David Hamilton was born in Spennymoor, Co. Durham in 1958, the fourth of eight children. He left school at 16 years of age to enlist into the Army as a Junior Soldier, joining the Light Infantry in 1974. He worked his way through the ranks and obtained a Queen’s Commission in 1998. This book is a compilation of David’s prose and verse which he began writing in earnest in 2000, although this volume also contains some earlier pieces

Manic Verse. A compilation of verse, prose and songs by David Hamilton. While much of the poetry contained within these pages takes a light hearted poke at "the establishment" such as in 'Tradition Lost', 'Green Condoms' and 'My Car Runs on Corn Oil', to name but three, readers should not make the mistake of thinking this is a frivolous book. The author also has a dark side and takes a perceptive look at the world and its workings with a sometimes cynical, but always 'dry' eye. There is something for everyone in this book, humour, sadness, anger, jealousy and torment, with more than a sprinkling of erotica. In many ways the book is a diary of the author's life, giving the reader a "through the key-hole" glance into his working class childhood and his long military career.

At the time of going to print, the author remains a serving officer in the British Army. Whatever your taste in poetry there is something here for you. There are sonnets and villanelles aplenty scattered amongst the free verse, prose, songs and doggerel. There is something to make you laugh, cry or question on every page. While there are a number of poems which would be suitable bed time reading for children, the book is unsuitable for children under 16 years of age as it contains some explicit sexual content.