In the Face of the Foe is a collection of three tales following British prisoners of war struggling with choices that could either end their lives or set them free. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write this book? 

My grandfather endured the majority of the Second World War as a prisoner of war. As a child, my limited memories of him are of a quiet, withdrawn man, who spent a large part of the day either in bed smoking his hand-rolled cigarettes or absent down the local pub. Now an adult and novelist, with a better understanding of the past and the suffering that forged the man I knew, I wanted to ‘talk’ about the world he was unable to: celebrate his and all his fellow POWs’ bravery and endurance. Through no fault of their own, they found themselves confined and forgotten as the world focused on the combatants and battles, while those lucky enough to return home after the war received no hero’s welcome, carrying guilt and their trauma for the remainder of their lives. So, I wanted to write a series of character-driven adventures, which never shun the darker side of prisoner of war life, but afford the protagonists their moment in the sun, replacing the unrelenting boredom of confinement with a heroic burst: a fact-based framework, supporting some fantastical adventures. This was not about claiming some unwritten truth but manoeuvring through the bustling crowd of heroic men and women from this golden generation and ensuring the POWs are noticed amongst them too.

How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?

Like all my novels, there is a long gestation period as ideas form, and I develop my knowledge, laying the foundation upon which I build my characters and narrative. Understanding my grandfather’s military service was a personal journey, not driven by a desire to borrow for my writing, but it certainly inspired me. Within the UK, family members can request the service records of those in the military in WW2. The documents are all penned in a matter-of-fact manner, with entries like ‘missing in action 25 May 1940’ or ‘war crime witness’. It stirs more questions than answers and encourages the author to populate the holes. Fortunately, we also have excellent regimental museums, holding the official records of the actions of their battalions. I was most grateful to receive from one of the select paragraphs which told the sorry tale of my grandfather’s battalion and its short-lived role in the first year of the war. Combining this personal research with the benefit of wonderfully researched non-fiction books and memoirs of survivors gave me a hint at the world to implant my hero within. As an author of adventure tales, I occasionally utilized my artistic license to bend the historic facts, adjusting the scenery for the action, but keeping it within an accurate historic stage remained important, and this would have been impossible without the contribution of other sources.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

War is abhorrent and not worthy of celebration. However, the individuals dragged into war always have a worthwhile story to tell. The human spirit is tested to the extreme: there is the worst of humanity and the best, and it’s often the case that one side or one individual carries elements of both. In these tales, choice has a small role; it is necessity with survival at stake that shapes the lives of the prisoners. How they react, pull together, break down, recover, ride their luck, or make it through tells us about their core character, the weaknesses, and strengths. The final story in the collection is very important because, although told after the war, it explores how the experience of war and imprisonment has shaped and scarred Jock. His fight to survive the war did not end in 1945, and on release from the stalags, it followed him and directed him until his death in 1984. I question the legitimacy of the old adage, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but there is something admirable about finding the strength to survive what killed so many others.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

From the past, I will return to the future and work to finish the third and final book in my Liberty series, a dystopian adventure that explores the meaning of freedom in a broken world. Previously, the novels looked at how fear and ignorance impinge on our liberty (Liberty Bound) and how lies and illusions can be confused for freedom (Where Liberty Lies). In this final work, I want to explore the fragility and endurance of liberty, delivering my protagonists into another maelstrom of danger and suspense. It could take a while to finish it, so I may also take a small diversion to write a children’s novel. Too many children’s books unsubtly preach today, and I have in mind an old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure, where the children succeed because they do what children do: make mistakes, cause mischief, but grow through friendship, role models, and experience.

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