Paul Fraser Collard's Blog
July 29, 2018
The Scarlet Ladies
I blame the Monocled Mutineer for my love of impostors. The story of Percy Toplis first caught my attention when it became the basis for the TV series of the same name that was shown in the 1980s. I still remember watching it and being fascinated by the idea of someone taking advantage of the world simply by putting on a fancy uniform and speaking with the right accent. Young Percy, a rogue with little education and a strong northern accent, successfully impersonated British army officers during his time as a deserter in the First World War. His is a fascinating tale that ended rather sadly when Percy was shot dead by the British police after the war. There is some debate as to the truth of Percy���s story as told in the TV series, yet it fired my imagination, and it was an idea that I could not resist turning to when I first sat down to write my first Jack Lark book, The Scarlet Thief.
This idea of an impostor has been a recurring theme throughout the Jack Lark series, and so it should not come as a great surprise that it is something I return to in The Rebel Killer, the seventh novel in the series. But here there is a twist, for the imposter in The Rebel Killer is not Jack, but instead it is young woman called Martha.
There are plenty of examples in history to inspire such a tale. The first one I came across was the story of Mary Anne Talbot. Mary���s rather surprising, and astonishingly long, military career began sometime in 1792 when her lover, a certain Captain Essex Bowen of the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales���s Volunteers), enlisted her as his footboy in his regiment under the name John Taylor. The pair stayed together for some time, and I cannot help but wonder what rumours must have surrounded the intimate relationship between officer and orderly in what would surely have been a close-knit regiment. Their romantic tale came to a rather sad and ignoble end, when Captain Bowen was killed at the Battle of Valenciennes in July 1793. Mary herself was wounded in the fighting that saw her find a place on the battlefield amongst the boys who served as the regiment���s drummers. Mary recuperated from her wounds without assistance then deserted; acts that only serve to highlight just how tough, resourceful and downright brave she must have been. Her time in the army behind her, Mary refused to hide herself away and do something slightly less dangerous. Instead, she found her way into the Royal Navy, first as a cabin boy, and then subsequently as a powder monkey. Her time in the navy was no less eventful than her time in the army, and she almost lost her leg to French grapeshot before spending over a year as a prisoner of the French fleet. Quite how Mary continued to successfully pose as a boy both onboard ship, and then again in the grim and unsanitary conditions of a French naval prison, defies belief. When released, it is clear that Mary had lost none of her talent for hiding her true gender as she subsequently signed on in the elevated role of a clerk on an American merchantman (ship) where she even managed to attract the attention of the Captain���s niece. I have little doubt that her magnificent career as an impostor would have continued, however the Royal Navy intervened, and she was seized by an overzealous pressgang, an act that finally compelled her to reveal herself as a woman. Clearly, the idea of spending any more time on a man-of-war did not appeal, and from what I have read of the period I really cannot blame her. Mary���s time in both the army and the navy show just how long an impostor can maintain their charade (there is probably a book or two in there). It is certainly a fascinating tale, and one that proves the old saying that the truth is often stranger than fiction.
For The Rebel Killer, I turned to accounts from the American Civil War for my inspiration. It is said that there are some 400 documented cases of women who fought in the war disguised as men. That number may sound surprising, but it must almost certainly underestimate the true number by some margin. This brutal civil war was not fought in anything like a traditional manner, with hundreds of engagements spread across the whole of the young nation. It was a vicious, chaotic war, and there can be no real way of knowing just how many young women pulled on a blue or grey uniform (or more likely brown or butternut) and found their way into a line of battle in one engagement or another.
The idea of a women fighting alongside men in this conflict is not as preposterous as it might first seem. The American Civil War was fought by all ages, with boys as young as eleven and twelve joining up. Those of you who have read The True Soldier (the sixth Jack Lark novel) will recall the wonderful anecdotal story of the two young lads who slipped a scrap of paper into their shoes with the number eighteen written on it so that they would not by lying to the attestation officer when they claimed to be ���over eighteen���. Such stories are common, and the demand for manpower was so high that in many cases the only qualification needed to join the ranks of either army was simply the ability to handle a musket. In such circumstances, it is not hard to imagine a young woman being able to masquerade as a lad, and the ranks would surely have been full of youngsters with beardless faces and unbroken voices.
There are many examples to refer to when considering the role of a female soldier. Jennie Hodgers, aka Albert Cashier, is one of the best known. Jennie/Albert enlisted with the 95th Illinois Infantry on 6 August 1862 and served for three long and bloody years as the regiment fought as part of the Army of Tennessee. Jennie/Albert���s time as a soldier clearly did not put her off the idea of living as a man and she continued to live as Albert until 1910 when she was hit by a car, and her biological sex was finally revealed.
Another famous example is that of Frances Clayton, aka James Williams. In Frances���s case, there are a number of wonderful images on the internet that show her in both guises, and the contrast between the two is simply brilliant. Less is known of Frances���s career, but it appears she fought for the Confederacy in a regiment from Missouri and even took part in the battle of Fort Donelson, which appears in The Rebel Killer.
Then there is the slightly more doubtful, but no less inspiring account that I mention in the historical notes of The Rebel Killer. Loreta Janeta Velazquez (aka Lieutenant Harry Buford) was a Confederate spy who also spent plenty of time on the battlefield. Her tale is told in her own, wonderfully titled, book, The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and Travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army. There are many questions around the authenticity of Loreta���s self-written account of her exploits, and there is a chance that she was nothing more than a fraud who wrote a work that is more fiction than fact, however as a storyteller, not a historian, I can enjoy the fantastic tale as it is.
All of these women have their own fascinating stories, and there are many more out there should you wish to discover more. Discovering such tales is one of the reasons why I enjoy writing the Jack Lark series so very much, and I love learning more of the period and places where Jack���s adventures are set.
My Jack leads an interesting life, and he meets all manner of people along the way. So, if you want to know how he reacts to discovering a woman carrying a musket on to the blood-soaked battlefield at Shiloh, well ��� you will just have to read The Rebel Killer to find out.
This idea of an impostor has been a recurring theme throughout the Jack Lark series, and so it should not come as a great surprise that it is something I return to in The Rebel Killer, the seventh novel in the series. But here there is a twist, for the imposter in The Rebel Killer is not Jack, but instead it is young woman called Martha.
There are plenty of examples in history to inspire such a tale. The first one I came across was the story of Mary Anne Talbot. Mary���s rather surprising, and astonishingly long, military career began sometime in 1792 when her lover, a certain Captain Essex Bowen of the 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales���s Volunteers), enlisted her as his footboy in his regiment under the name John Taylor. The pair stayed together for some time, and I cannot help but wonder what rumours must have surrounded the intimate relationship between officer and orderly in what would surely have been a close-knit regiment. Their romantic tale came to a rather sad and ignoble end, when Captain Bowen was killed at the Battle of Valenciennes in July 1793. Mary herself was wounded in the fighting that saw her find a place on the battlefield amongst the boys who served as the regiment���s drummers. Mary recuperated from her wounds without assistance then deserted; acts that only serve to highlight just how tough, resourceful and downright brave she must have been. Her time in the army behind her, Mary refused to hide herself away and do something slightly less dangerous. Instead, she found her way into the Royal Navy, first as a cabin boy, and then subsequently as a powder monkey. Her time in the navy was no less eventful than her time in the army, and she almost lost her leg to French grapeshot before spending over a year as a prisoner of the French fleet. Quite how Mary continued to successfully pose as a boy both onboard ship, and then again in the grim and unsanitary conditions of a French naval prison, defies belief. When released, it is clear that Mary had lost none of her talent for hiding her true gender as she subsequently signed on in the elevated role of a clerk on an American merchantman (ship) where she even managed to attract the attention of the Captain���s niece. I have little doubt that her magnificent career as an impostor would have continued, however the Royal Navy intervened, and she was seized by an overzealous pressgang, an act that finally compelled her to reveal herself as a woman. Clearly, the idea of spending any more time on a man-of-war did not appeal, and from what I have read of the period I really cannot blame her. Mary���s time in both the army and the navy show just how long an impostor can maintain their charade (there is probably a book or two in there). It is certainly a fascinating tale, and one that proves the old saying that the truth is often stranger than fiction.
For The Rebel Killer, I turned to accounts from the American Civil War for my inspiration. It is said that there are some 400 documented cases of women who fought in the war disguised as men. That number may sound surprising, but it must almost certainly underestimate the true number by some margin. This brutal civil war was not fought in anything like a traditional manner, with hundreds of engagements spread across the whole of the young nation. It was a vicious, chaotic war, and there can be no real way of knowing just how many young women pulled on a blue or grey uniform (or more likely brown or butternut) and found their way into a line of battle in one engagement or another.
The idea of a women fighting alongside men in this conflict is not as preposterous as it might first seem. The American Civil War was fought by all ages, with boys as young as eleven and twelve joining up. Those of you who have read The True Soldier (the sixth Jack Lark novel) will recall the wonderful anecdotal story of the two young lads who slipped a scrap of paper into their shoes with the number eighteen written on it so that they would not by lying to the attestation officer when they claimed to be ���over eighteen���. Such stories are common, and the demand for manpower was so high that in many cases the only qualification needed to join the ranks of either army was simply the ability to handle a musket. In such circumstances, it is not hard to imagine a young woman being able to masquerade as a lad, and the ranks would surely have been full of youngsters with beardless faces and unbroken voices.
There are many examples to refer to when considering the role of a female soldier. Jennie Hodgers, aka Albert Cashier, is one of the best known. Jennie/Albert enlisted with the 95th Illinois Infantry on 6 August 1862 and served for three long and bloody years as the regiment fought as part of the Army of Tennessee. Jennie/Albert���s time as a soldier clearly did not put her off the idea of living as a man and she continued to live as Albert until 1910 when she was hit by a car, and her biological sex was finally revealed.
Another famous example is that of Frances Clayton, aka James Williams. In Frances���s case, there are a number of wonderful images on the internet that show her in both guises, and the contrast between the two is simply brilliant. Less is known of Frances���s career, but it appears she fought for the Confederacy in a regiment from Missouri and even took part in the battle of Fort Donelson, which appears in The Rebel Killer.
Then there is the slightly more doubtful, but no less inspiring account that I mention in the historical notes of The Rebel Killer. Loreta Janeta Velazquez (aka Lieutenant Harry Buford) was a Confederate spy who also spent plenty of time on the battlefield. Her tale is told in her own, wonderfully titled, book, The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and Travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army. There are many questions around the authenticity of Loreta���s self-written account of her exploits, and there is a chance that she was nothing more than a fraud who wrote a work that is more fiction than fact, however as a storyteller, not a historian, I can enjoy the fantastic tale as it is.
All of these women have their own fascinating stories, and there are many more out there should you wish to discover more. Discovering such tales is one of the reasons why I enjoy writing the Jack Lark series so very much, and I love learning more of the period and places where Jack���s adventures are set.
My Jack leads an interesting life, and he meets all manner of people along the way. So, if you want to know how he reacts to discovering a woman carrying a musket on to the blood-soaked battlefield at Shiloh, well ��� you will just have to read The Rebel Killer to find out.
March 11, 2017
Interview with historian Nick Britten
If you have followed me for a while you will most likely already know that I am a big fan of Nick Britten's brilliant Facebook page UNDER EVERY LEAF. The page focuses on the men and events of the British Empire between 1860-1913 and it has often been a source of inspiration for the Jack Lark series.
I am delighted that Nick has agreed to answer a few questions about his interest in this period and what inspired him to start the page.
PFC: Your page UNDER EVERY LEAF is one my favourites and it has certainly been an inspiration. What made you start it?
NB: UnderEveryLeaf originally started out as a blog in which I could publish my research. At the same time I also created the Facebook page to generate traffic. I very quickly realised that I had neither the time nor the skill to write long involved research, but that pictures posted on Facebook with short punchy captions generated a much wider interest. I switched to building up the Facebook site and have never looked back.
I also was very aware that most of the articles, films and books on the Empire are very Anglo-Centric, and I wanted to tell the the stories of the native troops who fought and died alongside British troops. It has been a joy that these posts generate the most interest and discussion on the page.
One of the most asked questions I get is what does UnderEveryLeaf mean? Well it comes from a 19th Century Farsi saying. 'Anywhere in the world, where a leaf moves, underneath you will find an Englishman.'
PFC: Which part of this particular era fascinates you the most?
NB: What part doesn't fascinate me! I try (and fail) to keep my focus on the High Victorian period of Empire from about 1860 to 1914 and the pretty much destruction of the old colonial army on the fields of Belgium and France. I'm obsessed with with most aspects of the era: the music, the literature, the uniforms, the weapons but most of all by the men who left these shores to fight in far flung places for Queen and Country.
While not wishing to cause offence to authors, some of the stories from this time are almost beyond believing and couldn't be made up!
PFC: How do you go about researching a particular piece. Do you have any go-to sources that you don't mind sharing with us?
NB: I normally start with a picture, either from the National Army Online Collection, the British Newspaper Archive or many times from people who send them to me. I then spend a few days researching the subject. For this I use a variety of sources including FindMyPast, my book collection, the British Newspaper Archive and regimental websites. The British Newspaper Archive is certainly the best resource on the web. It gives you the story from the point of view of that time, opinions of editors, eye witness accounts, letters from combatants and recollections from veterans. It adds a whole layer of information that just isn't available from books.
PFC: Which battle or campaign of the period has most grabbed your attention?
NB: I think the battle of Rorke's Drift certainly captured my attention as a kid (mainly thanks to Zulu) but as I spend more time researching the era the more I'm drawn to the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902). I've quickly realised that the war is almost a dress rehearsal for the First World War and arguably the first "Modern War" the British Army fought. It was the first time that the whole of the Empire pulled together as troops from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as non combatants from India, flooded into the War. Add in the telegraph, air balloons, concentration camps, trenches, barb wire and modern medical support, and you quickly realise just what a learning experience it was for the British.
PFC: I am always a fascinated by the weapons Jack gets to use. Do you have a favourite weapon?
NB: I'm unashamedly influenced by Zulu in my choice, so it has to be the Martini-Henry which was introduced in 1871. While not the best weapon of the era, it is certainly one of the most iconic. I've never fired one, but I've held one, and the weight of the piece is surprising. It makes you appreciate the men having to hold one under the boiling African sun, with their hot sweaty woollen red coats done up, trying to fire it as 4,000 Zulus descended upon them!
PFC: Every novel should have a good cast of characters. If you were in a novel what sort of character would you be?
NB: I have no need or want to be a main character like a general or an officer, I would be quite happy as private in my red coat, standing to with my Martini-Henry at the ready, as the colour sergeant told me to "Hold steady."
PFC: What is your favourite novel that you have read in the last few years? (and it doesn't have to be a Jack Lark novel!)
NB: While not wishing to sound like I'm creeping, the first Jack Lark book, "The Scarlet Thief", was certainly one of the best as the premise was so clever and unusual. It has basically allowed you to take Jack Lark anywhere in the world and make it believable.
It's really tough to name just one as there are so many talented authors out there, but if you held a gun to my head I would choose Bloodeye by Giles Kristian. It is about the best debut novel I've ever read and it has Vikings in it!
PFC: As you know, I am rather fond of impostors. If you were able to sneak your way into a single historical event which would one would you choose?
NB: No contest...Standing behind a mealie bag wall at the aid station known as Rorke's Drift. 22nd-23rd January 1879.
I am delighted that Nick has agreed to answer a few questions about his interest in this period and what inspired him to start the page.
PFC: Your page UNDER EVERY LEAF is one my favourites and it has certainly been an inspiration. What made you start it?
NB: UnderEveryLeaf originally started out as a blog in which I could publish my research. At the same time I also created the Facebook page to generate traffic. I very quickly realised that I had neither the time nor the skill to write long involved research, but that pictures posted on Facebook with short punchy captions generated a much wider interest. I switched to building up the Facebook site and have never looked back.
I also was very aware that most of the articles, films and books on the Empire are very Anglo-Centric, and I wanted to tell the the stories of the native troops who fought and died alongside British troops. It has been a joy that these posts generate the most interest and discussion on the page.
One of the most asked questions I get is what does UnderEveryLeaf mean? Well it comes from a 19th Century Farsi saying. 'Anywhere in the world, where a leaf moves, underneath you will find an Englishman.'
PFC: Which part of this particular era fascinates you the most?
NB: What part doesn't fascinate me! I try (and fail) to keep my focus on the High Victorian period of Empire from about 1860 to 1914 and the pretty much destruction of the old colonial army on the fields of Belgium and France. I'm obsessed with with most aspects of the era: the music, the literature, the uniforms, the weapons but most of all by the men who left these shores to fight in far flung places for Queen and Country.
While not wishing to cause offence to authors, some of the stories from this time are almost beyond believing and couldn't be made up!
PFC: How do you go about researching a particular piece. Do you have any go-to sources that you don't mind sharing with us?
NB: I normally start with a picture, either from the National Army Online Collection, the British Newspaper Archive or many times from people who send them to me. I then spend a few days researching the subject. For this I use a variety of sources including FindMyPast, my book collection, the British Newspaper Archive and regimental websites. The British Newspaper Archive is certainly the best resource on the web. It gives you the story from the point of view of that time, opinions of editors, eye witness accounts, letters from combatants and recollections from veterans. It adds a whole layer of information that just isn't available from books.
PFC: Which battle or campaign of the period has most grabbed your attention?
NB: I think the battle of Rorke's Drift certainly captured my attention as a kid (mainly thanks to Zulu) but as I spend more time researching the era the more I'm drawn to the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902). I've quickly realised that the war is almost a dress rehearsal for the First World War and arguably the first "Modern War" the British Army fought. It was the first time that the whole of the Empire pulled together as troops from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as non combatants from India, flooded into the War. Add in the telegraph, air balloons, concentration camps, trenches, barb wire and modern medical support, and you quickly realise just what a learning experience it was for the British.
PFC: I am always a fascinated by the weapons Jack gets to use. Do you have a favourite weapon?
NB: I'm unashamedly influenced by Zulu in my choice, so it has to be the Martini-Henry which was introduced in 1871. While not the best weapon of the era, it is certainly one of the most iconic. I've never fired one, but I've held one, and the weight of the piece is surprising. It makes you appreciate the men having to hold one under the boiling African sun, with their hot sweaty woollen red coats done up, trying to fire it as 4,000 Zulus descended upon them!
PFC: Every novel should have a good cast of characters. If you were in a novel what sort of character would you be?
NB: I have no need or want to be a main character like a general or an officer, I would be quite happy as private in my red coat, standing to with my Martini-Henry at the ready, as the colour sergeant told me to "Hold steady."
PFC: What is your favourite novel that you have read in the last few years? (and it doesn't have to be a Jack Lark novel!)
NB: While not wishing to sound like I'm creeping, the first Jack Lark book, "The Scarlet Thief", was certainly one of the best as the premise was so clever and unusual. It has basically allowed you to take Jack Lark anywhere in the world and make it believable.
It's really tough to name just one as there are so many talented authors out there, but if you held a gun to my head I would choose Bloodeye by Giles Kristian. It is about the best debut novel I've ever read and it has Vikings in it!
PFC: As you know, I am rather fond of impostors. If you were able to sneak your way into a single historical event which would one would you choose?
NB: No contest...Standing behind a mealie bag wall at the aid station known as Rorke's Drift. 22nd-23rd January 1879.
February 25, 2017
Interview with military historian Ricky Philips
In the first of what I plan to be a series of interviews, I have been lucky enough to interview the military historian, Ricky Philips, about his latest project, a history of the invasion of the Falkland Islands titled THE FIRST CASUALTY.
The project interested me as soon as I heard of it. I was a young boy at the time of the Falklands War and I clearly remember following the daily updates in the newspaper and on the news. I have read a few books about the campaign since and so when Ricky told me he had discovered the real story behind the defence of the island by the Royal Marines stationed there then I had to learn more.
THE FIRST CASUALTY is being funded via Kickstarter and you can find out about how you can take part it funding this exciting project, as well as finding out more about the story itself, by clicking the following link:
http://thefirstcasualty.net/
Tell us what you are working on at the moment?
My new book is entitled ���The First Casualty ��� The untold story of the Falklands War���. Essentially it is the story of the day that Argentina invaded the Falklands, April 2nd 1982 ��� however it is an entirely different story from what we have been led to believe for the last 35 years. The history we see now is the story of a walk-over and of a shameful surrender by sixty Royal Marines who stood no chance anyway against an armada of thousands��� The truth is entirely different; it was a pitched battle, the ���Rorke���s Drift of the South Atlantic��� ��� and yet it is a battle which, we are told, never even happened! I suppose a similar case would be the siege of Jadotville in 1961 which was denied for just over 40 years as politically inconvenient until finally the powers that be admitted it. So this is a whole new battle ��� a complete brawl in which Argentina certainly was given a drubbing from the Royal Marines ��� and it is told from the perspectives of the men themselves. In essence I could say it���s 550 pages, 36 pictures and 9 maps of pure adrenaline!
How did you go about researching a battle that has escaped the pages of the official history of the invasion? Perhaps you should start by saying how you even found out about it in the first place?
Actually, the story of how ���The First Casualty��� came into being is almost as strange as the story itself ��� it was a complete fluke! In fact, I���d say it was a series of happy accidents. I was working on a new book on Hannibal (and another battle the world doesn���t know about) when a book on the Falklands War got wrongly addressed and delivered to my house. I read the book and it had a piece on the first day of the war with some interesting excerpts given by the guys who were there ��� I loved it! However I wanted to know more, I thought there was more and I started to look into it. The biggest problem was actually the sheer lack of information out there, something which I call ���The dog that didn���t bark��� (to borrow from Sherlock Holmes) ��� I actually wrote a blog post on my blog ���Making History��� in the hope that someone might take all of the things I had found and would turn it into a book. Then a message popped up; |���Hey, that���s us! I was there! Wow, somebody finally believes us!��� ��� Straight away, I knew I was onto something and really hoped that someone would pick this u and make it into the true story. Within a few days there were seven or eight of these guys, the real heroes of the story, the actual men themselves (I was so honoured, I was gobsmacked!) all saying ���Please you HAVE to write this for us!��� ��� I had never considered that I would be the guy for the job, in fact I said no three times. If you get to know these guys as well as I have though, you���ll they���re stubborn and highly persuasive!!
As to how you go about researching it, first I had to read up and understand the history as we know it now and then I started to talk to all of the guys and gather their stories. Initially I tried to fit them in to the existing story, but it couldn���t be done ��� it���s too different. The best thing I ever did was throw away the current history and start it again from scratch���all of a sudden, the story started working!
When writing a history like TFC how do you avoid bias? It must be a challenge when writing about people you have come to know.
I am actually quite lucky in this regard ��� for two reasons. I had an amazing history teacher at school and his main lesson was on avoiding bias. Bias is the enemy of history. I actually wrote to him and thanked him for that last year! The second reason is that yes, I know the men involved, however I know the men from BOTH sides who were involved and so many of them are now great personal friends. This is actually the first two-sided first person interview-based narrative history book ever attempted (actually three-sided as the Falkland Islanders also give their perspective from being stuck in the middle of it!) ��� it is a piece of history in itself! Ultimately though, I have been working with friends and amazing men (and women) whatever their nationality. I have had to stop to consider what people from all three countries would make of many things I have written and how a bad reaction from them would make me feel. It���s a good reality check!
How long did the project take?
From start to finish, about a year. I happen to know that it began on March 3rd last year. I never knew how long it would take though; nobody has ever done a history of this type, so there���s no rule book or road map, you just have to commit to the history and do the best job you can.
What inspired you to become a historian, and more specifically a military historian?
I really kind of grew up with history. As a kid it seemed that ���The World at War��� was always on amongst hundreds of other war movies! My Mum was actually a very keen amateur military history buff too. Her favourite film was ���Zulu��� and she introduced me to the ���Sharpe��� novels��� I think it all started with Sharpe. I started to write in 2003 when my Mum was terminally ill, it was kind of cathartic to just make things fit at a time when things weren���t making much sense. I used to sit at her bedside when she was in an induced coma reading her what I had written. One day, just for a moment, she woke up, told me she had heard every word, how good I was at it and told me to do it for a living. It���s one of the last things she ever said to me. That���s the most powerful motivator I���ve ever had. That���s how the reader knows my history is good, accurate and unbiased���I always feel like she is reading over my shoulder!
As a military historian, what one battle has most grabbed your attention?
Oh wow, that���s a tough one! There are so many and I���ve written about so many as well! For me, the single greatest battle ever fought was Jena-Auerstadt in 1806 ��� it was the day where everything in Napoleon���s playbook just worked. It is perfection to me and more so because of how much went wrong that simply didn���t matter. That���s the ultimate for me; the battle which is won even though everything goes wrong because the plan is that good.
What���s next for you after The First Casualty?
I have a massive back-catalogue already written and ready to come out after this. The First Casualty will be thought of as my first book ��� it���s actually my tenth! I just held the others back until the ���one day��� I struck a true best seller. There���s a seven-volume history of Napoleon, I have a book on Caesar, another on Hannibal, plus a few other projects including an unpublished WW2 memoir I have been asked to edit which is in the ���pending��� pile. As you see, I���m not a Falklands War historian by intent! The next year or two (probably or three or four) is going to be spent getting those into print. That said, when the guys of the Royal Marines asked me what was next and I mentioned other projects they were all like, ���You���re leaving us? You can���t, you���re one of us now!��� ��� So being as they all went back to the Falklands I think I might journey back with them for a follow-up book. They���re so much fun to work with, it���s like I���m part of a whole new family and, as I say, they���re a persuasive bunch!
I am always a fascinated by the weapons Jack gets to use. Do you have a favourite weapon?
Absolutely! I���m a massive fan of antique militaria and also (little known fact) I���m a qualified engineer, so I love how things work. I was always fascinated most by the early repeating firearms. For me the best was the very first, the 1680 Lorenzoni gun. It held powder and ball in two separate tubes in the butt of the gun and it was operated by turning a lever on the side. That moved a rolling breach which collected both powder and ball, skimmed some of the powder off into the flash pan, cocked the hammer and closed the frizzen ready for striking ��� all in one quick turn! The earliest versions had 6-10 shots in them but I have heard of versions which went up to about 24 shots ��� and this in 1680! Really the Lorenzoni is the grandfather of weapons like the Henry repeater, the Winchester and other weapons still used today. For me that���s the Daddy of them all!
Every novel should have a good cast of characters. If you were in a novel what sort of character would you be?
Wow, that���s a tough one!!I usually write a lot about great Generals so I would probably like to be cast as one of those; a sort of thinking man���s hero like Hannibal or Turenne. As just a regular character, I would definitely be the guy who talked too much, was unorthodox and mildly crazy but who came up with a brilliant plan to save the day. Pretty much like Doctor Who or something!
What is your favourite novel that you have read in the last few years? (and it doesn't have to be a Jack Lark novel!)
Haha! Well I���m a huge Jack Lark fan, as you know! However (and sorry for this, Paul!) I���d say it has to be Flashman. I have the whole set and pretty much read them on rotation; it���s great history and laugh-out-loud funny. The only fiction I read is military fiction and for me, nothing tops Flashman. I have some favourite books amongst the collection but I���ve read them all about ten times over. The amazing thing is that each time, the twists in the plot catch you in the same way as they did before.
As you know, I am rather fond of imposters. If you were able to sneak your way into a single historical event which would one would you choose?
Wow, these get harder! I would have loved to have seen Gustavus Adolphus at work and witnessed either Breitnfeld or Lutzen. However then the mind starts to race and how could you miss events such as the battles of Gaugamela, Cannae, Austerlitz or Waterloo? Right now, I would actually go to White City on the outskirts of Stanley on April 2nd 1982 and see for myself the one action of the battle of Stanley which remains the most controversial in the whole book. That way I could know for sure. After that though, I would probably lament all of those great events I could have chosen! Could anyone choose just one??
The project interested me as soon as I heard of it. I was a young boy at the time of the Falklands War and I clearly remember following the daily updates in the newspaper and on the news. I have read a few books about the campaign since and so when Ricky told me he had discovered the real story behind the defence of the island by the Royal Marines stationed there then I had to learn more.
THE FIRST CASUALTY is being funded via Kickstarter and you can find out about how you can take part it funding this exciting project, as well as finding out more about the story itself, by clicking the following link:
http://thefirstcasualty.net/
Tell us what you are working on at the moment?
My new book is entitled ���The First Casualty ��� The untold story of the Falklands War���. Essentially it is the story of the day that Argentina invaded the Falklands, April 2nd 1982 ��� however it is an entirely different story from what we have been led to believe for the last 35 years. The history we see now is the story of a walk-over and of a shameful surrender by sixty Royal Marines who stood no chance anyway against an armada of thousands��� The truth is entirely different; it was a pitched battle, the ���Rorke���s Drift of the South Atlantic��� ��� and yet it is a battle which, we are told, never even happened! I suppose a similar case would be the siege of Jadotville in 1961 which was denied for just over 40 years as politically inconvenient until finally the powers that be admitted it. So this is a whole new battle ��� a complete brawl in which Argentina certainly was given a drubbing from the Royal Marines ��� and it is told from the perspectives of the men themselves. In essence I could say it���s 550 pages, 36 pictures and 9 maps of pure adrenaline!
How did you go about researching a battle that has escaped the pages of the official history of the invasion? Perhaps you should start by saying how you even found out about it in the first place?
Actually, the story of how ���The First Casualty��� came into being is almost as strange as the story itself ��� it was a complete fluke! In fact, I���d say it was a series of happy accidents. I was working on a new book on Hannibal (and another battle the world doesn���t know about) when a book on the Falklands War got wrongly addressed and delivered to my house. I read the book and it had a piece on the first day of the war with some interesting excerpts given by the guys who were there ��� I loved it! However I wanted to know more, I thought there was more and I started to look into it. The biggest problem was actually the sheer lack of information out there, something which I call ���The dog that didn���t bark��� (to borrow from Sherlock Holmes) ��� I actually wrote a blog post on my blog ���Making History��� in the hope that someone might take all of the things I had found and would turn it into a book. Then a message popped up; |���Hey, that���s us! I was there! Wow, somebody finally believes us!��� ��� Straight away, I knew I was onto something and really hoped that someone would pick this u and make it into the true story. Within a few days there were seven or eight of these guys, the real heroes of the story, the actual men themselves (I was so honoured, I was gobsmacked!) all saying ���Please you HAVE to write this for us!��� ��� I had never considered that I would be the guy for the job, in fact I said no three times. If you get to know these guys as well as I have though, you���ll they���re stubborn and highly persuasive!!
As to how you go about researching it, first I had to read up and understand the history as we know it now and then I started to talk to all of the guys and gather their stories. Initially I tried to fit them in to the existing story, but it couldn���t be done ��� it���s too different. The best thing I ever did was throw away the current history and start it again from scratch���all of a sudden, the story started working!
When writing a history like TFC how do you avoid bias? It must be a challenge when writing about people you have come to know.
I am actually quite lucky in this regard ��� for two reasons. I had an amazing history teacher at school and his main lesson was on avoiding bias. Bias is the enemy of history. I actually wrote to him and thanked him for that last year! The second reason is that yes, I know the men involved, however I know the men from BOTH sides who were involved and so many of them are now great personal friends. This is actually the first two-sided first person interview-based narrative history book ever attempted (actually three-sided as the Falkland Islanders also give their perspective from being stuck in the middle of it!) ��� it is a piece of history in itself! Ultimately though, I have been working with friends and amazing men (and women) whatever their nationality. I have had to stop to consider what people from all three countries would make of many things I have written and how a bad reaction from them would make me feel. It���s a good reality check!
How long did the project take?
From start to finish, about a year. I happen to know that it began on March 3rd last year. I never knew how long it would take though; nobody has ever done a history of this type, so there���s no rule book or road map, you just have to commit to the history and do the best job you can.
What inspired you to become a historian, and more specifically a military historian?
I really kind of grew up with history. As a kid it seemed that ���The World at War��� was always on amongst hundreds of other war movies! My Mum was actually a very keen amateur military history buff too. Her favourite film was ���Zulu��� and she introduced me to the ���Sharpe��� novels��� I think it all started with Sharpe. I started to write in 2003 when my Mum was terminally ill, it was kind of cathartic to just make things fit at a time when things weren���t making much sense. I used to sit at her bedside when she was in an induced coma reading her what I had written. One day, just for a moment, she woke up, told me she had heard every word, how good I was at it and told me to do it for a living. It���s one of the last things she ever said to me. That���s the most powerful motivator I���ve ever had. That���s how the reader knows my history is good, accurate and unbiased���I always feel like she is reading over my shoulder!
As a military historian, what one battle has most grabbed your attention?
Oh wow, that���s a tough one! There are so many and I���ve written about so many as well! For me, the single greatest battle ever fought was Jena-Auerstadt in 1806 ��� it was the day where everything in Napoleon���s playbook just worked. It is perfection to me and more so because of how much went wrong that simply didn���t matter. That���s the ultimate for me; the battle which is won even though everything goes wrong because the plan is that good.
What���s next for you after The First Casualty?
I have a massive back-catalogue already written and ready to come out after this. The First Casualty will be thought of as my first book ��� it���s actually my tenth! I just held the others back until the ���one day��� I struck a true best seller. There���s a seven-volume history of Napoleon, I have a book on Caesar, another on Hannibal, plus a few other projects including an unpublished WW2 memoir I have been asked to edit which is in the ���pending��� pile. As you see, I���m not a Falklands War historian by intent! The next year or two (probably or three or four) is going to be spent getting those into print. That said, when the guys of the Royal Marines asked me what was next and I mentioned other projects they were all like, ���You���re leaving us? You can���t, you���re one of us now!��� ��� So being as they all went back to the Falklands I think I might journey back with them for a follow-up book. They���re so much fun to work with, it���s like I���m part of a whole new family and, as I say, they���re a persuasive bunch!
I am always a fascinated by the weapons Jack gets to use. Do you have a favourite weapon?
Absolutely! I���m a massive fan of antique militaria and also (little known fact) I���m a qualified engineer, so I love how things work. I was always fascinated most by the early repeating firearms. For me the best was the very first, the 1680 Lorenzoni gun. It held powder and ball in two separate tubes in the butt of the gun and it was operated by turning a lever on the side. That moved a rolling breach which collected both powder and ball, skimmed some of the powder off into the flash pan, cocked the hammer and closed the frizzen ready for striking ��� all in one quick turn! The earliest versions had 6-10 shots in them but I have heard of versions which went up to about 24 shots ��� and this in 1680! Really the Lorenzoni is the grandfather of weapons like the Henry repeater, the Winchester and other weapons still used today. For me that���s the Daddy of them all!
Every novel should have a good cast of characters. If you were in a novel what sort of character would you be?
Wow, that���s a tough one!!I usually write a lot about great Generals so I would probably like to be cast as one of those; a sort of thinking man���s hero like Hannibal or Turenne. As just a regular character, I would definitely be the guy who talked too much, was unorthodox and mildly crazy but who came up with a brilliant plan to save the day. Pretty much like Doctor Who or something!
What is your favourite novel that you have read in the last few years? (and it doesn't have to be a Jack Lark novel!)
Haha! Well I���m a huge Jack Lark fan, as you know! However (and sorry for this, Paul!) I���d say it has to be Flashman. I have the whole set and pretty much read them on rotation; it���s great history and laugh-out-loud funny. The only fiction I read is military fiction and for me, nothing tops Flashman. I have some favourite books amongst the collection but I���ve read them all about ten times over. The amazing thing is that each time, the twists in the plot catch you in the same way as they did before.
As you know, I am rather fond of imposters. If you were able to sneak your way into a single historical event which would one would you choose?
Wow, these get harder! I would have loved to have seen Gustavus Adolphus at work and witnessed either Breitnfeld or Lutzen. However then the mind starts to race and how could you miss events such as the battles of Gaugamela, Cannae, Austerlitz or Waterloo? Right now, I would actually go to White City on the outskirts of Stanley on April 2nd 1982 and see for myself the one action of the battle of Stanley which remains the most controversial in the whole book. That way I could know for sure. After that though, I would probably lament all of those great events I could have chosen! Could anyone choose just one??
April 23, 2016
Commute Writing
Let’s face it; the daily commute is a grind. You can use it to read, listen to music, watch a film or simply zone out and stare into space. You can, if you are so inclined, use it to do all that work you can’t get done in the office. All are very valid things to do and I do not denigrate any who choose these or any other option. But you can, if you wanted, use it to do something amazing. You can use this dead, unloved time, to write a novel.
You may think that would be impossible. After all, isn’t novel writing done by scholarly men and women in beautifully appointed offices decorated to inspire a finely tuned mind? How can a commuter hope to do the same whilst incarcerated in a tiny space on a commuter train? Well, it can be done. I have now written eight novels and three short stories whilst enduring my own daily commute into London.
So how can it be done? Well, here is my handy guide to writing on a commute.
Let’s start with the numbers. An average novel is 100,000. Sounds a lot? Well, let’s break it down. Let’s say you write a very manageable 500 words in a day, 250 on the way to work and the same again on the way home. That means in the span of just one year, you can have a full length novel under your belt and still have 12 weeks free. Boost that 500 words a day to 1,000 and you can get a novel written in 20 short weeks. Now, to be fair, that is simplifying things a little. No writer (at least no writer that I have ever met) writes a novel in one single, glorious draft. But the numbers stack up. Write something every day and in a relatively short space of time you will have a finished draft. Most writers only produce one novel a year and that is perfectly possible for us to achieve on our commute.
The mechanics of writing are also quite simple. Lightweight laptops, tablets with keyboard and e-readers means there is a bewildering choice of tech for a wannabe writer. It may not be a leather-topped oak desk with a far-reaching view over a beautiful landscape, but it does mean that the handful of inches you can stake a claim to on a busy commuter train is sufficient for you to be able to write. Research books can be kept on a tablet and for some things there will be a suitable app to put whatever resource you need onto your phone. It may not be glamorous or even comfortable, but the well-prepared commute writer should be able to find enough space to be able to write. Most days anyway.
Writing that novel is less simple and can require a change of mindset. I imagine full-time writers may sometimes allow their attention to wander. For us commuter writers, speed is the key. Ruminating has to be left to other times. Try to know what you want to write before you sit down (or perch in a luggage rack). Plan ahead then use the commute as the time to throw the words down. Forgotten something or not sure of a fact? Well, don’t stop but leave a mark so you can go back to it. Once that precious first draft is done you can polish the hell out of it. If you have done it in 20 weeks then you have plenty of time to spread the magic and to work in those lovely nuggets of fascinating research you didn’t use first time around.
Write often. Write fast. Then edit, change and add.
So now you know how many words to write on your daily commute, what to write it on and how to write it. But what to actually write? Well, you know, that’s the best bit. You can write what the hell you like!
Write something that you would love to read. Sure, you need to pour every part of your soul into creating characters that leap off the page and into weaving a plot that sears along at such a pace that it leaves your readers breathless. But there really are no rules as to who those characters should be and what that plot must contain. If you don’t believe me then just spend five minutes in a bookshop and look at the sheer scope of all those novels lined up in the fiction section. There are really are a million possibilities.
So there you have it. Use your commute for whatever you like. If, like me, you choose to use it to write novels then perhaps you will create something in that unloved bit of your day that sets your world, and the world of an army of readers, alight.
You may think that would be impossible. After all, isn’t novel writing done by scholarly men and women in beautifully appointed offices decorated to inspire a finely tuned mind? How can a commuter hope to do the same whilst incarcerated in a tiny space on a commuter train? Well, it can be done. I have now written eight novels and three short stories whilst enduring my own daily commute into London.
So how can it be done? Well, here is my handy guide to writing on a commute.
Let’s start with the numbers. An average novel is 100,000. Sounds a lot? Well, let’s break it down. Let’s say you write a very manageable 500 words in a day, 250 on the way to work and the same again on the way home. That means in the span of just one year, you can have a full length novel under your belt and still have 12 weeks free. Boost that 500 words a day to 1,000 and you can get a novel written in 20 short weeks. Now, to be fair, that is simplifying things a little. No writer (at least no writer that I have ever met) writes a novel in one single, glorious draft. But the numbers stack up. Write something every day and in a relatively short space of time you will have a finished draft. Most writers only produce one novel a year and that is perfectly possible for us to achieve on our commute.
The mechanics of writing are also quite simple. Lightweight laptops, tablets with keyboard and e-readers means there is a bewildering choice of tech for a wannabe writer. It may not be a leather-topped oak desk with a far-reaching view over a beautiful landscape, but it does mean that the handful of inches you can stake a claim to on a busy commuter train is sufficient for you to be able to write. Research books can be kept on a tablet and for some things there will be a suitable app to put whatever resource you need onto your phone. It may not be glamorous or even comfortable, but the well-prepared commute writer should be able to find enough space to be able to write. Most days anyway.
Writing that novel is less simple and can require a change of mindset. I imagine full-time writers may sometimes allow their attention to wander. For us commuter writers, speed is the key. Ruminating has to be left to other times. Try to know what you want to write before you sit down (or perch in a luggage rack). Plan ahead then use the commute as the time to throw the words down. Forgotten something or not sure of a fact? Well, don’t stop but leave a mark so you can go back to it. Once that precious first draft is done you can polish the hell out of it. If you have done it in 20 weeks then you have plenty of time to spread the magic and to work in those lovely nuggets of fascinating research you didn’t use first time around.
Write often. Write fast. Then edit, change and add.
So now you know how many words to write on your daily commute, what to write it on and how to write it. But what to actually write? Well, you know, that’s the best bit. You can write what the hell you like!
Write something that you would love to read. Sure, you need to pour every part of your soul into creating characters that leap off the page and into weaving a plot that sears along at such a pace that it leaves your readers breathless. But there really are no rules as to who those characters should be and what that plot must contain. If you don’t believe me then just spend five minutes in a bookshop and look at the sheer scope of all those novels lined up in the fiction section. There are really are a million possibilities.
So there you have it. Use your commute for whatever you like. If, like me, you choose to use it to write novels then perhaps you will create something in that unloved bit of your day that sets your world, and the world of an army of readers, alight.
Commute Writing
Let���s face it; the daily commute is a grind. You can use it to read, listen to music, watch a film or simply zone out and stare into space. You can, if you are so inclined, use it to do all that work you can���t get done in the office. All are very valid things to do and I do not denigrate any who choose these or any other option. But you can, if you wanted, use it to do something amazing. You can use this dead, unloved time, to write a novel.
You may think that would be impossible. After all, isn���t novel writing done by scholarly men and women in beautifully appointed offices decorated to inspire a finely tuned mind? How can a commuter hope to do the same whilst incarcerated in a tiny space on a commuter train? Well, it can be done. I have now written eight novels and three short stories whilst enduring my own daily commute into London.
So how can it be done? Well, here is my handy guide to writing on a commute.
Let���s start with the numbers. An average novel is 100,000. Sounds a lot? Well, let���s break it down. Let���s say you write a very manageable 500 words in a day, 250 on the way to work and the same again on the way home. That means in the span of just one year, you can have a full length novel under your belt and still have 12 weeks free. Boost that 500 words a day to 1,000 and you can get a novel written in 20 short weeks. Now, to be fair, that is simplifying things a little. No writer (at least no writer that I have ever met) writes a novel in one single, glorious draft. But the numbers stack up. Write something every day and in a relatively short space of time you will have a finished draft. Most writers only produce one novel a year and that is perfectly possible for us to achieve on our commute.
The mechanics of writing are also quite simple. Lightweight laptops, tablets with keyboard and e-readers means there is a bewildering choice of tech for a wannabe writer. It may not be a leather-topped oak desk with a far-reaching view over a beautiful landscape, but it does mean that the handful of inches you can stake a claim to on a busy commuter train is sufficient for you to be able to write. Research books can be kept on a tablet and for some things there will be a suitable app to put whatever resource you need onto your phone. It may not be glamorous or even comfortable, but the well-prepared commute writer should be able to find enough space to be able to write. Most days anyway.
Writing that novel is less simple and can require a change of mindset. I imagine full-time writers may sometimes allow their attention to wander. For us commuter writers, speed is the key. Ruminating has to be left to other times. Try to know what you want to write before you sit down (or perch in a luggage rack). Plan ahead then use the commute as the time to throw the words down. Forgotten something or not sure of a fact? Well, don���t stop but leave a mark so you can go back to it. Once that precious first draft is done you can polish the hell out of it. If you have done it in 20 weeks then you have plenty of time to spread the magic and to work in those lovely nuggets of fascinating research you didn���t use first time around.
Write often. Write fast. Then edit, change and add.
So now you know how many words to write on your daily commute, what to write it on and how to write it. But what to actually write? Well, you know, that���s the best bit. You can write what the hell you like!
Write something that you would love to read. Sure, you need to pour every part of your soul into creating characters that leap off the page and into weaving a plot that sears along at such a pace that it leaves your readers breathless. But there really are no rules as to who those characters should be and what that plot must contain. If you don���t believe me then just spend five minutes in a bookshop and look at the sheer scope of all those novels lined up in the fiction section. There are really are a million possibilities.
So there you have it. Use your commute for whatever you like. If, like me, you choose to use it to write novels then perhaps you will create something in that unloved bit of your day that sets your world, and the world of an army of readers, alight.
You may think that would be impossible. After all, isn���t novel writing done by scholarly men and women in beautifully appointed offices decorated to inspire a finely tuned mind? How can a commuter hope to do the same whilst incarcerated in a tiny space on a commuter train? Well, it can be done. I have now written eight novels and three short stories whilst enduring my own daily commute into London.
So how can it be done? Well, here is my handy guide to writing on a commute.
Let���s start with the numbers. An average novel is 100,000. Sounds a lot? Well, let���s break it down. Let���s say you write a very manageable 500 words in a day, 250 on the way to work and the same again on the way home. That means in the span of just one year, you can have a full length novel under your belt and still have 12 weeks free. Boost that 500 words a day to 1,000 and you can get a novel written in 20 short weeks. Now, to be fair, that is simplifying things a little. No writer (at least no writer that I have ever met) writes a novel in one single, glorious draft. But the numbers stack up. Write something every day and in a relatively short space of time you will have a finished draft. Most writers only produce one novel a year and that is perfectly possible for us to achieve on our commute.
The mechanics of writing are also quite simple. Lightweight laptops, tablets with keyboard and e-readers means there is a bewildering choice of tech for a wannabe writer. It may not be a leather-topped oak desk with a far-reaching view over a beautiful landscape, but it does mean that the handful of inches you can stake a claim to on a busy commuter train is sufficient for you to be able to write. Research books can be kept on a tablet and for some things there will be a suitable app to put whatever resource you need onto your phone. It may not be glamorous or even comfortable, but the well-prepared commute writer should be able to find enough space to be able to write. Most days anyway.
Writing that novel is less simple and can require a change of mindset. I imagine full-time writers may sometimes allow their attention to wander. For us commuter writers, speed is the key. Ruminating has to be left to other times. Try to know what you want to write before you sit down (or perch in a luggage rack). Plan ahead then use the commute as the time to throw the words down. Forgotten something or not sure of a fact? Well, don���t stop but leave a mark so you can go back to it. Once that precious first draft is done you can polish the hell out of it. If you have done it in 20 weeks then you have plenty of time to spread the magic and to work in those lovely nuggets of fascinating research you didn���t use first time around.
Write often. Write fast. Then edit, change and add.
So now you know how many words to write on your daily commute, what to write it on and how to write it. But what to actually write? Well, you know, that���s the best bit. You can write what the hell you like!
Write something that you would love to read. Sure, you need to pour every part of your soul into creating characters that leap off the page and into weaving a plot that sears along at such a pace that it leaves your readers breathless. But there really are no rules as to who those characters should be and what that plot must contain. If you don���t believe me then just spend five minutes in a bookshop and look at the sheer scope of all those novels lined up in the fiction section. There are really are a million possibilities.
So there you have it. Use your commute for whatever you like. If, like me, you choose to use it to write novels then perhaps you will create something in that unloved bit of your day that sets your world, and the world of an army of readers, alight.
January 31, 2015
Scarlet Imposters
With the third Jack Lark adventure, The Devil’s Assassin, out this week, I wanted to share something about the inspiration behind Jack, a soldier who climbs the ranks by impersonating his superiors. The cheeky devil…
The idea of an imposter is not perhaps as lacking in creditability as some would assume. I am not the first writer to use such a device. Anthony Hope used the device of an imposter back in 1894, in his fabulous Prisoner of Zenda, that sees a travelling English gentleman convinced to act as a political decoy for the kidnapped king of Ruritania. The story was so good that the wonderful George MacDonald Fraser used the story in his Flashman adventure, Royal Flash, and if something is good enough for good old Flashy then it is most certainly good enough for young Jack Lack.
Then there are the true stories of men, and women, who succeeded as imposters. One of my favourites is the story of Wilhelm Voigt, a career criminal in Prussia in the early twentieth century who was imprisoned many times for theft, forgery and burglary. Voigt was to find fame as the fabulously titled, Captain of Köpenick. The quick-witted Voigt managed to acquire enough parts of an officer’s uniform to look the part. He put it on and marched into a local barracks where he took command of a number of soldiers. He took them all by train to the town of Köpenick where he arrested the town mayor and treasurer on a charge of crooked book-keeping, confiscated 4000 marks before disappearing into the night. Although captured he was pardoned by Kaiser Wilhelm himself who called Voigt, “an amiable scoundrel’. It is amazing what can be achieved with a confident demeanour and the right uniform.
Voigt is not alone. There are many others who have carried off seemingly impossible masquerades. There is the true story of Mary Anne Talbot, an Englishwoman who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. She was only forced to reveal her sex when she was press-ganged later in her career. Surely it is harder to hide one’s sex on a man-of-war than it is to hide a lack of class or manners?
Then there are the stories around the fabulously titled, Chevalier d’Eon, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who fought in the Seven Years War. No one is really sure if the Chevalier was a man or a woman and, after a successful 40-year career serving his country, he spent the last 33 years of his life living as a woman.
Finally I must mention my favourite story of an imposter and the one who really inspired my Jack. Percy Toplis was a boy from a mining town in the north of England. He was to find fame as the Monocled Mutineer during the mutiny of the British army at Etaples in 1917. Toplis had long masqueraded as an officer, stealing uniforms to access the facilities that were for “officers only”. Percy was a northern lad from a pit town with very little schooling, yet he found it easy to impersonate the officer class without anyone objecting. If a lad like Percy could do it then so could my Jack.
With so many imposters as inspiration it was clear that it would be a wonderful way to create a character. For an imposter the world is there for the taking. There will be no ties to regiments or campaigns; no need to be anywhere at a specific time. Such freedom is a wonderful licence for an author and one I plan to exploit for as long as I am allowed.
The idea of an imposter is not perhaps as lacking in creditability as some would assume. I am not the first writer to use such a device. Anthony Hope used the device of an imposter back in 1894, in his fabulous Prisoner of Zenda, that sees a travelling English gentleman convinced to act as a political decoy for the kidnapped king of Ruritania. The story was so good that the wonderful George MacDonald Fraser used the story in his Flashman adventure, Royal Flash, and if something is good enough for good old Flashy then it is most certainly good enough for young Jack Lack.
Then there are the true stories of men, and women, who succeeded as imposters. One of my favourites is the story of Wilhelm Voigt, a career criminal in Prussia in the early twentieth century who was imprisoned many times for theft, forgery and burglary. Voigt was to find fame as the fabulously titled, Captain of Köpenick. The quick-witted Voigt managed to acquire enough parts of an officer’s uniform to look the part. He put it on and marched into a local barracks where he took command of a number of soldiers. He took them all by train to the town of Köpenick where he arrested the town mayor and treasurer on a charge of crooked book-keeping, confiscated 4000 marks before disappearing into the night. Although captured he was pardoned by Kaiser Wilhelm himself who called Voigt, “an amiable scoundrel’. It is amazing what can be achieved with a confident demeanour and the right uniform.
Voigt is not alone. There are many others who have carried off seemingly impossible masquerades. There is the true story of Mary Anne Talbot, an Englishwoman who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. She was only forced to reveal her sex when she was press-ganged later in her career. Surely it is harder to hide one’s sex on a man-of-war than it is to hide a lack of class or manners?
Then there are the stories around the fabulously titled, Chevalier d’Eon, a French diplomat, spy and soldier who fought in the Seven Years War. No one is really sure if the Chevalier was a man or a woman and, after a successful 40-year career serving his country, he spent the last 33 years of his life living as a woman.
Finally I must mention my favourite story of an imposter and the one who really inspired my Jack. Percy Toplis was a boy from a mining town in the north of England. He was to find fame as the Monocled Mutineer during the mutiny of the British army at Etaples in 1917. Toplis had long masqueraded as an officer, stealing uniforms to access the facilities that were for “officers only”. Percy was a northern lad from a pit town with very little schooling, yet he found it easy to impersonate the officer class without anyone objecting. If a lad like Percy could do it then so could my Jack.
With so many imposters as inspiration it was clear that it would be a wonderful way to create a character. For an imposter the world is there for the taking. There will be no ties to regiments or campaigns; no need to be anywhere at a specific time. Such freedom is a wonderful licence for an author and one I plan to exploit for as long as I am allowed.
December 21, 2014
The Countdown begins
So it is just over a month now until the third Jack Lark Novel, THE DEVIL’S ASSASSIN hits the shelves.
Here is the official blurb:
The bold hero of THE SCARLET THIEF and THE MAHARAJAH'S GENERAL returns in an exhilarating and dangerous new adventure.
Bombay, 1857. Jack Lark is living precariously as an officer when his heroic but fraudulent past is discovered by the Devil - Major Ballard, the army's intelligence officer. Ballard is gathering a web of information to defend the British Empire, and he needs a man like Jack on his side. Not far away, in Persia, the Shah is moving against British territory and, with the Russians whispering in his ear, seeks to conquer the crucial city of Herat. The Empire's strength is under threat and the army must fight back.
As the British march to war, Jack learns that secrets crucial to the campaign's success are leaking into their enemies' hands. Ballard has brought him to the battlefield to end a spy's deceit. But who is the traitor?
THE DEVIL'S ASSASSIN sweeps Jack Lark through a thrilling tale of explosive action as the British face the Persian army in the inky darkness of the desert night.
Now if that is not enough to whet your appetite here is the first of a few little teasers to give you a glimpse to what is in store for young Mr Lark:
‘Charge!’ Jack added his voice to those of the 64th’s officers. This was the time for madness, for the wild assault to race onwards. He knew they could not delay and risk losing the initiative. The officers had to keep the men moving fast, fanning the flames of the attack and giving the retreating enemy no respite. The redcoats had their foot on the throat of the Persian defenders. It was up to the officers to make sure they stamped down, crushing the last resistance without thought of mercy.
Here is the official blurb:
The bold hero of THE SCARLET THIEF and THE MAHARAJAH'S GENERAL returns in an exhilarating and dangerous new adventure.
Bombay, 1857. Jack Lark is living precariously as an officer when his heroic but fraudulent past is discovered by the Devil - Major Ballard, the army's intelligence officer. Ballard is gathering a web of information to defend the British Empire, and he needs a man like Jack on his side. Not far away, in Persia, the Shah is moving against British territory and, with the Russians whispering in his ear, seeks to conquer the crucial city of Herat. The Empire's strength is under threat and the army must fight back.
As the British march to war, Jack learns that secrets crucial to the campaign's success are leaking into their enemies' hands. Ballard has brought him to the battlefield to end a spy's deceit. But who is the traitor?
THE DEVIL'S ASSASSIN sweeps Jack Lark through a thrilling tale of explosive action as the British face the Persian army in the inky darkness of the desert night.
Now if that is not enough to whet your appetite here is the first of a few little teasers to give you a glimpse to what is in store for young Mr Lark:
‘Charge!’ Jack added his voice to those of the 64th’s officers. This was the time for madness, for the wild assault to race onwards. He knew they could not delay and risk losing the initiative. The officers had to keep the men moving fast, fanning the flames of the attack and giving the retreating enemy no respite. The redcoats had their foot on the throat of the Persian defenders. It was up to the officers to make sure they stamped down, crushing the last resistance without thought of mercy.
December 20, 2014
Welcome to my blog
The second year of my life as an author has begun and I thought it was about time I started a blog. I am not quite sure what will appear on these pages. There will be updates as my fledgling career stumbles along, and, with luck, I will have updates on when new novels are to be published. I plan to write a few pieces on new ideas and projects as they develop as well as information on appearances, signings and some festivals that I will be attending. I have also been asked to contribute some articles to various websites and I plan to include those here too.
I love to hear from readers so please look at the contacts page and get in touch. I promise to reply to every message I get.
Paul Fraser Collard
I love to hear from readers so please look at the contacts page and get in touch. I promise to reply to every message I get.
Paul Fraser Collard
April 12, 2014
Blog tour day 4 - For Winter Nights
A Writer with a Plan
I am a writer with a plan. I don’t think there are many others who have the outline for half a dozen future novels sketched out in their mind but I have to confess that I do. I am proud to say that my Jack has an interesting future ahead.
As the main protagonist in an historical fiction series, it should not be a great spoiler to know that I plan for Jack to survive, at least for a while (please now insert a James Bond villanesque laugh here!) I have set out my stall to base each Jack Lark story in a new setting and so we are going to see Jack venture far and wide as he struggles to find a place where he belongs.
I decided on this course of action as soon as I sat down to plan The Scarlet Thief. This central idea to my series will allow me to create the extra drama of a reader never quite knowing where Jack will turn up next. As a rogue and an imposter, Jack is not tied to a regiment, to a military campaign or even to the notion of a typical career and this gives me free rein to move Jack all around the globe. The Maharajah’s General is the first example of Jack’s travels and sees him venture to the wild frontier of the British Empire where the political officers of the East India Company look to seize on every opportunity to push back the boundaries of the Empire.
However this does not mean that Jack will merely slide into a series of convenient identities that happen to be left lying around whenever he happens to need a new one. I suspect that would be a rather trite way of doing things and most certainly not something that could survive for long. Instead I have a few ideas stashed away that will see Jack thrive in his roguish existence, or at the very least, survive it, and I hope to take my readers on a merry dance from country to country and even from continent to continent as Jack does his level best to prove himself in a world that had denied him any sort of a future merely because he was born poor.
Happily for me, the middle of the nineteenth century is a vibrant period in world history and I have no shortage of options for where to send Jack next. The period is dotted with all sorts of small wars and minor skirmishes that are just ripe for a man of Jack’s talents to experience, many rather unknown and so worthy of coverage lest they be totally forgotten. Then there are the major events that defined the Empire, with the cataclysmic events of the India Mutiny looming large on the horizon. Jack is nothing if not a survivor. I like to think he will continue to win through and I can picture his return to the East End of London dressed in the full (stolen!) finery of British army officer. From there, the Victorian world is his proverbial oyster and I can picture Jack on the battlefields of Europe before he follows thousands of other folk to America and beyond.
Jack’s future will be nothing if not interesting.
I am a writer with a plan. I don’t think there are many others who have the outline for half a dozen future novels sketched out in their mind but I have to confess that I do. I am proud to say that my Jack has an interesting future ahead.
As the main protagonist in an historical fiction series, it should not be a great spoiler to know that I plan for Jack to survive, at least for a while (please now insert a James Bond villanesque laugh here!) I have set out my stall to base each Jack Lark story in a new setting and so we are going to see Jack venture far and wide as he struggles to find a place where he belongs.
I decided on this course of action as soon as I sat down to plan The Scarlet Thief. This central idea to my series will allow me to create the extra drama of a reader never quite knowing where Jack will turn up next. As a rogue and an imposter, Jack is not tied to a regiment, to a military campaign or even to the notion of a typical career and this gives me free rein to move Jack all around the globe. The Maharajah’s General is the first example of Jack’s travels and sees him venture to the wild frontier of the British Empire where the political officers of the East India Company look to seize on every opportunity to push back the boundaries of the Empire.
However this does not mean that Jack will merely slide into a series of convenient identities that happen to be left lying around whenever he happens to need a new one. I suspect that would be a rather trite way of doing things and most certainly not something that could survive for long. Instead I have a few ideas stashed away that will see Jack thrive in his roguish existence, or at the very least, survive it, and I hope to take my readers on a merry dance from country to country and even from continent to continent as Jack does his level best to prove himself in a world that had denied him any sort of a future merely because he was born poor.
Happily for me, the middle of the nineteenth century is a vibrant period in world history and I have no shortage of options for where to send Jack next. The period is dotted with all sorts of small wars and minor skirmishes that are just ripe for a man of Jack’s talents to experience, many rather unknown and so worthy of coverage lest they be totally forgotten. Then there are the major events that defined the Empire, with the cataclysmic events of the India Mutiny looming large on the horizon. Jack is nothing if not a survivor. I like to think he will continue to win through and I can picture his return to the East End of London dressed in the full (stolen!) finery of British army officer. From there, the Victorian world is his proverbial oyster and I can picture Jack on the battlefields of Europe before he follows thousands of other folk to America and beyond.
Jack’s future will be nothing if not interesting.
April 11, 2014
Blog tour day 4 - For Winter Nights
I am a writer with a plan. I don’t think there are many others who have the outline for half a dozen future novels sketched out in their mind but I have to confess that I do. I am proud to say that my Jack has an interesting future ahead.
As the main protagonist in an historical fiction series, it should not be a great spoiler to know that I plan for Jack to survive, at least for a while (please now insert a James Bond villanesque laugh here!) I have set out my stall to base each Jack Lark story in a new setting and so we are going to see Jack venture far and wide as he struggles to find a place where he belongs.
I decided on this course of action as soon as I sat down to plan The Scarlet Thief. This central idea to my series will allow me to create the extra drama of a reader never quite knowing where Jack will turn up next. As a rogue and an imposter, Jack is not tied to a regiment, to a military campaign or even to the notion of a typical career and this gives me free rein to move Jack all around the globe. The Maharajah’s General is the first example of Jack’s travels and sees him venture to the wild frontier of the British Empire where the political officers of the East India Company look to seize on every opportunity to push back the boundaries of the Empire.
However this does not mean that Jack will merely slide into a series of convenient identities that happen to be left lying around whenever he happens to need a new one. I suspect that would be a rather trite way of doing things and most certainly not something that could survive for long. Instead I have a few ideas stashed away that will see Jack thrive in his roguish existence, or at the very least, survive it, and I hope to take my readers on a merry dance from country to country and even from continent to continent as Jack does his level best to prove himself in a world that had denied him any sort of a future merely because he was born poor.
Happily for me, the middle of the nineteenth century is a vibrant period in world history and I have no shortage of options for where to send Jack next. The period is dotted with all sorts of small wars and minor skirmishes that are just ripe for a man of Jack’s talents to experience, many rather unknown and so worthy of coverage lest they be totally forgotten. Then there are the major events that defined the Empire, with the cataclysmic events of the India Mutiny looming large on the horizon. Jack is nothing if not a survivor. I like to think he will continue to win through and I can picture his return to the East End of London dressed in the full (stolen!) finery of British army officer. From there, the Victorian world is his proverbial oyster and I can picture Jack on the battlefields of Europe before he follows thousands of other folk to America and beyond.
Jack’s future will be nothing if not interesting.
