Over the years there have been many great Historical Fiction Novels - from Robin Hood to Sharpe. However, not too many have focussed on The Monmouth Rebellion and The Glorious Revolution. The exception being Lorna Doone by Richard Doddridge Blackmore, but that was more of a ‘Love Story’ than a cut and thrust adventure tale.

One of the reasons may have been publishing Laws that related to some early titles. There may have been references to ‘Hang Draw and Quartering’ but due to the graphic nature of these penalties not many authors opted to actually write about them as they actually happened.

It is a fact that Percy Kirke really did boil rebels in oil and nail their carcasses to trees as a warning of what lay ahead. Gibbets laden with people barely alive were indeed hung on public display.

Girls received no education, they were thought ‘unworthy’ - boys as young as eight were placed into service. This could mean anything from household duties with little or no pay, right the way into Military service.

The average life expectancy was 36!

There were no anaesthetics. Doctors were experimenting with ice to numb the pain. They were called ‘Saw Doctors’.

Samuel Pepys, who frequently appears in my books was himself operated on for gall stones, in real life he was held upright by three men whilst he was cut into through his backside, whereupon the doctor inserted his hand and pulled them out.  This is not fiction, this was considered perfectly normal.

If you incurred debts it was a punishable crime. Daniel DeFoe spent many a year in Ludgate Prison.  Pillories were used for ‘debtors’. Three days without food or water with the victim left on public display was perfectly normal.

Judge George Jeffreys revelled in The Bloody Assize.  Torture was used to ‘cleanse the guilty’.  You will find actual Court hearings on my Judge George Jeffreys page.

When I submitted ‘The Adventures of Michael Fane’ through my publishers I was fully expecting a ‘please tone it down’ letter.  In fact some my tale had features added by them.

Michael Fane and Simon Lovelock may well be fictional characters, however, paid killers with skills in swordplay, muskets and warfare were used often enough by the Crown.

Daniel DeFoe was really and truly a mercenary. He served with Monmouth and appeared before Jeffreys in The Bloody Assize. He paid for his pardon.  Lord Grey of Wark paid the amazing sum of Forty Thousand Pounds for his pardon. In today’s terms that was several millions.

Samuel Pepys was truly the father of The Royal Navy. His work was tireless in having new ships of the fleet built and armed and made ready for war.

Percy Kirke was indeed the most violent soldier to have possibly ever served his country. You will find his history on my Samuel Pepys and Percy Kirke pages.  The hatred between these two is well documented.

Despite being a ‘bastard’ James Scott the Duke of Monmouth was in reality one of our finest ever Generals. King Charles I loved him dearly, affording him title, lands and wealth.  However, when James II came to rule he had chosen the Catholic religion - this was to be the catalyst of The Glorious Revolution.

As a writer I have tried to avoid making generalisations over the question of religion, I have seen too many authors place their personal views on display and have watched them ’shot down’.  In my follow up novel out this summer ‘Captain Blood’s Pirates’ I will introduce you to O’Carroll a Catholic swordsman who taught Simon Lovelock the art of warfare.  O’Carroll was real enough and I hope that when you read the dialogue between him and Michael Fane that you will see exactly where I am coming from.

I sincerley thank all those who are reading this blog. It is travelling around the World.

A little now about me.

Taken last summer in our garden - the guitar is a Fender Telecaster 50th Anniversary model.

I left school in 1966 when we were the World Champions at football! Those were the days!

After working in offices in Buckinghamshire for three years and having so nearly got married too early in life, I ventured out. Working in pubs, holiday camps etc eventually arriving in Mayfair at ‘The Little Mayfair Hotel’. There I was at 20 with a Mayfair address. I actually dated two or three ‘bunny girls’ from the Playboy and was offered a job at The Penthouse Club. It was a wonderful experience. I continued travelling and worked down in Ramsgate, this time as a ’silver service’ waiter. It was fun, but not for me.

Eventually I re-arrived in High Wycombe and became a ‘bit of a lad’ - because I played guitar and worked at Percy Priors I got to know a few bands and joined the then Justice League.

Then one night I met Leslie (spelt the boys way) and thanks to my mate Viv Busby who was playing soccer for Fulham I was able to buy her a drink - I was ’skint’! Viv lent me some cash. Thanks mate! We were married in 1972 and are still together today. I went ‘bust’ in 1978 - Insurance underwriting. I went into of all things ‘lumberjacking’ and worked for the Forrestry Commission in the Lincolnshire Wolds. I then had two wonderful years in the video game, working for a East End of London outfit. Boy, was that an experience.

Today Leslie and I live out in the fens of Lincolnshire.  We had one son Kevin, but he disappeared a few years ago. We know he is still around as he was on the Katie Melua gig.  So if you are reading this Kev, give us a call!