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War As A Focus For Historical Fiction.
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Started this discussion. Last reply by Alison Stuart Feb 10.
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- Published Novels
- JEREMY KANE: An historical adventure novel of Canada's 1837 Mackenzie Rebellion and its brutal aftermath in the penal camps of colonial Australia.
KRUGER'S GOLD: A novel of the Anglo-Boer War.
- Favourite Books
- The Meaning Of Night
God Is An Englishman
Northwest Passage
Oliver Wiswell
Congo Song
Retreat Hell!
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George MacDonald Fraser died last week, author of the marvellous series of "Flashman" historical novels, and Fraser's own military autobiography, "Quartered Safe Out Here."
-- Sidney Allinson,
Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada.
www.xlibris.com/sidneyallinson.html
I look forward to following your career, Sidney.
Bess McBride
www.bessmcbride.com
Best Wishes.
-- Sidney Allinson.
www.xlibris.com/sidneyallinson.html
My main interest widened over time to military history in general, particularly the two world wars, but I still study the Boer War as well. Like you, I have gathered many books of these topics. A sort of full circle was closed on this just a couple of months ago when our city newspaper asked me to interview Wilbur Smith, who of course has become the wealthiest best-selling African author who ever lived -- and I found him to be a very nice guy into the bargain.
For my KRUGER'S GOLD, I used the lost Kruger bullion as the focus for a novel about Canadian soldiers who served in the Anglo-Boer. However, in telling the tale, I kept historical details relentlessly accurate.
You are rare in that you actually remember an author's name (few people do.) I wrote THE BANTAMS 25 years ago, published by a mainstream publishing house in London, then it went out of print eventually. However, a few years ago, I started to notice on the Internet that used copies of it were re-selling (at twice the original price.) Clearly, the subject still seemed to have an audience. So I settled down to rewrite and revise the book, including a great deal of new information I had gathered in the years since I first researched it. Then, I self-published the new revised edition, and it is now available on-line, selling to a brand new generation of readers.
I wish you well with your own writing projects, Gareth. If I can ever lend you a hand, by all means ask.
Best Wishes.
-- Sidney Allinson.
www.xlibris.com/sidneyallinson
Most of my interest is the Boer War with a reasonable collection of books both contemporary and original on the war. I always managed to get to the battle fields every few years and each time a new insight was gleaned. I lived in Dundee for a while so I managed to get to know quite a few interesting people and places.
My interest in North American history came from a chance discovery of "Gone with the Wind" as a 17 year old. I read it mainly because it was banned by the SA censors. As I enjoyed it and found nothing that was in any way objectionable I decided the censors were either stupid or brain dead and lost any respect I may have had for them and read anything I enjoyed. Of course, my main interest is historical or historical fiction.
I think I may have read your book "The Bantams" a good few years back. I have searched my bookshelves and storage boxes in the loft, but to no avail.
You might be interested to know I am reading some of my wifes family correspondence from Northern Rhodesia and have loosely been thinking of blending a few stories together blending some of my genealogical research and other family stories together to write something interesting. Problem is, there is a strong anti colonial sentiment in the UK.
The gold bullion and Rand coins looted from various bank vaults that comprised "Kruger's Treasure" was scattered and hidden in several ways. A large portion was buried in Johannesburg before Pres. Kruger loaded the rest of the gold onto his getaway train. Remarkably enough, the Johannesburg portion was unearthed a few years later during excavation for foundations of the new Parliament buildings there. I traced the fact that other portions of the gold were unloaded at three stops along the Delagoa Railway, taken away on ox-carts, and buried in various wilderness sites. Among other suspected sites, the Sudwala Caves have been combed over repeatedly since, without trace of any gold. The bulk of the gold was successfully taken by train to Lourenco Marques, Mozambique, loaded aboard the Dutch Navy cruiser "Gelderland," and accompanied ex-President Paul Kruger to Holland. There is no evidence that Oom Paul kept any of it for himself, however, most of it being spent in Europe on food and weapons for the Boers, and propaganda bribes to various newspaper publishers. He died in Switzerland four years later. However, as not all the missing bullion was ever recovered, a few hopeful treasure-hunters still roam the Transvaal searching for Kruger's Gold to this day.
'Hope this helps.
Regards -- Sidney Allinson.
www.xlibris.com/krugersgold.html