‘Behind the Text’ 40. ‘Tudor Turnabout’ / ‘Mutatis Mutandis’

Hi,

‘Mutatis Mutandis’ was started in 1971 when I abandoned my M. Phil research into religious change in early Tudor London. It was revised, enlarged, acquired extensive end-notes and published in 2009 as a limited edition. A couple of years ago I revised the book again and converted it into an e-book, enabling easy access to the End-Notes – crucial to any reader wanting to learn as well as be entertained. It was published as ‘Tudor Turnabout’.

The book covers the last 20 years of the reign of Henry VIII (1509-47) during which great changes were made to English religion, government and social structure – hence the original Latin title which means (roughly) ‘Necessary Changes Have Been Made’. The present title hopefully is less daunting.

More than 95% of this book is fact – including actions & ambitions revealed in conversations or fictional characters giving life to the experiences of ‘Everyman’. The documents quoted are factual (sources in the End-Notes) and statistics are based on fact. Attitudes and stances of individuals stem from how I judge the factual evidence.

The dominating figure is that of the King himself – deciding what he wanted and driving with all his considerable power to get it. The public usually limit that to marriage and the need for a male heir. So the initial title was ‘The King must have a Wife’ but that was soon abandoned as too trite and too limiting. The King wanted greater power for the Crown (backed by a co-operative Parliament as representing the people’s agreement), a subservient nobility, control over the Church in England and an enormous income to lavish on war, display and sheer pleasure. I must admit my attitude toward the King changed from condemnation re’ the dissolution of his first marriage (and ALL that entailed – e.g. the treatment of Wolsey & More) and yet towards the end, with Henry terrified so much will be undone after his death, I was moved to sympathy. I find Anne Boleyn an enigma, both Wolsey & Cromwell locked into the role-set of ‘King’s Servant’, Catherine Howard and Henry’s children as both used and abused, while Riche, Wriothesley and the like appear ambitious time-servers. I have every sympathy for martyrs on BOTH sides, admiring their courage even though I may question their position. Individuals rise and fall largely due to ’EVENTS’ as Macmillan 50 years ago explained to President Kennedy: Wolsey faced a Papacy dominated by the nephew of the woman he must displace, Cromwell’s plans were spoiled by the collapse of the Protestant cause in Germany, Catherine Parr was saved by the mellowing of her husband while Anne Boleyn perished for failing to provide an heir and becoming an encumbrance to that ambition.

I hope the reader may both be entertained and develop the urge to look more closely at this period.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 39. ‘The Wanderer’9 : ‘Meeting Destiny’

Hi,

This book is the ninth & last in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and was developed  in two stages: Chapter 1 (started 24/11/93) really an overhang from the catastrophic close to the previous book and the rest (started 30/12/02) undertaken as the conclusion of the whole work.

‘Meeting Destiny’ reaches back through past decisions and reveals their effects. It is set in Syria & Palestine (998-1000)  and is dominated by religion, most fitting as this work concentrates on the belief that the End of the World would come in 1000 with the return of Jesus Christ as prophesied in the Biblical book of ‘Revelation’. Historically there’s no real basis for that idea but it makes a good story! Certainly Ethelwulf had been well schooled in that belief by his fanatical abductor several years before in an attempt to recruit him as an assassin. Now he was drawn to Jerusalem in the belief his life burdened by sin would be purged in the Final Battle.

From the start Ethelwulf is in a bad state – alone, mourning the loss of Morkere and the others who’d accompanied him for years, hunted by imperial agents and bordering on the edge of madness. Then by chance he encounters Lydia, who’ d helped him escape from the fanatic several years before. Neither has anybody else so they join up, marry but again tragedy sends Ethelwulf into a spiral mentally downwards, Eventually he finds shelter in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to await the Second Coming. Although enemies know he’s there, Ethelwulf finds peace through the attention of an Ethiopian monk, Anastasius, overcoming 20 years of hate and rage against so many, especially the murderer of his mother. Still hidden away he’s joined by a distant cousin, Sweyn Haraldsson, and they manage to return to the world outside where they surprisingly encounter a friend from the past. The three plan to leave Palestine, perhaps for a new life far to the West. But the saga of Ethelwulf the Wanderer is doomed not to end in peace.

This book explores the Fatimid control of Jerusalem, threatened by growing unrest when so many differing forms of belief rub shoulders as people expect the End of the World. I trust the reader will feel some sympathy for members of the Dīwān al-Shurţah (Police) such as Arif Mahmud bin Harpoon but surely not for Selim the Beautiful. Ethelwulf  experiences kindness (e.g. from Benedictine pilgrims), treachery (e.g. Nicephorus & Nicias), help from Lydia’s cousin, George, but the saga remorselessly creeps towards disaster.

As stated above the Second Coming expectations have little foundation in fact but fictionally they offer an excellent opportunity to show human nature at its best and worst. Accordingly it brings Ethelwulf at the very end to face the life he’d made for himself.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 38. ‘The Wanderer’ 8 : ‘Servants of Miklagard’

Hi,

This book is the eighth in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in the Byzantine Empire (990-98) – much changed from the relics of ancient Rome and now at its most powerful This book was one of the earlier ones started (on 1 December 1992), although an extra chapter was added in June 1996 and even another one in July 2006. 1 selected from a range of possible storylines before the final scenario determined in 1992 in order to facilitate the printed trilogy in 2008. I chose to write this book early on because, from a lifetime’s love of History, I was more familiar with Byzantium than most of the other stages in the Wanderer’s journey; you may guess that from the detailed End-Notes supplied.

Within weeks Ethelwulf unwittingly arouses the enmity of Alexius Euergetes (aka the Eparchos) in not allowing himself and his men to be sacrificed. The Eparchos, outside the imperial family headed by Basil II(976-1025) (aka the Autokrator), is the most powerful man in the empire. However, Ethelwulf continues to ruin the schemes of the Eparchos, even after he realises what he is doing – he rescues from fire a creditor, doesn’t silence a dangerous Cretan rebel who knows too much, recovers a manuscript which should have stayed lost, escapes a nasty plot by a nymphomaniac princess, returns from abduction by a religious extremist and survives separation from the main army in territory controlled by the Bulgars. In the end Ethelwulf over-reaches himself and brings about disaster – but that’s still not curtain on The Wanderer.

Throughout Ethelwulf & Morkere, despite learning Greek, are at a loss dealing with that bureaucratic maze which produced the adjective ‘Byzantine’. He and his men are early members of the Varangian Guard, and thereby arouse the envious hostility of other corps; they are patronised by the joint-emperor Constantine and so upset others in palace society. Ethelwulf becomes more spiritual after the brainwashing by the Paulician fanatic Epaphroditus. However, due to the exertions involving Bulgar gold and the consequences culminating in the disaster of the Cilician Gates, is plunged into acute depression.

I was fascinated by the clash between the sophisticated Byzantine system and the intruders led by Ethelwulf – did it resemble the crisis faced by John Savage in Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’? Perhaps. Certainly the Ethelwulf who, as a hunted man, staggers into the final stage is by no means the warrior who entered Byzantium – as a hunted man!

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 37. ‘The Wanderer’ 7 : ‘The Wastes of Gadarike’

Hi,

This book is the seventh in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Russia (988-90) – then known as Gadarike (‘the land of fortresses’).Chapter 1 was started in September 1998 but the rest had to wait another 5 years before they written. Why? I wasn’t sure how to continue the tale apart from a broad outline. Religious squabbles play a big role, and the Pechenegs a lesser one than originally intended. This shift in balance was undoubtedly affected by the much earlier completion of the Byzantine and MOST of the Palestine books. If the reader does read Books 8 & 9 in ‘The Wanderer’ they may understand my reasons.

This book starts with Ethelwulf and his followers being on the run and it ends that way too; the bit in-between doesn’t prove much better for our hero. For over a century Vikings (known here as Varangians) mainly from Sweden had used the river system to spread a rather patchy control based on Kiev (aka Holmgard). They became surrounded by a collection of Slavic peoples, often hostile, with their own cultures, religious practices and ambitions..

Into this morass Ethelwulf (sometimes derisively called ‘the Westerner’)steps to find his Christian faith rejected by Orthodox Christians – as well as by Moslems, Jews and pagans.  From the start he’s deceived and even recovering ‘stolen property’ adds to his store of enemies. His judgement is questioned regarding an instance of religious strife, his loyalty doubted when challenged by the vicious governor of Sarkel, Menash Bulan, and his agent, Toghrul Beg; and he’s stalked by the awesome Pechenegs as he and his followers make their escape towards the Crimean area and the Black Sea.

One aspect which dominates the whole book is the sheer size of Gadarike. This is true whether the Wanderer and his men are hunting down Oleg Askoldsson & the runaway Princess, or simply enduring the journey to Khazaria, or attempting the impossible task of limiting Pecheneg raids. The final challenge proves to be the nightmare escape down the Kuban to its marshy delta and personal tragedy.

Not that this book is filled with evil, cruelty and bloodshed but that side of life sometimes threatens to swamp the good – such as the priests, Cyril and Makarios, the former seeking martyrdom and the latter helped by the gentle Elizabeth. Then there are the hopelessly optimistic Ali ibn-Yussuf, the loyal translator, Chorpan, and the doomed youth, Aaron. The key figure, if somewhat distant, remains the Grand Prince of Kiev, Vladimir I who never trusts Ethelwulf, being open to influence from his wife, Anna.

On the Sea of Azov Ethelwulf may well acquire a ship at Tmutorokan but, in Thorgeis Green-Eye he is joined with a fighter who shares too many characteristics with that unremitting enemy, Thorgrim the Short.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 36. ‘The Wanderer’ 6 : ‘Swords for Sale’

Hi,

This book is the sixth in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set mainly in Finland (986-88), an area possessing somewhat limited historical evidence as regards the bulk of the population. Originally there had been a  first part (written in 1995) which dealt with werewolves but this was later rejected, partly as being too close to Crichton’s ‘The 13^th Warrior’, and replaced by an opening chapter set in Gotland which stands distinct from the rest of the book. It was intruded to allow for later plot development. What remained of the original first part was moved into 6:2 which deals with the Kainuu, a historical group which terrorised the Sami trappers in the far north. This book stresses the contrast between the Vikings and their ‘victims’ for exploitation – the Finns, Karelians and, most of all, the Sami.. In these surroundings Ethelwulf’s character sinks to the bottom: he serves with the Kainuu for several weeks and later leads a raid for slaves.

The breach with Thorfinn Cross-Eyed, the brutal chief of the Kainuu, creates one group of enemies. Rumours about the past history of Ethelwulf & his his men provoke a fight in the hall of Oleg Gunnarsson, Lord of Aldeigjuborg, which is so  destructive that Ethelwulf joins a slaving expedition.. He plays a key role in the defeat of an attack by native forces and then joins an attack on the key native stronghold of Pisamalahti, narrowly escaping death at the hands of a treacherous Thorgrim the Short. Victory brings slaves but it also brings disease. Ethelwulf is struck down and, just as in Jersey (see ‘The Wanderer’2) his cousins save him by drastic measures.

Again there’s a range of characters with Thorgrim the most notable villain, Oleg Gunnarsson the most enigmatic along with the charismatic Karelian, Karvulakki. There are several striking figures – the spy, Asa; the turncoat, Didrik ; the subtle Sami, Jovsset; the host, Egil Blue-Eyes; the vengeful, Blood-Harald; the natural leader, Olaf Tryggvason; and the honourable Jomsviking, Stein Thorgetsson. There’s also a wide range of scenery – from Lake Ladoga to  the river Kemijoki above the Arctic Circle, and even to the White Sea if the reader accepts the tale of Freysteinn  Kárisson (one of the best in the whole saga).

Ethelwulf is hopelessly out of step in this world –whether dealing with traders like Didrik or tyrants like Thorfinn (mis-styled ‘Open-Hand’); environmental challenges in the far north; the vicissitudes of a stronghold experiencing virtually continuous siege; or the problems of huge numbers of captives. Above all, however, it’s shown by what he considers the undeserved lack of trust. Somehow he flounders his way towards safety in Gadarike,

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 35. ‘The Wanderer’ 5 : ‘Empty Triumphs’

Hi,

This book is the fifth  in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea(985-86) – an early title was ‘The Swedish Sea’. It actually was the first part tackled – a short story inspired by a dream in the early spring of 1992 when I was recovering from an operation (see the progress of the Sons of Hel along the river Rega for what I dreamed). It was lengthened into a novella but stopped at the close of Part 3. I then turned to England, making that Part 1 of a 9 part saga ( a VERY sketchy overall plan was constructed!) and extensive End-Notes were added and became standard practice. Book 6 was revised to conform to companion sections c. 2000 and all published as a trilogy in 2008 in  Print format.

This book falls mainly into three sections. Ethelwulf the Wanderer, trying to blend in with his companions in the hall of Harald Bluetooth of Denmark volunteers to accompany the giant, Thorgrim the Short, to destroy brigands raiding the Wends living south of the Baltic. Victorious they then have to fight the savages they rescued. Finally they are forced to join an attempt by the Viking Styrbjorn to seize the Swedish throne. Disaster is only lessened by Ethelwulf’s military skills but his desire to ‘desert’ makes him unpopular.

Historical knowledge of the Wends is very limited and I have probably made them more savage than reality – even inventing religious rites to that end. Whereas the Jomsvikings, with an equally obscure history, are displayed as well-organised but arrogant bullies. Styrbjorn’s expedition is ‘historical’ but so murky as to give me ready material for fiction.

In this book women play a minor part – Thorgildis & Gunnhild (sister & wife respectively of Thorgrim) are quickly abandoned and Skuna, despite an affaire with Ethelwulf, is soon forgotten. Some characters( e.g.Krull the priest, Kalle Twistneck the brigand, and King Mistivoj) are pure evil. Others (e.g. Tokl, Styrbjorn and Vagn Aagesson) are more enigmatic and a few are mad (e.g. Thrain Lap-ear). A fine collection of play-mates – enough to make Ethelwulf to sail east in an attempt to escape the Viking world.

Thorgrim the Short changes drastically because I shrank his overall role and superseded him by Gunnar the axeman from Ireland. Whereas Gunnar becomes more companionable, trustworthy as the saga moves forward, Thorgrim slumps into a mood of morbid deceit. He’s a hero in Wendland but by the end of the book a paranoid and, in Book 6 , distinctly more dangerous. He almost appears to shrink in size as the story unfolds.

Book5 is halfway through the saga and, being the first written, perhaps suffers from continuity problems. It has some of the nastier passages in the whole work as well as some of my ‘more imaginative’ passages. It’s up to you as to decide if  the effect is to detract from the book.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 34. ‘The Wanderer’ 4 : ‘Blood Feud’

Hi,

This book is the fourth in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Iceland (984-85). This meant an abundance of ‘historical’ evidence in the form of the Icelandic Sagas. However, these were written down at least two hundred years after this period and, from my long experience, play down the peaceful aspects of Viking life (e.g. farming) The picture they provide of 10^th century Iceland is like the Wild West with gunfights replaced by duels. Perfect for wanderers like Ethelwulf and his followers? Not quite, if, as in the case of Ethelwulf, the exiled Thane of Arne, you tumble into a violent dispute which becomes a blood feud. I should add that I include much procedural detail of how the community was managed – as well as how they celebrated Yuletide and organised the Althing (the earliest Parliament in the world).

I especially enjoyed having Ethelwulf ‘interact with  several of the personalities seen in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’ and the ‘Laxdaela Saga’. Of course, he doesn’t get on well with Skarp-Hedin nor Hallgerd, is nonplussed by Njal’s interrogation but irritated by Snorri the Priest and challenged by the Gunnar Hamundarson. Some of the tales appearing in the sagas are repeated here.

I added several characters to this rich mix. Here are some of them: the basic villain is Grim Gillisson who starts the feud by killing Ketil Clubfoot; the obnoxious Kalle Sigurdsson, whose story had to be omitted in the printed trilogy; the witch, Thorkalata, whose predictions haunt the exiles for the rest of the saga and her rival, Thurid, whose pleasant exterior hides a matching evil; and Thorleik the Black, a farmer who dies fighting at Ethelwulf’s side and is buried with a reminder of his killing of Eric Tin. There are several encounters between the few Christians on the island and the pagan bulk of the population. There is no sign that within 20 years Iceland was going to reject paganism in the manner as described in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’.

The climax is reached at the Althing where the dispute is not settled by judgement but in blood.   Even so, a key part of the book is played by women. Naturally there’s the rivalry of Hallgerd (Gunnar’s scheming wife) and Bergthora (Njal’s ruthless spouse) which fill several pages in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’. I must add Hallgerd, widow of Ketil, who draws Ethelwulf into the feud, the two witches. Thorkalata & Thurid,  Brid, the slave and the gentle Gudrun who, along with husband Hoskuld, are victimised by Kalle Sigurdsson before he comes to a sticky end.

This was written somewhat late (started 17/8/2004)- chiefly due to hesitation about how to best use such source material. However, this proved to be one of my favourite parts of ‘The Wanderer Saga’. I wonder if you can identify some of the reasons.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 33. ‘The Wanderer’ 3 : ‘Isle Of Disorder’

 Hi,

This book is the third in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Ireland (981-84) divided between the native Celts and Viking invaders (largely based in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork & Limerick). The earliest written chapter I can date is 2:2 on 30/12/93 but it was extensively revived both in 1998 and subsequently.

Ethelwulf the Wanderer and his followers land near Waterford keen to sell their swords in this land of turmoil but quickly find themselves out of their depth. The machinations of a treacherous employer and their destruction of him win few friends. Ethelwulf’s involvement with Gormflath (a dominant figure in that period being married in order to Olaf, King of Dublin, and then the rivals Mael Sechlainn & Brian Boru before retiring into a nunnery) make matters worse and the strangers are expelled from Ireland – including a new recruit, Gunnar Thorgeirsson, destined to be a major figure in the rest of the saga

This book is heavily involved with historical events so the detailed End-Notes (easily accessible) should be very useful. However, it also deals with myth and magic which affect events in a manner not seen elsewhere in ‘The Wanderer’ saga. I was attracted to basing part of the saga in Ireland by both the above factors. To some extent I exceed my aim to write HISTORICAL Fiction but I make no apology because all may well be included in  FICTION. Could such creatures as a Phouka or Pishogue really exist? And what about the goddess Morrigan, especially in a form appearing here? They all exist in Irish mythology and folklore

I’ve made much play with characterisation in ‘Isle of Disorder’. There are villains – Brian of Clonmel and Harald, the psychotic killer outside the walls of Waterford; then the more ambiguous such as the traitor, Fergus O’Malley or Queen Gormflath or Cuan the Pishogue; finally here are the good, but few of them, such as Padrid O’Mara and his daughter, Deirdre. Perhaps the most important character to appear for the first time is the Gall-Gael, Gunnar Thorgeirsson, a self-serving master of the axe whose dreams are so cruelly shattered. Throughout the rest of ‘The Wanderer’ his character starts to unfold, gradually learning to master weaknesses such as his temper and to use his brain as well as his muscles. Here, for perhaps the first time, Ethelwulf reveals abilities in battlefield tactics – much borrowed from ancient authorities. In this book the three leading characters of the saga (Ethelwulf, Edwine and Morkere, twin sons of Elfhere Ethwoldsson) deepen their characterisation; the latter two abandon hope of return to home and family while Ethelwulf lays aside memories filled with sorrow and accepts the ‘wyrd’ (fate) of lifetime exile.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 32. ‘The Wanderer’ 2 : ‘Isle of Intrigues’

 

Hi

The second book in ‘The Wanderer’ saga is very different from its predecessor – if only because Ethelwulf the Wanderer and his followers spend most of the time in the background It is really a set of short stories covering murder, theft, intrigue, brutality and an academic debate about fossils! It was one of the last parts of the saga written (actually started on 15 Oct 2001 although much enlarged & revised) – none of the parts were really completed sequentially which made sewing together the tapestry of the Wanderer more difficult. I delayed writing ‘Isle of Intrigues’ because so little is known about 10^th century Jersey, the setting of the book in 979-81. Officially it was controlled Richard the Fearless, Marquess of Normandy, and a slowly developing feudal structure was emerging , but the inhabitants were a mixture of natives, Vikings, Normans (the grandsons of Viking raiders) and others. Archaeology has uncovered remains of houses and an abbey but little else: Norman history really starts a century later, perhaps with the influence of the administratively advanced England which had been conquered in 1066.

The initial story concerns murder, grave-robbing and a little matter of official corruption while Ethelwulf’s intrusion may gain him friends but also powerful enemies. The next one concerns the details of a Benedictine Monastery undermined by factional strife. Then family discord forms the backcloth to the uncovering of fossils and what medieval thinkers thought of them. Then there is a murder mystery – not so difficult if one can look beyond the obvious. Finally his seizure means Ethelwulf faces expulsion to England and certain death. His cousins secure an alliance with Viking pirates and Jersey suffers extreme violence as Ethelwulf is rescued from Gorey castle.

The title comes from the amount of activity eluding the hero – culminating in his arrest. These include: a plot to frame a prominent merchant which results in 3 murders; a plot to take over control of the local Benedictine House by those willing to ‘cooperate more fully’ with the Norman authorities; a plot to seize fossils discovered on Jersey & destroy them as anathema to the Church; a plot to murder a merchant and seize his property; two plots – the first to seize Ethelwulf and send him to his death & the second to organise a pirate raid on the island and so secure Ethelwulf’s release. Mysteries remain: the extra vote in the monastic elections, the future lives of Jeanne, Brendan the Wiry and other villains, what happened to a hoard of fossils and who won the battle of St. Helier.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 31. ‘The Wanderer’ 1 : ‘Witness To Murder’

 

Hi,

This book may be the first in ‘The Wanderer’ saga but it wasn’t the first written - for the details go to ‘Behind The Text’ 35. This book was started on 23 Oct 1992 but  was the first part to have detailed End-Notes.. Nine ebooks make up ‘The Wanderer’ saga, originally appearing as a paperback trilogy, which spans the northern world in the late 10^th century. The hero, Ethelwulf of Arne, travels from England to Palestine over 22 years.so I deliberately started the work slowly, getting the reader OUT of the 21^st century and into Dorset in 979. It’s part of England which eighty years before was divided between the native Saxons and the invading Vikings, resulting in the use of several languages and dialects, differing customs and values, both Christianity and paganism - all resting on a tradition of honour and vengeance and racial hostility

This book is set 979.Ethelwulf is a nobleman fighting off control by his widowed mother and drawn towards a neighbour, ten years his senior, the step-mother of King Edward. But the Queen at Corfe is plotting for her young son, Ethelred, to be the sovereign and that means assassinating her step-son. Ethelwulf by chance witnesses the murder on 18 March, narrowly escapes with his life and is blamed for the crime, becoming a Wolfs-Head or outlaw. Although the area is terrorised by Haakon, chief assassin and tool of the Queen, Ethelwulf gains supporters and, trusting Truth will out, challenges that authority. It doesn’t and he fights his way out of England at a frightful personal cost.

“The Wanderer’ has extensive notes ‘so you can learn as well as be entertained! Full of historical detail, this is an epic saga!’ (to quote one reviewer). Certainly I have my influences (e.g. Franz Bengtsson’s ‘The Long Ships’ and the Icelandic sagas) but it rests firmly on historical events. My hero tends to interfere when he shouldn’t (starting at Corfe castle and ending in a back-street in Jerusalem), wins both loyalty and enmity, drifts into the life of an exile affecting his personality (see the Anglo-Saxon poem ‘The Wanderer’ for that aspect). His cousins, Edwine and Morkere, represent the good and darker side of his personality. Such inner turmoil appears in other characters (e.g. the Queen and Haakon)

The background is a 10^th century England perhaps more organised and ‘tidied up’ than reality. Once the story gets going it moves quickly  - sometimes graphically – towards a climax with a sea-battle in Poole Harbour.

Bob Hyslop

Behind the Text 1 INTRODUCING THE BLOGS

Welcome To The World Of The Self-Published
Hi,

I've now reached the stage where I feel it’s time to analyse what I've done over the last few years. I don't intend to write any more - not because I've run out of ideas but because I've run out of energy. Believe me, that's what you need to write. To misapply Edison's alleged comment on genius, writing is '1% inspiration & 99% perspiration'.

Although I’ve dabbled with writing, especially short stories, most of my life, it wasn’t until 1992 that I really got stuck in. It started as yet another short story, expanded into a novel and finished up as a trilogy called ‘The Wanderer’. It’s about a Saxon, falsely accused of killing King Edward in 979 at Corfe who flees into exile and travels throughout the Viking world for the next twenty years. As I could only tackle it now and then it took me 16 years to bring it to the publication stage. I had to do extensive research and the results I included in detailed End Notes so the reader, if they wished, could learn about ‘the facts’. This later horrified one reviewer as near sacrilege for a novel. It also didn’t help when it came to interesting potential publishers.

These days for 99.9% of would-be writers there’s a major barrier called the Publishing Industry. They’re keen on certain books by certain people but otherwise you can, more or less, forget about getting anything published. Fortunately this situation is being drastically changed by e-books and companies like Amazon.

I wasted months emailing many publishing houses, going through all the hoops required to actually submit my work, & found that 90%+ couldn't even bother to send an email acknowledgement. So, after looking at ‘Vanity Publishing’ and not being too impressed, I decided to self-publish. It’s not difficult & you’ll find there’s a lot of very helpful people out there. I arranged for the printing, the purchase of 10 ISBN’s etc.etc. The one factor I did little about was marketing - a BIG mistake.

Even so, having enjoyed the whole experience, I got out a half-written novel on Henry VIII and his wives. I expanded it, added the End Notes and passed through the SELF-publishing process again. I made one major mistake. As it’s all about CHANGE – wives, Ministers, religion, laws – I took a legal term meaning roughly ‘Change What Must Be Changed’ and called it ‘Mutatis Mutandis’. With hindsight, NOT a crowd puller.

So I switched to e-books, because I don’t like seeing unsold books lying around, and that’s what this series of blogs is MAINLY going to be about. Details of all my books can be found at www.cuthanbooks.co.uk.

See you next time,

Bob Hyslop

Behind the Text 2 FIRST THOUGHTS

How did I get here?

Hi,

Firstly, please don't take what follows as a guide on HOW to write thrillers. In many ways it demonstrates how NOT to do it. I've made mistakes, plenty of them, but I'll try to describe them honestly. I've written to please myself - so the product, at least, has pleased / amused one person - and sometimes brought surprises.

All my books are listed at www.cuthanbooks.co.uk. Wait a minute. Who or What is/are cuthanbooks? Quite simply it’s me. Last time I said I’d obtained ISBNs but for that I needed a unique Publisher Name. As my hero is a tenth century Saxon fugitive I picked on the Old English /Anglo-Saxon word for ‘bring forth’ (which could = ‘publish’) & so I became cuthan books – and that is a UNIQUE name

However, this series of blogs isn’t really about what I've written in print  - but if anybody's got any questions or comments on them, just fire away.

These blogs are about 16 thrillers set in the period 1954-73. Here is one of  the covers I've  used.

As a group they are the ‘Jonas Forbes Saga’ & I'll start  by answering a few basic questions such as WHAT, WHO, WHY & HOW.

WHAT : The series is about an ‘Enquiry Agent’ usually hired by the UK government to sort out problems which require ‘no comebacks’. They're set all over the world & employ extensive historical research to TRY and get the facts right. The opposition may be foreign governments, spies or just plain 'nasties'. They’re written light-heartedly, almost as a spoof perhaps, although they do contain adult material.

WHO: The hero is JONAS FORBES – really a combination of ‘The Saint’ and James Bond and definitely NOT myself, unless my alter-ego is having fun jerking my chain. Sometimes real historical characters appear (& usually the background is a real historical situation). However, the stories are peopled by a whole range of characters – some using traits of real personalities (including myself) but others are just conjured out of......Perhaps a psychiatrist might complete that sentence in some cases.

WHY: After publishing my 4 books in print  I’d certainly been bitten by the writing bug. These thrillers are the result. I set them in that period because the first story was written nearly 40 years ago and set in 1965. When I decided to release it as an e-book it had become HISTORICAL Fiction so I had to do a lot of research even though I'd lived through (& taught the history of) that period. 

They were written chiefly to please myself & often the stories run away into dark corners I hadn’t planned. They’re out there just in case somebody might get a few hours entertainment by reading them. They’ve been released through Amazon Kindle, Google & Smashwords. The price (May 2015) is 0.99$ each.

HOW: Really a big thank you to organisations & people who’ve helped with the e-books. So here are some in the order I encountered them - the last three are where to find my e-books:

http://www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk/  for advice on ISBNs  & much more besides

http://calibre-ebook.com/ for transforming my work into the various formats needed for e-books

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BobHyslop   : for so much advice re’ formatting e-books & publishing my work

https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Bob+Hyslop&hl=en_GB  : for help in publishing

https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Hyslop/e/B005ESGSIQ   : for help with publishing

That’s enough for now. I’ll get into the real business next time but if you have any questions  I’ll do my best to answer them.

Bob Hyslop

Behind the Text 3 A FALSE START

Meet Jonas Forbes

Jonas Forbes first made his appearance in ‘And Death Will Have His Day’ in 1977. I decided to write a spoof on the ‘sex & violence’ novels of the day. As my characters ‘borrowed’ traits from friends, colleagues & students at Chichester College where I was a lecturer, you can understand why it had to be VERY secret. Of course, I dedicated the tale ‘For all friends and acquaintances who have stimulated my imagination’. Even so, I added the ryder: ‘In no way is this a tale of fact nor could they ever be part of it.’ Only a couple of people knew the book existed and nobody ever read a page.

Where did the name ‘Jonas Forbes’ come from? To star in this ‘epic’ I needed somebody with a very different name from those familiar to my particular circle  – more glamorous, so more exciting and, perhaps more ‘American’. I picked on ‘Jonas Forbes’ but since I’ve been using the internet I’ve discovered several people with that combination so they have my full apologies for taking their name in vain!

Jonas himself was loosely based on three of my favourite characters in the thriller genre: ‘The Saint’ by Leslie Charteris, James Bond by Ian Fleming and Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler. So respectively, he had a tendency to bend if not break the law, a distinct eye for the ladies and a run-down office.

The plot is set in 1965 with a conspiracy to initiate race riots throughout the UK and, in the chaos, make a fortune. It opens with an assassination but of the wrong man. Jonas is hired to protect a politician who’s obviously the intended target. There follows a catalogue of murder, violence and mayhem liberally spiced with sex and cynical one-liners until the ‘ungodly’ (to use a Charteris term) are routed. The police inevitably appear too late to do anything but clear up the mess. I should add here that Detective Chief Inspector John Wyatt, the long-suffering partner / stooge of Jonas possesses a lot of my own traits.

In 1983 I thought I’d try to have it published under the pen-name of ‘James Marston’ & approached a literary agent. He was impressed by the book but felt it needed to be ‘brought up-to-date’. So Jonas acquired a smarter office, with a computer, photo-copier & other contemporary gadgetry. This meant retyping the whole book on my Remington typewriter. He thanked me for my efforts and then said he preferred the original. By then the original had been all covered by comments, amendments etc., so I gave up and shoved the manuscript away in a drawer

In my next Post, ‘Phoenix’, I’ll deal with what happened next and the problems that’s caused me.

 

Bob Hyslop

Behind the Text 4 PHOENIX

Long Live Internet Publishing

Hi,

Last time I described how the first Jonas Forbes thriller was written way back in 1977 and then abandoned. It lay nestled in a drawer awaiting resurrection for 30 years.

Go forward to 2009 and I decided to launch the original as an e-book, toning down some of the original ‘sex & violence’ and fitting it more firmly into 1965. It was to be part of a series for which I'd produced short plot outlines – over time the series became extended & the plot lines amazingly distorted when 1 actually started writing. Three characters appear in virtually all the thrillers – Jonas Forbes, Vanessa Holmes nee Clarke & John Wyatt. The first story actually written finished up as 11/16 and that meant problems, especially as the others were not written sequentially.

If you go down this particular ‘primrose path’, it doesn’t quite lead to ‘destruction’ but here are some of the pitfalls I fell into & how to climb out, perhaps:

 

One character married twice so don’t get the wrong spouse in any book.

 One character married and had 3 daughters. Get the details correct.

 People’s abilities change with the years.  Get the details correct.

Careers develop. John Wyatt (aka me!) moves from Detective Sergeant to Detective Chief Superintendent between 1956 & 1973 so make sure he’s at the right level. I think I may have over-promoted the man!

 The same character may appear in several books (e.g. Tim Ripley or Lt. Boykov) but beware of all the above problems.

 Societies, including institutions, politics, personalities and history, change over time so don’t get muddled.

 

So how might you limit the effect of problems like the above?

Work sequentially. If I’d started the series in 1965 Jonas would have had a much shorter career & I‘d  have had far less fun with the research. So I rejected what’s usually the wise policy.

Keep DETAILED analyses of key characters. I ‘know’ where Jonas went to school (more than 10 years in front of myself at a school in Croydon), his early jobs, his physique, habits & preferences etc.

Produce a list of characters in each book including EXACTLY where they’re described & key events. They MIGHT reappear further along the line & this is essential for checking details..

Keep notes on details of the settings. In my case, for example, it included accounts of sections, leaders etc. of both the KGB & GRU Soviet security systems over the period.

Note down minor details to drop into the narrative. In my case, these included Che Guevara’s command of English, the 1958 French railway system in 1958, Mafia terminology, phrases in a variety of languages & UK TV in 1959. The internet has made such research (exciting in itself) all much easier.

I seem to have gone on for far too long. Next time, I’ll look at the first book chronologically in the ‘Jonas Forbes Saga’ and how it DOESN’T fit in with the others.

N. B. In this Blog individual books in passing may be identified as BOOK 7 etc.
which link to lists in every book.

BEWARE EVERY DISCUSSION MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text’ 5 ‘STAY-ALIVE RUNS AWAY’

‘Behind the Text’ Part 5.  ‘STAY-ALIVE RUNS AWAY’

Never Will You Outrun The Legs Of Trouble

Hi,

‘Stay-Alive Runs Away’ is Book 13  in the publication order of the16 books  in the ‘Jonas Forbes Saga’ and stands apart from the rest.

It’s the FIRST in the sequence, being set in 1954 Kenya during the Mau Mau Emergency.

It’s set before Jonas Forbes became an ‘Enquiry Agent’ . Here he’s a Sub-Inspector in the colonial police.

Neither of the other two main characters in the series (John Wyatt & Vanessa Holmes) appear.

Here Jonas Forbes is a HUNTER whereas in most of the other books he is normally the HUNTED or, at best, an IRREGULAR fighting for Justice with questionable methods. Why? Because the protagonist OUTSIDE authority adds to the tension.

 Murigo ‘Stay-Alive’ Johnson is a very unhappy Askari because he’s ill-fitted for the job & he’s bullied. He witnesses an atrocity carried out by his unit & later learns a dangerous secret. Under pressure to reveal all, he runs away but is hunted down by a patrol led by Jonas. But the story certainly doesn’t end there!

Jonas is another outsider. As a soldier in the Korean War he fitted in. With peace (1953) he left the army & joined the Kenyan Police but soon found that to be a mistake. This book covers his entire career as a policeman!

Both Mau Mau insurgents and colonial forces include men who’d be villains wherever they might inflict themselves upon the world. Both sides mistreat / abuse /exploit the ‘non-combatants’, just adding to the misery in a Kenya moving towards nationhood at a speed unacceptable to extremists.

This isn't a pleasant book to read (nor to write!) & it’s certainly not an encouraging one. I found myself exploring unwelcome sides of human nature. Both the villains & their victims experience justice of some kind. But that isn’t the fate of Stay-Alive Johnson. I’ve researched Mau Mau & consider it caused far more misery to the native population than to the colonial masters – often because of the unjust repercussions its activities provoked from the authorities. Don’t expect a clear-cut picture of a struggle for independence. As in so many other parts of the world extremists on both sides load misery, barbarity and suffering on the long-suffering majority.

A few real-life figures appear but I’ve tried to invent examples from the whole range of humanity – differing in race, faith, wealth, occupation, but mostly experience. I leave it to the Reader to set their own ‘red-line’ for acceptable behaviour. I found mine all too often being smudged by events & so difficult to define. As in the other books, characters & situations ran away with me. I hope they do with the Reader.

Next time I’ll look at home-based action where, perhaps, judgements appear easier to make.

Bob Hyslop

 

 

 

‘Behind The Text’ 6 ’DARE CALL IT TREASON’

‘Behind The Text’_6_’DARE CALL IT TREASON’

Watch your back - and your heart!

Hi,

’Dare Call It Treason’  - Book 2 in the series - was written as the first of the ‘modern’ Jonas Forbes thrillers & is set in 1956 Portsmouth during the visit of the Soviet leaders, Khrushchev & Bulganin. Khrushchev has just denounced Stalin & is the target for reactionary plotters on his ship. I must admit it has one of the duller openings  but that's  necessary to convey the shock made by Khrushchev's speech at the 20th Party Congress. But please hang on in there because it's action NOT words which dominates this book.

Enter THE lady, Lieutenant Natalya Alexeyevna Rykov (aka 'Natasha'). In a matter of hours, she so ravishes the womaniser, Jonas Forbes, that for him she remains THE WOMAN for life( see Post 23). I should add the REAL Natasha was an INTOURIST Guide on my visit to the Soviet Union in 1965.

In this thriller Jonas meets Vanessa Clarke, an ally within the corridors of Whitehall, and newly-promoted Detective Inspector John Wyatt, destined to be a lifelong friend & critic. They appear in most of the sequels.

Jonas is hired to protect the Soviet leaders but the struggle is not so much against the plotters as their ruthless ‘employee’ who becomes a threat to both Jonas & the plotters themselves. The Soviet investigation is hampered by rivalry between the Soviet Security Systems known as the GRU & the KGB – which existed in reality.

Factual figures are few – notably ‘Buster’ Crabbe who disappeared during the visit – but there are some fictional creations who’ll appear in later books such as the odious Jeremy Smith, the pragmatic GRU Major Komarovsky and the deadly Yelena Valentina Arentsky. Others I had to abandon as the plot ran away with me. I’d have liked to have seen more of KGB Agent Derzhaven and corrupt émigré, Sergei Ivanovich Petrovsky, &, of course, the murderous, János Beneŝ.  However, as I write chiefly for personal pleasure, matters sometimes get out of hand.

After this outing I think Whitehall should have been warned off Jonas Forbes. He breaks the rules, twists instructions, creates carnage & provides a bad example: but he delivers the goods, especially as, in this case, when it becomes a personal matter.

As you may have realised, this must be one of my personal favourites, probably because of my interest in the Soviet Union. You may be able to assess how much has changed (or not) since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Anyway, I hope you too will enjoy this work of fiction.

Next time, out of the frying pan into the fire – or, at least, the desert.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text’ 7 ‘SCRAMBLING SOUTH'

‘Behind the Text’ Part 7.  ‘SCRAMBLING SOUTH

‘Then Fancies Flee Away’ (Bunyan)

Hi,

‘Scrambling South' (Book 3 in the series) is a story of isolation in which Jonas Forbes has to battle as much against the effects of the environment as his enemies.  The MacGuffin (to use Hitchcock’s term for what motivates the characters) is a list of Israeli agents hidden in the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. The time is just after the Suez fiasco in 1956. However, the MacGuffin soon fades into the background as Jonas strives to get the prize ‘home’, while both the Egyptian Secret Police (Mukhabarat) and the Israeli Mossad try to stop him. The original escape route is abandoned as Jonas heads south. His subsequent adventures involve tourists, the Ghagar (or gypsies), smugglers, bandits, kidnappers, the SAS and a clapped-out bus. The action takes place against the physically challenging background of the Nubian Desert but even more the dread of being abandoned.

Here Jonas discovers hostility within Whitehall but also the loyalty of his friends in their attempt to rescue an agent gone missing. There are examples of generosity & greed, of kindness & treachery, of friendship & enmity. Help can come from the strangest sources, like the GRU, but also the expected can turn out to be...... unexpected.

I was drawn to this setting as a frustrated Egyptologist seeking an escape among familiar haunts. The Nubian desert impressed me years ago – and even more by what I’ve read about it and its inhabitants. The balancing act between Egypt and Israel, with their shadowy support from the West or the East, proved to be an irresistible subject. I developed a group of Israeli kastas that I just had to use in a later book (Book 8). I also developed a need to release somehow the enmity of the ‘Nameless One’ so that it could no longer be hidden. Then there was the range of passengers on the Port Sudan to Atbara rattling train, appearing suddenly complete with foibles, prejudices and ambition – only to tumble out again into oblivion.

There’s a lot there for the reader to savour.

Next time a change of continent & climate but even nastier villains.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text’ 8 ‘CUBAN RUMMY’

‘Behind the Text’_8_ ‘CUBAN RUMMY’

Sucked into the maelstrom

Hi,

‘Cuban Rummy’ was published in 2012,  Book 4 in sequential order, and set in 1957 Cuba, where the government is being challenged by Marxist rebels under Fidel Castro. It has a strong opening (in which a man is facing a shotgun on a cliff-top & doesn’t know why) and a gentle final paragraph. In the 60,000 words in between the Reader will encounter some of the nastiest villains in the whole ‘Jonas Forbes Saga’, a diplomat more concerned with medieval Spanish poetry than doing his job and a colleague resorting to out-dated American patois. Then there are two female rivals over Jonas Forbes (though he isn’t really the lucky fellow he believes), the CIA alarmed at the potential overthrow of an ally but uncertain whether he deserves support, and mass hysteria over a series of child murders.

1957 was a crucial year in Cuban history because Fidel Castro landed with a boatful of followers – including Ché Guevara who graces these pages - and Batista’s army missed their only chance of stamping him out. It was a year in which the USA, having seen the USSR set a big footprint in Egypt, woke up to the fear that Communism might find a similar centre in the Americas. It was a year in which the UK in creating an independent Ghana underscored its steady retreat from world power & its diplomats were treated accordingly.

An unsavoury record in Whitehall records continues to undermine Jonas Forbes, even though the chief source of such malicious rumours has been forced into early retirement. However, Jonas Forbes has acquired the services of Vanessa Clarke as his ‘Girl Friday’, although she'd scream at such a term as well as often later regretting her decision to abandon her Whitehall career.

What appeals to me on reading this thriller – remembering that I wrote it chiefly for my own enjoyment? Jonas again leaves his brain in his trousers but this time far longer than any logical thinking would warrant. He’s interviewed by two contrasting historical figures – Meyer Lansky, ‘the Mob’s Accountant’ & entrepreneur, and Ché Guevara, rebel and future martyr for the cause. Then there’s the hunt for the corpse of a murder victim uncovered & then hidden away again. A lighter moment is how DI Wyatt’s patience gets stretched by both the UK Embassy staff & Col. Raul Cortez, the notorious Intelligence Officer.

Having been kidnapped in ‘Scrambling South’ Jonas repeats the experience, although it’s much more pleasurable this time thanks to Conchita Mendoza y Lobos. Again he upsets Embassy staff, so clearly believes that is to be his role in life.

This thriller might be upsetting for ‘those of a delicate disposition'. And if you’re puzzled by my title, believe me it’s well justified on several levels.

Next, the much more savoury plot of Jonas being hunted across Europe by the Mafia.

Bob Hyslop 

‘Behind the Text’ 9. ’The Awkward Package’

‘Behind the Text’ Part 9. ’The Awkward Package’

They seek him here, they seek him there

Hi,

’The Awkward Package’ (2010) - Book 5 in the series - taxes the ingenuity of Jonas Forbes to its maximum. The novel is set in 1958 Western Europe. The plot is simple: Jonas is hired to escort Prince Abdullah bin Hassan, the cousin of Feisal, the murdered King of Iraq, from Rome to London. There are two problems: the Mafia has accepted a contract on the head of Prince Abdullah and the Prince, spoilt & mean-spirited, is so uncooperative as to be labelled by Jonas ‘the Awkward Package’.

An initial attack in Tuscany is foiled when Jonas gets the drop on the 3 Mafiosi, killing them all. This so terrifies the Prince he's cowered for some time but the spell is broken when they fall in with an attractive blonde, Sandra.  The Mafia want revenge & are prepared to pass the contract on to the Unione Corse or anybody able to kill the Prince AND his protector. So the chase is on, using the railway systems of western Europe and more. Jonas finds both help and hindrance in good supply and the thriller delivers almost continuous action.

Vanessa Clarke, the' General Factotum' for the Jonas Forbes ‘Enquiry Agent’,  is called in to help, joining them in Switzerland and proving herself a life-saver – literally! Another point in her favour is soon becoming just as irritating to the Prince as her boss. DI Wyatt manages to help in the background, largely by pulling strings, despite language problems.

In this story the reader may link my use of short episodes (even more than usual) involving scene-switches to provide several cliff-hangers with writers such as Jeffrey Deever & James Patterson. Both are strong favourites of mine and I found that style the only way of dealing with such a fast-paced story. For me one of the major delights of writing this book was the research required. Perhaps the organisation of the Mafia may be ready to hand but not the1958 structure of the French DST or the timetables for the railway system of Italy, Switzerland or France.

Again one of the pleasures for myself, as a READER, involves the minor characters: the rejected wife of the Prince; Marcello De Luca, a bullying Mafioso; Alphonse Mainteneau, the courteous stranger; and a parade of awkward bureaucrats and truculent gangsters.

Does Jonas successfully deliver the package? Let’s just say that later he’d claim a 100% career success rate with a straight face.

Next time religion and terrorism – but in 1959.

Bob Hyslop

'Behind The Text’ 10 'REZA-SHARPE’

Behind The Text’ Part 10_’REZA-SHARPE’

When ideas run riot and ideals become lost.

Hi,

'Reza-Sharpe’ (2013) - Book 6 in the series - is not a tale of a 20^th century Sweeny Todd, although the Chapter Headings might encourage that idea. The title blends the names of two leading characters, who actually never meet, but have a common link in Jalal Qazwini, an assassin and chief villain in the book. He remains throughout the novel an enigma – Jack SHARPE thinks Jalal’s done his worst by undermining Jack’s MI5 career and REZA Karimidad, a SAVAK agent, thinks he has him under control. Both are wrong and suffer in consequence.

The story is set in 1959 London during a visit by the Iranian Shah whom Jonas Forbes is hired to protect. Unfortunately more than one type of enemy is out to kill the ruler of Iran – religious fanatic, nationalist extremist or Soviet agent. The Reader may find it difficult to identify as to where Jalal himself fits in, as well as others lining up for the job.

For my research the interest in writing this thriller didn’t come from the usual geographic / historical background but the ideological underpinning of the characters’ behaviour – notably the disputed attitude within Islam towards the status and expected behaviour of women.  In fact two women have key parts in the story, despite largely remaining unsure what that part is. At the end one moves out and beyond what’s happened: the other clings to a shattered background, unable or unwilling to go anywhere else.

In this novel exist bigotry, treachery, cruelty countered by loyalty, bravery and love. It’s a story of ideologies in conflict – and yet really it comes down to the personalities of the ‘movers & shakers’ themselves. Some will be manipulated while others will pull the strings, seemingly without any consistent idea of attachment or belief.

In the end, as admitted by the protagonist, the real hero is Jack Sharpe, under-valued and under-estimated as he so often is. An unassuming man lost in a world on which he has more effect than expected. Here’s his public persona: ‘Jack Sharpe was of medium height, with mid-brown hair (receding), a pale face with pale eyes and rather small ears. His fingers were podgy, like his general figure, and his general manner fluctuated between miserable - sad - maudlin-contemplative - miserable.  His dress was simple. He wore a grey suit (creased) with excessively wide legs; his shirt was a dull grey, with blue stripes and topped by a paper-collar; his tie was blue or green (both dull) with a red stripe (dull); his shoes were brown, with an air of weariness. In sum, the clothes backed up the man - a dull no-hoper in the jungle of life.’ The Reader may well discover, in this case, how little ‘clothes maketh the man’.

Next time parallel storylines & parallel temptations liven up a tale of political intrigue.

Bob Hyslop