Goodreads asked David Gaughran:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

David Gaughran For a while now, I've had a vague notion of writing a series of (nominally unrelated) books which explored the history of Latin America through key moments. A Storm Hits Valparaiso covered the independence wars. My most recent novel, Mercenary, explores the very beginnings of American involvement in Central America. And I'm planning future books set in WWII Brazil, and, finally, 1970s Argentina. I thought Mercenary was going to be all about rapacious banana companies and American imperialistic meddling, but it turned out quite differently. There is a little of that in the background, but predominantly it's the story of a soldier of fortune called Lee Christmas. He was a fascinating character, one of the most famous men in America 100 years ago, but almost completely forgotten today. As soon as I started reading about him, I knew he would be the focus of the book.

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