Environmental activist's memoir to Sandstone

Scottish independent publisher Sandstone Press is to publish a memoir of 40 years of environmental activism by Peter Willcox titled Greenpeace Captain. 

Sandstone m.d. Robert Davidson bought UK, Ireland and Commonwealth (excluding Canada, Australia and New Zealand) from Claire Roberts at Trident Media Group, who made the sale on behalf of John Silbersack, for an undisclosed sum.

A Guardian Lifetime Achievement Award winner for his services to the environment, Willcox has led crews into battle against whale killers, nuclear testing sites, and deep sea drillers.

The book recounts a life lived on the environmental frontline, including how Willcox faced a bombing attack of the "iconic" Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which he captained, in 1985, resulting in the murder of a shipmate by a member of the French secret service. It tells how, as one of the "Arctic 30", he endured imprisonment in 2013 for peacefully protesting Russian oil drilling in Antarctica along with his crew while activists around the world, including Desmond Tutu, campaigned for his release. It is co-written with Ronald B Weiss.

Davidson said: "The story that Peter Willcox brilliantly weaves is as gripping as any thriller. Not only is it disturbingly revealing about recent world history, it is also deeply relevant for the immediate future. Greenpeace Captain is about taking risks, making sacrifices, demonstrating commitment, about just how significant an individual can be in influencing global decision making. In a world darkened by environmental folly, Peter Willcox and Greenpeace raise a torch for the better side of humanity. Sandstone Press is proud to bring this fine book to the reading public of Great Britain and Ireland."