A Profile Of Dad

A Profile of Dad (c.1980) by Richard Exley & Helen Exley (Wilkinson Sword)
ISBN: none | Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Some books arrive like literature. This one arrives like a heartfelt pat on the shoulder from an era when “Dad” was still considered a complete personality type: provider, fixer, Sunday driver, occasional grunter of wisdom, and unshakeable believer that the correct thermostat setting is “off.” A Profile of Dad is a compact little shrine to fatherhood — part tribute, part greeting-card philosophy, part gentle emotional ambush.

It’s the sort of book designed to be discovered in a drawer, wrapped in tissue paper, and presented with a slightly awkward smile that says, I did not know how to say this out loud, so here is a book that will do it for me. And honestly, fair. Dads have spent decades communicating entire paragraphs using only “Right,” “Mm,” and a meaningful look at the lawn. It’s only fitting they receive affection in a format that requires minimal direct eye contact.

The Exleys specialise in the distilled sentiment — those short, quotable lines that aim straight for the soft bit under the ribcage. This isn’t a “biography of Dad” (thank goodness; nobody needs chapter three: The Great Shed Reorganisation of 1979). It’s a profile: a lovingly assembled collage of what Dad is, what Dad does, and what everyone eventually realises Dad has been quietly doing all along — holding things up, keeping it together, and making sure the car has petrol even when nobody asked.

And then there’s the publisher credit that adds an extra layer of delightful oddness: Wilkinson Sword. Yes, that Wilkinson Sword. A book about Dad brought to you by the people best known for sharp blades, which feels strangely appropriate. Dads are, after all, the original multi-tool: capable of kindness, practicality, and an occasional cutting remark delivered with perfect timing. (Also: shaving. Dads shave. The circle is complete.)

As an object, it’s very much of its time: a small, giftable, keepable book meant to live on bedside tables and in sock drawers, coming out occasionally for a private read and a subtle throat-clear. Condition is Good, which means it’s ready to do what it was born to do — be given, be kept, be rediscovered, and make someone think, Alright then… maybe the old bloke is alright.

Perfect for Father’s Day, birthdays, or those rare moments when you want to acknowledge that behind the practical advice and the “we’ll see” lies a man who has probably been quietly trying his best for years — and might even deserve a little printed appreciation for it.

Sold by Crappy Old Books — supplying second-hand sentiment with first-rate timing.

Keep browsing: See more Humour books Other books by Richard Exley and Helen Exley