About the Author

Hilton Cranston-Whittaker was born in South Africa in 1943 and raised on the open Highveld during an era that shaped strong minds and resilient hearts. His early life was a mix of structure, humor, and grit the kind that comes from growing up in a time when discipline built character and family meant everything.

Adopted at a young age, Hilton’s childhood was anything but ordinary. He was surrounded by people who valued hard work, loyalty, and kindness lessons that followed him through every stage of his life. From milking cows at sunrise to sneaking off to school adventures, his early stories capture a time that feels distant yet deeply familiar to anyone who values honesty and perseverance.

As a young man, Hilton worked for Anglo American Corporation, one of Africa’s largest mining companies, where he explored the remote corners of the continent and learned the power of curiosity and persistence. His years in the field taught him that success rarely comes easy and that integrity, once lost, is never easily regained.

Life eventually carried him beyond Africa. Hilton spent years traveling, working, and living across borders from Europe to North America before settling in California. Every place added a new chapter, and every experience added a new story.

In By Hook or by Crook, Hilton opens those chapters to the world. His memoir shares more than memories; it captures a way of life now rare when trust was earned, humor healed, and friendship meant something real.

Hilton’s writing is direct, unfiltered, and sincere. He writes as he speaks from the heart, with a storyteller’s rhythm and a lifetime’s worth of lessons.

Don’t wait to read what everyone’s talking about.

Order your copy now and see why readers can’t put it down.