Army to Author – from soldier to historical fiction
I am a soldier turned author of historical war fiction. I served with the British Army for thirty-five years. More than half that time was spent overseas. It included time on the ground in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, South Asia, the Sahel, North and West Africa. Much of my life has been spent in the fraying margins of civilisation.
We must accept that progress and the development of civilisation is not a given. In many parts of the world today civilisation is in retraction. If we wish to keep it, we need to guard what we have. History has shown us what can happen when we lose it. The classical world was followed by a Dark Age.
As a soldier, I believe I have seen humanity at its best. I have witnessed it at its worst. Sadly, I have also seen humanity at its near most desperate. As an author, I try to draw on my experiences.
Soldier & Writer – conflict to creative & veterans at peace
I started writing whilst I was still serving as a soldier in the British Army. It came out of a period of frustration – after almost back-to-back operational deployments. It was also a time when my career hit a speed bump. I almost left the Army. In retrospect, I think I was very close to exhaustion.
In the end, I did not leave. Instead, I looked for something else I could do – something I could do without actually leaving, something different. Naively, I thought, I know. I will write a novel. It will be easy.
Of course, it was far from easy. It took years. However, I think it was good to have an alternative outlet, a creative focus. Not just the Army. Not just conflict. Perhaps it saved me. There are so many veterans still struggling to find peace and a sense of worth.
History Lover – archaeology & digging Cold War slit trenches
I have always loved history. As a boy, like many boys, I had an eclectic approach to history. I dipped in and out of historical periods. As a young man, before joining the Army, I worked as an archaeologist. I dug on some extraordinary sites. But, in the end I swapped digging archaeological trenches for Cold War trenches.
As time went on, my love of history honed in on the Early Modern period. I have become fascinated with the 17thCentury. Some might say I am fixated. However, I believe that the period of the Thirty Years War, European Wars of Religion and the English Civil War is more relevant today than any other period in history. We now know this period as The General Crisis. It was the world crisis, not just a world crisis. I find its stories gripping.
17th Century – extremism, echoes & relevance today
Much of the second half of my career was spent tackling extremism. This included long periods posted overseas, working with a range of agencies and armed forces to counter terrorism and insurgency.
Time and again, I saw echoes of the 17th Century in the situations I was facing. I would either find myself faced with something I had just read about, or read about situations I had seen on the ground.
The more I studied the 17th Century, the more I realised I was seeing the same issues and circumstances driving conflict today. Rapid population growth led to collapsing living standards and decreasing life expectancy. Climate change, in the form of the Little Ice Age, tipped a fragile world into violence.
Historical Fiction – human nature, soldiers & brutal history
Reading historical fiction can be a great way to learn a chunk of history. Better than that, it allows us to experience what it might have felt like to be alive in a certain time and place. It is more than the dry facts of history. We have a chance to learn what it was to live, love and fight then as now.
I think good historical fiction can also be a way to reflect on our own situation. I don’t believe that human nature has really changed. Fundamentally, we feel, think and react in the much same way.
This is particularly true on the battlefield, in situations of conflict and stress. I think soldiers have changed very little. I don’t believe in make allowances for ‘modern’ attitudes. Equally, I don’t believe in trivialising violence. Fundamentally, human nature is as brutal today as it has been throughout most of our history.
Author – risk, reviews, military experience, passion & study
When I left the Army, I looked at a number of ‘proper’ jobs. Most of them would have been more dependable, more secure, less risky. Some of them might well have been more lucrative. But my heart was not in any them. I struggled to find any enthusiasm. They left me cold.
I wanted to know if I could make it as an author. I wanted to finish my first novel and know if it would fly. I wanted to know if I could write, if I could make the jump from Army to author, from soldier to historical fiction. Thankfully, the feedback and reviews were wonderful.
As an author, I try to draw on my experience as a soldier. I pull on my time spent on the ground in those fraying margins of civilisation. I hope I also draw on my passion for history and study of the 17th Century. I hope that readers can feel its echoes today.
Follow & Read More – News, events & 17th Century history
I hope this post was of interest. If so, you might also enjoy some of the other posts in this Author Blog. These include posts on Author Life & Writing Historical Fiction and Book Publishing. Alternatively, check out the Divided Kingdom News posts for book offers and updates.
You can also find a series of posts on this website about life in Early Modern Britain. These include the 17th Century Almanac monthly blog. There are also posts on the British Civil Wars and Living History.
If you would like to meet, please do check out the Author Talks & Book Signings or History Talks & Battlefield Walks I give at Charles Cordell Events. If one of these events will be near you, please do come along, join me and say hello.
Finally, this website includes articles and pages about life in 17th Century Britain, Europe and the Americas at Historical Notes and Maps. These include articles on the impact of the Little Ice Age and The General Crisis of the 17th Century. They also include historical notes from my research on the English Revolution and Great Rebellion, as well as English Civil War battles.
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Divided Kingdom – English Civil War historical fiction
This Army to author, soldier to historical fiction post aims to offer a little of the backstory to my writing and the Divided Kingdom books. This historical fiction series is set in Early Modern Britain during the English Civil War. I hope you enjoy the books.
The Divided Kingdom novels take a fresh approach. They are not based on a single hero. They do not take sides. Their voices – ordinary men and women – face each other in the chaos of Britain in civil war. They are both relatable and sharply relevant today. They are also as historically accurate as possible.
Please do check out some of the writing at Divided Kingdom Books, including book tasters and a FREE ebook short story.
See More – social media & the Divided Kingdom Readers’ Club
Alternatively, check out Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube for more posts. These include notes from my historical research, Living History and English Civil War fiction. They also include upcoming events and opportunities to meet. Or, follow on social media at #DividedKingdomBooks or #EnglishCivilWarFiction on:
If you want even more, join us in the Divided Kingdom Readers’ Club. You will receive FREE exclusive access to unpublished short stories, email and more. Click the link to sign up and join the Clubmen.
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