Chris Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "arthur-conan-doyle"
BEST OF DEFENDER: MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS
If you're new to the world of Intrepid - firstly, welcome, and here's some highlights to catch you up on what's been happening. And if you're an old-school Defender, it's more of a trip down memory lane.
It's been a couple of years now I've been blogging, irregularly as all hell, I must admit. There have been a handful of standout posts over that time that people flocked to, commented on, re-posted, re-tweeted, had conversations about, and even created their own spin-off blogs for.
They are around the writing process and my creative inspirations, as well as my writing mentor Ian Fleming, who I mention every now and again in my conversations online and offline.
MY WRITING SPACE
What surrounds me when I write has as much influence as the stories and characters bubbling around in my head, ready to burst onto the computer screen. This post shares some photos of my writing space, the army and Paratrooping mementos on the wall, memories of my ancestors who also served, and important things like my growing collection of first edition Fleming Bond novels.
Read My Writing Space.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
ON DEADLINE
Back in June I was on deadline for HUNTER: Intrepid 2 in a serious way. Writing 3,000 - 4,000 words a day, emerging for meals with reams of paper and then descending back into the writing mancave by night. Talk about extreme. This post examines seven cool and not-so-cool things about being on a deadline - such as, time seems to slow down to a snail's pace, but strangely, my hair grows faster.
Read On Deadline.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
TEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IAN FLEMING
I wrote this post to mark Ian Fleming's birthday on May 28 - he would have been 104 years old - after talking to my Sarah about some of the interesting but less-known facts about Fleming's relatively short life. For example, as a kid Ian Fleming broke his nose, and it was repaired with a piece of copper. Probably the quickest blog I've ever written, as it all came off the top of my head.
Read Ten Things You Didn't Know About Ian Fleming.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
MY TOP FIVE BOOK CHARACTERS
This one captured your attention, and people around the world decided to blog their top five characters. I found new books and new characters to enjoy as well as sharing mine with others, and hopefully adding to your own reading lists. It's safe to say I included my favourites from Arthur Conan Doyle and Fleming as well as Patricia Cornwell and Tom Clancy's protagonists. There might be a Top Five Villains post coming soon...
Read My Top Five Book Characters.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
Well, that's about it for now. What would you like to hear about next time?
Chris
It's been a couple of years now I've been blogging, irregularly as all hell, I must admit. There have been a handful of standout posts over that time that people flocked to, commented on, re-posted, re-tweeted, had conversations about, and even created their own spin-off blogs for.
They are around the writing process and my creative inspirations, as well as my writing mentor Ian Fleming, who I mention every now and again in my conversations online and offline.
MY WRITING SPACE
What surrounds me when I write has as much influence as the stories and characters bubbling around in my head, ready to burst onto the computer screen. This post shares some photos of my writing space, the army and Paratrooping mementos on the wall, memories of my ancestors who also served, and important things like my growing collection of first edition Fleming Bond novels.
Read My Writing Space.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
ON DEADLINE
Back in June I was on deadline for HUNTER: Intrepid 2 in a serious way. Writing 3,000 - 4,000 words a day, emerging for meals with reams of paper and then descending back into the writing mancave by night. Talk about extreme. This post examines seven cool and not-so-cool things about being on a deadline - such as, time seems to slow down to a snail's pace, but strangely, my hair grows faster.
Read On Deadline.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
TEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IAN FLEMING
I wrote this post to mark Ian Fleming's birthday on May 28 - he would have been 104 years old - after talking to my Sarah about some of the interesting but less-known facts about Fleming's relatively short life. For example, as a kid Ian Fleming broke his nose, and it was repaired with a piece of copper. Probably the quickest blog I've ever written, as it all came off the top of my head.
Read Ten Things You Didn't Know About Ian Fleming.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
MY TOP FIVE BOOK CHARACTERS
This one captured your attention, and people around the world decided to blog their top five characters. I found new books and new characters to enjoy as well as sharing mine with others, and hopefully adding to your own reading lists. It's safe to say I included my favourites from Arthur Conan Doyle and Fleming as well as Patricia Cornwell and Tom Clancy's protagonists. There might be a Top Five Villains post coming soon...
Read My Top Five Book Characters.
http://www.intrepidallen.com/blog/201...
Well, that's about it for now. What would you like to hear about next time?
Chris
CONAN DOYLE, HOLMES & WATSON
AN ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
This post first appeared on Buddy to Blogger. Read it at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/3/....
One of the great pleasures in my life to date has been in watching directors, producers and screenwriters re-interpret the great writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as new productions are brought to the big and small screens. I literally count the days until the next Robert Downey/Jude Law collaboration hits the box office, and I always attempt to create a quiet environment at home when it's time to take in the BBC Sherlock series and the new US take on Holmes, Elementary. I collect the DVDs (special edition if possible) and watch them at my leisure, all the while re-reading at least one of Conan Doyle’s stories each week. Such is my obsession enjoyment of these stories and the literary inspiration I derive from them. It is indeed a pleasure to see them out again in the mainstream media for our general consumption.
One of the things I like to reflect upon when I’m viewing one or other of the latest iterations is the variety of ways in which the main characters, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been presented to us over the years.
Before the recent adaptations, many people only knew of Holmes through the old black & white movies of the late 30's/early 40's, featuring Basil Rathbone. Fans of those movies will kill me for saying this, but I feel they were clichés. Rathbone's Holmes was too perfect, the ultimate version, I suppose, rather than the complex, flawed, sometimes opiated, routinely depressed yet highly intelligent character we see on Conan Doyle’s pages.
That said, my greatest bugbear with the older versions was the reduction of Dr. John Watson, as portrayed by Nigel Bruce, to little more than a bumbling oafish sidekick. I appreciate that the 'straight man & comic relief' pairing probably reflected the times, especially considering audience familiarity with the Crosby & Hope, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis partnerships. In the books however, John Watson is nothing like that at all. Conan Doyle had put so much of himself into Watson’s history and character that you can’t help but admire them – they were incredible men, one real, the other fictional but steeped in reality. Note: In fairness to Rathbone & Bruce, both men saw action during World War 1. Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross for bravery and Bruce was shot and severely wounded.
Probably my favourite element of the original stories was that they were all written from Watson’s perspective, which was very effectively captured - in a contemporary sense - in BBC's Sherlock via Watson's blog, something that viewers of the US Elementary series may not realise.
Holmes is so reliant on his partnership with Watson. In fact, in the books Holmes often states that he is so much better off when he has his trusted friend and ally at his side. If it wasn’t Holmes saving the day with some well-paced judo moves, then it would be Watson with his revolver. I love the duo. They are much more like Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals than Batman and Robin, if you know what I mean: a much more equal pairing than the old movies ever gave them credit for.
Although the stories have been done many times over, the real resurgence of interest in Sherlock Holmes in recent years has been due to, I think, directors and producers of my age who loved the books throughout their lives and imagined them as similarly vividly as I always have. I really got into the Sherlock Holmes (2009) movie with Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law. While they gave the camaraderie between the two characters a great treatment, they also gave the story more of a modern edge, particularly in terms of the banter between them. It’s perhaps not as gentlemanly, but still in the same vein as Conan Doyle’s original. Then the movie sequel to the 2009 hit became more slapstick again, and took it a bit far from Conan Doyle’s books for my personal preference, but I still enjoyed the interplay between Downey Jnr and Law across both films.
Since then, obviously, we've had two equally interesting but vastly different treatments of Sherlock Holmes: BBC’s dark but modern-day Sherlock (2010) and CBS’s quirky and equally contemporary Elementary (2012). BBC’s Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) came pretty close to the originals of Holmes and Watson and stayed true to the stories. They established a great equal relationship between the two men.
Next to Sherlock, I’m equally enamoured with CBS’s Elementary, featuring Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. It’s a great take on the complexity and eccentricity of Holmes counterbalanced by the thorough, no-nonsense medical professionalism that is Watson. It’s such a thought-provoking angle with a man and a woman, and it really breathed new life into this incredibly enduring story.
In terms of my own writing, I also enjoyed the camaraderie inherent to military life, just as Conan Doyle obviously did. I've tried to replicate that in my stories, with regard to the banter and conversational exchanges between my protagonist Alex Morgan and his colleagues, the way they are and the way they interact with each other. It reflects my view that no one is an island; we are all reliant on each other in some way and there are people you must and can trust during times of adversity. I guess that’s what I love most in Conan Doyle’s stories and probably the reason I try to bring it out in my own humble offerings.
In this day and age, I don’t want to have just male agents in my thriller novels; Alex Morgan and his compadres are great, but they need some female energy in the mix. Just as we’ve seen Lucy Liu acting as Joan Watson in Elementary, I’m writing a new key character in the latest book, Avenger. She’ll be the first female Intrepid agent to be introduced to the legions of Intrepid and Alex Morgan fans currently amassing across the globe! She sure knows her stuff, but I can’t tell you her name or anything else just yet.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on your preferred adaptation of Sherlock – or maybe you can’t beat the books? We know, for example, that our good friend Buddy 2 Blogger, where this blog post first appeared, is a fan of Basil Rathborne and doesn’t believe that Elementary will hit cult status. Leave a comment below!
This post first appeared on Buddy to Blogger. Read it at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/3/....
One of the great pleasures in my life to date has been in watching directors, producers and screenwriters re-interpret the great writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as new productions are brought to the big and small screens. I literally count the days until the next Robert Downey/Jude Law collaboration hits the box office, and I always attempt to create a quiet environment at home when it's time to take in the BBC Sherlock series and the new US take on Holmes, Elementary. I collect the DVDs (special edition if possible) and watch them at my leisure, all the while re-reading at least one of Conan Doyle’s stories each week. Such is my obsession enjoyment of these stories and the literary inspiration I derive from them. It is indeed a pleasure to see them out again in the mainstream media for our general consumption.
One of the things I like to reflect upon when I’m viewing one or other of the latest iterations is the variety of ways in which the main characters, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been presented to us over the years.
Before the recent adaptations, many people only knew of Holmes through the old black & white movies of the late 30's/early 40's, featuring Basil Rathbone. Fans of those movies will kill me for saying this, but I feel they were clichés. Rathbone's Holmes was too perfect, the ultimate version, I suppose, rather than the complex, flawed, sometimes opiated, routinely depressed yet highly intelligent character we see on Conan Doyle’s pages.
That said, my greatest bugbear with the older versions was the reduction of Dr. John Watson, as portrayed by Nigel Bruce, to little more than a bumbling oafish sidekick. I appreciate that the 'straight man & comic relief' pairing probably reflected the times, especially considering audience familiarity with the Crosby & Hope, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis partnerships. In the books however, John Watson is nothing like that at all. Conan Doyle had put so much of himself into Watson’s history and character that you can’t help but admire them – they were incredible men, one real, the other fictional but steeped in reality. Note: In fairness to Rathbone & Bruce, both men saw action during World War 1. Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross for bravery and Bruce was shot and severely wounded.
Probably my favourite element of the original stories was that they were all written from Watson’s perspective, which was very effectively captured - in a contemporary sense - in BBC's Sherlock via Watson's blog, something that viewers of the US Elementary series may not realise.
Holmes is so reliant on his partnership with Watson. In fact, in the books Holmes often states that he is so much better off when he has his trusted friend and ally at his side. If it wasn’t Holmes saving the day with some well-paced judo moves, then it would be Watson with his revolver. I love the duo. They are much more like Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals than Batman and Robin, if you know what I mean: a much more equal pairing than the old movies ever gave them credit for.
Although the stories have been done many times over, the real resurgence of interest in Sherlock Holmes in recent years has been due to, I think, directors and producers of my age who loved the books throughout their lives and imagined them as similarly vividly as I always have. I really got into the Sherlock Holmes (2009) movie with Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law. While they gave the camaraderie between the two characters a great treatment, they also gave the story more of a modern edge, particularly in terms of the banter between them. It’s perhaps not as gentlemanly, but still in the same vein as Conan Doyle’s original. Then the movie sequel to the 2009 hit became more slapstick again, and took it a bit far from Conan Doyle’s books for my personal preference, but I still enjoyed the interplay between Downey Jnr and Law across both films.
Since then, obviously, we've had two equally interesting but vastly different treatments of Sherlock Holmes: BBC’s dark but modern-day Sherlock (2010) and CBS’s quirky and equally contemporary Elementary (2012). BBC’s Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) came pretty close to the originals of Holmes and Watson and stayed true to the stories. They established a great equal relationship between the two men.
Next to Sherlock, I’m equally enamoured with CBS’s Elementary, featuring Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. It’s a great take on the complexity and eccentricity of Holmes counterbalanced by the thorough, no-nonsense medical professionalism that is Watson. It’s such a thought-provoking angle with a man and a woman, and it really breathed new life into this incredibly enduring story.
In terms of my own writing, I also enjoyed the camaraderie inherent to military life, just as Conan Doyle obviously did. I've tried to replicate that in my stories, with regard to the banter and conversational exchanges between my protagonist Alex Morgan and his colleagues, the way they are and the way they interact with each other. It reflects my view that no one is an island; we are all reliant on each other in some way and there are people you must and can trust during times of adversity. I guess that’s what I love most in Conan Doyle’s stories and probably the reason I try to bring it out in my own humble offerings.
In this day and age, I don’t want to have just male agents in my thriller novels; Alex Morgan and his compadres are great, but they need some female energy in the mix. Just as we’ve seen Lucy Liu acting as Joan Watson in Elementary, I’m writing a new key character in the latest book, Avenger. She’ll be the first female Intrepid agent to be introduced to the legions of Intrepid and Alex Morgan fans currently amassing across the globe! She sure knows her stuff, but I can’t tell you her name or anything else just yet.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on your preferred adaptation of Sherlock – or maybe you can’t beat the books? We know, for example, that our good friend Buddy 2 Blogger, where this blog post first appeared, is a fan of Basil Rathborne and doesn’t believe that Elementary will hit cult status. Leave a comment below!
MY TOP THRILLER WRITERS OF ALL TIME
TEN OF THE BEST ACTION AUTHORS (AND THEIR NOVELS)
This collection of works by my favourite thriller writers is the equivalent of my literary lifeblood. I continue to enjoy them equally as much today as at my first read, and it's heartening to reflect on the fact that they've kept me entertained and out of trouble since growing up as a teenager in Perth in the 1970's, and even while I was deployed in the various jungles and deserts of my past, wondering what the normal people were doing for a day job. I've grown up on many of these books, and continue to be inspired by these top thriller writers, all of them leaders in the action & espionage arena. Henceforth, and also inspired by a recent post on my favourite action movies that has been a hit, I humbly offer my list of top thriller authors alongside some of what I think is their best work!
1. IAN FLEMING - CASINO ROYALE
The first James Bond novel and iconic turning point in popular culture, penned by Ian Fleming, my literary hero. This wasn't the first Bond I ever read - I first found The Man with the Golden Gun in the school library - but it gives great insight into the author himself, what he was feeling at the time and his plans for his protagonist. It's full of all the classic heroics we expect of Bond but there is a fair amount of fear and uncertainty as well. I've read everything he's written over a dozen times each.
2. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES
Having enjoyed these stories as a boy, I rediscovered them in my forties and only truly realised then, with the benefit of some considerable years and life experience under my belt, just how good they were. So much of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is embedded within the character of Dr John Watson, trusted biographer and loyal friend of the great detective, that the perspective of his adventures alongside Sherlock Holmes becomes a very personal one for the reader. The language and style of writing is particular to a time while being also uniquely timeless. I devour these stories regularly.
3. CLIVE CUSSLER - SAHARA
I've enjoyed Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt books for over 20 years, discovering them on the recommendation of a friend in the early 1990's. These are all rip-roaring adventures and they just got better and better as Cussler became more familiar and comfortable with his protagonist. Sahara is classic Dirk Pitt and epitomizes, in my view, the style of narrative Cussler aspired to when he first created the character. Clive Cussler continues to produce great work, including one of his most recent stories, The Chase, which has become a new favourite for me. And, for the record, I prefer it when he writes alone!
4. ALISTAIR MACLEAN - WHERE EAGLES DARE
Alistair MacLean wrote some now legendary action thrillers in his time, this one among the most famous, featuring one of my favourite characters, Major Smith.
I actually first discovered Alistair MacLean as a result of watching the film of the novel, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. So intrigued was I by the complexity of the story that I had to find the book and was pleased to discover that the writing and the subterfuge from the novel had been expertly replicated by the filmmakers.
MacLean is a master in the action genre in that the characters are relentless but flawed, the stakes are always high and the storytelling is supreme.
5. TOM CLANCY - WITHOUT REMORSE
Tom Clancy came to prominence during the 90's with a now-huge backlist of thrillers. A favourite of mine being Without Remorse, which focuses on one of Clancy's best characters, John Clarke.
While the popular view is that Jack Ryan is Clancy's best character, I can't help but feel that's a result of the films starring Alec Baldwin in one and Harrison Ford in two others. But the Clarke character seems to me a much more real and accessible hero who does not enjoy the prestige or accolade of the Ryan character. I really like that about Clancy's ability to write such different heroes.
6. JOHN LE CARRE - THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Fantastic book, this one, and I thought that Richard Burton did a great job as Leamus in the movie of the same name.
Le Carre had a way of conveying much more of the rawness and darkness of Cold War Europe and the complexity of personal human relationships that became intertwined in the professional intelligence environment on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
7. JON CLEARY - THE HIGH COMMISSIONER
One Aussie writer I've always enjoyed is Jon Cleary, though he's unfortunately no longer with us. He had a unique Australian take within an international setting in some of his work. He was equally adept at focusing on Australian domestic issues and his characters were very real and believable.
I loved this book particularly the earthy Australian detective Scobie Malone. Mr Cleary is a legend amongst crime authors.
8. MATTHEW REILLY - ICE STATION
Matthew Reilly is another incredibly talented Australian author who has legions of fans in the sci-fi / action genre. This book made Reilly internationally and features his most enduring character, Scarecrow.
I was thrilled to chat to Matthew at a recent movie screening in Canberra for a mutual friend. Not only can he write ripping yarns but he's a genuinely great person who had lots of insights to exchange about the Australian publishing industry.
9. PATRICIA CORNWALL - RED MIST
Patricia Cornwall is such a strong contemporary force to be reckoned with, who has - I think - perfectly captured the relationship between her own history and that of the protagonist she's created, Kay Scarpetta. Her characters are real and believable, not neccessarily superhuman, and I like that!
A strong point about Cornwall's writing is how she manages to incorporate complex family relationship issues within the darkness of her subject matter.
10. JACK HIGGINS - SOLO
Another great English writer, Higgins wrote many stories which I enjoyed throughout my military years. His book, Solo, features a parachute regiment Colonel named Asa Morgan, which is not that dissimilar to the name I chose for my own protagonist. Must be something in that!
I still have literally dozens of Jack Higgins novels which I would carry in my pack at various times over the years. They were perfect material when you only had time for short, sharp bursts of reading as they were intense and fast-paced. This one was all about revenge, family loyalties and ultimately being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Who are your top writers and their most treasured novels of yours? Leave me a comment below or at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/4/....
This collection of works by my favourite thriller writers is the equivalent of my literary lifeblood. I continue to enjoy them equally as much today as at my first read, and it's heartening to reflect on the fact that they've kept me entertained and out of trouble since growing up as a teenager in Perth in the 1970's, and even while I was deployed in the various jungles and deserts of my past, wondering what the normal people were doing for a day job. I've grown up on many of these books, and continue to be inspired by these top thriller writers, all of them leaders in the action & espionage arena. Henceforth, and also inspired by a recent post on my favourite action movies that has been a hit, I humbly offer my list of top thriller authors alongside some of what I think is their best work!
1. IAN FLEMING - CASINO ROYALE
The first James Bond novel and iconic turning point in popular culture, penned by Ian Fleming, my literary hero. This wasn't the first Bond I ever read - I first found The Man with the Golden Gun in the school library - but it gives great insight into the author himself, what he was feeling at the time and his plans for his protagonist. It's full of all the classic heroics we expect of Bond but there is a fair amount of fear and uncertainty as well. I've read everything he's written over a dozen times each.
2. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE - THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES
Having enjoyed these stories as a boy, I rediscovered them in my forties and only truly realised then, with the benefit of some considerable years and life experience under my belt, just how good they were. So much of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is embedded within the character of Dr John Watson, trusted biographer and loyal friend of the great detective, that the perspective of his adventures alongside Sherlock Holmes becomes a very personal one for the reader. The language and style of writing is particular to a time while being also uniquely timeless. I devour these stories regularly.
3. CLIVE CUSSLER - SAHARA
I've enjoyed Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt books for over 20 years, discovering them on the recommendation of a friend in the early 1990's. These are all rip-roaring adventures and they just got better and better as Cussler became more familiar and comfortable with his protagonist. Sahara is classic Dirk Pitt and epitomizes, in my view, the style of narrative Cussler aspired to when he first created the character. Clive Cussler continues to produce great work, including one of his most recent stories, The Chase, which has become a new favourite for me. And, for the record, I prefer it when he writes alone!
4. ALISTAIR MACLEAN - WHERE EAGLES DARE
Alistair MacLean wrote some now legendary action thrillers in his time, this one among the most famous, featuring one of my favourite characters, Major Smith.
I actually first discovered Alistair MacLean as a result of watching the film of the novel, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. So intrigued was I by the complexity of the story that I had to find the book and was pleased to discover that the writing and the subterfuge from the novel had been expertly replicated by the filmmakers.
MacLean is a master in the action genre in that the characters are relentless but flawed, the stakes are always high and the storytelling is supreme.
5. TOM CLANCY - WITHOUT REMORSE
Tom Clancy came to prominence during the 90's with a now-huge backlist of thrillers. A favourite of mine being Without Remorse, which focuses on one of Clancy's best characters, John Clarke.
While the popular view is that Jack Ryan is Clancy's best character, I can't help but feel that's a result of the films starring Alec Baldwin in one and Harrison Ford in two others. But the Clarke character seems to me a much more real and accessible hero who does not enjoy the prestige or accolade of the Ryan character. I really like that about Clancy's ability to write such different heroes.
6. JOHN LE CARRE - THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Fantastic book, this one, and I thought that Richard Burton did a great job as Leamus in the movie of the same name.
Le Carre had a way of conveying much more of the rawness and darkness of Cold War Europe and the complexity of personal human relationships that became intertwined in the professional intelligence environment on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
7. JON CLEARY - THE HIGH COMMISSIONER
One Aussie writer I've always enjoyed is Jon Cleary, though he's unfortunately no longer with us. He had a unique Australian take within an international setting in some of his work. He was equally adept at focusing on Australian domestic issues and his characters were very real and believable.
I loved this book particularly the earthy Australian detective Scobie Malone. Mr Cleary is a legend amongst crime authors.
8. MATTHEW REILLY - ICE STATION
Matthew Reilly is another incredibly talented Australian author who has legions of fans in the sci-fi / action genre. This book made Reilly internationally and features his most enduring character, Scarecrow.
I was thrilled to chat to Matthew at a recent movie screening in Canberra for a mutual friend. Not only can he write ripping yarns but he's a genuinely great person who had lots of insights to exchange about the Australian publishing industry.
9. PATRICIA CORNWALL - RED MIST
Patricia Cornwall is such a strong contemporary force to be reckoned with, who has - I think - perfectly captured the relationship between her own history and that of the protagonist she's created, Kay Scarpetta. Her characters are real and believable, not neccessarily superhuman, and I like that!
A strong point about Cornwall's writing is how she manages to incorporate complex family relationship issues within the darkness of her subject matter.
10. JACK HIGGINS - SOLO
Another great English writer, Higgins wrote many stories which I enjoyed throughout my military years. His book, Solo, features a parachute regiment Colonel named Asa Morgan, which is not that dissimilar to the name I chose for my own protagonist. Must be something in that!
I still have literally dozens of Jack Higgins novels which I would carry in my pack at various times over the years. They were perfect material when you only had time for short, sharp bursts of reading as they were intense and fast-paced. This one was all about revenge, family loyalties and ultimately being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Who are your top writers and their most treasured novels of yours? Leave me a comment below or at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/4/....
