About the memoirs
Number Nine is the title of HGM Thomas MacCallum's memoirs. The book is based on his life experiences, diaries, notes, and correspondence — mostly from his years working for and within the ITF/Taekwon‑Do, but also from earlier periods. It chronicles his life from his early years in Scotland to his decades of dedication to Taekwon‑Do and his service within the International Taekwon‑Do Federation.
The memoir traces pivotal moments from his RAF service, his introduction to Taekwon‑Do in Singapore, the founding years of the UKTA, and his extensive work within the ITF from the 1980s onward. Alongside significant milestones, it also shares the everyday stories — the travels, the personalities, the unexpected challenges, and humorous moments — that shaped his journey.
The book was written by Morag MacCallum (who, in all her artistic endeavours, used her maiden name Sutherland, as she does here). With her background in writing, she understood from the start how this material should be presented to keep it not only informative, but also engaging and entertaining. Because she worked in the ITF headquarters and was HGM MacCallum’s wife, she also had first-hand experience of many of the events described.
The book was completed in April 2023. Morag MacCallum died in February 2024 without preparing a final draft, so HGM MacCallum’s sons, Ruaridh and Struan, helped him continue the work and discussed various aspects of the manuscript and its publication with him. HGM MacCallum himself died not long after, in January 2025, leaving a few small parts unfinished.
Ruaridh and Struan MacCallum made the final edits — either those already discussed with their parents or those they felt were necessary — and are now publishing the book themselves, to share their parents’ life’s work with the world.
The book is only available in English.
Price and Shipping
Price
The price for the physical hardcover edition of the book is EUR 26.00. The price for the ebook version (format epub, PDF not available) is EUR 18.00.
Shipping
The physical edition of the book is shipped via the Austrian Postal Service as a letter to keep costs low. Please note that there is no tracking and no insurance for this shipping method.
- Europe (EU & non‑EU countries): EUR 10.20
- Rest of the world: EUR 22.50
- You can order up to 3 copies together using the link below, with no additional shipping costs.
- If you want additional services (tracking, insurance) please send an email with your details (address with telephone number) to info@hgmmaccallum.com. Please note that these services will cost more.
- If you want to buy a larger amount of books (for your club or association, for example) to reduce shipping costs, please send an email with your details (address with telephone number and the number of book copies you want to order) to info@hgmmaccallum.com. Please note that the price of the book remains the same, regardless of amount ordered.
- The book cannot be shipped to the U.S.A., for details please visit this website
- To check which countries are currently suspending the acceptance of letters from Austria, please see this website
Customs & Import Fees
Shipments may be subject to customs duties, import taxes, or other fees upon arrival in the destination country. These charges are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the product or shipping price.
Payment and ordering
Please use the links provided below. We use the website/tool Stripe to process the payment. After payment is complete, you will receive confirmation via email once the book has been shipped.
Use this link if you want the physical hardcover edition of the book shipped to Europe (EU & non‑EU countries). You can change the quantity (1, 2 or 3) after clicking the link.
https://buy.stripe.com/eVq7sMeyfgAX3B71yI3ZK02
Use this link if you want the physical hardcover edition of the book shipped International (outside Europe). You can change the quantity (1, 2 or 3) after clicking the link.
https://buy.stripe.com/9B6bJ289R2K73B73GQ3ZK03
Use this link if you want the buy the ebook version (format epub, PDF not available):
https://buy.stripe.com/3cI8wQeyf5WjdbH2CM3ZK04
After buying the ebook, we try to send it out to you within 1-2 days. Please check your spam folder, in case the email with the download link lands there.
Please note:
As a small business pursuant to § 6 (1) item 27 of the Austrian VAT Act (UStG), we do not charge value-added tax.
We reserve the right to withdraw from the sale or to refuse the sale at any time, without providing any reason.
Refund Policy: Except where required by applicable law, all sales are final and all payments are non-refundable and non-creditable. We do not offer refunds due to personal preference or dissatisfaction with the book’s content.