Look and Listen

Biography

An Army brat, I was kicked out of Singapore by the Japanese aged three-and-a-half in 1942. Got 'home' to England and settled in "bomb alley" in '44, having lived in India for 2yrs. Dad didn't make it home. Went to Sandhurst (US 'West Point') in '57 and spent 22yrs knocking around the world at Her Majesty's expense. Joined 'Marconi' in '78 and went on traveling where the Army didn't often go (USA, China, India Brazil …). Started a third career in '95 as editor of a popular monthly military magazine and twice yearly professional journal. Finally retired in '04. Started writing in '94 but first venture into self-publishing in '06

Inspiration

I've always written – anything from doggerel poetry to boring professional diatribes. Finally got round to creative writing when redundant – needed to keep brain in gear. Inspiration was a Latin textbook … "Caesar's Gallic Wars". At school we studied bits of Caesar – in the original, which was hard work. Our Latin master didn't tell us about the 'cheat's' version published by the Loeb Library – Latin on one page and English on the facing page! Caesar – what a man! We could do with a few really INSPIRATIONAL leaders like him.