THE Thomas the Tank Engine Man is, of course, the Revd W. Awdry. Written by Brian Sibley, and now published in paperback by Lion at £12.99 (£11.70; 978-0-7459-7029-5) the book tells Awdry’s story from his Edwardian childhood to his death in 1997, by which time his stories about steam trains had become a global phenomenon.

Gethin Russell-Jones tells the story of his father in Concie: What my father didn’t do in the war. As a Christian, he felt unable to participate in warfare, and so became a conscientious objector, attracting hostility from family, friends, and strangers (Lion, £9.99 (£9); 978-0-7459-6854-4).

Chrissie Chapman ran a maternity clinic in Burundi during the long civil war. She tells the story of her work in The Night the Angels Came: Miracles of protection and provision in Burundi (Monarch, £8.99 (£8.10);978-0-85721-722-6)