Authorpreneur Dashboard – Helena P Schrader
Cold War
Literature & Fiction
WINNER OF BRONZE in the Global Book Awards 2024
Stopping Russian Aggression with milk, coal and candy bars….
Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians will starve unless they receive food, medicine and more by air.
USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….
Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing under the assault of “General Winter.”
Book Bubbles from Cold War
Flying into Danger
Once upon a time when America was a democracy led by sane, qualified and responsible people, America stood up to Stalinist aggression. President Truman was no Trump. He did not toady to dictators like Stalin (nowadays Putin). So when Stalin tried to starve and freeze the people of West Berlin into accepting communist dictatorship, America and her ally Britain established an airlift to deliver everything the people of Berlin needed by air. Nothing like this had ever been done before and for those flying the Berlin Airlift the risks were high. Yet they flew because the alternative was surrender -- or war. Join me in the cockpit of a civilian air ambulance company dedicated to flying sick and injured West Berliner to treatment in the West during the Soviet Blockade of Berlin 1948-1949.
Surprises
Surprises come in many forms. Sometimes we hope for something and imagine it in advance -- only to be disappointed. Sometimes we aren't expecting anything and something wonderful happens. Or, we don't know what to expect when life sends us off in an unanticipated direction.... In this excerpt, two USAF pilots have been ordered to deliver a C-54 transport plane to Rhein Main AFB. They and it are destined to join the Berlin Airlift, an operation that is only a few weeks old. The two young men haven't a clue about what they are getting sucked into.
Flying Blind
Nowadays we take flying for granted. Its just another means of transportation -- until "weather" closes our airports down and everyone gets stranded. Only then are we reminded that flying isn't dangerous -- its the earth that will kill you every time. In 1948, radar was still primitive by today's standards, and aircraft didn't have onboard computers. They still relied on pilots and air traffic controllers. This excerpt is set in the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949, when Berlin's airports were busier than New York and London and the aircraft had to stay in narrow and shallow corridors -- or risk being shot down by the Soviets.
Of Rumors and Reputations
Except for the people we personally know, we rely on what we've "heard" about others to form our opinions of them. When many people allow themselves to judge those they don't know, the reputation of the subject can become altered. In short, many "reputations" are built on rumor rather than fact. That can be devastating, and perhaps no where more unjustly than when a man's courage is questioned in wartime. In this excerpt, a man confronts the rumors.
When Duty Calls
Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows how "the needs of the service" can disrupt personal plans. In this excerpt, a young man is in the final days before his wedding when duty calls.
The Cripple
Living with disabilities is a sub-theme in my novel "Cold Peace." It isn't what the book is "about" -- but in the aftermath of WWII many ex-servicemen had disabilities and had to find work in a society not yet attuned to their needs. "Cold War" is set in the third year after the end of the war, and two of the leading characters in the novel suffered severe combat injures that left scars and impairments. Yet no one in the novel is quite as handicapped as Gordon MacDonald, an ex-RAF flight engineer, whose back was broken in a crash-landing in Germany. In this scene, MacDonald's former skipper, Kit Moran, is paying a visit.
Hard Times
For a man down on his luck, it can be hard to get back on his feet again. It's often easier to slide deeper into the shadows and take to drink instead. In this excerpt from "Cold War," it's been three years since the Second World War ended, and Terry and Nigel, who served together in bombers, have gone their separate ways. While Terry has a steady job with the Royal Mail, Nigel went to sea --- and things didn't work out as he'd hoped. Then suddenly Terry turns up....
Police Violence
The issue of police violence is a hot topic today -- one that divides the country. The fact that large numbers of Americans are afraid of the police and believe that the police are part of the problem rather than the solution is a flashing and wailing alarm signal. Targeted police violence is an indication that our democracy is under siege. Eighty years ago, police violence and misuse of power signaled an impending coup attempt by one of the most oppressive, cruel and murderous regimes known to man: Stalinist Russia. The place was Berlin. The date: 1958.
Old Friends can Change
We make friends at various stages of our lives, particularly at school, at work, or while serving in the military. Then we graduate, change jobs, or get discharged. We move on to new places, make new friends and often lose touch with our old friends. Should our paths by chance cross again with a friend from the past, we sometimes find that our old friend isn't the same person we remember. Life has left its marks on both of us, changing the way we see one another. In this excerpt, former Luftwaffe pilot Christian Baron von Feldburg has enlisted the help of a black marketeer, Anton Sperl, to locate his wartime friend and mechanic, Axel Voigt. Sperl leads Feldburg to the address of a man going by that name.
Fateful Interview
Job hunting can be tough -- especially if you have some kind of handicap. For Kit Moran, who has lost part of his leg in the war, job-hunting has been particularly frustrating. Then he gets an invitation to interview for his "dream job" -- not only flying again, but taking part in the humanitarian effort to save Berlin from a Soviet take-over. Everything depends on a single interview. Kit has to convince Mrs Emily Priestman, the director of personnel for Emergency Air Services, not only that he is still fit to fly, but also that he is better than the other four candidates -- none of which is disabled.
The Best Years of Our Lives
They say "you don't know what you've got 'till its gone" and we often find ourselves looking back to times gone by with nostalgia. Curiously, even terrible times like wartime can become endowed with an aura of attraction after the danger is past. In this excerpt two wartime buddies, J.B. and Rick, meet up again three years later. J.B. has just finished college and is about to get married and start a good job at General Motors. Rick, on the other hand, is living a nomad existence in a beat-up old cargo plane with his wife, an ex-WASP, as the pilot. Their encounter gets them thinking about what they value and want in life.
Destiny
Finding a job during a depression is never easy. It's harder if you are also disabled. But sometimes things just seem to fall into place.... Kit Moran lost part of his leg in the war. He's been looking for work for months. Today he gets an extraordinary call....
Complicated Politics
The Berlin Airlift famously turned former enemies into allies -- but not all at once. It was a gradual process and one of the key factors was the employment of Germans in technical jobs which had previously been closed to them. Notably, during the Berlin Airlift, former Luftwaffe mechanics were employed by the USAF to help service the American planes flying on the Airlift. This excerpt describes a similar effort by a British civilian contractor to get German mechanics for his one aircraft -- and exposes the difficulties the past sometimes put in the way of success.
The Power of the Press
In democracies the press has the power -- and the duty -- to look behind the official facade. It can and often does discover corruption, fraud, abuses and incompetence on the part of government, business and other established institutions. But the reporters responsible for discovering "the facts" can be ruthless and unscrupulous. In this excerpt, the pilot of the an air ambulance trying to get to Berlin is waylaid by an attractive woman reporter. Once before, she sweet-talked him into revealing proprietary information, so he is wary -- but she's very good at her job....
Criminal Police
One of the most telling indicators of authoritarianism is the transformation of the police force into a political organ. In authoritarian regimes, the police are as likely to be used to enforce political conformity as to protect citizens from lawlessness. This was true in Nazi Germany and in Soviet Russia. At the end of WWII, the Soviet Union seized control of Berlin and installed a police chief, Markgraf, who controlled the police across Berlin, including in the Western Sectors. Under his leadership, tens of thousands of Berliners were kidnapped by 'police' and imprisoned without trial or sent to do labour in the Soviet Union. In this excerpt, a city councilman in West Berlin responds to screams coming from the apartment house next door.
More than its Share
Some people -- and machines -- seem to just naturally do more than others. Without protest, they simply pick up more of the burden of life than others -- sometimes literally. The DC-3 is a legendary aircraft. Built in 1936 as a commercial airliner, some of them are still flying today. It was the first passenger plane that that could carry passengers across the continental United States in less than 24 hours. In WWII, it was put to work dropping paratroopers and supplies, hauling cargo and gliders. Beloved by aircrews for its easy handling, reliability and safety, it could take-off and land on short runways made of grass, dirt, sand or snow. It also flew across the Himalaya's in the most extreme flying conditions known to man -- and it was the first type of plane deployed on the Berlin Airlift becoming for many the face and the icon of that heroic humanitarian effort. The incident described here is based on a the historical record.
The Moment of Truth
Sometimes in life we have to take chances. We do or say something in the hope that this will trigger a desired response. It might be a declaration of love, or a request for a raise, or a bold diplomatic initiative. During the Soviet blockade of Berlin 1948-1949, the Russians closed down all rail, road and water transportation into the Western Sections of Berlin. More than 2 million Berliners were suddenly dependent on food and fuel flown into the city by Britain and the United States. The US and UK each had only one airport to receive the desperately needed goods. Then suddenly the lights went out at the British field, halting all operations. The Airlift stood on the brink of collapse. In the excerpt, the Station Commander's wife witnesses the "moment of truth" when his response to the Russian move is tested.
Rendezvous with Power
Power is not distributed evenly in this world. There are those who have immense power of the lives of others -- directly or indirectly -- and those that don't. Sometimes the only way for those without power to get something important done is to ask a favor of one of the power-brokers. In Germany in 1945, power rested with four military governors, who ruled their respective zone of occupation with absolute authority. While theoretically controlled by their respective but distant governments, they ruled their parts of Germany more like dictators. In this excerpt, a young woman pilot representing an air ambulance company on the brink of collapse seeks help from the most powerful man in post-war Germany: the U.S. Military Governor General Clay.
Good Will Isn't Always Enough
Even good causes can encounter difficulties and set backs. The Berlin Airlift was no exception. In "Cold Peace" a microcosm of the entire operation is provided in "Air Ambulance International," a private company providing emergency air evacuation of patients with acute conditions that cannot be treated adequately in blockaded Berlin. In this scene, shortly after the start of the Blockade, the ambulance, which had been temporarily in the UK, attempts to return to Berlin to resume operations.
Subtle Sabotage
Throughout the Cold War, hostilities simmered just below the boiling point. Both sides sought to humiliate and out-maneuver their opponent in ways that would not escalate into a "shooting war." The siege of Berlin in 1948 - 1949 is a classic example of non-violent aggression, and the Berlin Airlift was a non-violent response. Yet being 'non-violent' mean the methods of attack were particularly devious -- as described here.
Learning to See Shades of Gray
Few things are black and white. Even the greatest hero has weaknesses and most villains have some positive features. David Goldman is the son of a German Jewish banker who left Germany shortly after Hitler came to power. Other family members weren't so lucky and were caught up in the Holocaust. After the war, David returned to Berlin to sort out what remained of family properties, but stayed on to run an air ambulance service. With the start of the Soviet siege, things have reached a critical juncture. David has to decide whether to stay in Berlin or pull out. The decision isn't just about business....
Living for Today -- and Tomorrow
Trauma doesn't end when the shock, horror and pain are over. Trauma leaves scars. Some of the worst scars are psychological, yet treating them can be extremely difficult. A major theme of "Cold War" is coping with the damage left by WWI --physically, politically, economically, and above all personally. Several of the characters have disabilities. But none have been more badly shattered than Charlotte. She is a young German woman, who was gang raped by Russian soldiers in the last days of the war. Although three years have passed since the rapes, the nightmares, terror, and self-hatred remain. After a renewed crisis, she begs her cousin to shoot her. Christian was still a POW in the United States when the war ended, and has only returned to Berlin in early 1948. He insists that Charlotte talk to him about what happened to her.
On Life Support
Life for German civilians living in the Western Sectors of Berlin during the second half of 1948 and the first half of 1949 was like being on life support in hospital intensive care unit. Survival depended on outside help delivered in "drops" (e.g plane loads of goods) down the "tubes" of the air corridors. Everything from flour to make bread, milk for babies, medicine for hospitals and coal to generate electricity had to be flown in on small propeller planes (the only cargo aircraft of the era). When the Airlift started, no one seriously thought it could succeed for more than a few weeks. In this excerpt, to members of Berlin's City Council reflect on the situation.
An Act of Undeclared War
The Soviet Blockade of the Western Sectors of Berlin in June 1948 was instantly recognized for what it was: an act of war. In history it has become known as the "opening salvo"of the Cold War. As with all aggressors, Stalin hoped that he could simply bully his way to territorial gains -- just Putin does. Stopping aggressors requires backbone. That doesn't mean that the political will to defy aggression is shared by all elements of the population. In this excerpt, Truman has made his policy clear -- that he intends to supply blockaded Berlin by air. But the men who are going to be asked to carry out that policy have other things on their minds -- and their mothers don't want them involved in an new war!
Concrete Problems
Will power alone won't build runways. In June 1948 when the Russians put 2.2 German civilians under siege, Great Britain and the United States decided to supply them by air. The political leadership in both countries was magnificent in its determination -- but the politicians weren't the ones who had to make it happen. The men and women on the ground responsible for carrying out the operation, on the other hand, were facing nearly insurmountable challenges as this excerpt highlights.
Creative Chaos
Some of the most important achievements in history started out as little more than a random idea, a bit of improvisation, a creative reaction to an unexpected development. That is very much the story of the largest and most successful humanitarian airlift in history: the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949. When it started, no one thought it could succeed -- not even those who initiated it. It was a 'stop-gap,' a temporary measure intended to buy time for a more permanent solution. It was also very chaotic in the early days -- as this excerpt describing Day 6 of the Airlift shows.
Cold Peace
Literature & Fiction
RUNNER-UP for "BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" Historical Fiction Company.
WINNER of GOLD in the FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS 2023, Category Historical Fiction
WINNER OF GOLD in the 2023 HISTORICAL FICTION COMPANY BOOK AWARDS - Category: Wartime Fiction
WINNER OF SILVER in the 2023 READERS' FAVORITES AWARDS - Category: Political Thriller
FINALIST for the Book Excellence Awards 2024 - Category: Historical Fiction
MAINCREST MEDIA AWARD
INDIE BRAG MEDALION
Berlin 1948. The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry.
In the ruins of Hitler's capital, war heroes and resilient women struggle in the post-war doldrums -- until they discover new purpose in defending Berlin's freedom from Soviet tyranny. When a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.
Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in Cold Peace, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series.
Book Bubbles from Cold Peace
Destiny
Destiny is an old-fashioned idea that is largely out-of-favor nowadays, and yet.... Sometimes circumstances combine to make us feel as if our past actions have put on a specific path leading to a predetermined future. Sometimes our regrets about the past dictate our desires for the future and so help us shape it. In this excerpt it is June 1948 and the news triggers both a memory of the past and a hope for the future.
Even generals can have a change of heart
On the late afternoon of June 24, 1948, US General Lucius D. Clay, the American Military Governor in occupied Germany, replied negatively to a question from a reporter about supplying blockaded Berlin by air. He dismissed an airlift as utterly impossible. Clay had already told his superiors in Washington that he thought the Russians were bluffing. He proposed sending supplies to Berlin on the Autobahn -- escorted by armored troops. Washington and London, however, thought that tactic was a little risky....
History in the Making
Sometimes the course of history is decided by relatively small factors -- the right word at the right time, the availability of a horse ("A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!") or the timing of a meeting. The Berlin Airlift was one of those events that almost didn't happen. The French wanted the Allies to retreat and the Americans wanted a show of force. It was the British who found an alternative solution -- as this excerpt highlights.
Taking a Stand
Politics has been called the "game of the possible." Generally that means no more than being willing to compromise, or to jettison part of one's agenda to get the rest. But if the other side isn't willing to compromise or bargain in good faith, even that kind of success can become impossible. Then the question becomes one of submission to the inevitable, or taking a public stand despite the certainty of defeat. In this excerpt, it is 1948 and in Berlin a City Councilman is warned by his son that any attempt to ignore Soviet demands will end poorly for him -- and his family. He has to make a choice between his principles and his self-interest.
Standing up to Dictators
Aggressors usually test the waters before they launch a full-scale assault. The Russians attacked Crimea first and when they got away with that piece of outright aggression, they went for all of Ukraine next. If they win again, one of the Baltic states, Finland or Poland unquestionably will be next. In 1948-1949, the Russians tried expand Stalinism across Berlin by strangling the Western Sectors. They signaled their intent by closing down the access routes to Berlin for just five days in April 1948. The full blockade didn't start until June. But in the meantime some of the Allied commanders were smart enough to figure out what was happening -- and take appropriate action. Men like Colonel Howley and the RAF Station Commander at Gatow made a significant contribution to the West's ability to resist aggression. It's a lesson we ought to be paying attention to NOW!
Avoiding WWIII
After a Russian fighter collided with a British airliner on approach to Berlin in April 1948, the world stood on the brink of WWIII. Initially, the Russians assured the British, that the collision had been an accident -- but then they changed their tune.
Aggressive Airliner
In early April 1948, the Russian-controlled press reported that a British passenger plane operated by British European Airlines had "aggressively attacked" an "innocent" Russian training aircraft just moments before the BEA flight's daily scheduled arrival at the British airport in Berlin. The resulting collision had resulted in the death of all aboard both aircraft. Why an unarmed passenger plane on a routine flight would suddenly decide to intentionally ram a Russian trainer was not explained. Such is the nature of Russian "news." This excerpt describes the incident from the point of view of the British Air Traffic Control Tower and is based on historical accounts.
The Politics of Aid
As we have seen recently in Gaza, even aid agencies and other forms of humanitarian help can become politicized. It is not always a function of what the helpers are trying to do. Even people with the best intentions can unintentionally become part of a wider political conflict. In this excerpt, the services of a much needed air ambulance become a bone of political contention. The setting is Berlin in March 1948. Dr. Ferdinand Sauerbruch, an world famous, innovative surgeon now in his seventies, and his son Friederich "Fritz," also a doctor, are meeting with Emily and Charlotte of the British firm, Air Ambulance International. The Sauerbruchs both work at Berlin's leading research and teaching hospital, the Charite, which is located in the Soviet Sector of Berlin.
War of Nerves
Political tensions - both domestic and international - are often pursued by tactics designed more to unnerve and rattle the opponent than outright challenge him. This was particularly true during the Cold War, when neither superpower wanted to push the world over the edge into a "real" war. Nothing epitomizes these tactics more perfectly than the Berlin Crisis of 1948-1949, when the Soviets sought to expel the Western Powers from Berlin in a war of nerves. The opening volleys of that war are the subject of "Cold Peace." This excerpt is set at the RAF airfield in Berlin-Gatow in March 1948.
When Friends Disappoint...
Have you ever relied on a friend for something important only to be totally disappointed? I certainly have -- "close" friends that didn't have time to listen when I was having a crisis, lawyer friends who wouldn't give me legal advice when I needed it, rich friends who'd always left their wallet behind when it came time to pay the bill. The disappointment is painful -- but good friendships survive. In this excerpt David had been depending on his friend Kiwi to get qualified on twin-engine aircraft so they can launch an air ambulance business together.
The Morning After...
...the night before. Most of us have had mornings like this at some time in our life. "Kiwi" had just a little too much fun the night before and he's about to pay for it....
When America was a beacon of hope...
In an age when hatred, insults and threats of violence seem to be the most popular political commodity, it is hard to remember that American wasn't always about mass shootings and calling people who disagree with us "vermin." Once upon a time -- that is just after WWII -- America had another image. It was optimistic and fun-loving. Children didn't have to be afraid of being blown apart by automatic weapons because the only guns were single-shot pistols for shooting a targets to win prizes like Teddy Bears. This excerpt is set in Berlin 1948, when the United States was still a positive example of democracy, freedom and tolerance.
Remembering
As the year comes to a close, many of us reflect on the changes it has brought. The backward look easily expands to "times gone by" and memories of those who are no longer with us. This seemed like a good time to share an excerpt about a special kind of loss. Christian and Charlotte are cousins. They have survived the Second World War and now, in 1948, are struggling to start new lives in occupied Berlin. Christian is trying to sell wine from the family estate in Franken, while Charlotte is teaching German to members of the occupation forces. They live together in a small apartment on the top floor of the apartment house Christian's family technically owns but no longer controls.
Unexpected Gifts
It is easy, in our polarized world, to divide people into categories and label them as good or bad. Hollywood, too, prefers clear cut categories. Yet reality looks different. The setting of this excerpt is Berlin 1948. The city is still in ruins and occupied by four armies of occupation. Unemployment is rampant. The currency worthless, and the only vibrant sector of the economy is the black market. A member of the Berlin city council confronts three men obviously engaged in blackmarketeering -- and leaves with a surprising gift.
Misplaced Sympathy?
When we see a victim of injustice, we are inclined to sympathize. But few people are entirely innocent. No, two wrongs don't make a right, yet there is a backstory to every incident. Provocations, baiting or other behavior explains -- even if it doesn't justify -- acts that appear unjust, and sometimes, even when a victim deserves our sympathy for one specific incident, their overall behavior curbs our sympathy. In this excerpt, set in post-WWII Berlin, the wife of a British officer (Emily) is dealing with her German cook (Frau Neuhausen). She gets a double lesson.
Friendships with the Enemy
The New York Times recently ran an article describing the friendships between Israelis and Palestinians. Despite the headlines, despite the war, many individuals have friends "on the other side." That was less true in Europe after the Second World War as the tensions of the Cold War built. Russians had been isolated for a long time before the Iron Curtain went up and they were discouraged from having any contact with "capitalists" and "warmongers." But sometimes circumstances enabled contacts and a spark of friendship could ignite. In this excerpt two low-ranking members of their respective delegation to the Allied Control Council meet at an impromptu lunch and they are drawn to one another.
Negotiating with the Unreasonable
Ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been calls for "negotiations." As a professional diplomat, I appreciate that diplomacy can often prevent -- or end -- bloodshed. But there are also times when it is impossible to find a diplomatic solution because one of the two parties is acting in bad faith or completely unreasonable in its aims or behavior. The U.S. and Britain faced this situation in 1948 when confronted with Russian (then Soviet Russian) intransigence over every aspect of what should have been joint government in Germany. This scene is a "snapshot" of what it was like trying to work with the Russians inside the Allied Control Council in the spring of 1948.
Antisemitism has many faces...
With antisemitism on the rise again, it is worth remembering where it leads: to genocide. This is why it must be recognized early, suppressed wherever it emerges and fought not only by the victims but by all people who believe in human dignity and human rights. In this excerpt a survivor of the Holocaust confronts the man occupying the house of his uncle -- who with his wife and children was murdered in Auschwitz.
State Sanctioned Kidnapping
Russian forces are systematically kidnapping Ukrainian children, sending them to Russia and putting them up for adoption. This sickening and systematic destruction of families constitutes a contemptible disregard for the deepest of human feelings -- the love between parents and children. Like the sanctioned rape of Ukrainian women, it highlights the inhumanity of the Russian regime. Yet the widespread kidnapping of civilians is nothing new to Russian military forces. Russia used the same tactic, if for other purposes, in the post-war world. This excerpt depicts a Russian kidnap raid in the middle of a January night in Berlin, 1948.
Picking up the pieces after a lost war
All wars end. So will the war in Gaza and in Ukraine. Whoever wins, there will be losers -- on both sides. They are the people who have lost loved ones, whose houses have been destroyed, whose jobs are gone. These survivors will have to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to glue them back together again. They will have to make new homes, find new jobs and new loved ones. In this excerpt, set in occupied Berlin 1948, Charlotte is a survivor of Germany's defeat. She hopes to make a new start teaching German to members of the occupation forces. Her first prospective student is Mrs Priestman, the wife of a senior RAF officer.
Ghosts
Have you ever moved into a new home and then felt something is creepy? Or as if someone was watching you? Ghosts do not always show themselves. Sometimes we only feel their presence -- on conjure them up from an overactive imagination. In this excerpt, it is Berlin in 1948, and the wife of a British officer finds herself in her housing assignment. Just three years after the liberation of the concentration camps, she can't overcome her discomfort as she senses -- or imagines -- the ghosts of earlier, possibly Jewish, owners.
Reaping the Whirlwind
Conflict in the Middle East always brings to mind biblical comparisons, but none more so that the Hamas' attack of 7 October and the Israeli response. For me it calls forth Hosea 8:7 "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind...." This biblical passage was made famous in another war with acute relevance for today's conflict. That was a genocidal war that ended with the utter defeat of the aggressors -- at a terrible price.
It all started with a stollen election....
The "Bridge to Tomorrow" series about the struggle for democracy in an unlikely place: the heart of Hitler's former Reich. In Berlin in 1947, the Soviet Union ignored the Will of the People as expressed in free and fair elections ---- just like MAGA-Republicans did after the landslide victory of President Biden in 2002. Like MAGA-Republicans today, the Soviet Union the alleged "fraud" and lied incessantly in an effort to deceive people about the truth. Lies and "false facts" are the tactics of tyrants -- now and then. In Berlin in 1948, the Berliners chose democracy over tyranny in a dramatic fashion -- by suffering greater hardships and drastically reduced living standards in order to stop authoritarian dictatorship. "Cold Peace," the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series, depicts the build up to Soviet attempt to starve the Berliners into docility.
The Many Faces of Fascism
There is nothing new about the MAGA phenomenon. These kind of movements have reared their ugly heads over and over again -- always draped in the flag of whatever country they take root in, always feeding on feelings of dissatisfaction among the whiners and perpetual losers of society. These movements are funded by millionaires/billionaires who feel nothing but contempt for the self-pitying bullies they manipulate. And they are led by self-appointed, incoherent but shrill, loud and hate-filled leaders who seek absolute power for themselves. This excerpt provides a glimpse of the footsoldiers of an earlier MAGA movement -- the Nationalist Socialist Party of Germany, aka the Nazis.
Who's the Enemy?
In peacetime, it isn't always clear who "the enemy" is." It is early 1948. Wing Commander Priestman has a distinguished war record and has just been appointed Station Commander at the RAF base in occupied Berlin. As a member of the British occupation forces, he naturally assumes that "the enemy" is the nation he fought six, long, hard years to defeat: Germany. He's about to get a lesson in post-war politics.
A Risky Proposition
It is a well-known business adage that the greatest returns come with the greatest risks. The saying "nothing ventured, nothing gained" is equally familiar, well-worn -- and true. Put another way, you can't win if you don't play. In this excerpt, David Goldman whose plans to start an air ambulance service in the UK no longer look so promising is confronted by a radical proposal -- one involving significant risk.
It Takes Two to Tango
No matter how good your intentions, you can't make friends with someone determined to keep you at arm's length. Most of us have at one time or another sought to befriend people we liked, only to be rejected. It is a painful experience. At the national and diplomatic level, however, the consequences of spurning attempts at friendship can be grave. History is littered with examples of one nation seeking closer economic or political ties, only to have its offers snubbed. The efforts of the Western Allies to forge closer ties of friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union in the immediate post-WWII era are legion. It was only after efforts at cooperation failed that the West turned to disengagement, hostility and finally confrontation culminating in the Cold War. In this scene set in Berlin 1948, a friendly overture by the RAF station commander to his Soviet counterpart is unequivocally rebuffed.
Judging People
We are all quick to judge our fellow man. We form opinions based on age and sex, race and religion, on profession, political affiliation, and hobbies. It's easy to say: "I don't like football jocks," or "I can't stand women lawyers," or whatever our personal bias -- usually based on negative experiences in the past -- happens to be. Some prejudices are, however, more justified than others. When David Goldman, a German Jew, returns to Berlin in 1948, he has good reason to hate anyone who is "squatting" in property that belonged to his gassed relatives. And yet he too must face the fact that judgement maybe easy but isn't always just.
Knowing What Freedom Is
There's a saying that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. Things like good health, a supportive family, a sound education, and political freedom can seem so "natural" that we take them for granted. Yet, if lost, they become the most precious things we can imagine. In this excerpt, two Ukrainian women -- one a former Partisan now on the staff of the Soviet Military Governor in Berlin, and he other a WAAF and translator stationed at RAF Gatow -- meet in a disreputable bar on the border of the Soviet and British Sectors. It is early 1948, tensions are rising between the Soviet Union and the West, but both women can still move freely between the sectors. Although they work for hostile occupation powers, they are united by shared understanding.
Things that aren't supposed to Happen
Humans tend to categorize things into normal and abnormal. We can better cope with things that happen routinely -- even if they aren't good or pleasant. Not getting enough sleep, drinking too much, failing an exam or interview are all just part of life. Even car accidents, cancer or divorces are things we accept as normal, even as we regret them and suffer through them. It's the things that we think "shouldn't" happen that tend to confuse and so distress us more. Although his chances of surviving the war were significantly less than 50%, Kit has survived and he is starting a new life. He has nearly finished his engineering degree, and he is happily married and expecting his first child. And then the unexpected happens....
Young Widowed Mother
Every war leaves widows and many of them are young mothers. World War Two was no exception. One of the leading characters in "Cold Peace" is such a woman. She and her husband named their daughter "Hope" because she was born at a time when there was so little. Two years later, he "failed to return" from a bombing mission over Berlin. Now, the war is over, and Kathleen is raising Hope alone. Kathleen is still a WAAF and seizes the opportunity of a posting to occupied Berlin as an air traffic controller at the RAF airfield in the British Sector. Kathleen goes over to Germany alone first and only sends for Hope after she is settled in. In this excerpt, Hope joins her at last -- and raises a difficult question.
Russian Bullies
In this excerpt from "Cold Peace," the leading female character has her first encounter with Russian bullies. She is a pilot in the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve. Although she has hundreds of hours on Spitfires from her wartime service in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), she does not yet have her RAF wings. To earn those she needs more training on instruments, aerobatics and formation flying. In this scene, she is practicing by flying wingman to another pilot, while her husband Robin, the Station Commander, is off flying on his own. The setting is Berlin 1948. Hitler's former capital is controlled jointly by the victors of WWII, and Soviets were allegedly still Allies of Great Britain and the United States. But things are "hotting" up ...
Re-inventing ourselves can be hard
Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to completely restructure our lives and indeed reinvent who we are, what we do and what our goals are. Few breaks are as radical as a lost war that destroys the entire society in which you were born and grew up. That was the situation Germans faced after WWII. Christian Freiherr von Feldburg was a child of privilege. He was rich, handsome and a member of an elite profession much admired by his contemporaries -- especially the opposite sex: he was a fighter pilot. In 1948, after Germany's defeat, his country no longer has an air force and he must find another way to earn his living.
Mothers and Adult Daughters
...often don't see eye to eye. That is still true today in a society that recognizes the maturity of a child at 18 and as a whole grants children greater rights than was the case in the past. Seventy-five years ago in the immediate post-war era, not only were unmarried women still expected to live at home but many wartime opportunities and freedoms were being curtailed. Women who had done meaningful work, mastered exceptional challenges and handled significant responsibilities were being told to go back to being wives, mothers, salesgirls and typists. Kathleen doesn't want that and she's willing to make sacrifices -- like volunteering for unpopular assignments like Berlin, Germany -- to keep her professional job as an Air Traffic Controller.
Inheritance with a Sting
Money is often given with strings attached. Sometimes we have a choice of not accepting the gift or loan if we don't like the conditions, sometimes we don't. David Goldman has been left an inheritance from his estranged father, but part of it is to the property of their relatives murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. As David tells his sister, he doesn't want to have to deal with the memories those properties evoke. But an overheard conversation reminds him of a reality he also can't avoid.
Election Integrety is the Basis of Democracy
Rejecting elections because you don't like the outcome is the tactic of dictators. This scene describes a real historical situation in Berlin 1947. It was written in December 2022 -- when a different wannabe dictator was committing election fraud and committing crimes, inciting violence and corrupting institutions in order to overturn the legitimate results of a valid election that reflected the will of the majority of the people. We can learn from history.
Post-War Doldrums
"Cold Peace" opens in 1947, when Britain is still struggling to regain its footing. The country is bankrupt and the empire crumbling. Unemployment is high. Food and clothing rationing still in effect. Servicemen have been discharged and returned to their families, but nothing is as it was before the war. Uncertainties about the future mute hopes and ambitious. Kit Moran is just one disabled veteran caught in the post-war doldrums with no clear idea of what course to set.
The Price of Defeat
The United States of America has never been defeated in a major war, never occupied by an enemy. That makes it hard for us to imagine what it would have been like. And yes, Nazi Germany was an aggressor. Yes, it needed to be defeated and it deserved to be humiliated and occupied. But despite all that, we should not forget that there were many millions of people living in Germany who had not been concentration camp guards, who had not taken part in the persecution of Jews, who had not voted for the Nazis, much supported their policies, and not even fought in the German armed forces. Charlotte Walmsdorf was one such person...
We don't always know what's good for us...
In my career as a public servant, I often found myself assigned to jobs or tasks that I did not particularly want -- or deem valuable. Sometimes I was right, and there was nothing for it but to grin and get on with it. But sometimes the jobs or tasks that I had dreaded or demeaned turned out to be particularly interesting, educational or rewarding. In this excerpt, it is 1947, just two and a half years since Germany's surrender in WWII. RAF Squadron Leader Robert "Robin" Priestman has just been given orders he doesn't like. Little does he know that this apparently "sleepy" assignment is going to turn into the busiest and most high-profile job of his entire career.
Moral Fibre
Literature & Fiction
WINNER OF THE HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR 20TH CENTURY WARTIME FICTION
DISTINGUISHED FAVORITE, INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS 2024,
FINALIST FOR A BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARD IN HISTORICAL FICTION
Riding the icy, moonlit sky— They took the war to Hitler. Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent. Their average age was 21. This is the story of just one Lancaster skipper, his crew, and the woman he loved. It is intended as a tribute to them all. Flying Officer Kit Moran has earned his pilot’s wings, but the greatest challenges still lie ahead: crewing up and returning to operations. Things aren’t made easier by the fact that while still a flight engineer, he was posted LMF (Lacking in Moral Fibre) for refusing to fly after a raid on Berlin that killed his best friend and skipper. Nor does it help that he is in love with his dead friend’s fiancé, who is not yet ready to become romantically involved again.
Book Bubbles from Moral Fibre
Native Fascism
In the midst of WWII, the U.S. Army alerted their officers and men to the danger of fascism taking hold in America. The Army warned that “under the guise of ‘super-patriotism’ and ‘super-Americanism" American fascists could undermine the Constitution and seize dictatorial power. The US Army highlighted the tactics domestic fascists would employ, namely: 1) they would pit religious, racial, and economic groups against one another to break down national unity; 2) they would deny any need for international cooperation, and 3) American fascists would "label as ‘communists’ everyone who refuses to support them.” No wiser words were ever spoken. In this excerpt set in the UK in 1945, the Reverend Reddings, an English priest, likewise raises the alarm about domestic fascists/Nazis.
Moral Fibre on the Home Front
In time of war, it isn't only those in combat who need to demonstrate courage and fortitude in the face of threat and hardship. "Moral fibre," the term used in World War Two to describe the necessary qualities needed to face adversity and risk, wasn't about physical courage alone. Georgina is an apprentice teacher at a school in rural Lincolnshire. Her fiance, Kit Moran, is -- or was -- an RAF pilot flying Lancasters in Bomber Command. When this excerpt opens, it is three weeks since Kit "failed to return" from an operation over Germany. Georgina is finding it increasingly difficult to be brave about his fate -- and hers.
Finding the Right Words in Troubled Times
When people suffer loss and death, those around struggle to find words of comfort. No matter how great one's faith in God, some deaths just seem senseless or unfair. In this excerpt, it is the week before Easter 1945 when tragedy strikes a rural Yorkshire village -- and the local vicar, the Reverend Edwin Reddings, finds himself facing a personal crisis of faith.
Unintended Consequences
As the TV series "Masters of the Air" makes abundantly clear, the men who flew in bombers in WWII faced appalling odds and terrifying threats during their forays into enemy air space. Not everyone who volunteered for aircrew proved capable of withstanding the strains of combat flying. Some men broke down after one or more flight -- due to what we could now call PTSD -- and refused to fly again. Others were removed from flying duties by their commanding officers because they had become a hazard to the rest of the crew. Either course carried a negative stigma. In the RAF it was called "lacking moral fibre." In this excerpt, the navigator of a Lancaster has just been told by his pilot that he is "off the crew" after he froze up during the operation of the day before.
A Coward Dies 1,000 times....
Anticipating bad news. Expecting things will go wrong. Imagining death before it strikes. All that is usually depicted as a waste of time better spent enjoying life. Yet, there is another way of looking at it. In this excerpt, a young woman lives in constant fear of losing the man she loves. It makes her feel each moment together more intensely.
Chariots of Fire
The price of the air war in Europe was high. While the chances of air crew surviving a tour of operations varied over time depending on the aircraft type, the phase of the war and above all the availability of fighter escorts, on average less than 50% survived. Their average age was 21. The excerpt from "Moral Fibre" describes a real raid, namely that against the Kembs Barrage on 7 October 1944. Thirteen Lancasters of RAF 617 Squadron made a daylight raid against this dam in order ensure low water for a planned U.S. crossing of the Rhine river. It was an extremely dangerous low-level attack against a heavily defended target.
Premonitions
It is a well-documented phenomenon that people facing danger sometimes have premonitions of their impending death. Sometimes, people even act on their premonitions and for example, cancel their berth on the "Titanic" or a flight ticket on an aircraft that later crashes. Men flying combat missions didn't have that option -- even if the had the premonitions. Here a young bomber pilot anticipates his impending "failed to return" status.
The Target for Today
Monday morning quarterbacks are infamous for knowing everything better. Some historians are no better, and nothing is a better example of retrospective wisdom than critics of the air war in Europe. The denigration of the value of strategic bombing started almost immediately with the huge -- and seriously flawed -- Strategic Bombing Survey shortly after the end of the war. Yet if the air raids were unable to obtain German surrender on their own, they nevertheless contributed materially to the weakening of the enemy's ability to fight. And some targets were more important than others. This excerpt describes a real operation undertaken near the end of the war.
Masters of the Air - An Alternative Viewpoint
In this excerpt based on first-hand accounts of the second attack against the battleship "Tirpitz" by 617 squadron, readers will notice many differences in style from the portrayal of air warfare in "Masters of the Air." Contrary to what is said in the TV series about the RAF flying only by night, this attack was made by daylight. However, the RAF flew in a bomber stream rather than a tight formation and each bomber made its run individually, guided in by the bomb aimer. Another notable difference supported by not only first-hand accounts but also wartime recordings, is that the RAF culture disdained shouting and excited chatter while flying.
The Danger of Hubris
In war there is often a very fine line between military necessity and hubris. Too often, plans are made and actions undertaken not because they are necessary but because they are possible. The motives behind such operations are pride in one's capabilities and technology and above all the desire for revenge. This excerpt highlights a single, if famous, instance of hubris from a war that was otherwise justified and self-defensive. It has, as Edwin predicts, tarnished the reputation of men who otherwise fought in a just cause.
A Time for "Make-Believe"
There are times in our lives when a little bit of "make believe" and "pretending" can be healthy and helpful. Kit Moran is a bomber pilot flying operations over Germany. Georgina is his fiance. She knows that every time they say goodbye it might be their last. When Kit gets a 72 hour leave, it is a treasure to enjoy -- and enhance with a little make-believe.
Mistakes
We all make mistakes in life, particularly regarding relationships. Sometimes we are left wondering what might have happened if only... Sometimes, the consequences of poor choices are more obvious. Sometimes those poor choices haunt us the rest of our lives. In this excerpt, it is late 1944. Georgina, an apprentice teacher, comes home from her day at school to find her roommate Philippa, a WAAF, has locked herself in the room they share at their lodging house. (They are both "billeted" with the local veterinarian.)
The Best Heroes Fail
-- at least some of the time. The best protagonists in novels are humans with weaknesses and other quirks. They are capable of making mistakes -- and sometimes they fail. Heroes (and heroines) who always succeed are boring. But heroes and heroines are more interesting. Those are the kinds of characters we identify with, cheer on and follow avidly. They are the characters that inspire us when get up after falling down and succeed after failing. Georgina is an apprentice teacher in her first practical position after three years at training college. She had come to her position full of enthusiasm and idealism, but she is failing....
Secret Fears
There are many situations in which we must hide our fears and carry on. If we do a good job of it, our family and colleagues often don't even realize that we have been afraid. In this excerpt, the flight engineer on a bomber crew has been flying for almost a year before admitting -- more or less by accident -- that he hates flying. It is a sobering moment for his pilot!
Returned from the dead....
The gunners on heavy bombers in WWII had the lowest chances of survival. Enemy fighters often targeted them to silence the guns before making a second attack. Other hazards, particularly for the tail gunner, were a function of being separated from the rest of the crew and dependent on long feeds for oxygen, intercom, and hydraulics. If any of the latter were damaged, the gunners could be cut off and trapped. They were also most directly exposed to the extreme cold temperatures at high altitudes.Yet in a controlled crash where the crew had time to bail out, the gunners with access the large tail door, often were the only survivors. In this excerpt, Georgina has received the fateful telegram saying her fiance Kit's aircraft has "failed to return" and then the gunners turn up at the school where she is teaching.
Each Member of a Team
... has a job to do. Anyone who has played a team sport knows that even the less glamorous players still contribute to success. This was true on bombers in WWII as well. The mighty Lancaster bomber, with a bomb capacity more than twice that of the American B-24 and B-17, had a crew of seven. The sole pilot on board was both the captain and the most famous crew member. Yet, he could not safely handle the Lancaster alone. He needed a navigator, flight engineer and wireless operator to help him fly the aircraft safely to and from the target. In this excerpt a decidedly unglamorous young man finds a way to engage an audience of children for his arcane trade.
Elusive Couage
Courage is not a quality we can beg, borrow, steal, buy -- or even inherit. It is a quality that we must find within ourselves. It is not a function of age, sex, physical appearance, strength, intelligence or education. Nor is it a constant quality -- the same person can show courage in one situation and lack it in another. RAF psychiatrists handling the psychological impact of sustained or repeated exposure to extreme danger hypothesized that bravery was like money a bank, and a man's reserves of courage could be slowly drawn down into deficit. Put another way, anyone can be a hero -- and even heroes sometimes lose their nerve. "Moral Fibre" examines the nature of courage in a variety of contexts and characters -- and also looks at how to cope with lapses in fortitude.
Can we bury the hatchet?
RAF Bomber Command in WWII relied heavily on volunteers from Britain's Dominions -- Canada, South Africa and Australia. They wore a distinctive uniform -- or at least a shoulder patch with their national identity -- and some squadrons were designated "RCAF," for example, or known as "Rhodesian," "South African" etc. Yet most volunteers from overseas were fully integrated in the RAF and served in RAF units, usually in "mixed" crews with members from anywhere in the world. Which doesn't mean they didn't retain their unique character. The Australians, for example, were known for being a bit more rowdy and a bit less respectful of authority than everyone else!
Failing
When we're young and idealistic we rarely imagine failing, but failure usually overtakes us sooner or later. In this excerpt, Georgina, an apprentice teacher, is facing failure in the face -- and it doesn't help that her best friend and colleague is so much more successful than she is. Meet Georgina and Fiona -- two aspiring teachers in wartime Britain.
The Importance of a Different Point of View
Our actions are open to interpretation. What we do might be applauded by some people, yet condemned by others. It is easy to let our opinion of ourselves and our actions be influenced by the reactions of others too. A negative response to our actions may -- indeed should -- make us question ourselves. Yet too much unjust criticism can also undermine our confidence or make us question our values. Alternatively, sometimes when we've been beaten down, a vote of confidence can make a world of difference. Flying Officer Kit Moran has been labelled a coward ("lacking in moral fibre or LMF) in the past. Although he's been given a second chance and is doing well, he still doesn't quite trust himself -- which is why he hesitates to accept a posting to the most famous squadron of them all: 617.
When every minute together counts....
There are phases in a relationship when separation can be endured, even beneficial, and times when being together is vitally important. Georgina has only just admitted her love for Kit and he is about to start flying operations against Germany. His chances of survival are less than 50%. That means every minute they can spend together is invaluable - and might be their last. But the teaching college has assigned Georgina to a school on the opposite end of the country for her apprentice teaching -- unless she can persuade Mr Willoughby to take her on as his assistant.
Just a routine training exercise
It took roughly two years to train pilots for Bomber Command in WWII. Aspiring pilots first learned to fly in Initial, Primary and Advanced Flying Schools where they advanced from single-engine, open-cockpit aircraft to twin-engine aircraft with more sophisticated instruments. After earning their wings, however, they were still only about half-way to operational flying. What came next was learning to fly military aircraft and learning about bombing, evading or fighting off attacking fighters, navigating and bombing at night, survival after being shot down and more at an Operational Training Unit or OTU. The final stage of training was the "Heavy Conversion Unit" (HCU) where pilots learned to fly the heavy four-engine bombers and practiced bombing -- again and again and again. In this excerpt a crew is on their final training flight at a HCU.
The Stigma of "LMF" - Lack of Moral Fibre
The RAF had a term for airmen who refused to fly without a medical reason; it was "Lack of Moral Fibre." Men deemed "LMF" were posted away from their squadrons, and rumors abounded about the humiliations they subsequently suffered. Most of those rumors were false. The RAF provided psychiatric treatment and roughly one third of airmen temporarily posted "LMF" returned to operational flying. But the stigma lingered.... In this scene Kit Moran, who a year earlier refused to fly and was designated LMF, has come to Scotland to visit the grave of his best friend and former skipper Don Selkirk. He is accompanied by Selkirk's former fiance Georgina. What they hadn't reckoned with was running into Don's parents, Colonel and Mrs Selkirk.
It would a shame to die a virgin....
It wasn't just young women from middle-class families who grew up sheltered in the interwar years in Britain. Their brothers went to exclusive boys' schools at seven, attended men's colleges at university and reached adulthood with very limited exposure to the opposite sex. Oh, yes, the opportunities for sexual encounters were there, but depending on the temperament, inclination and circumstances of the individual, many youths opted not to take advantage of them. In this excerpt two young men from the same class but who have traveled different paths discuss the "delicate" topic.
Why would she ring him now?
Have you ever written off a relationship and just started to feel comfortable on your own when your old "flame" called again? After not hearing from Georgina for three months, Kit suddenly gets a call.
Volunteers -- and the reason for volunteering
During WWII, all men who flew with the RAF in whatever capacity (pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators and air gunners) were volunteers. Men could be conscripted into the RAF for the ninety percent of jobs on the ground, but the ten percent that took to the air were all volunteers. Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent. In this excerpt, the five members of a Wellington crew are having a few rounds at a pub after nearly crashing in fog. They start reflecting on why they chose to volunteer.
"Me Mam's got a new boyfriend..."
Our private lives don't end just because "there's a war on." On the contrary, they just get more complicated. In this scene, two young men returning from a week's leave meet on the bus back to their station.
Competitive Male Animals
Since the age of the 'Iliad' armies have been made up of young men. By nature, men in the age cohorts that dominate the military are aggressive and competitive. While this is what makes them suitable for combat against the enemy, it has its down-sides as well. Pouring hundreds of aggressive young men into a training camp and then publicly assessing their competency is a formula for trouble. In this excerpt, bomber crews are kitting up for an exercise the morning after a bad brawl between the mid-upper gunners of two crews. The rivalry between the two men is about to have further consequences....
Women at War - WAAF Wisdom
The WAAF made up roughly one fifth of RAF strength by the end of the war and women were doing jobs from aircraft and radar maintenance to handling balloon barrages, photographic interpretation and other forms of highly classified intelligence work. Looking back, many former WAAF considered their time in the service as "the best years of their lives." But there were dangers and not all came from the enemy....
Feeling like bad luck
Sometimes some of us feel like we attract bad luck. It can come from a string of bad luck that makes us feel like we are cursed. Or, as in this case, it can come from feeling we've been unjustly lucky once too often. It's a bad enough feeling like that when you're on your own, but Kit Moran is a bomber pilot and he's facing the curious (British) custom of crewing up. This consisted of throwing equal numbers of pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators and gunners in a large room and telling them to "sort themselves out." At the end of the process, a complete crew with one man from each trade was supposed to emerge. The pilot would be responsible for the lives of the others from then on -- which isn't a good thing if you're feeling unlucky.
Believing in Miracles
Hoping for something that is unlikely to happen is comparable to believing in miracles. It can help to keep one's spirits up -- for a while. But it can also create greater disappointment, even heartbreak, later. Knowing when to hope, and when to stop hoping therefore is a delicate question which can have a profound impact on our psychological well-being. In this excerpt, Georgina's fiance Kit has "failed to return" from a bombing mission over Germany. He is officially "missing," but Georgina's clairvoyant father has had a vision that suggests he is indeed dead. Georgina is struggling to cope.
Easter 1945
Easter 1945 fell on 1 April. Although no one could know it was just five weeks before Germany would surrender, the writing was on the wall. Germany was already defeated. It was only a matter of time before it would submit. The thoughts of nearly everyone in Britain were turning to "after the war." But, of course, it was also April Fools' Day....
"When the war is over..."
War -- at least total war -- puts lives on hold. Jobs and education stop. Men are called up. Lovers are separated. As long as the war lasts, normal life is suspended. Here the crew of a bomber after a nasty run-in with a German fighter drink a round together and talk about what they want to do when the war is over.
Fighting Hitler's Wonder Weapons
In the course of the Second World War, Germany proved remarkably adept at developing innovative and indeed revolutionary weapons. The Nazis came close to attaining atomic capabilities. They deployed primitive drones (the V1) and launched the first rockets, the V2. The latter fell from 60 miles high, landing at speeds of 3,600 mph. Often forgotten is that the Germans also made dramatic breakthroughs in submarine technology. Had the type XXI U-boats been produced in sufficient numbers earlier in the war, they might have crippled the British and Soviet war efforts by chocking off the vital Atlantic lifeline from the U.S. As described in this excerpt based on the historical record, the RAF was tasked with destroying the factory building them.
Carpe Diem - Or a Thousand Deaths
When someone we love is in mortal danger, it can be difficult to know how to cope. Does one dwell on the potential for loss? Or try to ignore it? In this excerpt Georgina receives an unexpected call from her fiance Kit. He is a pilot with 617 Squadron, flying highly dangerous precision-bombing raids against Germany. She's lost one fiance to the war already, which makes her acutely aware that each contact with Kit may be her last.
Some Christmases are Harder than Others
It's hard to get in the "Christmas Spirit" if your working -- or on active duty in the middle of a war. In this excerpt the men of a bomber crew are stuck on base because bad weather has interrupted their training. None of them are taking it very well -- and their girlfriends and family are no better off. The scene reminds me to be grateful that I am celebrating this year with those I love.
When Love is just Listening
There are times when the best way to show love is just to listen and show understanding. Kit Moran is the pilot of a Lancaster bomber in late WWII Georgina is his fiance.
Not all premonitions come true...
It is a well-observed phenomenon that people facing mortal danger over sustained periods often become superstitious. They also often have premonitions of their own death. Inevitably, those premonitions all too often come true. In WWII, each bombing operation against the enemy entailed the risk of never returning. The crews called it "dicing with the devil" and the losers lost their lives. In this excerpt, the feelings of Kit Moran and his crew are depicted as they land after a "dicey do" in their Lancaster Z for Zebra.
Just another day at work....
This was what they'd been trained to do. It was the reason they'd spent years in training. It was the reason they had privileges like extra pay and real eggs and bacon on days when they were working. It could also be suicidal....
Overcoming Fear
Courage is not fearlessness, but rather overcoming fear. In WWII, the men who flew in bombers, taking the war to the enemy, were often afraid. Most of them overcame that fear -- again and again, night after night. "Moral Fibre" is the story of a Lancaster crew. The navigator, Adrian Peal, is very sensitive and his nerves are shot. But he is determined to do his job.
Wartime School Fun
School can be dreary in any era, but for children in Britain during WWII things were particularly grim. Many children were evacuated from cities and lived far from their families, often in isolated rural communities with few amenities. They faced rationing, black-outs and shortages of all kinds. Particularly hard on children were the very limited supplies of chocolate, sweets and even sugar for baking. In addition, many peacetime pleasures like trips to the beach were no longer possible. But there were some compensations -- at least for those living near the big bomber bases scattered across the east of the country....
When things go wrong...
...it is easy to doubt ourselves. Kit Moran has been labeled "lacking in moral fibre" in the past, but he's been given a second chance to prove himself. After more than a year in training, he is flying operationally again. Only for things to go very wrong again.
When Mr. Right isn't Paying Attention
In the 1930s and 40s, young people in the middle and upper classes grew up largely segregated by sex. They went to same-sex schools and generally socialized in same-sex groups. But dances -- tea dances, dance halls and clubs, formal balls, and dancing at private parties -- were the great "mixer." Ballroom dancing literally brought young men and young women into each others arms and gave them an opportunity to get to know one another better. In this excerpt, Fiona Barker has been introduced to a young man that seems absolutely perfect -- except he doesn't seem to be paying any attention to her even while he's dancing with her. She decides to risk shocking him....
All in a Day's Work
"Moral Fibre" is intended as a tribute to those who flew bombers in WWII. This excerpt is based entirely on first-hand accounts of this particular operation. I hope it gives a feeling for what it was like.
Wartime Tourism
In world wars the opportunity for tourism is generally greatly inhibited. Certainly that was true for the British in the Second World War. Not only was the entire continent of Europe in enemy hands, but even the domestic coastline was largely off-limits due to anti-invasion measures and military installations. But sometimes an "opportunity" came up in the line of duty...
Death or Glory?
Sometimes fame comes at a high price. Not everyone is an Achilles, preferring eternal glory to a long and happy life. At the end of nearly two years of training, the young men forming Kit Moran's Lancaster crew should have been assigned to a squadron. Instead, they are given the choice of volunteering for a squadron notorious for its high losses -- the death or glory boys of 617 Squadron: the Dambusters.
Unwanted Advice
All too often in life, our friends know what is good for us better than we do ourselves. With a little more objectivity, they can see when we are making mistakes, getting carried away by our emotions, or stubbornly digging ourselves into a hole. In this excerpt, a girl in love gets some wise advice from an older, more worldly roommate. It's advice she doesn't want -- and it comes too late.
Assignments
For must of us, our professional lives involve a lot of directed work. That is, we are assigned certain tasks or sent to places we may never have wanted to go. That was particularly true for me as an American diplomat; I only had a limited voice in where I was sent in the world. Yet it is even more true -- and significant -- for the men and women serving in the armed forces. More important, in wartime military assignments -- the unit a man is attached to -- can mean the difference between life and death. In this excerpt, Kit Moran and his crew have just completed years (literally) of training and are about to "go operational." The announcement of which unit they will be joining has just been made. Join them as they find out where they will be going.
Love in Wartime
Two college roommates are reunited after the holidays. One of them, Georgina, is wearing an engagement ring -- again. It is only a little more than a year since a previous fiance was killed in the war. This facts sets off a tirade of criticism from Fiona, who accuses Georgina of being of not having a life of her own and needing a ring to make her feel whole. After she's had her say and has calmed down, Georgina gets specific.
Training can kill you too
Learning to fly is dangerous. At least it was in WWII. The need to replace the heavy casualties incurred in the skies over Germany kept up the pressure. Training was intense and compressed, often exceeding the ability of candidates to cope. It didn't help that most training was done on clapped out machines retired from frontline service. The resulting deadly cocktail were fatal training accidents that accounted for roughly 8,000 lives or about 13% of all aircrew deaths. This excerpt takes you aboard a bomber with a trainee crew on an exercise.
Facing our Demons
Sometimes, when we want something badly enough, we have to swallow our pride and approach people we don't like for favors. While humbling, the need to come to turns with people we thought we didn't like sometimes opens doors and reveals unexpected aspects of the other person. Georgina Reddings has had a terrible first term under a headmistresses she did not respect. Now she must as a favor of her.
A Bad Reputation...
People are quick to judge others -- all too often from hearsay. A rumour can ruin someone's reputation. Or a mistake, a single bad decision at the wrong time that leads to negative public consequences can give someone a bad name. In this scene, Kit Moran has gone to visit the grave of his best friend and former skipper, Don Selkirk. He has brought Selkirk's fiance Georgina with him as she had no means to get there on her own. They are not a couple, but they are friends because they shared a love of Don.
Debts owed the Dead
Kit Moran has survived, most of his first crew hasn't. Now he's back on operations with a new crew.
Picadilly Commandos
During WWII, London was notorious for its night life and women of easy virtue. Particularly for U.S. airmen, a pass to London meant an opportunity to sample sins that were less accessible in straight-laced and small-town America. For the British, the experience was more ambivalent. The expansion of the red light district and the all too public offering of sex offended many British. Many blamed the Americans for being "over paid, over sexed and over here," while others descried the collapse of morals. Major education campaigns on VD were undertaken by the British military. Yet at the heart of it all were young men facing death and lonely women.
A Sobering Experience
When writing "Moral Fibre" one of my objectives was to convey more than the "heroics." Cartoon heroes may be instantaneously perfect, but real heroes are humans. They develop, grow-up, and learn hard lessons. They make mistakes and have doubts. Yet when the time comes, they rise above the average and -- often in an unexpected way -- do something exceptional. This excerpt shows a training flight that due to weather starts to go very wrong. It was, however, exercises like this that made men and crews ready to face the enemy.
Sexual rules of engagement..
...were different in the 1940s. Its one of the things writers of historical fiction need to keep in mind. I'm fortunate to be old enough for my mother to have been an "eligible" young lady during WWII. She had lots of tales to tell about her "suitors," including the difficult situations rivalries between her "young men" landed her in. The heroine of "Moral Fibre," Georgina, isn't being courted, but her roommate is -- by two powerful but very different men.
Competitive Creatures
I don't know what is is about men, but they can't seem to do anything without competing. I suppose it's some primeval instinct for survival -- fighting one another for food, for mates, for shelter from the wind and rain. Throw a bunch of young males together for training, and it inevitably turns into a competition. In this excerpt bomber crews are being taught how to respond to fighter attacks in so-called "fighter affiliation" exercises where the guns of both aircraft are armed with cameras and films rather than ammunition. The results are publicly posted and discussed -- leading inevitably to some tension.
Getting into cars with strangers...
Did you mother ever tell you not to get into cars with strangers? My mother certainly did! I had more than one opportunity to take her advice and I never regretted it. But sometimes circumstances make the choice less obvious. In this excerpt Georgina has a long bike commute from the school where she's an apprentice teacher to her lodgings in the next village. It is dusk on a gloomy and wet October day in the north of England....
Work Tensions
At work we are thrown together with colleagues not all of whom we inherently like, get along with or share values with. That can lead to tensions. Although RAF crews informally chose one another, that didn't mean those kinds of tensions didn't erupt from time to time. In Kit's crew the navigator and bomb aimer come from upper middle-class families, but the tail gunner is the child of the Liverpool slums -- and he's quick with his fists. This excerpt describes the morning after he's been detained and "put on charges" for starting a fight at a pub.
The Lost Art of Letter Writing
In the first half of the last century, people separated by space kept in touch not by email, skype, zoom and facetime, but by letter. Many relationships developed, were kept alive -- or died -- because of the letters exchanged. The hero and heroine of "Moral Fibre" have become close by mail. While Kit was in flying training in South Africa, he corresponded with Georgina, to help her recover from the death of her fiance, Kit's best friend. Now Kit is back in the UK and they have stopped writing to one another and she reflects on what she has lost.
Intuition of a Different Kind
In the RAF in WWII crews formed voluntarily via an informal process known as "crewing up." It was based mostly on "chemistry" -- that is intuition. Young men gravitated towards those they liked, trusted, felt comfortable with or respected most. Surprisingly, this did not lead to crews composed of similar men. The vast majority of RAF bomber crews included men of vastly different backgrounds and usually men of different nationalities as well -- British, Canadian, Australian, West Indian and South African. In this excerpt, Kit Moran is missing only one crewman, his wireless operator, when he is approached by an applicant.
Intuition - or Second Sight
Some humans have an uncanny gift to sense things hidden from the rest of us. They grasp the unspoken wishes and motives of others. They intuitively know when "things" are going well or ill. Sometimes they seem able to predict the future. In extreme cases they foresee specific events. The Reverend Edwin Reddings is such a man and it was an encounter with his own extraordinary capacity to foresee things that made him take up his profession. In this excerpt he has just met his daughter's friend Kit Moran for the first time.
Pub Hazards
Going to a pub could be a hazardous experience for a shy and sensitive young lady in wartime Britain. In her short life, Georgina Reddings, the heroine of "Moral Fibre" has had little experience of such places. Despite her more experienced escort, WAAF Officer Philippa Wycliffe, she isn't fully prepared for what she runs into -- or how it will effect her.
"Sort Yourselves Out"
It took a team to fly a bomber in WWII. A B-17 required a crew of ten, a B-24 a crew of eight. A Lancaster had a crew of seven. While the USAAF assigned crew members; the RAF let aircrew form their own crews without compulsion or guidance from above. Men gravitated together based on instinct, chemistry or luck. Strange as it seems, the system worked. Crews formed very close bonds that transcended the working relationship. Crews often spent their free time together. They knew each other's families and girlfriends. And some crews kept in touch long after the war.
Getting off on the Wrong Foot
Sometimes when we want to put our best foot forward we end up stumbling over it instead. It's precisely because I've been there and done that, that I knew what would happen to my heroine Georgina when she arrived at her first "student teaching" position straight out of college. Georgina has lived a sheltered life up to now -- the beloved daughter of a vicar, the product of private boarding schools. But she is also idealistic and wants to change the world. She thinks she can make a difference to the refugee children she has been sent to teach.
Real Heroes aren't Supermen
Popular as superheroes are nowadays, real heroes aren't supermen. Real heroes are human -- and most of them weren't born exceptional. The greatest heroes, in my opinion, are those "ordinary" people who overcome their own doubts and weaknesses to take on extra responsibilities and do exceptional things. The hero of "Moral Fibre" is exactly that: a young man who has faltered once already and is struggling to overcome his self-doubts in order regain his self-respect -- and go on to do a difficult and dangerous job.
Unexpected Revelations
During the early stages of a friendship, we are often quite ignorant of the person we are getting to know. Friendships might start at work and we know nothing about the other's family background, or they might start at a club or organization which touches just one aspect of our complex lives. As we get to know the other people better, we sometimes discover surprising facts. In this excerpt, Georgina discovers that the "typical-looking" RAF pilot she met at a dance isn't what he seems.
Just Friends?
Most have us at one time or another have found ourselves in an asymmetrical relationship where one party wants to be "just friends" and the other wants a little more. Here two college roommates clash over whether one of them is treating a common friend fairly.
Different kinds of courage
It took courage to fly into flak, to risk the enemy fighters, to face the odds of less than fifty percent survival chances. But that's not the only kind of courage. It also takes courage to admit love for another person. It takes courage to open ourselves to hurt and risk rejection. Kit Moran has both kinds of courage....
Courage is like money in the bank...
... it can be exhausted if used faster than replenished. That was the determination of psychiatric professionals dealing with men who, after flying in combat for extended periods, suddenly broke down and refused to face it all again. "Moral Fibre" is the story one such young man -- Christopher "Kit" Moran. This excerpt is the opening of the novel.
Where Eagles Never Flew: A Battle of Britain Novel
Literature & Fiction
WINNER of the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction WINNER of a Maincrest Media Award for Historical Fiction 2021. SILVER MEDALIST is the Global Book Awards 2022. FINALIST for Book Excellence Award for Military Fiction and the Feather Quill Book Award for Historical Fiction2021. Based on actual events and eye-witness accounts, "Where Eagles Never Flew" shows you the Battle of Britain from both sides of the Channel through the eyes of pilots, controllers, ground crews - and the women they loved. RAF Battle of Britain Ace Wing Commander Bob Doe called it "The best book about the Battle of Britain I have ever seen!" USAF General Heaton noted: "This is a great book that any pilot or would-be-pilot will love. The description of the flying scenes is so accurate, I can easily imagine myself in all of the air-to-air battles." Summer 1940: The Battle of France is over; the Battle of Britain is about to begin. If the swastika is not to fly over Buckingham Palace, the RAF must prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over Great Britain. Standing on the front line is No. 606 Squadron. As the casualties mount, new pilots find a cold reception from the clique of experienced pilots, who resent them taking the place of their dead friends. Meanwhile, despite credible service in France, former RAF aerobatics pilot Robin Priestman finds himself stuck in Training Command -- and falling for a girl from the Salvation Army. On the other side of the Channel, the Luftwaffe is recruiting women as communications specialists -- and naïve Klaudia is about to grow up.
Book Bubbles from Where Eagles Never Flew: A Battle of Britain Novel
"Bandits! One o'clock!"
"Where Eagles Never Flew" takes you into the Battle of Britain. It shows you what it was like on both sides of the Channel, from the perspective of women auxiliaries, ground crew, controllers -- and pilots. Aerial combat, aka "dog-fighting" is unavoidable -- for the "Few" defending Britain from invasion and for the reader. Here's a sample of it. Tallyho!
Kiwis - Forgotten Heroes
When people think of Churchill's "few," the RAF fighter pilots who stopped Hitler's juggernaut in the summer of 1940, they mostly think of British youth barely out of school. Yet 20% of the RAF pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain were not British at all. They came from the conquered countries of the Continent - eg. Poland, France, and Czechoslovakia - and from the Dominions -- Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The largest number of foreign pilots (145) were from Poland, but the second largest contingent (126) was from New Zealand. Furthermore, the brilliant Air Officer Commanding 11 Group, Air Vice Marshal Park, was a New Zealander. In this excerpt, Park is visiting a training unit when he recognizes another New Zealander by his accent.
Always Terrified Airman
It is a truism that old men start wars and young men fight them. Yet not all old men play such a negative role. Some continue to contribute in accordance with their abilities -- and sometimes it is their wisdom that helps most of all.
Holding the Lives of Others in Your Hands
In aerial warfare, combat pilots are the sharp end of the spear, but they depend on a support infrastructure 9-times as numerous. That is, there are nine men on the ground for every man who flies. No one on the ground is more important than the ground crews who maintain the combat aircraft. In this scene, a young aircraft mechanic just out of training is coming to terms with just how important his work is.
A Letter from the Third Reich
"Where Eagles Never Flew" tells the story of the Battle of Britain through a variety of perspectives -- including several German characters. In this excerpt, Lt. Ernst Geuke has just received a letter from his best friend and comrade Christian. Both young men are fighter pilots who have been flying against the RAF since the invasion of France. Both have been injured, Ernst so seriously that he is hospitalized; Christian on the the other hand feels fit but has vision problems that result in him being sent back to Berlin. Christian's letter to Ernst describes the atmosphere in Berlin at the height of the Battle of Britain.
The New Boy on the Block
Being new to an established organization, unit or club enables clarity of vision -- combined with confusion. In this excerpt Ainsworth is a 20-year-old pilot straight out of training is joining an operational RAF squadron for the first time. Unluckily for him, it is the middle of the Battle of Britain -- a time when the fate of the nation hung in the balance as the Germans attacked the British defenses highly effectively.
Wars Fought by Teenagers
I'm always astonished by how old Ukranian fighters look in the news clips because wars in the past were fought mostly by teenagers. The Battle of Britain was no exception: most pilots were 18 or 19 and the RAF had a policy that the commanders of fighter squadron's shouldn't be older than 26. Which meant, of course, that juvenile behaviour was almost inevitable some of the time. In this scene one of the newest pilots, "the sprog" Christopher Tolkein, has been receiving typed installments from his father's book to read while on readiness and left the manuscript lying around when he was "scrambled".(I.e. ordered into the air to face the enemy.)
Aren't I a bit young?
At some point in our lives, most of us have been confronted by a situation we feel inadequately prepared to take on. Unexpected promotions or job assignments can make us gulp and inwardly protest. This is particularly true in wartime, when casualties and urgency often result in very young men being given exceptional responsibility. In this excerpt. a young RAF officer is baffled by his new assignment.
Deja Vu
For men who had fought in the Royal Flying Corps in WWI, the Battle of Britain seemed like "deja vu." They had seen it all before -- the aggressive enemy, the debilitating exhaustion of the experienced pilots, the inadequately trained replacements and the inevitable casualties. In this scene the squadron intelligence officer, who lost a leg flying in WWI, must make a crucial decision that will doubtless cost lives.
When what is right isn't obvious.
Good novels reflect the realities of life -- one of which is that in many situations the "right thing to do" may not be as clear cut and obvious as we would like. In this excerpt, a sergeant oversteps his authority in the name of getting a job done, and the young officer who witnesses it is all too conscious that his superiors are likely to side with the sergeant.
Women at War
My blog series on "Women at War" focused this week on the WAAF. The WAAF enjoyed more support from the RAF than did the WRNS and ATS did from the navy and army respectively. By the end of WWII, WAAF accounted for 22% of the RAF establishment in the UK. Furthermore, WAAF were working in 110 different trades including aircraft, radio, and radar mechanics and as armorers. They served as radar operators, plotters, and controllers, and manned the barraged balloons. They were also involved in codes and cypher work, photo interpretations and intelligence. Yet without doubt they won their "spurs" during the Battle of Britain when they demonstrated courage under fire -- as in this excerpt.
When an man's courage is questioned...
In the German armed forces in WWII, many (particularly aristocratic) officers still held to 19th century concepts of honor. Things like: a officer's word was his bond, an officer paid his debts, or insults to one's honor required a direct response were still part of the code of behavior. Christian Baron von Feldburg has such a code of honor and he doesn't take kindly to Herman Goering suggesting that he and all German fighter pilots are shirking their duty. In this excerpt, he goes to visit a comrade who is in hospital after being shot down and missed his encounter with "Reichsmarshall" Goering.
Babes Bearing Arms
Many of the British pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain were still in their teens. Not only were they barely out of school and still too young to vote, many of them had very little flight training before being thrown at the enemy. Ginger is not only still in his teens, he's a new-comer in a snobby squadron, where most of the other pilots are very "upper crust." But then, a squadron isn't made up of the officers alone.....
Being attracted to the wrong man...
Its easy to be attracted to the wrong man -- particularly when we're young and inexperienced. Klaudia von Richthofen isn't yet 20 and after her sheltered childhood, work as a Luftwaffe auxiliary on an airbase in France has left her confused and defenceless in all the excitement. She's about to get an unexpected lesson.
First Date
The rules for dating were different in 1940 than they are today. For a start, nice girls lived at home -- and they didn't go out with young men unless they'd been properly introduced. But war has a way of breaking down rusting structures both physical and moral. In this excerpt the female protagonist has to decide if she stays inside the safety of the rotting barn or is prepared to risk kicking down the stall door.
Nobody's perfect
In an age of superheroes, many seem to forget that real heroes weren't always perfect. Certainly the young men who fought in the last war were very human. This was what I set out to capture in my novel "Where Eagles Never Flew" and part of that was showing that the enemy too was human. Ernst is a young and inexperienced Luftwaffe pilot -- not a Nazi fanatic or a killing machine.
Wounded Heroes have a Different Perspective
Life's knocks and upsets have a way of making us see things -- including ourselves -- differently. It's easy to feel "top of the world" and invincible when everything is going our way. It's when we get knocked down that we find out what we're made of and what we want in life. Robin Priestman was used to flying high -- RAF aerobatics team, lots of socialite and champagne. But he's a downed eagle now with a broken leg in a country that has just been routed and chased off the Continent of Europe. Along with many other things, his taste in women is changing, too....
Judging People by Appearances
Prejudice amounts to judging someone "in advance" or based on superficial observations -- e.g. a person's gender, the color of their skin, their clothes or accent. This scene exposes two types of false assessments based on hasty judgement of another.
Worm's eye view of aerial warfare
It is not fighter pilots alone who fight in the air -- their ground crew fights with them. They may be left behind on the ground, but the things they did -- or didn't do -- to ensure the aircraft was serviceable can make the difference between victory and defeat. Between life and death. In this excerpt a young aircraft mechanic, only five days on the job, is confronting that fact. It doesn't help that this is August 1940, and only a very few pilots, flying the machines he is servicing, can stop a Nazi invasion of Britain.
Birdseye View from a Bunker
The Battle of Britain wasn't won by the pilots alone. The controllers who directed them on their interceptions were just as vital to victory. The skills required of them were different and so were the stresses. In this excerpt, we see the aftermath of an interception through the eyes of the controller, Bridges.
They weren't all Glamorous Playboys
Fighter pilots have a reputation -- one they like to cultivate -- of being glamorous, daring, devil-may-care, hard-drinking playboys. But they weren't. Or not all of them were. Certainly not in the Battle of Britain. And while the stereotypical fighter pilot makes a great cartoon hero, the nuanced reality makes a better protagonist. George "Ginger" Bowles doesn't come from a landed family or a rich banker's home. He didn't go to an exclusive school. He certainly didn't go to university, and he doesn't have the "right" accent. But he's a fighter pilot all the same -- and will soon prove he's a good one -- even if he doesn't seem to "fit in," much less fit the stereotype.
Newcomers
It is never easy being a newcomer -- but sometimes the "welcome" is worse than others. Two young pilots have a rough start to squadron life in this excerpt from "Where Eagles Never Flew." It is late June 1940, and France has just surrendered to Nazi Germany.
All Hands on Deck!
The Battle of Britain was a crisis. To stop the Nazi Swastika from flying over Buckingham Palace, the RAF must defeat the Luftwaffe. But beating the bigger and more experienced Luftwaffe isn't a task for pilots alone. It's going to take the dedication and hard work of a whole range of other support services and organizations. "Where Eagles Never Flew" does credit to them all -- starting in this scene with the "lowly" ground crew and the aging veterans of the Air Transport Auxiliary.
A Diary Entry -- by the Enemy
Diaries offer insight into our souls -- even when we aren't being entirely honest with ourselves. If nothing else, they tell us how the writer sees him or herself. Few sources are as valuable to a historian or historical novelist as contemporary diaries. "Where Eagles Never Flew" is a Battle of Britain novel focused mainly on the pilots, ground crews, controllers and WAAF who saved Britain from invasion in 1940. Yet, the novel also has a German story-line and this excerpt opens the diary of a Luftwaffe pilot.
Knowing when to quit
Exhaustion can cloud our reason, leading us to make bad decisions. Bad choices in combat can be fatal. In this excerpt, Fl/Lt Robin Priestman has been kept flying too long. He's no longer operating at peak efficiency and he has reached that dangerous point where his brain is starting to partially shut down.
When Prayer is All You Have
I've certainly had those moments -- when I'm exhausted from the struggle, but the battle isn't over. That moment when you realize you've done your best, all that you possibly can, but it might not be good enough. That moment when you face the fact that you still might lose, and the consequences of defeat loom over you like a huge shadow. Frankly, I'm feeling like that now as the election inches closer. This excerpt describing men trapped in France as the Nazi juggernaut draws closer and closer seemed an appropriate one as the fascists are coming closer and closer to chocking off our democracy.
Wartime Teatime
Ah, the English and their tea. Even in war, an effort was made -- often at great cost -- to be sure the fighting men got their tea. In May 1940, Hitler's panzers had outflanked the Maginot Line, smashed through the French army and were fast encircling the retreating British Expeditionary Force. The few Hurricane squadrons the RAF had sent to France were decimated and exhausted. But there was still teatime.
The Importance of the Tail
In U.S. military terminology, the "tail" is the organization required to keep the "teeth" operational. The teeth, obviously, are the fighting troops, those actually engaging the enemy -- but they are never the whole story. The "teeth" cannot be effective without the "tail," that is, support. In WWII, nine men on the ground were required to keep one man flying in combat. Too often they are forgotten about. I wanted to be sure they were not only mentioned but given names and a place in my Battle of Britain novel. This is just one small example.
"A Question of Consent"
Young women at the end of puberty are often attracted by powerful men. Too often, powerful men are also predators, who feel entitled to adoration -- and sex -- from women. Very few young women know how and when to say "no" to such men, in part because many subconsciously associate them with authority figures like their father, boss, or pastor. In this excerpt, the naive Klaudia has been ordered to join the dashing squadron commander of a Stuka squadron for dinner. (Klaudia is in the Luftwaffe's womens' auxiliary.) At first Major Ashinger ("Jako") talks only about the disastrous sortie earlier in the day, but then...
When "Mr. Right" has the Wrong Politics
If you're a young, single woman interested in meeting the man of your dreams you may have encountered a situation like this: he seems perfect -- until you find out his politics. In this scene Emily Pryce is helping out at a Salvation Army Seaman's Mission by dishing out food in the canteen. Left alone when her colleague is called away, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Then, quite unexpectedly, a good-looking young man in civilian clothes arrived. He offered to give her a hand -- despite wearing a cast on one leg and needing to prop himself up on a crutch to help. Emily concludes he must be one of the conscientious objectors who the Salvation Army has been promised as additional workers.
Love in Wartime - Part 1
War brings a variety of pressures to relationships from separation to hardships, but the most significant is the constant risk of loss. This was particularly acute for those actively involved in the air war 1940-1945. In this excerpt, the couple (Emily and Robin) have been engaged for some time, but Robin has been photographed with another woman and has come to make up with his finance, bringing her roses.
Rather like Putin...
thinking that he could take Kiev in a matter of days, Hitler expected to bomb England into submission in a few weeks. The Luftwaffe just had to swat away the remnants of the RAF. After the apparent success of a massive air raid against London on Sept. 7, the Germans launched waves of bombers against London on September 15, 1940. They were expected to deliver a "coup de grace" to the allegedly mortally wounded Royal Air Force. Instead, Sept. 15, 1940 has gone down in history as Battle of Britain Day -- the day on which the RAF decisively defeated the Luftwaffe causing the invasion plans for the British Isles to be "postponed" indefinitely. "Where Eagles Never Flew" shows you the Battle of Britain -- from June to September -- through the eyes of characters on BOTH sides. Here Lt. Ernst Geuke of JG23 experiences "Battle of Britain Day."
Meeting our Expectations
Expectations and reality can diverge considerably. Excessive expectations lead to disappointment and modest expectations can result in pleasant surprises, but the contrast is almost always decisive to our reaction. This scene merges two sets of expectations -- Emily has defied her parents to travel halfway across the country to meet a man she hardly knows and is afraid of her own courage. Robin has defied his commanding officer to visit in hospital the crew of a bomber he has shot down.
If an officer's courage is questioned
Military leadership requires courage. Without it, no officer can retain the respect of his men. Particularly in Europe where the traditions of the various officer corps are rooted in the ethos of medieval knights, officers are very touchy about any insult to their courage. Accusations of cowardice have led to many a duel. But when that accusation comes from the commanding general, responding can be a bit tricky. Christian Baron von Feldburg comes from a family with a strong military tradition....
When Private and Professional Lives Clash
Young people fall in love even -- or is it especially? -- in the middle of a war. Yet wars also impose many restrictions. In World War II a young man in the armed forces required the permission of his commanding officer in order to get married. That could be awkward as in this scene. Alan Ainsworth has only just joined his squadron and to add to the excitement Air Vice Marshal Park has dropped by the mess when his fiance calls.
New Kid on the Block
Casualties in the Battle of Britain were extremely high -- close to 70% at front-line squadrons, and replacement pilots were hastily sent forward, most of the straight out of training. Not only did these pilots have no combat experience, they were usually still in their teens, not yet old enough to vote, and totally unfamiliar with life on a squadron. They were very much the "new kid on the block" -- but the had to learn fast. In this scene, 19-year-old Alan Ainsworth has just arrived at the front line fighter Station Tangmere. He has been told to wait for his squadron (which has taken off on an interception of the enemy) in their dispersal hut.
Love is blind -- and universal
One of the unique features of "Where Eagles Never Flew" is the German plot line. While the emphasis of the book as a whole is on the RAF, the novel provides a subplot seen entirely through the eyes of the Luftwaffe. The protagonists in this subplot are a young Me109 pilot, Ernst Geuke and a Luftwaffehilferin, Klaudia, the equivalent of the WAAF. Both are loyal Germans without any doubts about Hitler and his regime. They have no hidden Jewish ancestry but nor are they members of the SS or Gestapo or the Nazi Party. They are just two young people barely out of their teens and working in their first job in wartime. And one of them has fallen hopelessly in love with the other.
Growing Up - July 1940
Few people are alive today who can remember July 1940. In England it was a warm summer -- by the standards of the day. And -- unfortunately -- sunny much of the time. Unfortunate, because the Germans were trying to win air superiority over Britain and everyone knew that was the first step before an invasion. Only the RAF could stop it, and the RAF was made up of very young men -- who were growing up fast. This excerpt is set at an Operational Training Unit where young pilots are in the final stages of training for combat. One of their instructors, Robin, has just shot down a German bomber while on night readiness.
Unexpected Visitors
In any military, unexpected visits by senior officers have a tendency to disrupt work. The consequences can be surprising -- and unpleasant. This is particularly true in a dictatorship such as Nazi Germany. In this excerpt, Hermann Goering has just made a surprise visit to a front line Stuka Gruppe. In his wake he leaves two broken hearts. Klaudia, who had fallen head over heels for the dashing CO, and Rosa, who was getting serious about one of the leading ground crew NCOs, Axel.
The Wounds that Don't Show
Physical wounds are usually obvious and can be treated promptly. Mentally wounds are often hidden and elusive. In severe cases, they can result in PTSD. In other cases they may lead to growth, maturity, bitterness or a deadening of the capacity for empathy. It all depends on the individual and the individual circumstances. In this excerpt, Ginger is trying to cope with his demons on his own and rejects an offered hand of help. At least for now....
When our friends are barbaric...
Even when we are fighting for a good cause, we may find that not all our comrades and allies are scrupulous and humane. Based on real incidents, this excerpt describes what happened -- more than once -- during the summer of 1940, when Britain was fighting for survival. The situation was so desperate, that not everyone in RAF Fighter Command was inclined to be chivalrous towards the enemy.
When nice girls didn't sleep around...
...nice boys had two kinds of girlfriends. When doing my research for "Where Eagles Never Flew," I corresponded with a former WAAF from Fighter Command. Among the other gems of information she shared with me was the fact that while all the WAAF at the station were "mad" about the fighter pilots, they "preferred to go out with girls from Woolworths." As she explained, the WAAF at this time, were all "nice" girls, and nice girls didn't sleep around. The working class girls who had jobs at Woolworths, on the other hand, were a little more liberal with their "favors." In the face of immanent death when planning for a long-term future seemed a bit optimistic, the pilots opted for instant gratification.
An Enemy Protagonist
Not all protagonists have to be on the same side of a conflict. When I decided to write about the Battle of Britain, I made the conscious decision to include a German story line following a German fighter squadron. This unit has positive and negative characters. Having lived a quarter century in Germany, I did know one or two "good" Germans.... In this excerpt Ernst Geuke goes into the nearest French town with his friend Baron von Feldburg. Ernst comes from a humble background. He is short, round, and only an average pilot still learning the ropes -- which doesn't prevent him from falling in love with one of the attractive and aristocratic young women auxiliaries at the base.
Strange Bedfellows
War disrupts life and often brings people together who otherwise would never meet. Many wartime romances were between people of different classes, religions and political inclinations, who in peacetime probably would not have taken an interest in one another, even if they had -- by chance -- met. That is certainly the case with the leading characters in "Where Eagles Never Flew": Emily and Robin. After a chance encounter three weeks earlier, they are about to go on their first date. The differences in their backgrounds and politics make it awkward -- at least at first.
When your past catches up with you...
It can be awkward sometimes when people or episodes from you past catch up with you. The wilder your past, the more likely it is to come up and bite you later on. In this excerpt the hero is now engaged and in a responsible position (leading a fighter squadron in the Battle of Britain) when a surprise encounter with a lady from his past threatens to upset everything.
In Honor of the Ghost of Kyiv
The "Ghost of Kyiv" was a legend -- but one based on the very real accomplishments and sacrifices of Ukrainian fighter pilots. The Ukrainians are still fighting against a numerically superior enemy intent on imposing a brutal dictatorship characterized by atrocities and the complete oppression of national identity and free thought. The attached excerpt describes an air war in nearly identical circumstances - when British fighter pilots faced the onslaught of Hitler's Luftwaffe in 1940.
Misreading the Enemy
At the end of the Battle of Britain, Hitler and Goering thought they had defeated the RAF. They were confident that their change of tactics, from concentrating on airfields and aircraft factories, to hounding the British capital London day and night, would bring the British to their knees. In short, because they misread the response of the enemy the drew the wrong conclusions and changed their objectives and tactics. As a result they lost the war. It's too soon to know if Putin has made a similar mistake, yet it is clear that Putin vastly under-estimated the Ukrainians and their military. It seems unlikely that his appreciation of them or the quality of his information is going to improve in the near future.
The Face of Aerial Warfare
In defensive aerial warfare, the defending air force waits at "readiness" until intruding aircraft are detected by electronic means. As the intruders approach, specific defenders are detailed to intercept the intruders. The key to success lies largely with the "controllers" -- the man or men interpreting the data about the intruders and making the decision about where, when and who should engage the enemy. Nowadays, aircraft usually engage either alone or in pairs. In the Second World War, the formations of bombers -- and fighters -- were larger. This extract shows an aerial battle during the Battle of Britain from the controller's standpoint.
A Matter of Morale
There are rumors that morale in the Russian army is very low. The reasons for it are harder to determine. It may be reluctance to attack "brothers." It may be anger over inadequate logistical support, or discouragement over the lack of success. Then again, it just might have to do with the factor highlighted in this excerpt. Here a Spitfire pilot, who has successfully shot down a Luftwaffe bomber at night, is confronted by American reporters. It is July 1940.
Supporting the Men Fighting in the Air
On average, it takes nine people on the ground to keep one airman flying combat. Aircraft need repair, maintenance, refueling and rearming, squadrons require command and control based on intelligence, pilots need food, drink and rest. When defending one's homeland, those support personnel - many of whom may be women -- are at risk almost as much as the men fighting in the air. They too are targeted by the enemy for air attack. This excerpt describes an air raid on an RAF fighter station in August 1940.
Deja vu in Ukraine
In a recent article, the NYT described the Ukrainian Air Force's struggle against the numerically superior Russians. It described the pilots "...waiting, waiting, until the tension is broken with a shouted, one-word command: “Air!” It said the pilots took off without checks and without knowing their exact mission. When they meet the enemy, they are always outnumbered, five to one or more. And -- for the first time in more than half a century -- when they engage in aerial dogfighting. The similarities to the Battle of Britain are striking, almost uncanny. It is certain that scenes like this are happening in Ukraine today.
The Price of Defiance
It has been three weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine without cause. To the world's surprise, the Ukraine is still holding out against the odds. Yet the price is high. It always is when you're the underdog. It is especially high when you are facing a well-armed and brutal dictator. When I read the Russians had bombed a theater full of people in Mariupol, I immediately thought of this scene -- based on a true event in Portsmouth in the Battle of Britain.
Alone against the Aggressors
The daily news from the war in Ukraine reminds me of the Battle of Britain. In the summer of 1940 Britain stood alone against an brutal, authoritarian aggressor. Unlike Ukraine, Britain was protected by the Channel and so the battle was fought only in the air. Yet many circumstances and emotions were similar -- the sense of being unjustly attacked, of being dreadfully outnumbered, and of being abandoned by the rest of the world, while defending one's home. This excerpt depicts one of the first Luftwaffe assaults on Britain in late-July 1940.
The Lessons of History
The brutal dictator first demanded parts of a neighboring country on the ground that the population ethnically belonged to his own. (Hitler, Sudetenland, 1938; Putin, Crimea, 2014). The international community acceded to his wishes. Next he invaded the rest of the country. (Hitler, Czechoslovakia, March 1939; Putin, Ukraine, Feb. 2022). The international community did nothing. So the dictator invaded and occupied all of Western Europe. (Hitler, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and France, 1939/1940; Putin, the Baltic States, Poland, Moldavia, Hungary? 2022? 2023?) In the excerpt an RAF pilot fighting in France lands at the only airfield he can find after a confusing dogfight.
Being Ashamed of Where We Come From
It is not just the color of our skin that can set us off from others and make us feel out-of-place. The kind of home we grew up in, the manners and language of our parents, the clothes they wear and more can make us feel ashamed in the company of our peers. This was especially true in England in the mid-twentieth century, a profoundly class-conscious society. Yet the ravages of war were making "common service" and "advancement by merit" necessities. In doing so, young men of different backgrounds were brought together. In this excerpt a young sergeant pilot finds himself with two of his commissioned and wealthy colleagues -- and his simple, uneducated father.
Being Ashamed of Where We Come From
It is not just the color of our skin that can set us off from others and make us feel out-of-place. The kind of home we grew up in, the manners and language of our parents, the clothes they wear and more can make us feel ashamed in the company of our peers. This was especially true in England in the mid-twentieth century, a profoundly class-conscious society. Yet the ravages of war were making "common service" and "advancement by merit" necessities. In doing so, young men of different backgrounds were brought together. In this excerpt a young sergeant pilot finds himself with two of his commissioned and wealthy colleagues -- and his simple, uneducated father.
Saying all the wrong things to Mr Right
Most women have experienced this at least once in their lifetime: meeting a young man who seemed absolutely perfect -- and then out of eagerness to attract or to please, saying all the wrong things. Much as things have changed between the Second World War and now, that kind of fatal attraction -- and fatal blunder -- has not. In this excerpt, my leading lady jumps to the wrong conclusions while doing "war work" for the Salvation Army and ends up saying all the wrong things.
An Old-Fashioned Novel
My novels are old fashioned. I'm not ashamed of that. Fashion may determine a book's place on this week's best-seller list, but not what will be read a hundred years from now. I write to tell a story, rather than to impress a critic. And just as I believe it is vital to to see things from different points of views in our daily personal and political relations, I think a complex story can best be told from different points, as well. This excerpt is one of only a few seen through the eyes of a comparatively minor, yet unique, character. David Goldman is a German Jew with a Canadian passport, who has volunteered to fly for the RAF in 1940.
Art in the Age of Social Media
Despite -- or is it because of? -- our fast-paced and often hectic life-style, people still crave stories in the form of films, TV series and books. The market for all forms of story-telling is booming as never before. People feel a desperate need, it seems, to leave their own fragmented and confusing lives behind and dive deep into a different world -- a world of characters and plots detached from their own reality. Yet as authors we can make those journeys more than escapism. We can make them insightful, meaningful, moving, educational, or amusing as well. Maybe this excerpt will trigger readers to reflect on how lucky most of us are to live in a world at peace.
The Power of Description
In the age of film, it is easy to forget how important description is. Good films linger lovingly upon key aspects of a scene's setting. Our eyes are given time to feast upon a cluttered office suggesting hectic activity or a slum-dwelling warning us of poverty, or a crime scene crammed with clues. The novelist, on the other hand, must describe with mere words the setting of a scene -- and do so without making the reader restless for action. Given that a picture is worth a thousand words, that is not an easy task! Yet a good description is less about the objective setting than its impact on the characters and plot.
The "Enemy" Within
Unlike cartoon characters and superheroes, the characters of good historical novel have doubts, weaknesses, and set-backs. In Britain in 1940, the average age of a fighter pilot was19. Most of the pilots had less than 200 hours flying time altogether, and joined their squadrons with less than 20 hours flying on the machines they were supposed to fight in. In short, they were young, inexperienced and insecure. -- as this excerpt highlights.
Humanizing the Enemy
One of the key aspects of good fiction is complex yet internally consistent characters. And it isn't just the heroes that need to be rounded. The antagonists and secondary characters need to be convincing too. In war novels, avoiding cliches about the enemy is one of the most difficult but effective ways to create greater interest, tension and impact. In this excerpt, we see what an RAF success against the Luftwaffe looked like from the German perspective.
What's in a Word?
Writing is about capturing the human experience in words. Some people have done that so successfully, that hundreds of years later we still read what they wrote and are moved by the situations they describe. Weaving in relevant references to writers that have gone before is something I like doing as it enriches a text, giving it a second dimension. In this excerpt set during the Battle of France (May 1940), RAF pilots with the British Expeditionary Force await the call to action.
Introspective
Novels exist on multiple planes: 1) the high plane of panoramic overviews with descriptions of places and action, 2) the middle field of dialogues and interaction between characters, and 3) the deep dive into the heads of characters. The same event looks different depending on which plane the author uses to depict a specific episode. What would have been merely: "Priestman returned to the dispersal" at the higher plane or a short exchange between Priestman and Allars in the middle field takes on greater contours in this deep dive into the main character.
Seeing through a fresh pair of eyes
In novels no less than in real life, it is sometimes both refreshing and helpful to pull back from the daily grind and see things from a new perspective. As humans, we sometimes get lost in the weeds of our daily life, thereby losing sight of the overall picture. The same thing happens in novels too. That's why I like to occasionally and judiciously shift the point-of-view away from the main characters with their familiar worries, attitudes and points-of-view and show the same events and issue through the eyes of someone else. Here a new pilot, fresh out of training, is assigned to the squadron the novel has been following throughout the previous chapters. The reader knows about the routines and will recognize the characters, but by seeing them through the eyes of the new comer we see them in a new light.
The Best Characters aren't Perfect
The best novels are those that pull us into the story by creating an emotional bond between reader and characters. We readers keep reading because we care about what the characters and what happens to them. Since most of us are imperfect and have self-doubts, we find it easier to identify with characters that likewise have flaws and insecurities. In this scene we see the situation in an RAF squadron at the height of the Battle of Britain through the eyes of the "terrifying" new CO -- a man the pilots call "the Butcher."
Young men need young women
As John Steinbeck noted in "The Moon is Down," armies are made up of young men and young men need young women. It's a fact as old as warfare itself, and the Luftwaffe was no exception. "Where Eagles Never Flew" shows the Battle of Britain from both sides of the channel highlighting both differences and similarities. One of the latter, was that the Luftwaffe pilots were just as attracted to the Luftwaffe's women auxiliaries as the RAF was to the WAAF.
Some Things Never Change
One of the most striking lessons I have learned from studying history is how human nature doesn't really change. Technology, architecture, dress and manners change. Religions and political systems rise and fall. Laws and social standards evolve. But underneath it all human beings remain fundamentally the same frail creatures full of dreams and doubts, ambitions, jealousies, compassion, hatred and love. Nothing is more eternal than the attraction of the sexes, and while the rituals and language of love may change, the underlying excitement, hopes and insecurities remain. I think women from almost any century would identify with Emily in this passage.
Round Characters
Round characters have a past as well as a present. They have family, friends, memories and emotional baggage. When writing novels about military action, it is easy -- not to say common -- to overlook the past of the participants in large part because men at war are focused on survival. The "war" takes front and center. Unless writing a pure action thriller, however, novels benefit from round characters. That means stepping back from the action to get inside the characters hearts. Not only the current emotions are important, but their past and their wider network of emotional ties. Most of the pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain were very young -- meaning 18 to 21. Their ties were more to parents than to wives. Here an example.
Its not all about the hero...
Historical fiction, as opposed to literary fiction, generally has a large cast of characters dictated by history itself. The Battle of Britain may have been won by the "few" -- but that was roughly 3,000 airman and five times that many support staff and ground crews. Although my novel focuses on four pilots particularly (two RAF and two Luftwaffe), it seeks to honor the historical record with a host of secondary characters representing those supporting roles -- controllers, intelligence officers, girl friends and, the all important, ground crews. Describing their situation and contribution contributes to the authenticity of the book -- and incidentally gives credit to men too often forgotten.
It's the character's POV --
Good characters have their own opinions, they don't just share the opinions of the author. In historical novels, the characters aren't politically correct either. Ancient Roman citizens didn't think there was anything wrong with slavery. Medieval lords were not advocates of democracy. The women of earlier centuries had no particular desire to look, dress, act or work like men, much less be killed in combat alongside them. What characters think tell the reader about them -- not the author. In this excerpt, we get inside the head of a young - but by no means fanatical - Luftwaffe pilot.
Exploiting Different Points of View - Part IV
Aspiring writers are warned against "head hopping" -- and with good reason. If a writer wants the reader to identify with one or another character, it is important to draw them into that character's mind and feelings. Changing abruptly and without warning to a different point-of-view can be disconcerting at best and confusing at worst. Yet there are times when rapid changes of perspective -- predicated by clear signals to the reader of what is happening -- can be highly effective in building a sense of tension or excitement. Here my final example, still using the single event: the Luftwaffe assault on Portsmouth of August 12, 1940.
Exploiting Different Points-of-View 3
Rigidly clinging to a single point of view when telling a complex story is the literary equivalent of bigotry. No object, no event, and no person is so uni dimensional that all viewers see exactly the same thing. There are different ways of seeing everything from political developments to food and fashion. To write a novel from the point of view of a single character is to deny the reality and legitimacy of other points of view. It is to deny that other people might see things differently than the protagonist and suggests that the protagonist is always right. Today's excerpt depicts the identical event as the previous too excerpts -- the air assault on Portsmouth of August 12, 1940. This excerpt, however, is seen through the eyes of civilians on the ground rather than pilots engaged in the battle.
Exploiting Different Points of View 2
Although popular nowadays, writing an entire novel from a single point-of-view (POV) is like filming a full-length movie using a single camera. Imagine just how boring and claustrophobic that would be! It is the change from panoramic to up-close images, from one angle to another that makes for great cinematography. Authors should not handicap themselves by chaining their narrative to a single POV. Last week's excerpt described the opening of the Luftwaffe offensive on August 12, 1940 from the POV of the Luftwaffe. Today's excerpt shows that same even through the POV of an RAF fighter squadron tasked with defending British airspace against the Luftwaffe.
Exploiting Different Points-of-View (POV)
It has become fashionable to write books from a single point of view. Yet, using different points of view gives a novel depth, shadows and contours that are simply impossible, if the reader sees everything through the filter of the same character. Different points of view does not mean "head hopping," however. It means distinct and separate scenes in each of which a different POV is used. Within each scene, the POV is consistent and clear. In a series of book bubbles I'm going to show what I mean using the (historical) bombing of Portsmouth on 12 August 1940 as described in "Where Eagles Never Flew." Today: the Luftwaffe's POV.
Superheroes don't need Training
Another way to spot cartoon characters in novels is that they never need to learn anything. The peasant, who has walked all his life, swings himself nimbly into the saddle of a high-strung warhorse and dashes away in complete control. The maiden grabs the sword of her assailant and, although she has never held a sword in her life, now wields it with brilliant finesse. Real people -- and so the protagonists in good fiction, on the other hand, have to learn the skills. Precisely because flying aircraft is a skill requiring years of intense training (though you wouldn't know that from reading most books about WWII!), I made a point of placing one of my characters in RAF Training Command.
Characters or Cartoons?
One of the key differences between good writing and bad is the complexity and credibility of the leading figures. Characters are as nuanced, subtle and flawed as real people, while cartoons are flat, exaggerated caricatures. Increasingly the protagonists in contemporary fiction are merely cartoons.One can spot them easily because they are always the most beautiful/handsome, most intelligent, most skilled, most successful of people. In war novels, the "heroes" always preform superhuman feats almost before they are out of diapers. My characters, in contrast, have to learn to walk before they can fly, they have self-doubts, they make mistakes, and they can be afraid. Meet Ginger Bowles, RAF fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain.
It takes a Whole Team
Americans tend to be individualists and self-reliant, but major successes are almost always the result of a collective effort. That was true of the Battle of Britain too. In earlier excerpts, I drew attention to the role of the factory workers building the fighter aircraft so essential to defeating the Germans and to the ground crews who maintained those aircraft. Today's excerpt looks at another component of success: the RAF's excellent command and control apparatus. This excerpt shows a Sector Control room, where incoming enemy aircraft were plotted and from which fighters were directed to intercept them.
It wasn't just the "Few"
Churchill famously honored the RAF fighter pilots -- the Few -- who prevented the Nazis from invading England in the Summer of 1940 by denying the Luftwaffe air superiority. Too often forgotten is that the pilots could not have done anything without serviceable aircraft, and that meant that the ground crews, who kept the fighters repaired, re-fueled and re-armed are nearly as much heroes as the pilots themselves. No, they weren't risking their lives in the same way, but they were working nearly around the clock and for a lot less pay. I try to give the ground crews of RAF fighter squadrons a face -- and an honorable place -- in "Where Eagles Never Flew."
Women in Uniform
Doing research for a comparative study of women pilots in WWII led me to the memoirs, biographies and diaries of many women who served with the air forces of the U.S., U.K, Germany and the Soviet Union. Regardless of nationality, one thing seemed to leap off the page: young women who chose to be associated with the Air Force of their respective country were especially attracted to pilots. Sadly, the diary entries and memories also reveal the frequency with young men took advantage of the situation -- even if they were already married. This was such a recurring theme that I felt I ought to include it in "Where Eagles Never Flew."
A single woman in 1940
It is now three quarters of a century since the Second World War. For those of us who grew up surrounded by the films, literature and legends of it, it doesn't seem all THAT long ago -- until we stop to think about the changes to the world since. Particularly striking are the changes in how young people interact. In WWII most unmarried women still lived at home. "Nice girls" did NOT go out with strangers. They did not smoke or wear trousers. They certainly did NOT kiss on the first date. Double-dating was the practically the norm, while ballroom dancing was the most popular form entertainment. A good novel set in this period needs to respect these differences. In this excerpt, I highlight the difficulties for a young woman who is a little past the prime age for socializing.
It wasn't just "the Few"
Winston Churchill immortalized the role of RAF fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain with his famous phrase "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few." Nothing should detract from what those young men did. But they didn't do it alone! They needed ground crews, controllers and aircraft too. Aircraft had to be built and the factories were under attack. In this scene, an RAF pilot flying a aircraft back to the factory for servicing encounters more than he expected.
Doing a Deal with Hitler
It is often forgotten that many in Britain -- particularly in the Foreign Office and within the Conservative Party -- favored coming to terms with Hitler after the surrender of France in June 1940. The Battle of Britain would never have happened, if these men had held sway rather than Sir Winston Churchill. In this excerpt, set at a front line RAF station in June 1940, those sentiments surface in an unexpected place.
Those how have no stomach for the fight...
During WWII, the RAF used the term "Lack of Moral Fibre" (LMF) to describe pilots and other aircrew who failed or refused to engage the enemy. Since the war, the causes and consequences of LMF have been the subject of much popular literature such as Len Deighton's "Bomber" and Joseph Heller's "Catch 22." While the tern nowadays is most commonly associated with aircrew flying bombing missions over Germany, Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain also confronted cases of LMF -- leading AVM Park to be a firm advocate of the policies surrounding it. This scene depicts the first suspicion of LMF arising a front line squadron during the Battle of Britain.
The Man who Won the Battle of Britain
Obviously, no one man won the Battle of Britain, but AVM Park certainly could have LOST the battle, if he had failed to deploy his scarce resources effectively. Park was a very different character from Goering -- unassuming, soft-spoken, focused and fiercely dedicated to his pilots. In this excerpt, I describe Park visiting a airfield just hours after it was attacked by the Luftwaffe. This is something Park did several times in the course of the Battle -- and in the manner described here. The excerpt both depicts Park and highlights some of the key issues he faced.
An Encounter with Herman Goering
"Where Eagles Never Flew" follows the fortunes of an RAF and a Luftwaffe squadron during the Battle of Britain. Fighting on the frontlines, the men flying rarely had any interaction with the commanding officers who decided the strategy. Yet Herman Goering, C-in-C of the Luftwaffe, was a larger-than-life figure who loved the limelight. Confident of victory, he sought "photo ops" that featured him with his bomber crews and aces. When the Battle didn't go as expected, he also found scapegoats -- the fighter pilots. In this scene a fighter pilot recovering from injuries in hospital is visited by one of his colleagues -- who has just had an encounter with Herman Goering.
Leadership and Charisma
Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding was without doubt one of the most important leaders of WWII. His role was absolutely critical in winning the Battle of Britain, and the Battle of Britain was pivotal in long-term Allied survival and success. Yet part of the reason Dowding has been forgotten was that --although brilliant and conscientious -- he did not have charisma. He simply did not have the kind of personality that enabled him to connect readily with his young pilots, the political leadership or the general public In this excerpt from "Where Eagles Never Flew," Squadron Leader "Robin" Priestman, commanding a frontline Hurricane squadron at the height of the Battle of Britain has been caught on camera kissing a famous socialite -- and he doesn't think it is going to go down well with the C-in-C of Fighter Command...
The Enemy Within
During the Battle of Britain pilots on both sides of the conflict were increasing young and inexperienced. Arriving at frontline squadrons with less than a score of hours on the operational aircraft they were supposed to fly, they were often more focused on flying than fighting -- a factor that often cost them their lives. In "Where Eagles Never Flew" I wanted to emphasize both the inexperience of many pilots and remind readers that flying isn't easy. It is not a skill like riding a bicycle that any and everyone can pick up in a few hours. In my next two book bubbles I'm going to feature young pilots with flying issues. Today's bubble is set in northern France where Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 23 is engaged in flying escorts for German bombers raiding England in July 1940.
Women on the Front
Women played a key role in the armed forces during World War Two. In my last book bubble, I highlighted WAAF in the Battle of Britain. Notably, ii was in exactly this same period that the Luftwaffe, too, expanded its reliance on female volunteers that served in the women's auxiliary to the Luftwaffe. In this scene, two teenage recruits t -- Luftwaffehelferinnen Rosa and Klaudia -- arrive at their first wartime assignment. It is the summer of 1940, and Nazi Germany seems utterly invincible.
Readers and Writers
While my creative writing springs from internal inspiration that is utterly unrelated to "market forces" and "popular demand," that does not mean that readers have no role or no influence. On the contrary, while I can only write what is in me, the responses of readers to my books profoundly influences the creative process at a secondary level. An excellent example of this is my recent release "Where Eagles Never Flew." This book was originally published 14 years ago, but the enthusiasm of readers -- including veterans of the Battle of Britain -- inspired me to undertake a new edition with photos and to engage in active marketing of the book. In honor of the WAAF who did so much to encourage me, an excerpt featuring WAAF.
Generational Conflict isn't New
Recent events have highlighted serious generational conflict with young people supporting Democrats and democracy by far higher margins than their parents, many of whom favor fascism and a Trump dictatorship. It's easy in tense times to think that such generational contrasts are exceptional. Yet even in the Second World War, a period when one would have thought common views prevailed, some families were still politically divided. This excerpt looks at one such family -- and introduces the female lead in the book, Emily Pryce.
Claims and Kills
In the air war during World War Two, victories claims on all sides were greatly exaggerated. In one famous case, USAAF gunners on B-17s during a raid claimed to have shot down 101 Luftwaffe fighters. Luftwaffe records which became available after the war show that the Luftwaffe lost exactly one (1) fighter that day. Yet the exaggerated claims were rarely a function of outright lies. Aerial combat was fast-paced and highly confusing, leading to many false and multiple claims. This excerpt from "Where Eagles Never Flew" is intended to highlight the issue.
Venus and Mars
As John Steinbeck observed in "The Moon is Down," armies are made up of young men, and young men have a compelling interest in young women. No political system or national emergency has ever managed to eradicate that -- even when they wanted to. The pilots of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, despite facing incredible pressure and huge casualties did not lose interest in the opposite sex. Flight Lieutenant Robert "Robin" Priestman was injured flying in the Battle of France and in this excerpt is on convalescent leave with is widowed mother and maiden aunt.
Carpe Diem or Living Every Second
Akin to hope are other coping mechanisms that humans have evolved for dealing with terrifying situations that temporarily block our view of the future. During the Battle of Britain, RAF squadrons on the front line (No 11 Group) suffered 50 - 70% casualties. The pilots coped by not acknowledging the losses (no shows of grief, no mourning), by living frenetically, and by consuming abnormal amounts of alcohol. In this excerpt, No 606 (Hurricane) Squadron celebrates the squadron's 100th victory - that is the 100th Luftwaffe aircraft shot-down since the start of the war by a pilot of 606 squadron.
New Beginnings
At the start of a new year, we often make New Year's resolutions about 'turning over a new leaf' or 'starting anew' with something. Other times, circumstances put us in a new situation -- e.g. going to college or starting a new job. It can be very frightening. In this excerpt, two young men have just reported to their first operational fighter squadron after a year in training. Both are Sergeant pilots joining an elite Auxiliary Squadron, and the date is late June 1940. The Battle of France is over, and the Battle of Britain is about to begin....
Time to start praying...
Christmas has become such a secular feast -- a time of "jiggle bells," snowmen, bright lights, Santa Claus and reindeer, Christmas trees and decorations and, of course, consumption -- that the religious origins are largely lost. I wonder what percent of the population actually prays at Christmas. We are more likely to pray in a crisis -- when we feel threatened and overwhelmed. In this excerpt, a young man in the midst of a chaotic war -- The Battle of France 1940 -- is reminded of the need for prayer.
Grounded Eagles
Literature & Fiction
David Goldman is shot down in flames in September 1940. Not only is his face burned beyond recognition, he is told he will never fly again. While the plastic surgeon recreates his face one painful operation at a time, the 22-year-old pilot must discover who he really is. Rhys Jenkins, a widower with two teenage children, has finally obtained his dream: “Chiefy” of a Spitfire squadron. But an unexpected attraction for an upperclass woman threatens to upend his life. Flight Engineer Kit Moran refuses to participate in a raid on Berlin in late November 1943, his 37th 'op.' He is posted off his squadron for “Lacking Moral Fibre” and sent to a mysterious DYDN center. Here, psychiatrist Dr Grace must determine if he needs psychiatric treatment -- or disciplinary action for cowardice.
Book Bubbles from Grounded Eagles
The Defining Manly Virtue: Courage
Since the age of the Iliad, no manly quality has been more highly valued and more greatly eulogized than courage. Heroes can have other faults. They can be hot-tempered, slow-witted, poor, physically unattractive, unfaithful to their wives etc. etc. but they must have and show courage. But what is courage? How do we define it? In this exchange the psychiatrist tasked with evaluating the mental stability of an RAF flight engineer who has refused to fly any more combat operations examines the issue.
His Kids
Meeting the teenage children of the man you love is always an intimidating situation -- regardless of the century we live in. Hattie Fitzsimmons is an "old maid" of forty-something and she's fallen for a widower with two teenage children. In this excerpt she's meeting them for the first time at dinner in their father's new house -- a house Hattie helped him fix up.
Honouring the Dead
"Grounded Eagles" is a collection of three novellas all intended as tributes to the dead of WWII. Indeed, all my novels of the last two years are tributes to those who died for our freedom in the Second World War. This excerpt is from "A Stranger in the Mirror," the first of the three novellas in the anthology. "Banks" is an RAF fighter pilot who has lost his face and hands to the flames of his crashing Hurricane. The plastic surgery necessary to reconstruct both requires a series of more than a dozen operations, and both his mind and body need periodic breaks between surgery. During these breaks, Banks lives with the father of a fellow pilot (Ginger Bowles) who was killed in action shortly before Banks was himself shot down. In this excerpt, their former CO ("the Skipper") and his wife come for a visit and tea.
Single parenting was never easy...
"A Rose in November" is the story of a widower with teenage children -- who unexpectedly falls in love again. Set in Britain in 1940, it is essentially timeless. I think many single parents today will relate to the following scene.
Subjects of a Tyrant
When an autocratic dictator ala Putin or Hitler make war, the majority of their subjects cheer -- if only out of fear or self-interest. But there are always exceptions. In this excerpt, two opponents of Hitler meet in England. David Goldman was born and raised in Germany until in 1933 when his father had the sense to emigrate to Canada. David remembers both the Nazis who tormented him for being a Jew -- and the friends who stood by him. He is pleased to encounter another soul who understands his ambivalence toward Germany.
The Cost of Fighting a Superior Enemy
It is four weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine -- and the Ukrainian Air Force is still flying, still fighting and still inflicting casualties. But while we can't know the details, we can be sure than many Ukrainian pilots are also being shot down, killed and injured. Scenes such as this will be repeating themselves. Here, an RAF pilot is visited by some of his former colleagues while he lies in hospital recovering from burns that have destroyed his face and hands.
The Many Faces of Prejudice
Prejudice has many faces. One common face is prejudice based on race or sex. But there is also prejudice based on age and accent and appearance -- and there is prejudice based on social or cultural expectations. In WWII, men were expected to be brave. In the RAF, a member of aircrew who refused to continue operational flying was labelled "Lacking in Moral Fibre" (LMF) and subject to disciplinary measures. In this novella, one such man, Pilot Officer Kit Moran is facing the consequences of refusing to fly the day after his best friend Don was killed in a raid on Berlin. His efforts to talk to Don's parents don't go very well -- because of prejudice.
Facing the other woman's children
More and more women nowadays find themselves in the awkward position of trying to win the affection of children born to a stranger -- the first wife of the man they have fallen in love with. As divorce and remarriage continue to be a significant pattern in society, the problem isn't going to go away anytime soon. In this excerpt, the over-forty Hattie is meeting for the first time the teenage children of the man with whom she has fallen head-over-heels in love. The elder of these children is Ellen, a self-possessed 16-year-old with a lot of hidden insecurities.
You can't choose your relatives
There is an old saying that we can choose our friends but we can't choose our relatives. Which means that sometimes we find our relatives do not give us the support and encouragement we need. David "Banks" Goldman was the son who could never please his father -- not even when he nearly gave his life fighting the Nazis as a pilot for the RAF. In hospital, he is visited by his younger sister after a year of silence.
TRAITORS For the Sake of Humanity
Literature & Fiction
They opposed Hitler's diabolical regime on moral grounds. They sought to defend human dignity and restore the rule of law -- at the risk of their own lives. Traitors to Hitler, they were heroes to the oppressed. They remain an inspiration to anyone fighting against immoral and corrupt governments anywhere in the world. Adolf Hitler seems to have captivated all of Germany, yet even as one Nazi victory follows another, individuals with integrity and compassion remain opposed to him, his regime and all it stands for. People like Philip, Alexandra, and Marianne. They feel isolated and hopeless until they discover each other -- and learn that their concerns are shared by men in the highest echelons of the German High Command….
Book Bubbles from TRAITORS For the Sake of Humanity
In Memoriam
On this day (July 20) 78 years ago, an attempt was made to end the Second World War. Had the coup attempt of 20 July 1944 succeeded, only half as many people would have been killed in the death camps and on the battlefields of WWII. Yet ending the war wasn't their only motive. In this excerpt, one of the conspirators explains to his pregnant wife what it was all about in July 1944.
Dictators Arrest the Best
The similarities between Putin and Hitler become more apparent and more terrifying each day. Putin is imprisoning people merely for listening to news from a source he has not censored and manipulated. He is arresting people for calling a war a war. Hitler did the same thing -- he arrested people for listening to foreign news sources and for referring to his defeats as setbacks. In this excerpt a college student, Marianne, has been arrested -- without a warrant -- and is being questioned by the Gestapo. She is a real opponent of the regime, but she has been arrested merely for a remark that indicated she had listened to the BBC.
Regime Change -- for the Sake of Humanity
The evidence of Russian atrocities and increasing evidence of war crimes justifies regime change in Russia. That is the precedent set 80 years ago, when another dictator started another war of aggression and unleashed trained killers bent on slaughter, destruction and theft. It took a world war to end that orgy of brutality and inhumanity, but not because there were no Germans who recognized the evil that was Nazism. There were, in fact, many Germans who resisted the Nazis. Some of those came very close to bringing down the dictator and his regime. Had they succeeded it would have saved millions -- literally millions -- of lives. "Traitors for the Sake of Humanity" tells their story. In this excerpt the hero discovers that he is not alone.
Encounters with History
From the day when, aged four, my father led me through the Coliseum in Rome with the words "This is where they fed the Christians to the lions," history had been the inspiration for my novels. No encounter was more fateful than my unexpected discovery of the German Resistance to Hitler. Contrary to popular myths, German Resistance pre-dated the war -- let alone Germany's defeats. Furthermore, it was based not on nationalism but on ethical objections to an abhorrent regime. Once I discovered the German Resistance and became friends with many survivors of this movement, I lost ten years of my life trying to understand it -- and then explain it to others in books both fiction and non-fiction.
A Moral Disease
Nazi Germany was the first state to be condemned for crimes against humanity. Yet Germany had a history of enlightenment and tolerance. How was a civilized state so utterly gutted of basic morality and compassion? By 1941, Germans who opposed Hitler and his regime were a tiny minority, isolated from one another by fear. There were few places where one could voice criticism. Yet one of those places, paradoxically, was within the German General Staff. In this excerpt, German staff officers and a civilian secretary with legal training discuss the latest of Hitler's outrages -- and how the country has sunk so low.
A Stranger in the Mirror
Literature & Fiction
David Goldman, a German Jew with Canadian citizenship, is shot down in flames while flying for the RAF in September 1940. His face is burned beyond recognition, and he is told he will never fly again. While the legendary plastic surgeon Dr. McIndoe reconstructs a face and hands one painful operation at a time, the 22-year-old former fighter pilot must come to terms with the stranger in the mirror and decide who he really is.
Book Bubbles from A Stranger in the Mirror
Do you believe in Ghosts?
Generally, those who don't believe in ghosts don't see them. Maybe that proves there aren't any. Or, maybe only that ghosts are selective about whom they consort with. And then sometimes ghosts simply insist on being taken seriously. David "Banks" Goldman is visiting in the cottage of his dead friend Ginger. Ginger and David had been on the same squadron together -- until Ginger was shot down and killed over London in Sept. 1940. David was shot down two weeks later, but survived with terrible burns. He is visiting his friends father on a break from repeated plastic surgery intended to restore his face and hands.
Helping a Proud Man
David Goldman comes from a rich banker's family, but his best friend in the RAF, Ginger came from a very humble family. Ginger was killed only a week before David was himself shot down and severely injured. After multiple rounds of plastic surgery, David is given a "rest," and accepts the hospitality of Ginger's father in his country cottage. Mr. Bowles is a simple man with no formal education, who survives by doing odd jobs. But he is a proud man.
Overcoming Disabilities
One of the greatest challenges facing people with disabilities is convincing others not to underestimate their remaining capabilities. Most people with disabilities want to continuing working, contributing to society, and playing an active role in the world. They may have some limitations, but they are not worthless. We don't always give them the chance they deserve. In this excerpt, a young pilot lost all the skin on his face and hands when his Hurricane caught fire in combat, has returned after eighteen months of plastic surgery to get himself classified as fit for flying again.
From Beyond the Grave
When researching for my novels set in WWII, I was astonished to encounter a number of well-documented events involving paranormal phenomena. The magnitude of the catastrophe that enveloped so much of the world, the intensity of the emotions released in the aftermath of wide-scale death, destruction and dislocation created an atmosphere in which cracks in the scientific veneer appeared to occur. Whether these events happened or were simply believed to have happened doesn't really matter. People living through the stress of war accepted them -- and so they have a place in novels about this period. In this excerpt, Banks a badly wounded pilot, is staying in the home of a dead comrade while on leave when he has an unexpected visitor.
Joy is in the Simple Things
Yesterday I learned that two good friends had suffered a death in their family. In one case it was a mother, in the other a son. I had not known either of the victims, but I understand that my friends were in pain. Trying to find words of comfort are very difficult -- particularly for the parents of a 33 year old in the prime of life. The only real "words of wisdom" I could find were: remember the good times, remember the joy you had together. This excerpt starts by describing canine joy -- and the joy it brings to us. The rest of the excerpt has a different theme, but it -- like all my writing -- was a source of joy, nevertheless. It is the act of sharing characters and their struggles with life that brings me joy day after day.
Man's Best Friend
Pets have the power to heal. When writing this novella about a man with severe facial burns, I knew he needed a pet to help him. Having lost one of the most beautiful dogs the world has ever known only a year earlier, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to Sammy -- just as the novel as a whole is a tribute to the airmen who were so badly injured in the defense of others.
What's in a Face?
A person's identity is intimately intertwined with their face. A face can attract or repel others. It can evoke respect or pity, and it is critical for the communication of emotions. We read other people's faces, even if we cannot understand what they are saying. Yet, above all, we identify with our face to the point that we are who we see in the mirror -- except sometimes the face in the mirror isn't who we think we are. "A Stranger in the Mirror" explores the impact of physically losing one's face. A young pilot survives being shot down in flames, but his face has not. The plastic surgery necessary to restore a human face to his skull is painful and time consuming -- more than a dozen operations spread out over 18 months. In the meantime, David "Banks" Goldman must try to cope with people's reactions and come to terms with who and what he has become.
Enemies are not always what we expect
In this age of increasing hatred and stereotyping it would be good to remember that underneath our political labels and ideological positions we are all humans. In this excerpt a wounded Jewish RAF pilot is asked to translate for a Luftwaffe pilot who has just been admitted to the same hospital with severe injuries.
The Will to Keep Living
Life isn't always easy. Indeed, for some people life is rarely easy. Finding the will to keep going, keep working, keep performing can be difficult. It's easy to get discouraged and decide "it's" not worth it. At moments like that we should think of situations like the one described here -- and realize most of us don't really have it all that bad.
Life Changing Events
Many of us have experienced -- or known people who have had -- a life-changing event. It can be a financial crisis that suddenly destroys carefully-laid plans for the future -- or an inheritance that opens unexpected doors. It can be the death of a loved one that transforms our world, or an accident that leaves scars or disabilities that altar our own perceptions and capabilities. "A Stranger in the Mirror" is about such an event. Here the opening pages.
A Rose in November
Literature & Fiction
Not all lovers are young. Rhys Jenkins is “Chiefy” of a Spitfire squadron in late 1940, a full-time job in itself, but he is also a widower with two teenage children in need of his attention. Hattie FitzSimmons has devoted her life to the Salvation Army ever since WWI ended her hopes for a husband and family of her own. They are no longer young when they find each other, but they both feel things are ‘right’ — until Rhys discovers that Hattie has been hiding something from him.
Book Bubbles from A Rose in November
Love Across Classes
Class differences have become blurred and the class barriers that once separated people have largely broken down. But in 1940, Britain was still a "class society." "A Rose in November" isn't just about falling in love in middle age, it is also about falling in love for someone from a different class. Hattie Fitzsimmons is upper-middle class -- not titled, not gentry, not even wealthy, but the daughter of factory owner raised and educated to think of herself as something "better" than those who work for a living. On the other hand, she's not a bigot and left single after the slaughter of the "Great War" she has devoted herself to work with the Salvation Army. Suddenly, at 45, she finds herself attracted to the son of a Welsh coal miner and she is on the brink of breaking all the rules.
Hardships that Help Heal
Sometimes it is the unexpected crises in life that enable relationships to grow. In this excerpt, the arrest of his son for shoplifting brings Flight Sergeant Rhys Jenkins home -- and for the first time his self-possessed daughter opens up to him.
Being a Single Parent
We tend to think of "single parenting" as a modern problem brought on by high rates of pregnancy among unwed mothers and high rates of divorce. In the early 20th century, death more often than divorce, left one parent alone, but the challenges were no less daunting. While single mothers often lacked income, single fathers had the terrible task of juggling career and family in an age when men were supposed to be completely devoted to their work. The hero of "A Rose in November" is an RAF Flight Sergeant in charge of the ground crews of a front-line Spitfire squadron in late 1940. He is also the father of two teenage children....
The Seasons of Life
We often view life like the seasons of the year. Youth is our spring, early maturity our summer, late maturity our fall, and when we reach old age we know we come to the winter of our life. We associate falling in love with late spring and early summer -- the May of our lifetime. Yet humans can and do fall in love at any age, even in the fall and winter. My novella "A Rose in November" is about such a "November" relationship. An old maid and a widower quite unexpectedly find themselves attracted to one another in a wartime November 1940....
Decisive Moments
I think we've all had them -- that moment when some change is imposed on us by work or school or some other power beyond our control. We suddenly realize that nothing is ever going to be the same again and are frightened -- but can do nothing. In this excerpt, it is 1940 and the widowed RAF Flight Sergeant Rhys Jenkins is on his way to a new assignment. He is temporarily leaving his 13 year-old son in the care of his 17 year-old-daughter and having a lot of doubts about whether he is doing the right thing!
Waking up to being Middle Aged
Many of us have experienced that moment of waking up -- physically or metaphorically -- to discover one is no longer young but already middle aged. With that insight, often comes a sense of panic -- at least when our achievements do not match our youthful ambitions. It has been called "mid-life crisis" and can have dramatic consequences. In this excerpt from the start of "A Rose in November" a man in his forties has just confronted himself in the mirror and isn't comfortable with what he sees.
Lack of Moral Fibre
Literature & Fiction
In late November 1943, Flight Engineer Christopher “Kit” Moran, DFM, refuses to fly to Berlin on what should have been the seventh “op” of his second tour of duty. His superiors declare him “lacking in moral fibre” and he is sent to a mysterious DYDN center. Here, psychiatrist Wing Commander Dr. Grace must determine if he has had a mental breakdown requiring psychiatric treatment — or if he deserves humiliation and disciplinary action for cowardice.
Book Bubbles from Lack of Moral Fibre
The Stigma of "LMF"...
The stigma of being labelled Lacking in Moral Fibre (LMF) carried over into the civilian world. In some ways it was worse there. Because other airman knew the stresses they were under, they often sympathized or at least understood those who reached a breaking point and refused to continue flying. Civilians on the other hand, conflated "LMF" with cowardice. In this excerpt, flight engineer Kit Moran tries to contact the parents of his pilot and best friend Don Selkirk. With his own parents living in Nigeria, the Selkirks had opened their doors and given Kit a home away from home. But Don has been killed on an operational flight and after surviving, Kit refuses to fly again. He is desperate to talk to Don's parents in order to tell them about their son's last flight and to explain his reasons for going "LMF."
Defining Courage
"Lack of Moral Fibre" (LMF) was the term used in the RAF during WWII to describe aircrew that refused to fly without a medical reason. Some but not all the men so designated were suffering from what we would now call Post Traumatic Shock Disorder (PTSD). The novella "Lack of Moral Fibre" is the story of a flight engineer who has been posted LMF for refusing to fly on a raid against Berlin. He is now being examined by an RAF psychiatrist to determine if he needs medical treatment or must face disciplinary action for cowardice. The definition of courage is material to the case.
A Fateful Relationship?
RAF psychiatrist Wing Commander Grace must uncover the reason why a man with a Distinguished Flying Medal and more than 35 combat missions under his belt has suddenly refused to fly again. He's looked at Flying Officer Moran's family background but that didn't turn up anything compelling. Now he wonders about the woman in his life....
The Essence of Manhood
Throughout the centuries courage has been the measure -- and essence -- of manhood. In many cultures, youth must past a test of courage to be recognized as adults. From the Iliad to the 19th Century, heroines were "fair" (beautiful) and the heroes brave. Men who fail to demonstrate the necessary courage are excluded from military elites. "Lack of Moral Fibre" explores this theme. In this scene, the hero -- and RAF officer in WWII who has refused to fly on a raid to Berlin -- has a flashback/dream.
Roots and Racism
Racists are obsessed with genetic "purity." The Nazis -- some of the most rabid racists of the last two centuries -- started by requiring anyone seeking marriage to reveal their racial background going back four generations. They ended by systematically trying to exterminate all the Jews of Europe. In South Africa and the American South categorization by race was the basis of discrimination in education, health, employment and housing so that one's entire existence was shaped by the racial composition of one's blood. Without outside intervention, these regimes might also have ended in genocide. In this excerpt, an RAF pilot suffering from what we now call PTSD is confronted with his race.
confronting PTSD
The term PTSD for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has become familiar to most of us over the last decades. Yet while the term was unknown before 1980, the phenomenon it describes certainly was not. In the past, however, PTSD was not always treated with as much understanding and sympathy as is the case today. In WWII, the RAF referred to those who refused to fly -- often due to what we would now call PTSD -- as "lacking in moral fibre" -- LMF. Those found guilty of LMF faced severe disciplinary action. This excerpt describes a character's first encounter with a medical professional after being labelled LMF by his military superiors.
Beginnings that are also Endings
Some books are best told in retrospect. They open with a scene depicting where a character has ended after some crisis -- and then go back to explore how he/she got there. "Lack of Moral Fibre" is the story of a young man who has been found "lacking in moral fibre" by his superiors. He has been thrown off his squadron and sent to an RAF institution he knows nothing about -- a DYDN. The book explores how he got himself in this position and what it means. This excerpt is the opening scene.
Defender of Jerusalem: A Biographical Novel of Balian D’Ibelin By Helena P. Schrader
Literature & Fiction
WINNER OF: JOHN E. WEAVER EXCELLENT READS AWARD for Historical Fiction: Medieval READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARD 2016, Silver for Christian Historical Fiction FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARD 2016, Silver for Spiritual/Religious Fiction CHAUCER AWARD 2016 FINALIST for the M.M. BENNETT's AWARD for Historical Fiction BRAG MEDALLION Hollywood made him a blacksmith; Arab chronicles say he was like a king. He fought Saladin to a standstill, yet retained his respect. He was a warrior and a diplomat both: The true story of Balian d'Ibelin. Book II The Kingdom of Jerusalem is under siege. The charismatic Kurdish leader, Salah ad-Din, has united Egypt and Syria and has now declared jihad against the Christian kingdom. While King Baldwin IV struggles to defend his kingdom from the external threat despite the increasing ravages of leprosy, the struggle for the succession threatens to tear the kingdom apart from the inside. In the high-stakes game, one man stands out for his loyalty to the dying king, the kingdom and Christianity itself: Balian d'Ibelin.
Book Bubbles from Defender of Jerusalem: A Biographical Novel of Balian D’Ibelin By Helena P. Schrader
Duelling Queens
King Amalric of Jerusalem was forced by the High Court of his kingdom to set aside his wife Agnes de Courtenay, and marry a Byzantine princess, Maria Comnena. At Amalric's death, his son by Agnes ascended the thrown as Baldwin IV. Agnes was suddenly a powerful figure at court. She used her new influence to take revenge on the (innocent) young woman who had been selected by the High Court as her replacement. She took Maria's only child Isabella from her and 'betrothed' her to the step-son of the infamous Reynald de Chatillon. The notoriously brutal Chatillon kept the eight-year-old Isabella imprisoned in his border fortress and would not allow her to visit mother. In this scene Maria Comnena is in Jerusalem and about to confront Agnes de Courtenay.
Seeking Peace with a Dictator
The cost of war is terrible, and any sane person prefers peace. But peace, too, has a cost. This excerpt depicts a (historical) diplomatic mission from the Kingdom of Jerusalem to Saladin in May 1185. A drought has destroyed the harvest in both Christian and Muslim lands. In Jerusalem a child of 9 has only just come to the throne. The parliament of the Christian kingdom therefore seeks a truce with Saladin. They cannot ask for permanent peace because they know that Sharia Law prohibits any treaty with non-believers that lasts more than 10 years. But they hope for a truce that will last long enough for their boy king to grow up. The envoys are the Master of the Knights Hospitaller and the (Arabic-Speaking) Baron of Nablus, Balian d'Ibelin.
Usurpers and Traitors
In July 1186, Guy de Lusignan and his wife Sibylla usurped the throne of Jerusalem. While most of the barons reconciled with them, one man refused: the Count of the independent County of Tripoli and Prince of Galilee by right of his wife: Raymond of Tripoli. Guy immediately threatened Raymond and the Count responded by concluding a defensive pact with the Saracen sultan Saladin. In response, Guy summoned the feudal host of Jerusalem and prepared to attack Tripoli. He immediately encountered a slight problem: none of the barons obeyed Guy's summons....
Heir to a Leper King
By 1184, it was clear that Baldwin IV was rapidly dying of leprosy. His closest blood relative, his sister Sibylla, was married to a man not suitable to wear the crown. Desperate to save his beleaguered kingdom, King Baldwin tried to find an alternative successor in a kingdom that from its inception had elected its kings. Read more in this excerpt about Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and his (ultimately futile) attempt to save his kingdom from destruction.
In a desert castle under siege...
In late-October 1183, Saladin laid siege to the mighty crusader castle of Kerak of the Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Collected inside were hundreds of wedding guests, including the Dowager Queen of Jerusalem, the Queen Mother, and the two princesses of Jerusalem Sibylla and Isabella. They had come to celebrate the marriage of Isabella with the Lord of Toron. After nearly five weeks, water and food are running low. On the ramparts of the castle, looking out at the vast Saracen army besieging them, two young lovers meet. They are Beth a native serving girl and Dawit an Ethiopian squire. They have come to talk in (near) privacy. The castle sentries are still on duty, of course.....
Adversaries vs Antagonists
Novels thrive on conflict, and thus a good antagonist is nearly as important as a good protagonist. But the antagonist in a war novel is not necessarily "the enemy." When writing historical fiction set in wartime, I have found it far more effective to make "enemy" characters that are subtle, complex and even sympathetic. This excerpt describes the first personal encounter between Balian Baron of Ibelin and the Sultan Salah al-Din. They are opponents and enemies, but they respect one another as humans. In contrast, Ibelin's antagonists are those in his own camp such as Guy de Lusignan, Humphrey de Toron, and the Templar Master, whose actions are selfish or shortsighted.
1% Inspiration and 99% Persperation
Writing good fiction requires a spark of inspiration -- and then lots and lots of hard work. It requires research, writing and re-writing again and again. This isn't just a matter of "word-smithing." It is also about experimenting with different approaches to the same theme. Over the years, I have analyzed core themes from many different angles. One of my favorite themes is leadership and courage. Whether I am writing about Squadron Leader Priestman in the Battle of Britain, King Leonidas of Sparta at Thermopylae, or Balian of Ibelin in the crusades, I try to analyze and show what leadership is -- and it isn't all heroics on the battlefield. Sometimes it was listening to others -- as in this scene.
The Lesson of Good Friday
On the first Good Friday, Christ allowed himself to be tortured to death for the sake of mankind. He lived and died in accordance with what he preached: to love our fellow man and place the welfare of others ahead of our own. So on this day I wish to share an excerpt describing the sacrifice by another historical figure. Balian d'Ibelin had received a safe-conduct from the Sultan Saladin to remove his wife and young children from besieged Jerusalem -- on the condition that he remained in the city only one night. The Sultan did not want the popular and experienced military leader to remain in Jerusalem to stiffen the defenses of those trapped inside. Balian swore an oath to abide by these terms.
Envoy of Jerusalem
Literature & Fiction
WINNER OF SEVEN LITERARY AWARDS including: BEST BIOGRAPHY 2017, Book Excellence Awards BEST CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL FICTION 2017, Readers Favorites BEST SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS FICTION 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards HONORABLE MENTION/FINALIST FOR MILITARY/WARTIME FICTION Foreword INDIES A lost kingdom, a lionhearted king and the struggle for Jerusalem. Balian has survived the devastating defeat at Hattin and walked away a free man after the surrender of Jerusalem, but he is baron of nothing in a kingdom that no longer exists. Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings you the finale of her acclaimed Jerusalem trilogy. Haunted by the tens of thousands of Christians now in Saracen slavery, Balian d’Ibelin is determined to regain what has been lost. Richard the Lionheart and Balian d’Ibelin clash ― and cooperate ― as they struggle to regain Jerusalem and the tens of thousands of Christians now in Saracen slavery.
Book Bubbles from Envoy of Jerusalem
Honor among Enemies
A legend has grown up around the Sultan Saladin that he was a man of exceptional honor. Indeed, in the 19th century, he came to be portrayed as a paragon of "chivalry." There is a grain of truth in almost every legend and so it is with this portrayal of Saladin. Yet what is often forgotten in tales of Saladin is that he was not alone. He had a worthy opponent -- and rival for the title of "the most chivalrous" man of his age: Balian d'Ibelin. In this excerpt Saladin and his brother al-Adil discuss the fate of Ibelin, who has surrendered Jerusalem to them already -- on terms that require the citizens to pay a high ransom for their release.
The Meaning of Christmas
Christmas takes on different meanings as circumstances change. I don't mean just new fads and new politics, I mean that the individual circumstances in which each of us lives induces us to look at Christmas in different ways. In this excerpt, it is Christmas Eve in the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1187. Saladin has overrun the entire kingdom with the exception of Tyre, which is under siege. Two people who have escaped carnage and slavery so far share a Christmas feast together in the besieged city. Christmas has never been more important to them.
It's certainly not for everyone
I have never deluded myself that my books are "for everyone." First, I tend to write about topics that people have never heard of -- the German Resistance to Hitler, Spartan diplomacy, the crusader states.... Second, my books are based on scholarly research. That means there is neither magic, nor monsters, nor sexually liberated, sword-wielding superwomen in Sparta or the Middle Ages. Third, my books are complex with multiple story-lines and a large cast of characters. Fourth, I reject political correctness in favor of accuracy. Obviously, I'm a niche writer for a very small audience of sophisticated readers. And that's just fine with me. This excerpt is typical -- many characters and complex issues at a historically documented event.
Knowing our State of Mind
As a professional diplomat,one learned to be sensitive to emotional states. Only if we understand relative states of strength and weakness, urgency or patience, commitment or disinterest can we be effective. The pandemic coincided almost perfectly with my retirement, and I have found the period of rest and enforced isolation highly restorative and regenerative. I have never been so productive, and the added time to read, research and reflect upon my work has been hugely beneficial. This excerpt focuses on a diplomatic exchange between the legendary and powerful Richard the Lionheart and the impoverished but still influential Balian, Lord of Ibelin. Different states of mind...
Elections - Medieval Style
The last US election was traumatic for many of us. A look at the medieval equivalent might, therefore, be entertaining. he Kingdom of Jerusalem did not have a hereditary monarchy. Rather, the ruler was elected by the High Court, composed of the feudal elite -- i.e. those that held land as vassls of the crown. While the court favored the close relatives of the preceding monarch, there was no strict adherence to rules of primogeniture. In 1190, the ruling queen of Jerusalem died. She left behind a husband and a half-sister as possible successors. Her husband had led the kingdom to an unnecessary and devastating defeat three years earlier, while her sister was married to a man the chroniclers call "effeminate." The barons and bishops of Jerusalem had a difficult choice to make.
Balian d’Ibelin: Knight of Jerusalem by Helena P. Schrader
Literature & Fiction
A landless knight, a Byzantine princess and a leper king— The story of Balian d’Ibelin in the years before his fame. Balian d’Ibelin saved thousands of women and children from slavery and brokered peace between Richard I and Saladin. Arab chronicles described him as “like a king,” and his descendants dominated the history of the Holy Land for the next century. Yet he inherited neither land nor titles and we know nothing of his youth. What made him the man he would become? In this comprehensive revision of the first book in the Jerusalem Trilogy, Schrader evokes the underlying currents and powerful personalities that shaped the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. She weaves history with hypotheses to create a credible, if fictional, backstory for a hero: Balian d’Ibelin.
Book Bubbles from Balian d’Ibelin: Knight of Jerusalem by Helena P. Schrader
An Exceptional Intelligence Network
Intelligence networks were more important in the Middle Ages than today because of the absence of satellite and aerial reconnaissance. Like Israel today, the crusader states in the 12th and 13th centuries were surrounded by hostile neighbors, and survival depended on good intelligence. They enjoyed one advantage, however, and that was the large Christian population living under Muslim. This fact enabled the often overlooked Knights of St. Lazarus an opportunity that the more famous Knights Templar did not have. The Knights of St. Lazarus were able to develop a superb intelligence network composed of the most unlikely segment of society -- the lepers.
Vengence of a Slave
It is increasingly recognized in international law that sexual abuse can be employed as a weapon to undermine the morale of the enemy. Most recently, the behavior of Russian troops in the Ukraine has been cited as an example of this tactic. Yet it is as old as the Iliad. During the era of the crusades, the sexual abuse of captives was so widespread that it impacted peace negotiations and triggered a vigorous response from the Catholic religious orders, including the establishment of hospitals and the granting of financial support to survivors. in this excerpt, an escaped slave provides useful intelligence, but also demands a different kind of help for the victims.
Restoring Hope to the Devastated
My goal as a novelist has always been to inspire people to go on living. Yet, writing historical fiction entails writing about many ugly things because the record of mankind is filled with much barbarity, misery, and despair. Serious historical fiction does not disguise, distort or hide these aspects of history. Rather, it uses the darkness skillfully and selectively to highlight positive features of human nature itself. Tragically, rape has been a fact of life in all ages and societies. In this excerpt, a child victim of rape has tried to kill herself and a girl her own age and an older woman combine forces to give her back the desire to live.
Dowager
It is still commonplace to people to allege that women in the Middle Ages were "chattels" -- an utter idiocy without any basis in fact. Medieval women were actually very powerful -- none more so that dowagers, who retained control over large, inalienable properties, controlled troops and castles and could not be forced to re-marry. Here is a dowager queen exercising her influence at a crucial moment in history -- and all based on a true incident recorded in primary sources. Maria Comnena, Dowager Queen of Jerusalem, 1177.
Strange Bedfellows
Politics can make strange bedfellows. We see that every day. Not only does the President of the United States cuddle up with socialist dictators, Evangelicals "Christians" embrace corrupt liars and philanderers, preferring greed over compassion and charity. Well, things weren't so different in the Middle Ages -- they certainly weren't any WORSE. In this scene the pious, restrained and rational William Archbishop of Tyre finds himself on the same side as the notoriously impious, violent and passionate Reynald de Chatillon.
Unsavory Characters
Loathsome characters that any decent person finds repulsive and an insult to mankind are not new to politics. While the last four years have been an ordeal for anyone with a shred of moral integrity, the reality is that corrupt, egotistical madmen litter the pages of history. Reynald de Chatillon was one such man. Here we see him as he emerges from fifteen years in a Saracen prison.
Nepotism or Merit?
With a flick of his pen the current occupant of the White House destroyed the principle of "advancement by merit" in our civil service. In its place, he maliciously erected "patronage" -- a euphemism for corruption. The system of rewarding friends and relatives -- because of their alleged greater "loyalty" -- is ancient. Here's an example of how it works. The queen mother advises her 15 year old son on who to appoint to positions of power and influence.
Inspiration comes from Life
As a writer I am often asked where I get the inspiration for my works. The answer is: life itself. Being a writer of history and historical fiction, all my books are based directly on the human experience. I don't have to invent plots or characters -- simply take the bare bones fossilized in the historical record and bring those real people "back to life." What that means is that I extrapolate -- and if necessary invent -- the thoughts, emotions, motives and psychology of my characters. I do the latter based on my personal experience with humans living today. I hope many readers will be able to relate to this excerpt describing the awkwardness of the early stages of a relationship -- when status, jobs and misunderstandings often get in the way of one's dreams.
Strange Spies
We tend to think of espionage as a "modern" phenomenon -- Enigma, MI5, the CIA, the KGB. Yet gathering information about one's enemies is as old as war itself. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, surrounded by hostile neighbors and always outnumbered on the battlefield, intelligence was particularly important. Yet, spying is by nature clandestine and rarely finds its way into the history books unless something goes spectacularly wrong -- for one side or the other. In this scene, the young king Baldwin IV discovers he has an intelligence network he didn't even know about.
Weak Women
It is often presumed by modern novelists that women in the Middle Ages were weak and powerless. Indeed, it is still common to refer to them as "chattels" --- an absurd notion that I have debunked repeatedly in various publications. In fact the opposite was true. Women could be rulers, lords, abbesses and guild masters. They could inherit and own land and businesses. Women of the feudal class were very powerful, and widows particularly so. Sometimes they exercised power directly as feudal lords commanding men, defending castles and the like. Sometimes their influence was more subtle, often as intermediaries and advisors. In this excerpt, the dowager queen of Jerusalem visits her step-son, King Baldwin IV, after a year away from court.
Doors close, doors open
Change can come gradually or abruptly. Sometimes we hardly notice that we have drifted off course. At other times, change is forced upon us by a cataclysmic event. When the foundations on which we have built our future, suddenly collapse, he have no choice but to rebuild elsewhere. When the road we have been traveling is abruptly cut off by a landslide, we must seek a different route. These apparent catastrophes sometimes offer opportunities that we are thankful for in retrospect.... In this excerpt, a 19-year-old suddenly finds herself a widow. With her husband's death, she has also lost her status. She is no longer the reigning queen. Yet other doors are about to open...
Popularity
When I was a teenager "popularity" was hugely important. I wasn't at all popular, so I tried to tell myself it wasn't all that important to be "popular" at school. Yet friends mattered. We often use the number of friends we have as an indicator of our likability. Nowadays there is even a tendency to confuse Facebook "likes" with friendship --but that is a totally different topic. The point here is that while young people in the Middle Ages might not watch their daily count of "likes" on Facebook, they still wanted to be liked. Some had it harder than others. Take the example of this teenage queen....
The Right Amount of Rebelliousness
I was one of those horribly boring kids, who obeyed the rules. I didn't cut class. I didn't talk out of turn. I raised my hand, and I did my homework. Dull, dull, dull. It was the kids who smoked, and talked-back who were cool. Of course, if you were too cool, you might get into real trouble and then drop out and.... well, probably wouldn't end up with a great job and a good income. Adolescence is a age of rebelliousness and we don't want to squash it entirely -- just keep things under control a bit. That was particularly true when the teenager was a king...
Dangerous Liaisons
Who you know or are seen with can be dangerous even in our own time. It is not advantageous to a respectable career, for example, to associate with dubious characters or anyone suspected of crimes or drugs. In some circles or communities, the wrong religion or political affiliation will lead to social isolation, if not worse. Race remains a barrier to equal opportunity. In the Middle Ages, when government was personal, personal ties and relationships were everything. In this excerpt, I look at the subtle -- and not so subtle -- ways relationships affected access to power, and life itself. The excerpt is a dialogue between the powerful Baron of Ibelin (Barry) and his landless younger brother Balian
Finding the Meaning of Life
Some of us think we know why we are here on earth. I know of people who were called to medicine or religion certainly and relentlessly. For me, I realized I had to write since grade school. I don't mean I "wanted to be writer," I mean if felt compelled to write. I do not write for the sake of writing, but because a force beyond me insists that I tell certain stories. I don't know why. I often don't even understand the internally salient points of my writing until it is finished. When I write I am a messenger more than a creator. I am receiving a message from one world and transmitting it to his world via the written word. But not everyone is so lucky as to know what their life is about. Many people don't feel they know -- until some traumatic experience shatters their world and makes them re-examine themselves. In this excerpt, a year in Saracen captivity has taken a toll on the young Aimery de Lusignan, but he is about to discover more about himself.
The worst form of government...
Elections can be very tiresome -- particularly when they seem to be eternal as in the U.S. And even with out elections there is the constant party rivalry and intrigue, the plotting and planning for regime change. There are times when it is easy to think things would be simpler with an old-fashioned hereditary monarchy. At least they had the advantage of being stable, right? After all, kings (or queens) could live for 30, 40 even 50 years, and the succession was theoretically established by primogeniture. Of course, things are rarely as simple as they seem. Kings could die quite suddenly and sometimes the succession was not as clear as it seemed.
Social Distancing -- in the 12th century
With no cure for COVID19 yet available, we can only protect ourselves by what we call "social distancing." The process is not so different from what the victims of the once incurable disease of leprosy suffered in centuries past. In the Middle Ages, a person with leprosy was "socially distanced" from family and friends. Even -- or especially -- a king's son found himself cut off from human contact, hidden, and almost completely isolated. Baldwin IV of Jerusalem endured that "social distancing" from the age of 8. In this scene, however, he finds someone willing to risk contact with him....
Seeing behind the facade...
Kathy pointed out that with so many people working from home and using video conferencing, we are being given glimpses into each other's homes. The line between private and professional spheres is blurring. While this seems like something new, in earlier ages people often lived immediately above or behind their place of work. Families -- including young children -- worked together. In the Middle Ages -- before such concepts as the "Divine Right of Kings" and the pomposity of the baroque age -- royalty too was more accessible and integrated with their own household. That had its advantages and disadvantages. In this excerpt an look inside a royal household in 12th century Jerusalem.
Overcoming the Doubts of Others
With four thousand new books appearing on amazon each day, it takes courage and inner conviction not to become discouraged about publication. Every author hears words of "advice" from countless well-meaning friends and colleagues warning that it is impossible to get noticed "out there." Oh, no one means to disparage your work, much less you as a writer, but we're told to "be realistic." What chance does any one of us have to be found, reviewed, and read? Yet if you have story to tell -- a story you care about -- you persist. Not only is Balian's story one of those I am determined to share, he too started life with nothing -- but the doubts and disparagement of his older brother.
Not the Hollywood Balian
The name Balian d’Ibelin may be familiar to readers from the Ridley Scott film "The Kingdom of Heaven." Although a brilliant piece of cinematography, the film was full of historical inaccuracies, including almost every about the character Balian played by Orlando Bloom. The historical Balian was much more interesting than the Hollywood version. Yet while the historical record provides many facts about the mature Balian, it tells us very little about his youth. This novel, the first in a series of four, sets the stage for what will come in the later volumes. It imagines what made Balian the kind of man he would become in those critical years 1177 – 1192. It takes the known facts and weaves a plausible story around them.
The Emperor Strikes Back: Frederick II’s War Against His Vassals By Helena P. Schrader
Literature & Fiction
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION 2020 -- FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS Emperor Frederick II has restored Christian control of Jerusalem, but the Sultan brags he will “purify” Jerusalem and drive the Christians out as soon as the ten-year truce expires. The common people of the Holy Land show their contempt for the Emperor and his treaty by pelting him with offal, while the barons resist Frederick’s absolutism and demand rule of law. Filled with resentment and bitterness toward his impertinent subjects, the Emperor vows to destroy the family that embodies the independent spirit of Outremer: the Ibelins. While the Emperor’s deputies will stop at nothing to fulfill their orders, the Ibelins must gain allies at almost any cost. Yet with the Pope now on the side of the Emperor, Balian’s marriage becomes a spiritual weapon turned against his father.
Book Bubbles from The Emperor Strikes Back: Frederick II’s War Against His Vassals By Helena P. Schrader
Charity has no End
During the Christmas Season we are often asked to give to charity. Yet, as in this excerpt, one good deed is never enough. This is the opening seen of the novel "The Emperor Strikes Back."
The Charm of Summer
The Greek word for summer is literally the "good time," and the Greeks have a special relationship with the season. All eating is transferred outside onto terraces, beaches or tables under the trees. Feasts of wine, fresh grilled fish or octopus,endless varieties of appetizers and bread drenched in olive oil are shared. The balmy nights are filled with the sound of chatting voices, laughter, and live music. Greek popular music has a single theme: love. Young love, old love, lost love, forgotten love, remembered love, renewed love... "The Emperor Strikes Back" may be set in the 13th century, but one thing I have learned as a historian is that some things never change -- summer, the aqua waters of the Mediterranean and sexual attraction are some of those things.
Unexpected Discoveries
One of my uncles was killed flying for the RCAF over Berlin in Jan. 1944. He was 23 and I wasn't born for another ten years, but I grew up knowing about "Uncle Ken." When I lived in Berlin, I periodically put roses on his grave - alongside the other six members of his crew. Four days ago, while researching my current book on Bomber Command in WWII I came across a video made by a man whose father had also died in the skies over Berlin. The video, the text said, was about his ten year journey to find out more about the father he had never known. I clicked on it. Of all the hundreds of crews it might have described, it was about my uncle's. In this excerpt a different unexpected kinship tie is discovered, one even more binding.
Spring - A Time for Inspiration
When I run into a problem with my writing, I've found that the best means of solving it is to leave my desk behind and go for a long walk in the countryside. That's much easier when the weather is warm and sunny. (Snow, sleet, rain and cold never did much for me!) The arrival of spring makes it easier for me to get outside and in so doing shake off confusion, frustration and stale writing. This excerpt is just one example of a scene that had been stumping me for a while. It was historically necessary, but I couldn't seem to find the right way to approach it. Then after a long walk in beautiful surroundings, I returned with a whole new perspective and a fresh narrative.
Crusader Art -- An Oxymoron?
It will probably come as a surprise to many that the "crusaders" produced some of the most exquisite art of the Middle Ages. Sculpture, mosaics, frescos, miniatures, icons and more -- all distinctive and revealing cultural influences from France, Italy, Byzantium, Armenia, Syria and Egypt and more. Even more surprising, although illuminators were anonymous, we know that women worked in scriptoriums and ateliers. A female artist in the crusader states? I give you Eschiva de Montbelliard! In his scene she is showing her work to the Patriarch of Jerusalem in her atelier -- and showing the power of art to capture our emotions.
What's in a name -- or a title?
Words can be descriptors, or labels or titles. They can tell us about the material and immaterial facets of the object described. Words together can tell us entire stories -- and sometime one single word is enough to convey a world of meaning. In this excerpt the Lord of Beirut arrived in the town of Casal Imbert after his army, led by three of his sons, has suffered a humiliating defeat.
Any Way Out in "Lock Down"
For some of us, quarantine during the Covid19 Pandemic has been a lot like being under siege. We couldn't go anywhere, the enemy was "out there" threatening to break in to our safe world, and the risk of supplies running out was always in the back of our mind. The opportunity to get away from our home -- even at the risk of encountering the enemy -- was usually welcomed with open arms -- at least by some of us. In this excerpt, the citadel of Beirut has been under siege for months, and the need to know what is going on outside outweighs the risk -- at least for some.
What's in a Picture
Modern writing often neglects description. Perhaps it is because of the speed of communications and the sense of hurry? We have become used to 'tweets' and 'sound bites' -- no time for anything but the essentials. So, many modern novels don't take the time or space to set the scene -- unlike works of the 19th century, where descriptions could last for pages. For me, the key is finding a balance between evoking an image and keeping the story moving. Critical to the effective use of description is the relevance of the data provided. Yes, it is about an image and helping the reader see where your characters are, but it is also about setting a mood and the interplay between environment and character. This excerpt is, I believe, self-explanatory.
Narratives are partisan
The same set of facts told from different perspectives can look completely different. As everyone knows, one man's "terrorist" is another's "freedom fighter." Perspectives -- and so narratives -- are shaped by subjective factors: our values, our expectations, our ability to identify with protagonists, but also our own goals and desires. Sometimes we see what we want to see rather than what is objectively there. In this scene, two brothers fight over the correct response to an event -- until the motives of the one are revealed by the other.
Small Gestures
In times like these it is easy to get wrapped up in our own worries. It is easy to forget to tell people what they mean to us. Yet it is precisely in times like these that we should make the extra effort. Small gestures can mean a lot. In this scene a squire takes leave of his knight on the eve of battle.
Creative Thinking takes many forms....
Sometimes we compartmentalize "creativity." We think of it as "art" and forget that we need it in our daily lives as well -- whether it is to make a special meal or surprise our partner with an unexpected sign of affection. Yet arguably, there is no human endeavor in which creativity is more essential than in the "art" of war -- especially when one is out-numbered and the terrain favors the enemy. Then it is only the creative genius of a commander that can turn a seemingly inevitable defeat into a victory. In this expert, a young man whose father and king are about to engage in a desperate battle, is looking for a creative way to change the shape of the confrontation to come.
Learning from our mistakes
We all too often worry about things we can't change. What we can do, however, is make sure we don't repeat our mistakes. If I'm worried about not doing well on an exam, I study harder. If I'm worried about getting sick, I take care of myself. In other words, avoiding unnecessarily trouble comes from anticipating it and learning from past mistakes. That's what this scene is all about.
Confronting our Helplessness
There is a child within me that has a temper tantrum when suddenly forces beyond my control interfere in my life. This was to be my first London Book Fair and I had a full-page catalogue entry -- all for nothing now! A complete wash out! Scream! A good reminder that no matter how much we think we are in control of our lives, much remains beyond our control. In this excerpt, a young king is also confronted with developments beyond his control and he has to face his helplessness.
Difficult Choices
I have a nephew who has been working on the same novel for the last 16 years. I'm sure that when he finally releases it the entire literary world will stand still with awe -- or not. Chances are, he will never publish because there is always just one more improvement that will make it "perfect." On the other hand, I rushed "Knight of Jerusalem" to press for reasons that seemed good at the time. Now I have a book on the market that is weak and flawed -- so much so that I'm working on a complete rewrite. Every writer struggles with the inherent tension between the search for perfection and the need to let go. We can't have our cake and eat it too. We have to make choices. In this excerpt a young man faces a very different kind of choice -- but one that is just as difficult, if not more so.
Self-Pity will get you no where.
We all have a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves when we aren't feeling well. In my experience, men are the worst -- a little sniffle and a cough and suddenly they act as if they are on the brink of death and can't lift a finger in household or office. No doubt they see it differently. Seeing a common cold as a dire illness, however, is a self-indulgence that many people, past and present, could not afford. So much worse could happen to them as this excerpt -- based on historical events -- makes clear.
It's the secondary characters ...
My main characters are real historical figures whose character is recorded to a greater or lesser degree by their actions, words and commentary of contemporaries. All I can do is bring these character to life by giving them greater contours, more depth, interpolating between events and generally trying to get inside their minds to understand and explain why they did may have done what they did. It is the secondary characters, the supporting cast, which are based on people I have known and met personally. Eskinder is very much a product of my encounters with stern fathers in Ethiopia.
Being True to Yourself
Asked about "what it takes" to be a successful author in today's market, I can only answer: A lot! It takes persistence, obviously, and commitment, a willingness to invest time not only in writing but in marketing and social media. It takes courage -- being willing to publish rather than waiting to "be discovered." It takes hard work, long hours, a thick skin, a sense of humor....Perhaps the most important thing, however, is being able to distinguish between constructive criticism (that enables you to write better) and destructive advice (that leads to chasing the latest fad.) In this excerpt my female protagonist is asked to make a choice...
Missing what is gone
It is a tragic feature of human nature that we often do not fully appreciate something -- or someone -- until they are gone. A major component in the grief many feel at the death of a loved one is regret -- regret for not knowing them better, not spending more time with them, for not valuing them as, in retrospect, we realize we should have done. In the excerpt, the Lord of Beirut has received news that his army has been ambushed at night, while he was in Acre negotiating a peace settlement. Three of his sons were with the army and their fate is unknown. He sets out to find out what happened.
A Maturing Experience
Sometimes we have to grow up very fast. Kathy Meis mentioned going abroad at an early age, and for many of us that experience of being taken from our familiar surroundings and put in a new environment is singularly maturing. At fifteen, my parents moved to Portsmouth, England, but the closest international school was in London. I went to live in a boarding house, and was only home with my family on weekends. In the Middle Ages, youth was expected to grow up faster. At fifteen, many girls were already married while in many kingdoms (Holy Roman Empire, Jerusalem) youths came of age at 14 or 15. In this excerpt, Guy d'Ibelin, aged 15 just like I was in London, has a -- rapid -- maturing experience.
Sisterly Love
Relations between siblings are unique and complex. Depending on age differences, the number and kind of shared experiences, and a variety of other factors we can have exceptionally close and enduring relationships -- or be virtual strangers. The most dangerous and deceptive aspect of sibling relationships is that because of shared childhood memories, we often fail to recognize changes -- or simply assume that we know our sibling better than we actually do. Yet at their best, siblings can be the truest friends we have, precisely because they learned to love us regardless of who we have become since. In this excerpt, a brother and sister are reunited after being separated by a siege -- and other events that have changed them both.
False Friends
We are most easily deceived by our own hopes. What I mean, is that if someone offers us something we want, we are rarely as skeptical or as cautious as we should be. That's why promises of tricks to "get rich quick" always find suckers no matter how patently ridiculous. It's why an entire industry has grown up around authors desperate to sell their books.... In this scene, the Lord of Beirut is tempted by what he wants most: peace.
Picturing the Future
Sorry, I don't like picturing the future precisely. I've learned that there are far too many factors that impact our lives to enable us to envisage out situation a year from now. Maybe other people have more predictable lives. I don't. Likewise, my characters -- all historical figures -- demonstrate how futile it is to plan too far in advance. The actions of distant emperors and popes and the fortunes of war drove their fates in wild and unpredictable zig-zags. For example, in this scene the heir to the wealthy barony of Beirut is confronted with the unexpected: his year-old marriage has been decreed invalid by the pope and he finds himself abruptly excommunicated. Something the wealthy son of privilege would certainly not have expected a year earlier....
Be careful what you wish for...
At this time of year, we are wont to reflect on what we have achieved or failed to achieve in the previous 12 months. We often make "New Year's Resolutions" about what we want to accomplish -- or at least do better -- in the year ahead. As we go through this healthy exercise, however, it is wise to remember that we need to be careful what we wish for -- just in case our wishes come true! In this excerpt, Bella d'Ibelin has been besieged in Beirut for four months by Sicilian mercenaries loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. She is holding out with an inadequate garrison in hope of relief from her father, the Lord of Beirut. Suddenly, Bella's prayers for rescue appear to have been answered....
Tradition doesn't always fit
The traditions of my childhood were imported from Denmark. We celebrated Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. We had a beautiful, formal dinner at my grandmother's. The women wore formals, the men tuxedos, and the only lighting was from candles. There was no radio or TV: we sang the carols ourselves. But as an adult, moving around the world as a diplomat who knew the carols of my childhood? And how relevant was a candlelight dinner in the tropics with fireworks going on outside and African music in the streets? In the excerpt, two men in a castle under siege debate the value of a tradition.
The Stress of Christmas...
... is a luxury. It is for the comparatively rich and secure who have "holidays" and money for presents and big meals and decorations. For many people around the world there are other priorities -- like putting food on the table or staying safe. Historically, many Christmas' were marred by famine, flood, killing cold, or war. In this excerpt, the Ibelin landing in Syria at or around Christmas 1231 is described.
Looking back
This past year, my first in retirement, has been one of change and astonishing promise. In the last four months I have landed two important book deals with commercial publishers. The first was with a Greek publisher for the translation and release of my biography of Leonidas of Sparta on the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae. The second was with Pen & Sword for not one but two books about the crusader states. But not all years are so good and sometimes we look back with regret or mixed feelings -- as the hero of "The Emperor Strikes Back" does in this excerpt.
Friends in Deed
It is in our darkest hour, when we feel lost and helpless, that true friendship shines like a light. How often, when all seemed lost, has a friend reached out a hand and helped? Maybe just with advice or a shoulder to cry on, but by showing concern, understanding and solidarity making it possible to get up and keep going. In this scene, the Lord of Beirut had just learned that his only daughter is trapped in his castle of Beirut, while the castle is under siege from the Imperial Marshal Riccardo Filangieri.
It is a very poor mind indeed...
... that can't think of at least three ways to spell every English word. -- Benjamin Franklin. I do not suffer from a "poor mind" by that definition! Spelling has never been my strong point, which is why I spend a fortune to have two editors look over all my manuscripts before submitting them. And there are words like "disseize" -- or was that "dissieze"? The illegal confiscation of a medieval fief, which forms the very core of the conflict between Emperor Frederick II and the Lord of Beirut in my current series of novels. Oh, well, I try to avoid the word when I can find alternative ways of speaking about the issue....
A non-negotiable goal
Goals can be short-term or long-term. We can attempt to cover a certain distance on a jog or read a certain number of pages, or visit someone particular on a given day. Or we can plan to get a PhD, or to become a doctor, or walk on the moon. Sometimes in the pursuit of these long-term goals we make mistakes.... The hero of "The Emperor Strikes Back" has several long term goals, and one of them is securing papal approval for his marriage which is technically within the prohibited degrees of kinship. Here he speaks with the Papal Legate and Patriarch of Jerusalem, who had issued him a dispensation that has since been challenged.
Light at the end of the storm
The light of dawn is usually something we can count on. We know exactly the time each day the sun will rise at any location on earth. Yet there are circumstances when that light is not so certain after all. One of those is when a sailing ship is damaged in storm at sea. Such a situation often tests our strength, patience and faith as in this excerpt, while rescue is like the breaking of a new day.
Taking Chances
Courage has many faces and going beyond one's comfort zone takes many forms. As a historical novelist whose works are based on historical events, I'm always hesitant to "go too far" with interpretation and invention. When the city of Beirut fell to the forces of Emperor Frederick in 1231, Beirut and all his sons were in Cyprus. Only a skeletal garrison remained in the citadel -- and this alone held out against the vastly superior forces of the Emperor. But where was Beirut's daughter? The historical chronicles are silent on the subject. I decided to give Bella a role....
Taking a stand
There are times in our lives when we have to take a stand -- for or against something -- whether it is in our "best interests" or not. If something -- a principle, an institution or a person -- is important enough to us, we have to stand up for them -- or regret it the rest of our lives. When the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II sent a large army to intimidate and force the submission of his vassal the Lord of Beirut, the baron chose rebellion instead. His three eldest sons, all youths barely out of their teens, stood by him. It may not have been a difficult choice, but it took courage nevertheless.
The Sailor's Return
Three years after the wreck of his ship, a sailor returns home. He knows that he was presumed dead, and he travels now under an assumed name with a fake identity. But he has returned to Acre because it was where he left his bride -- who believes herself to be his widow.
Being prepared
Being prepared isn't always a matter of being prepared for the weather, lost baggage or a missed flight. It can also mean being prepared for the consequences of your actions. Humans being what they are, we are often blinded by our ambition, our dreams, our hopes -- and a too optimistic assessment of our own capabilities and influence. In this scene, a man's younger brother tries to warn him that what he is about to do could have negative long-term consequences, but he is far too sure of his own cleverness to listen.
Celebrating too soon
We like to celebrate our victories -- both large and small. I'm no exception. A new award? Bring out the champagne! A new release? Let's go out to dinner! Indeed, I've learned to celebrate precisely because life sends us setbacks and defeats as well as victories. So we must celebrate the positive gifts before the bad times hit us again. Yet I have also learned not to celebrate too soon. Sometimes victories that seem just around the corner don't materialize at all. In this scene, the young Balian d'Ibelin has celebrated and consummated his marriage -- only to run into a little snag...
The Rule of Law
A major theme of "The Emperor Strikes Back," as in the first book in this series "Rebels against Tyranny," is the right of subjects to defend themselves against arbitrary government. Throughout the series, the Lord of Beirut is pitted against an autocrat that attempts to take his titles and his lands from him without bringing charges of wrong-doing much less giving him the right to defend himself against the charges. In this excerpt, the Lord of Beirut puts his case to the highest court in the kingdom, the High Court composed of the entire knightly class, and defends his rights. Unfortunately, the Holy Roman Emperor doesn't care about the judgement of the court and continues his attacks -- the actions that form the rest of the novel.
What I want to be when I grow up...
Do you remember your childhood dreams of "growing up"? When you were ten or eleven did you know what you wanted to "be" when you grew up? Were you true to your dreams? I had a cousin who always knew he wanted to be an architect -- and is. For as long as I can remember I wanted to write novels. Yet most of my siblings and cousins took different paths from the ones imagined at 10 or even 20. And even those of us who remained true to our childhood dreams often had moments of doubt like Bella in this excerpt.
What if....
...you are about to be married to the man of your dreams, but you are still deathly afraid? Eschiva is an heiress, a widow and desperately in love with the man she has promised to marry now. Yet there is something that terrifies her....
Nature - Or the Judgement of God
Modern man has learned to measure the force of nature. We have different categories of hurricanes and measure earthquakes on the "Richter Scale." Furthermore, while we still cannot tame them, we can explain and sometimes even predict natural catastrophes -- like the course of a hurricane. In contrast, for our ancestors in the 13th century, nature was far more intimately and directly related to the Will of God.
Family
Anthropologists tell us that the concept of family is one of the most universal features of human society. Indeed, we share the concept with other primates and animals. For humans, the definition of family unit may vary greatly from small units consisting of man, wife and children, to larger "clans" including more than three generations and cousins of all kinds. Likewise, authority within a family may vary greatly, but the sense of belonging is fundamental to all. In this excerpt an abandoned child finds a home.
A Time for Every Purpose under Heaven
I think all of us know that life is like the seasons. Just as there is a time for strawberries and a time for cider, a time for the fire and a time for the beach, there are times to be sociable and times to be alone, times to learn and time to teach. Knowing the right time to get married is one of the most important moments in life. In this excerpt, the young heir to the lordship of Beirut needs to convince his father that this is the right time too.
Of bullies and self-defense
The German military-philosopher Carl von Clausewitz pointed out that wars are not the result of aggression -- but rather the RESISTANCE to aggression. Any bully is happy NOT to fight -- as long as he gets his way. It is only when we stand up to bullies, that we have conflict. The problem is, even if only defending one's self, conflict has consequences that aren't pretty. In this excerpt the daughter and eldest son of the Lord of Beirut clash over how to respond to injustice.
The Luxury of Going Back to School
Going to school may be the common experience of American kids today, but it wasn't always that way. Through much of history there were no public schools and education was a privilege of the rich. In the same way, through much of history, unwanted children were simply driven out of their homes, or dumped on the side of a road. In this opening scene from "The Emperor Strikes Back" a priest draws the attention of one such child to a wealthy benefactress, hoping she will take an interest in the child as an act of charity.
Book Launch!
Launching a new book is always a risky business. No matter how hard you try to get everything "right" and no matter how much you believe in your own book -- once a book is launched it is the readers and reviewers that decide its fate. "The Emperor Strikes Back" was released this past week. The prologue sets the stage. Here the Master of the Teutonic Knights, Herman von Salza, confronts the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II -- and the later reveals his plans.
Rebels Against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States
Literature & Fiction
SILVER (2ND Place) for HISTORICAL FICTION, FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS 2019. FIRST IN CATEGORY (FINALIST) CHAUCER AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2018. BRAG MEDALION HONOREE. Emperor Frederick II, called "enlightened" by historians yet decried as a despot by contemporaries, unleashes a civil war that tears the Holy Land apart. The heir to an intimidating legacy, a woman artist, and a boy king are caught up in the game of emperors and popes. Set against the backdrop of the Sixth Crusade, Rebels against Tyranny takes you from the harems of Sicily to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, from the palaces of privilege to the dungeons of despair. This is a timeless tale of youthful audacity taking on tyranny―but sometimes courage is not enough....
Book Bubbles from Rebels Against Tyranny: Civil War in the Crusader States
Brothers, sisters and favors
Group dynamics are no where more complex than within families. It was particularly true in noble families during the Middle Ages when a child's gender and the order of birth had substantial consequences for their future power and wealth. Yet, there were also families famous for sticking together in thick and thin, and many examples of deep and enduring affection between siblings. In this scene, Bella asks an unusual favor of her elder brother and father's heir, Balian.
Politics is Complicated
There is nothing new about politics being complicated. In 1228, the Holy Roman Emperor set out on a crusade to the Holy Land. However, because he had earlier fallen foul of the Pope, he was excommunicated. The Pope promptly declared his crusade an "anti-crusade." This put militant orders, dedicated to the defense of the Holy Land, in awkward situation. Should they support the crusading "Holy Roman Emperor" or the Pope? Before getting to the Holy Land, however, the Emperor stopped on Cyprus -- where he promptly provoked open rebellion among the Cypriot nobles. The Emperor therefore ordered the Teutonic Knights to destroy his (Christian) enemies. In this excerpt, the marshal of the Teutonic knights seeks assistance from the Masters of Templars and Hospitallers -- who at this time happened to be brothers, and brothers of the Archbishop of Nicosia.
Politics based on Lies
The willingness of modern politicians to tell bald-faced lies and deny obvious truths seems unprecedented. Tragically, it is not. The politics of using lies for political ends is as old as politics itself. We have many documented examples of powerful men talking sweetly only to lure men to their deaths and of leaders denying the blood dripping from their hands. Few men were better at using lies as a political weapon than the Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II. In this excerpt, the young heir to the Lord of Beirut is desperately trying to convince his siblings that they must help him convince their honorable father that the Emperor is lying to him.
Coming to the rescue....
of a damsel in distress is something every young knight dreams about. Well, at least, if the damsel is young and pretty. But it can have unpleasant consequences too. In this excerpt, two friends, Philip de Novare and Balian d'Ibelin are spending a last night in Palermo before sailing home to Beirut. What they didn't expect was a damsel in distress. The date is 11 May 1228 and Sicily is ruled by the Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen.
Like Shakespeare's prince Hal
That was the way the Kirkus Review described the male protagonist of "Rebels against Tyranny." He is based on a historical figure, Balian d'Ibelin -- no, not THAT Balian d'Ibelin, the hero of the Hollywood blockbuster film "The Kingdom of Heaven." This Balian d'Ibelin was the grandson of the man who defended Jerusalem against Saladin in 1187. However, he was just as -- if not more of -- a colorful character with a passionate and impulsive nature that comes across even in dry medieval chronicles. Find out more!
Of Kings and Pawns
Recently, I read an article about a young man who had been abused in childhood. Tragically, the problem is not new. While we tend to associate child abuse with poverty, there is no question that it has also been used to humiliate and establish control over the children of privilege too. An orphaned prince, imprisoned by the power-hungry minions of an arrogant emperor determined to exercise control over the boy's kingdom was best brought to heel by such methods. In this scene, 12-year-old King Henry of Cyprus is with his fellow-prisoner, companion and friend, Johnny. Johnny is a hostage of the Emperor's men to assure the "good behavior" of his rebellious father, the Lord of Beirut.
Imperfect Heroines
Just as imperfect heroes make better characters in serious fiction, so do imperfect heroines. The flaws should give them character and contours. That's possible in a beautiful body, of course, and some of my favorite characters have been beautiful women, who abused the power that gave them. In this novel, however, the hero Balian is a "ladies man" and extremely good-looking. I thought it would be more intriguing if he could fall for a woman who was not a beauty. Ergo, Eschiva is plain. In this scene, Balian is confronted with a copy of the "Odyssey" in Greek -- which is the reason he cannot read it, despite being literate in French and Latin.
Imperfect Heroes
Despite the popularity of cartoon super-heroes, I believe that complex, flawed heroes are not only more realistic but more enduring. In a market where 4,000 new titles are released each day and on average each title sells 50 copies or less, writing about a cardboard superhero isn't a winning formula. Flat perfection is not unique. A hero with imperfections, on the other hand, can be made as individualistic as real human beings --- and that is what, I believe, will attract and hold people's interest in the long run. Balian of Beirut, unlike his wise father and diplomatic grandfather, has been much criticized by historians for his many faults. Yet it is largely because of them that he is one of my favorite characters. In this scene his father holds up a figurative mirror to show him his impetuosity.
Fathers and Son
The relationship between fathers and sons can be fraught with complexities. Despite love and trust, tensions often develop due to excessive expectations or because of rivalries with siblings. The father-son relationship is particularly difficult for the sons of famous or powerful fathers. These young men grow up in a world in which nearly everyone expects them to take after their father. Yet they may be very different in temperament, skills and character. John, the old Lord of Beirut, was one of the towering figures of the early 13th century, a man who defied an emperor, and stood up for the rule-of-law. His son Balian was very different and their relationship was complex. Here an excerpt highlighting their relationship.
The First 3,000 Words
In the age of Tweets, books are increasingly judged by "sound bites" rather than their content. A majority of contemporary books start fantastically only to dissolve into shallow, stereotypic characters, doing dumb things in a bland or senselessly twisted plot without meaning. As a judge for literary contests, I've seen that most books nowadays don't have rounded characters or thematic depth, much less subtlety and nuance. Still, no matter what comes later, a writer is compelled to produce an opening scene that "hooks" the reader. Since my books aren't about saving the world from a meteor, or taking revenge against a mass murderer or any other popular, modern cliche, it's hard to compete. My books are based on historical events and they revolve around characters, so the important aspects of an opening scene for me are 1) introducing the main character in a sympathetic way and 2) setting the historical scene. Here the opening of "Rebels against Tyranny."
The More Things Change....
...the more things stay the same. Most kinds of human behavior -- from jealousy and greed to intrigue and altruism -- have been around as long as humans Donald Trump wasn't the first pathologically dishonest, corrupt, and delusional leader in the history of the world. Nor was he the first to think he was "the greatest" in everything he did. In the 13th Century, Frederick II Hohenstaufen was so convinced of his amazing greatness that he called himself "The Wonder of the World." As now, so too in the 13th century, the loyal followers of "der Fuehrer" believed his self-serving “facts” (read: lies). In this scene one of the Emperors' staunch supporters, the Marshal of the Teutonic Knights, runs in to resistance from men not blinded by "der Fuehrer's" concocted MAGA-style arguments and still committed to the rule-of-law.
Subjective Worlds
Good novels focus more on the subjective than the objective world of their characters, telling not only what happens but also exploring the feelings, fears, hopes, and ambitions of the character. Furthermore, a good novelist doesn't merely tell the reader what a character is feeling, they evoke in the reader the same mood. There are various methods for this, but I find a selective description of the environment surrounding the character is one useful tool. In this excerpt the task was complicated by the fact that the main character's mood contrasts with that of those around him. I had to depict the main character's melancholy amidst a feast enjoyed by his companions.
Learning from Fellow Writers
This past week the world lost one of the best contemporary writers of historical fiction: Sharon Kay Penman. One of the things I liked best about Penman's books was her attention to character development starting in childhood. Too many books present characters as if they were all Venus -- formed whole and perfect from the foam of the sea. But people are often fundamentally formed by childhood circumstances and events. Penman showed us this brilliantly with her Richard III and Edward IV. Here, I show the childhood of another king: Henry I of Cyprus. Henry would later be one of Emperor Frederick II's most tenacious enemies. The seeds of his hostility, I believe, go back to when the Emperor held the thirteen-year-old Henry a virtual prisoner during the Emperor's sojourn in the East.
A Humbling Experience
The past year was a humbling experience for me. I thought I was on the brink of a great "break through." For the first time in my life, my titles were to be represented at the London and Frankfurt book fairs. Even more exciting, the release of my biography of Leonidas in Greek was to coincide with a host of official events marking the 2,500th anniversary of Thermopylae. I was scheduled to participate in panel discussions and give talks in various locations. It was not to be. COVID19 closed both book fairs and all the public events marking the anniversary of Thermopylae. I have been humbled. Today's excerpt describes an historical event that humbled two young noblemen. It is seen through the eyes of their father.
The Nature of Art
It is easy to dismiss "art" as a superfluous luxury, an unnecessary waste of time and resources. As an artist, I have often questioned the point of what I was doing. At times I felt the need to apologize for taking "time" for my work. Indeed, carving out time for creative writing meant sacrificing something else -- time with family and friends, time informing myself about current affairs, time advancing my career. Yet most of the time the compulsion to create proved more powerful than my doubts, and I persisted. In this excerpt, an artist undergoing a crisis of doubt about her value is encouraged to continue creating.
The Loyalty of Beasts
Throughout most of the age of chivalry, a knight was only effective if he was mounted on a sound and well-trained war horse. Contemporary records attest to the fact that the relationship between a knight and his horse -- and between squires and grooms and the horses they tended -- could be intense and powerful. There are accounts not only of humans grieving for the loss of their trusted horse but vice versa, of horses becoming despondent with grief at the loss of a beloved rider. The following excerpt is based on a 13th century account of judicial combat in Cyprus written by the philosopher, poet and knight Philip de Novare.
Long Live Non-Violent Protests!
Common people fighting injustice have found many ways to protest over the centuries. Violent rebellions might make a larger mark in history, but they were not necessarily more effective than non-violent methods. Non-violent protests often communicated displeasure and forced change more effectively than open rebellion -- they are simply less likely to be remembered in the general history books. This excerpt is based on a true incident. It would be wrong to say it sparked a civil war, but the attitude of the people of Acre -- so eloquently expressed by pelting the Holy Roman Emperor with offal and entrails -- encouraged some barons to defy the hated emperor.
The New Normal -- It Depends...
...on where you are and what you've experienced. I'm lucky. I'm living in a country that cares about people -- even old people -- and about saving lives rather than the economy or the 'freedom' to endanger others. Not everyone was that lucky. Some people lost loved ones. Unnecessarily. Because of failed government and brutal selfishness on the part of fellow citizens. Because hatred and selfishness have been made 'respectable' and 'presidential.' So today my excerpt is about death and its consequences, because for those that lost someone the 'new normal' is about coping with death and sometimes economic devastation as well.
The Comfort of Books -- Especially for Women
Book sales, we are told, have increased almost 800-fold in the midst of the Corona Virus pandemic. We are lucky. Books are readily available today and can be delivered electronically to our e-readers. In the Middle Ages, books had to be meticulously copied by hand. They were correspondingly fewer in number and expensive to acquire, while literacy was likewise significantly lower than today. For those in the echelons of society that could read and afford books, however, they offered as much of an escape from our "real life" worries as they do today. In this scene a noble maiden in the service of an emperor remembers the importance of books -- especially for women.
It's not a hobby
For an artist, art is not a hobby. It is not something to do "for fun" in your "spare time." It is an obsession and a necessity. It is something you make sacrifices for -- no TV, less social life, less social media, less demanding jobs, fewer kids... I have been writing since I was in the second grade. I have never had a phase in my life when I was not writing. I cannot STOP writing -- even when I am depressed and frustrated by lack of commercial success. Lack of success only compels me to work harder, to look for better ways to reach my readers -- because I CANNOT stop. The day I stop writing, is the day I die -- if not physically than spiritually and intellectually. In this excerpt from "Rebels against Tyranny" an artist in crisis is helped by a young man she hardly knows -- and this, more than his other virtues, is what wins her heart.
Liberty or Death
The American Revolution was viewed by its leaders as a rebellion against a tyrannical government. Many of the issues that concerned the colonists then continue to concern us today -- the right to due process before the law, representation in the legislature, fair distribution of taxes. It was the discovery that many of these same issues sparked an early rebellion against tyrannical government that attracted me to the history of the Crusader States in the early 13th century. This scene is, I think, self-explanatory.
Different Faces of Tyranny
All of us have known "tyranny." Not necessarily the political kind with a capital "T," but we have been tyrannized by perfectionist bosses, or by the "popular" clique at school, or by the expectations of a family that does not like or respect our choices. People are tyrannized every day -- for their race, their sexual orientation, or simply for the way they dress. In this excerpt, a young German Templar is set upon by knights of the Holy Roman Emperor simply because he is German and -- in the minds of his attackers -- he is a "traitor" to the Emperor because the Knights Templar oppose the Emperor's policies.
Hearing Words
I have always been a very "audio" person. I learn something better when I hear it, than when I see it. I remember what I hear better than what I simply see. At university, I couldn't afford to miss a lecture like other students did. Maybe this explains why I hear my novels as I write them. For me, the way what I write sounds is almost as important as the content. I love alliteration, and I love the rhythm you can give a sentence -- or a whole paragraph. Obviously, make text sing is easiest when writing descriptions since speech has to be reflective of character and most characters are poets or troubadours. Here's a random sample -- read it out loud to appreciate it most!
Summer Memories
We all (I hope!) have memories of someplace special we used to go in summer. For my family, it was my grandmother's house on the coast of Maine -- wooden clapboard painted white, black shutters, sagging a little with age, and surrounded by the cawing gulls and the hammering in the boatyard out back. Boy kings experienced summers a little differently....
Enchanted Islands
Most of us have experienced it -- a vacation to someplace "exotic" like a Caribbean Island -- and suddenly not only our surroundings but our feelings are transformed. Inexplicably, those around us are more attractive and exciting -- and so are we. In this excerpt, the "cold, boring and plain" (Emperor Frederick II's assessment) Eschiva de Montbelliard is returning to the Holy Land by ship. After being confined to her cabin for days, she is allowed on deck for a meal of fresh fish when the ship puts into the Venetian-controlled, Greek island of Kythera.
Lighting a single lamp
It is well known that our environment impacts our mood -- a sunny day, for example, can lift spirits and make us more optimistic. Yet in periods of severe crisis, the reverse is also true: our mood can alter our response to the world around us. The heroine of this scene, a manuscript illuminator, has been rescued from a shipwreck in which she lost her step son -- and all her illustrations of the last year. Her world seems very dark and purposeless...
The Hints of History
The 13th century legal scholar and historian wrote in his autobiography that he was tipped off about an assassination attempt by one "whom cared not whom it might displease" -- a sentence too sparse for historians to even speculate. Yet the would-be assassins were none other than the Emperor's regents for the under-aged King Henry I -- and the latter was their prisoner. He was privy to their decisions, yet his heart was with their enemies and the would-be victim. For a novelist that's good enough to make a storyline....
Man's Best Friend
My husband always promised me I could have pets when I retired from the Foreign Service and stopped moving around the world every two to three years. That date came in December and in March we adopted two dogs from the same liter. They have enriched our lives beyond measure. They will also undoubtedly find their way into one of my books one day because the relationship we have with animals is nothing new or unique to the modern world. Men have lived together with dogs as far back as the stone age. In the Middle Ages too there were very much a part of daily life -- some spoiled, some working, some loved, some abandoned. This episode tells of a special dog....
Inspiring Travel
It was a trip to Cyprus more than 20 years ago that sparked my interest in the crusades. Indeed, one could say that the castles of St. Hilarion and Kantara together so captured my imagination that I'm STILL writing about them. They both feature in my current series of books -- quite actually as they were historically significant in the early 12th century and played important roles in the struggle between the Holy Roman Emperor and the barons of Outremer. This excerpt tries to put into words the way St. Hilarion looks -- but I conceded a single photo is probably more effective. (But for that you'll have to go to my blog at: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8683681702039130081#editor/target=post;postID=8736322548062587556;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=21;src=link)
Fear of Falling
In 1228, Balian d'Ibelin, the youngest son of the Lord of Beirut was held hostage for his father's good behavior. According to a contemporary account, he and his brother were "put in pillories, large and exceedingly cruel; there was a cross of iron to which they were bound so that they were able to move neither their arms nor their legs..." They were not released for weeks, by which time they were "so miserable that it was pitiful to behold." That kind of treatment leaves scars -- both mental and physical. In this scene, after a year of avoiding physical activity that might cause damage to his tortured back, Balian demands a joust with his brother.
Understanding ourselves by Understanding the Past
For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, I offer nuanced insight to historical events and figures based on sound research and an understanding of human nature. My aim is to deliver complex and engaging characters that bring history back to life -- as a means to better understand ourselves. A perfect example of this is Emperor Frederick II. He is widely eulogized as a "remarkable" monarch, "ahead of his time," a liberal, tolerant man, who obtained Jerusalem by treaty rather than war -- as if there hadn't been 109 other treaties with the Saracens in the course of the previous 130 year! His eulogists ignore his dark side. Here I try to give Frederick contours by getting inside his head at his moment of triumph.
Means of Communication
We all communicate in different ways and different styles. Some of us are more "wordy" than others. In this excerpt, the Lord of Beirut is brought a letter from his younger son, who is on Cyprus while the rest of the family is in Syria. Beirut reads the letter aloud to his other children. His heir, Balian, has another letter too -- from the woman he loves. She too is on Cyprus.
I Wouldn't Have Dared....
As a novelist, I never would have dared dream up an incident like this. It's so bizarre that were it not recorded historical fact, any reviewer would be justified in calling it "absurd." Yet it IS recorded fact. This is how the Holy Roman Emperor -- the Wonder of the World -- left the city of Acre after making a treaty with the Sultan of Egypt that served the Emperor's purposes rather than those of his subjects in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Kings can be Prisonders Too
King Henry I of Cyprus was only 18 months old when his father died. His mother chose to remarry, abandoning him to the care of "baillies." Based on subsequent actions, Henry was fond of his first baillie, Philip d'Ibelin. However, roughly a year after Philip's death, he found himself in the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen. Henry would later rebel against the Emperor and use his entire army and treasury to rid himself of Hohenstaufen influence. In this scene, however, he is still a helpless child.
The Loyalty of Beasts
This incident is recorded in a 13th Century Chronicle. I have done little more than "translate" late it into more familiar phrases and syntax for the modern reader. It illustrates both how very exciting history is (no need for dragons and fairies in my book!), -- and also the eternal loyalty of our equine friends.
Introducing the Leading Lady
The heroine of "Rebels against Tyranny" is another one of those women in history who has left very little more than a name. We know her parentage -- her mother was a Princess of Cyprus, her father the Regent by right of his wife. We know the names of her husbands, and her eldest son. We have a single sentence from a chronicle describing a highly exceptional deed -- but that doesn't happen until the next book in the series, so no spoilers here. And we know that her husband endured excommunication and defied his father rather than set her aside. Otherwise she was a blank sheet of paper. Meet my Eschiva de Montbelliard.
A bit like Shakespeare's Young Prince Hal
"Rebels against Tyranny" has just won Silver (2nd place) in the 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards and a major reason was the leading character, Balian d'Ibelin (the younger). Feathered Quill wrote: "The heir to the Ibelins is a great character for the reader to “walk beside” as dungeons and palaces are entered ...This thrilling hero is, as always when it comes to Schrader’s works of art, one of unforgettable strength." KIRKOS reviews too singled him out for praise, writing: "The well-meaning but flawed Sir Balian is a great central figure—a bit like William Shakespeare’s portrayal of the young Prince Hal." Only his father wasn't so convinced. Meet Balian:
Writing to Learn
Writing to learn likely strikes many as putting the cart before the horse. Surely one doesn't write about something unless they already know about it? True. But that is precisely the point. If I am intrigued by a topic (period, culture, event etc.) enough to want to write about it, then I am setting myself on a course of study. In order to be able to write about this topic, I will have to do my research. I'm not someone who can just dash off a short-story based on a casual thought or a snippet of information I've stumbled across. I envy those who can write like that! But I'm at heart a historian and I can't write even a short story without knowing about things like how people dressed, kept warm, what they ate, how they traveled, what their religious beliefs were likely to be etc. etc. So it was a spark of curiosity that gave birth to my latest book "Rebels against Tyranny." It was the question about how could there have been a crusade condemned by the pope, led by an excommunicate, that recovered Jerusalem -- yet earned the leader of the crusade only hatred from his own subjects?
New Beginnings
Just as day follows night and spring follows winter, darkness and death are often the heralds of new life. The death of those close to us inevitably alter the circumstances in which we life and so open opportunities for making changes to our lives. In this excerpt from "Rebels against Tyranny," Eschiva de Montbeliard has just buried her husband, killed unexpectedly in the Battle of Nicosia. Her maid asks her want comes next.
Charisma - and Manipulation
Living in America today it's easy to get cynical about politicians. We have all seen enough examples of orchestrated events in which one party or the other fires up their "base" with speeches and promises. It's easy to bemoan this as degeneration from the "good old days" when politics was honest and politicians selfless. In fact, very little has changed over the millennia. No one was better at manipulating a crowd than the orators of ancient Athens. But today I share a scene of political manipulation from the 13th century. It is, as always, a matter of responding tot he demands of the base, and of directing those demands and taking leadership of the "movement."
Family
Christmas is a time when Christians try to be together with family. It is a time to celebrate together -- and create memories that we will cherish of our loved ones when we are apart or separated by the grave itself. It is a time that reminds us of the importance of families. In this excerpt, other circumstances have reminded the powerful Lord of Beirut of the importance of his sons.
Character Development
Nothing is more fundamental, important or more difficult than character development. Good characters that EVOLVE in the course of a novel are what distinguish a book of quality (dare I say literature?) from a book of light (or dark) entertainment. That's why I was so thrilled that Kirkos Reviews wrote: "Sir Balian is a great central figure—a bit like William Shakespeare’s portrayal of the young Prince Hal..." That is to say he is realistically flawed, particularly to start with, but he grows into his role. In this scene, Balian's absence from a siege has almost ended in disaster - and his demanding father has just arrived on the scene.
Season's Greetings?
The modern world has turned formerly religious holidays into frenzies of consumption. Black Friday, Cyber Monday -- or is it Cyber week? Soon we'll not be able to open any page of anything print or electronic that doesn't tell us how few days there are until "Christmas" -- by which they men "D-Day" for buying presents. The "Christ" has long ago been taken out of "Christmas" by a pretense of respect for other religions that is really only an adulation of shopping, spending, buying -- and, oh, and maybe giving a little too. It wasn't always that way. Religious holidays were once times for reflection, as my main character does here.
How do you thank someone for your life?
Now at Thanksgiving we are all reminded of how much we owe others and God for the good things in our lives. Yet some of us must also thank others for life itself. That is the situation of my hero in "Rebels against Tyranny." Released at last from Imperial captivity (where he was badly abused) he discovers more about who was behind his rescue.
Sub-Plots
While the historical record forms the road map of my novels, determining the over-all direction and important milestones, my novels are enriched just as a map is made more complete, by the secondary "roads" and byways -- the subplots. In the history of the baronial revolt against Emperor Frederick II, the "highway" (main plot) is dictated by the actions of the leading rebels: John d'Ibelin, Lord of Beirut, and his sons. Yet historically the Ibelins did not stand alone; they were strongly supported by the Genoese of Outremer. Yet we know almost nothing about individual members of that community. So I invented some! Meet Giovanni Gabrieli and his daughter Cecilia.
Supporting Cast
When writing historical fiction about real characters, an author is heavily dependent on a fictional supporting cast. The biography of the historical character provides the skeleton of the character and historical events determine the main contours of the plot, but to flesh out the historical figures, interaction with characters that the author completely controls -- i.e. fictional characters -- is often extremely useful. These characters help an author explore the blank spaces left by the historical record. For novels set in the medieval period, squires are an obvious candidate for this device. We know they existed, and they had to work hand-in-glove with their lord. They knew their "principal" intimately, but we know nothing about them. Meet Rob, Balian d'Ibelin II's squire!
Sisterly Love
In earlier excerpts I've looked at fathers and sons, and the often stormy relations between brothers close in age. Today's excerpt focuses on sisters and brothers and the misunderstandings they can have. Bella is Balian's only sister, and she wants to help one of her best friends...
Good Son, Bad Son
Brothers close in age are often as much rivals as friends. That hasn't changed over the centuries. My characters Balian and Baldwin d'Ibelin are just a year -- and a world of temperament -- apart. The "good" son Baldwin has just found his "bad" brother Balian dicing in a tavern.
Brothers
As I mentioned in my last bubble, intra-family relations are some of the most fascinating components of good fiction. This excerpt exposes both a father's feelings for his sons and his acute insight into the relationship between them.
Fathers and Sons
One of the things I love writing about in my novels are intra-family relationships. Its one of the things that doesn't seem to change much over time or across cultures. Yes, of course, the power-relationships could be different. In some societies fathers (or mothers) have much more power, but I've found in my many travels and interviews that the complex mix of feelings is less impacted by external factors than personalities. In this scene, the son and heir (Balian) has had a clash with his father and his younger brother comes to find him and bring him home. I hope many readers will find the feelings and responses familiar if not from their own lives than from the lives of friends.
Giving the Forgotten a Face
One of the things I love about writing historical fiction is that it gives us (authors) a chance to give historical figures, who have become nothing but a name in a history book, a face -- a voice -- feelings. Yes, what we write is speculative, but it can hardly be worse than a blank silence. So it is with Yolanda (also Isabella II) of Jerusalem, the second wife of Emperor Frederick II. She was married at the age of 12 and dead before she was 16. Her husband humiliated her on her wedding night by preferring to seduce one of her ladies. He was said to abuse her so badly that she lost a child.. She certainly miscarried the baby she had at age 14, and she died in childbed at 15 -- giving her husband an heir which he used to tyrannize her kingdom. Thus, although she was technically an "Empress," her fate was hardly better than a slave's. We know almost nothing about her. Although she has only a cameo role in "Rebels against Tyranny" I wanted it to be a memorable. I hope I succeeded!
Motives for a Murder
It is historical fact that Sir Amaury Barlais hated the Ibelins with a blind, visceral emotion unrelated to mere politics, but the reasons for that history have been lost in the mists of time. As a novelist, however, I needed to understand him better. In the following scene I get inside Amaury's skin as he sits in a dungeon after being arrested for attempted murder.
Fact better than Fiction
I can't tell you how many times people have told me "history is boring." Or they justify reading fantasy because its "more exciting." I can't understand either attitude because I have always found history full of amazing, exciting and inspiring events. The scene below is based very literally on the account of a 13th century historian. In that sense, it's fact, not fiction.
Sons of Famous Fathers
It's hard to be the son of a celebrity. We know that from Hollywood and politics in our own time. Yet I hadn't expected to be confronted by the problem -- until I started work on a new series and discovered that the best historical figure to serve as the central protagonist of the new series had exactly the same name as the hero of my last series, the Jerusalem Trilogy. The new series has a totally different focus (civil war in the crusader states) and different themes (absolutism vs. feudalism), but the hero is a grandson of the Defender of Jerusalem, Balian d'Ibelin -- and was named for his grandfather. Despite bearing the same name the historical was a very different man, and so my character had to be too. Here's the opening scene.
The Last Crusader Kingdom: Dawn of a Dynasty in Twelfth-Century Cyprus
Literature & Fiction
FINALIST FOR THE ERIC HOFFER AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION, 2019, FINALIST FOR BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARD, HISTORICAL FICTION, 2018 John d'Ibelin, son of the legendary Balian, will one day defy the most powerful monarch on earth. But first he must survive his apprenticeship as squire to a man determined to build a kingdom on an island ravaged by rebellion. The Greek insurgents have already driven the Knights Templar from the island, and now stand poised to destroy Richard the Lionheart's legacy to the Holy Land: a crusader foothold on the island of Cyprus.
Book Bubbles from The Last Crusader Kingdom: Dawn of a Dynasty in Twelfth-Century Cyprus
A Woman's Strength
Women show strength in a variety of ways. Eschiva, one of the heroines of "The Last Crusader Kingdom" was married as a child to Aimery de Lusignan, a man much older than herself. Although Aimery has frequently cheated on her in the past, she loves him and identifies herself first and foremost as his wife. That is not weakness or a lack of self-respect; it is simply who Eschiva is -- so much so that she can defy him and get what she wants from him. Now, Aimery's brother, who he had supported slavishly over the years, has died and left his lordship, the island of Cyprus, to another man. Aimery is going to have to fight for his fortune -- and Eschiva decides for herself her role.
Brotherly Love can be Fickle
People usually think of romantic love when lamenting its fickleness, but brotherly love too can be less than constant. When the younger brother is a deposed king and the older a more capable but titleless man, the mix is particularly volatile. Guy de Lusignan lost the Battle of Hattin and so the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was deposed by his barons, but given Cyprus by the English King. He arrived an embittered and dissatisfied man. Aimery de Lusignan, on the other hand, would one day transform Cyprus into a prosperous and stable kingdom, yet first came to Cyprus with nothing and had to beg his brother for a place at his court. The relationship between the brother was rocky.
Art and the Distractions of Life
Life has a habit of getting in the way of art. We all have to eat, after all, and need a roof over our heads, and most of us are a lot more demanding that. Art rarely pays the bills. So there's our real job, and then there are friends and family and community obligations.... Yet as a writer, I have always found that life's distractions often contain the germ of inspiration, and unexpected interruptions can prove surprisingly beneficial to one's craft. In this excerpt, a struggling young artist has an unexpected visitor that sets off a chain of events -- ultimately to his benefit.
Life is a Journey
Each soul is like a sailing ship buffeted by the winds of fortune, yet able, by adjusting course and trimming sail, to set a course and reach a destination. Adverse winds can force us to tack back and forth. Rocks may force us to temporarily change course. Hunger, thirst or damage may drive us to, temporarily at least, seek a different destination. Yet, we are neither completely helpless nor completely in control of our lives. Forces beyond our control beset us constantly, but by learning how to sail we can achieve our destiny. This excerpt, based on an historical event, highlights that concept.
Enchanted Islands
Thirty years ago, a terrorist attack in Egypt induced my husband and I to alter our holiday plans at short notice. Knowing almost nothing about it, we flew to Cyprus instead. At sundown as the aircraft banked over the shoreline, we looked down at palm trees silhouetted against glittering golden water and as sense of peaceful wonder enveloped me. I soon discovered while Cyprus had been dominated by Egypt, Rome, Byzantium, and Turkey for a thousand years, for a mere two hundred years it had been an independent kingdom. This brief period had seen a flourishing of art, culture, trade, and prosperity-- and it had all started with Richard the Lionheart. My imagination was captivated and my love affair with Cyprus in the crusader era began. Since then I have written four novels set in crusader Cyprus. This excerpt describes the critical moment when the man who was to forge Cypriot independence makes the decision to go there.
An open eye, an open mind
Much of my inspiration for writing comes from life itself. I was lucky to have traveled a great deal and that my work as a diplomat brought me in contact with a wide variety of people and situations. Yet the principle is the same for anyone. The reactions and interactions of humans that we see in the world around us should be -- must be! -- the basis of what we write in our novels. If we describe things we have ourselves experienced we are far more likely to write an authentic-sounding scene and book. This excerpt, set in distant Cyprus at the end of the 12th century, actually describes an event I personally experienced in Ethiopia. Obviously the actors were different, but the actions were essentially the same.
Tools of the Trade
An author employs a variety of tools to convey to the reader the elements of a story: the setting, the action, the characters and the themes. All these "tools" consist of words deployed in different ways, e.g. description, dialogue, commentary, analysis. Yet before the first word is put upon the page the author needs to make strategic decisions about exactly what specific events, actions, people, places and perceptions will be described -- and from which point of view. Yes, I know, use of first person has become the default for most writers today -- and it explains the poverty of many contemporary novels. While the first person can be a brilliant method of writing psycho-drama and literary fiction, for most forms of fiction it is as if a film were produced by a single cell-phone. In contrast, by thoughtfully employing different narrators a novel gains breadth, contours, nuance and power. In this excerpt, the narrator is only a secondary character -- the younger brother of one of the leading characters. But by seeing the world through his eyes for a short time, the reader gains insight into his resentments and growing paranoia -- something the main characters fail to adequately understand.
Transitions
In my experience the most difficult transitions are not the exterior ones like new places or jobs but interior ones like growing up or growing old. One of the most difficult of all is watching children grow up while we feel unchanged. In this excerpt, a father has to let his son take an important step toward independence an adulthood.
Pieces of a Puzzle
A complex novel always resembles a puzzle. It is composed of a variety of story-lines focused on different characters that interact with one another in complex ways yet must present a coherent picture to the reader. When complete, it all makes sense. When disassembled, it can seem rather chaotic -- at least to the author trying to keep all the balls in the air without letting reader interest drop or getting the reader confused. I've found that the hardest scene to write is usually the first because I have so much in my head that it is hard to know which elements to highlight. A beginning needs to meet so many different criteria! It must capture attention and interest, introduce characters, set the scene and hint at the issues at stake. Here's one of my favorite first scenes:
Accepting fate -- and fighting just the same
This was supposed to be my break-through year. My Leonidas trilogy was to appear in Greek in Athens on the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae. Not only that, I had a literary agent for the first time, who was going to represent me at the London and Frankfurt Book Fairs. None of it happened. The book fairs were canceled -- as were all the events surrounding the 2,500th anniversary of Thermopylae. It's disappointing -- but its not going to stop me from writing and publishing. In this excerpt, a young widow has to accept both her loss and her need to keep on living.
Compassion is not Pity
When we see people suffering or in need, we are often moved to pity and charity. That is good -- but it is different from compassion. The foundation of compassion is understanding and empathy, which entails respect rather than pity. In this excerpt, Humphrey has long felt looked down upon by his former father-in-law Balian. The offer of assistance and help triggers a reaction that surprises both men.
The Beauty of Thought
It often seems as if finding time to think -- really think -- is one of the most difficult tasks in an age of instant communication. Our phones follow us everywhere. SMSs and emails peep their presence at the convenience of the sender, not ours. Yet if we don't find the peace to think, we are condemned to react rather than act and will always be chasing after events rather than shaping them. Thought is also essential for self-reflection and analysis. At their most profound, thought connects us with the divine. In this excerpt, an isolated prisoner is forced to confront himself.
Humor -- and a tribute to dogs
This week we're supposed to share a joke. I have two: After a week of lock-down a man looked at his dog and his dog looked back and said: NOW do you understand why I chew your shoes? A friend suggested we have all turned INTO dogs: "We pad around the house all day looking for food, we're afraid of visitors, and we get wildly excited if we get to go for a drive." In tribute to 'man's best friend' this excerpt in which John d'Ibelin, a fourteen year old squire serving Aimery de Lusignan, gets a little help from the stray he's rescued.
Falling in Love with a Place
My novels are very character-centric with the main focus on character development and interaction. It is not surprising, therefore, that most of my novels are inspired by people. Yet places, too, inspire the imagination. I firmly believe that my interest in history and historical fiction started at the age of four when my father took me to the Coliseum in Rome. “This,” he told me, “is where the Romans fed the Christians to the Lions.” Now that was fascinating to a four-year-old! I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to imagine where they had kept the lions? where the Christians? Was there no way to escape? What if a lion got loose among the spectators? You see how rapidly this can become a novel? Of course, at four, no novel evolved, but the process of thinking about the places I visited as the site of historical events and the stage for personal drama had started. The view from the Castle of Kantara was one such place that inspired me. In this excerpt, the wife of Aimery de Lusignan has just spent her first night on the island of Cyprus. She has had a bad night in an unfurnished chamber at the run-down castle of Kantara. She is frightened of the future but is attracted by a stairway.
Mothers and Daughters
The relationships between mothers and their teenage daughters is full of complications, emotions and tensions. I know I wasn't an easy teenager for my mother, and watching my friends try to deal with teenagers of their own is an never-ending soap-opera which I prefer observing from the outside! So now image that your teenage daughter is a ruling queen and her husband has just arrested one of your husband's best friends.... Welcome to Maria Comnena's world.
Hooks
Hooks to draw the reader into a novel don't come naturally to me. I much prefer developing characters and relationships carefully and thoughtfully to throwing them at the reader like a cartoon. Likewise, my novels are based on historical events, and the very point of writing about history is to explain it -- the antecedents of events, the complexity of relationships and the breadth of impact -- not things that readily lead to a simple into of dead body and the question "who done it." No, I'm not fond of the "snapshot" approach to life or books, but I have learned to use a "Prologue" that tells of an event that the book will explain or expound upon. Here's the opening "hook" for "The Last Crusader Kingdom."
Heroes Great and Small - Part IV
Heroes, as I have noted in earlier entries, do something exceptional. They show unusual kinds of courage and the help others in some way. But sometimes even the greatest heroes fail....
Bad Guys, Villains and Antagonists - Part IV
The villains of a novel may, for plot reasons, play a consistently negative role. That, however, is not the same thing as a character being purely evil or having base motives. In "The Last Crusader Kingdom" the heroes face a fanatical opponent capable, by the end, of kidnapping women and children. Yet he is not simply "evil." To help the reader understand better the motives for his action, I provide a little background.
Man's Best Friend
Those of us privileged enough to have had pets know just how important they have been in our lives. It was no different in times past, and so dogs and horses often have important roles in my novels. In this excerpt, the young squire John d'Ibelin encounters an exceptional dog.
Introducing the Leading Lady -- IV
The main female character in all three books of the Jerusalem Trilogy and "The Last Crusader Kingdom" is Maria Comnena, a historical figure. In the course of the four novels she goes from being a reigning queen still in her teens, to a grandmother in her late forties. My introduction to her in each book reflects her changing status and role. In this excerpt from the last of the four books in which Maria plays the leading female role, she is forty-years-old and her oldest son, John, is already in service as a squire.
A picture is worth a thousand words -- but what if
When writing historical fiction, helping the reader to see unfamiliar environments is always a challenge. I need to tip off the reader about what the environment looks like -- without bogging down the narrative and a slowing the pace of the action. In this sample, I hope the reader can picture the incident without feeling lectured to, yet with enough words so it doesn't sound like a work crew on the nearest interstate. At the same time, I hope the reader can picture the two protagonists as well. Successful?
Setting the Scene: How much is enough?
Because my novels are historical fiction, the setting of the action is often not readily imagined by my readers. I can't say: "At the nearest McDonalds..." Or "It was a typical trailer home..." This means I often need to describe the environment of action more than if the novel was set in our own time. After all, how many of you know what a typical urban dwelling in late 12th century Acre looked like? At the same time, I can't allow descriptions to get in the way of the narrative or I will bore (and so lose) the reader altogether. Here's an example of how I try weave the descriptions into the action.
No Time to Grieve
When Henri de Champagne, the young King of Jerusalem, stepped backwards out of a window to his death in Sept. 1197, no one could afford to give his widow, Isabella, time to grieve. In this scene, Isabella's step-father, Balian d'Ibelin returns from Cyprus to join his wife and step-daughter in their hour of grief -- only to be confronted with political reality.
The Queen's Last Dance
Although Henri de Champagne had driven Aimery de Lusignan from his Kingdom of Jerusalem on unjustified charges, the two men later reconciled. Champagne's three daughters by Isabella of Jerusalem were betrothed to Lusignan's three sons. In this excerpt, Eschiva d'Ibelin, Aimery's as yet uncrowned queen, has still not fully recovered from her kidnapping.
Armenian Rescue
In one of the more bizarre incidents in history, Aimery de Lusignan's wife, Eschiva, was captured by pirates from Cyprus a little less than a year before he was crowned King. She was taken to a petty tyrant's regime in what is now Turkey, and her release was effected by Leo of Armenia through a combination of threats, diplomacy and audacity. In this scene, Eschiva and her children find themselves in the hands of their rescuers on their way to a place they've never been before.
Pirates!
In 1195, a pirate ship seized the wife and children of the King of Cyprus from a coastal estate. In this excerpt, the King Aimery de Lusignan, who has been frantically awaiting news of his wife and children, receives a stranger at his palace in Nicosia.
A Difficult Choice
It is 1195, and King Henry of Champagne has just offered Balian d'Ibelin an important post in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. But Balian has other options....
A New Beginning
The establishment of a crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus was not just of strategic and maritime importance. It offered tens of thousands of Christians who had lost their homes and livelihoods to Saladin's invasion a place to make a new start. In this excerpt, an apprentice mason, enslaved after the Battle of Hattin, and now working as nothing but a day-laborer, seeks out his former master-builder. The latter lost a hand at Hattin and is now a beggar.
Fathers and Daughters
Balian d'Ibelin has married his eldest daughter, Helvis, to a man 20-years his senior in order to secure her future. His younger daughter, Meg, seizing the opportunity following a tournament in which her brother John has competed successfully to broach the subject of her own (future) marriage with her father.
Courting -- with a Watchdog
Wealth, title and privilege have their drawbacks too. When young John d'Ibelin falls in love with a local girl, his father the Baron of Ibelin forbids him from seeing her again. Of course, that didn't work with teenager in the Middle Ages any better than it does today. So John ran away with just his horse and his dog to go courting....
...as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Humphrey of Toron was a tragic figure. He is remembered for what he lost: his fief, his freedom and his wife. His wife, heiress to Jerusalem, divorced him to marry a man better able to defend her kingdom for her. Humphrey having lost everything to which he had been entitled by birth and marriage, fades from the pages of history. In this excerpt, I hypothesize what might have happened to him -- and an critical encounter with his former father-in-law: Balian d'Ibelin.
A Visit from the Virgin?
While Aimery de Lusignan struggles to gain control of a rebellious Cyprus, his wife -- isolated among Greek servants -- miscarries a child. She is convinced he will now discard her as once her father discarded her mother. Praying for death, an woman looking very much like the Virgin Mary appears -- and then....
Disinherited!
Richard the Lionheart sold Cyprus to Guy de Lusignan, and at the latter's death less than two years later, Guy named his brother Geoffrey his heir. Aimery -- who had brought Guy out to the Holy Land to make his fortune, who had supported his usurpation of the crown of Jerusalem, fought with him at Hattin and suffered captivity with him -- was left out in the cold. In this excerpt from "The Last Crusader Kingdom" Aimery has returned to Acre, broken by his brother's ingratitude.
The Constable's Choice
Aimery de Lusignan has been imprisoned for High Treason by the king of Jerusalem, Henri de Champagne. In this excerpt, he receives a visitor in his prison cell: Balian d'Ibelin. Ibelin brings word that the Champagne is willing to release Aimery -- on one condition.
The Magic of Castles
The magic of castles is nothing new. For most of us today, exploring castle ruins is associated with trying to understand the past. It is a means to discover clues that help us better imagine an age gone by. But for contemporaries, exploring castles was like exploring a battleship or a space station: it was discovering the latest in military technology as well as inspiring the imagination with the great deeds that had -- or would be -- performed here.
Learning to be King
Ruling a medieval kingdom was not a matter of doing whatever one liked. Medieval society was extremely legalistic and a king, above all others, was expected to enforce (and so respect) the law of the land. In this excerpt, Henri de Champagne, who has become King of Jerusalem quite unexpectedly, is confronted with the limits to his power set by the laws and customs of his new kingdom.
Sons of Famous Fathers
In this scene, 13-year-old John has just witnessed the arrest of the man he is serving as a squire: the Constable of Jerusalem, Aimery de Lusignan. And the first thing he thinks of doing is going to his father for help. Find out why.
A Monk's Just Cause
The establishment of Lusignan rule on the Island of Cyprus in the late 12th century was by no means a bloodless and peaceful enterprise. In this excerpt, a Greek Orthodox monk who has witnessed atrocities committed men fighting for Guy de Lusignan, confronts his superior -- and learns a unexpected lesson.
Leonidas of Sparta: A Peerless Peer
Literature & Fiction
Leonidas, the Hero of Thermopylae. In 480 BC he would defy an army half a million strong. But who was Leonidas? As the youngest son of King Anaxandridas, he went barefoot and hungry like the other Spartan boys in the infamous Agoge. Now, a young man, he has only one goal, to be the perfect Spartan citizen, A Peerless Peer. In search of a wife, Leonidas courts a beauty, But another young woman knows she is destined to be his queen: Gorgo This is their story.
Book Bubbles from Leonidas of Sparta: A Peerless Peer
Marines!
Sparta was elected to lead the coalition of Greek cities opposing the Persian invasion in 480 BC not only on land but also at sea. Compared to Athens and Corinth, Sparta’s navy was small, but Sparta’s naval tradition was considerably longer than numbers suggest, and Sparta’s perioikoi marines may have enjoyed a strong reputation for competence since they often fought alongside the Spartans. Find out what that might have looked like at in this excerpt. The Spartans have been asked by their coalition partner Corinth to provide protection for a fleet of merchantmen bringing grain across the Aeginan during the Ionian Revolt. After a storm, many merchant ships are damaged and barely able to sail. Leonidas is in command of their defense.
Pleasures
An Athenian symposium was very different from a Spartan syssitia, and Leonidas feels like a fish out of water when the "central attraction" arrives.
"You call that freedom?"
There was nothing inevitable about the election of Leonidas leader of the Greek coalition that defied Persia in 480 BC. In my biographical novel of Leonidas, I hypothesize that well before 480 BC he had won a reputation among the Greek city-states for not only military competence but also fair treatment of Allies. In this excerpt from "A Peerless Peer," I show Leonidas in action in a Spartan diplomatic coup: luring the city-state of Mycene out of Argos' sphere of influence and into their own.
A Spartan Girl
One of the most significant differences between Sparta and Athens was in the different treatment of girls. In Athens they were from birth confined to the inside of the house, not allowed to engage in exercise, and not fed the same diet as the brothers. Nor were they taught to read and write. They were then married as soon as they reached puberty. Spartan girls, in contrast, were fed the same wholesome diet as their brothers, took part in sports, and went to school where they learned to read and write. In this excerpt 8-year old Gorgo, encounters her first Athenians.
The Youngest Agiad
Leonidas, the hero of Thermopylae, was the youngest of four Agiad princes. He never expected to be King of Sparta. For the bulk of his life he was just an "ordinary" Spartan, a Peer. In this excerpt, Leonidas is just 21 years old and a new citizen. He has not distinguished himself in any way -- until now.
