoir of sporting incompetence. Harry William Thompson was born on 6 February 1960 in London. [1] [2] His father was a marketing manager who worked for The Guardian, while his mother was a teacher who campaigned for higher standards in education. [1] He attended the private, fee-paying school Highgate School before going on to study History at Brasenose College, Oxford. There he became editor of the university newspaper, Cherwell, working alongside arts editor Roly Keating, the future controller of BBC2. [1] [2] Coren, Victoria (12 June 2005). "Having cancer is like a big hard bastard has invited me outside the pub, and when I get there he's brought two of his mates". The Observer . Retrieved 17 September 2012.I was however impressed with the calibre of the opposition and grounds they were able to play at and the left of effort involved to successfully carry out the tour. The ups and downs of playing sport with your friends - from the joys of just actually scoring to the lows of being let down at crucial points. I happened upon this book by chance and was intrigued with the concept and by the challenge itself. Treneman, Ann (24 November 1997). "Not as sweet as she looks". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022 . Retrieved 18 September 2012.

Thompson, Harry (1991). Tintin: Hergé and his Creation. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-52393-3.This is one of the funniest books that I have ever read; but it also has some parts that raise other emotions. This book was thus a race against the ultimate deadline. Thompson opted to say very little about his predicament, showing admirable stoicism - Captain Scott with a hint of Captain Oates - but questionable literary judgment. It made it harder for his tale to shake off Berkmann's shadow. Harry Thompson also produced non-comedy documentaries for BBC Radio. He made several programmes with writer/presenter Terence Pettigrew, starting with anniversary tributes to Hollywood icons James Dean ( You're Tearing Me Apart) and Montgomery Clift ( I Had The Misery Thursday). Pettigrew and Thompson subsequently worked together on a second series of documentaries, including on national service ( Caught in the Draft), and also about the evacuation of children from major British cities during the Second World War ( Nobody Cried When The Trains Pulled Out). Both programmes were presented by Michael Aspel. [ citation needed] It was sad to read what happened to the author of the book as he seemed very full of life and never took no for an answer or shied away from a challenge. I thought Glen McCready did a wonderful job of reading the book, giving us a range of accents for the great diversity of people we met.