My tenth novel, A Betrayal of Heroes, published in July. It picks up the story of Spanish Republicans who fought against Europe’s Nazis all through the Second World War. The Spanish Civil War - yes, it's a passion Yes, guilty! I write historical fiction. But all my stories solidly rooted in fact. My aim has always been to take special periods of … [Read more...] about Five Things You (Maybe) Didn’t Know About the Spanish Heroes of the Second World War
Travel as a Writer’s Essential Research Tool
Travel may broaden the mind - but it’s also essential as part of a writer’s research. I've always had this writing rule. I try never to write about any of my major settings unless I've actually been there. But Covid made this impossible while I was working on A Betrayal of Heroes. So yes, normally we'd have found some way, Ann and myself, of … [Read more...] about Travel as a Writer’s Essential Research Tool
Building a Historical Fiction World
You should pack your bags for an epic adventure back in time through the pages of this latest Jack Telford novel, A Betrayal of Heroes, and some less frequented settings of this Second World War thriller. Here I explore the role of world building in historical fiction and take us on a journey from wartime Casablanca to Brazzaville, from the … [Read more...] about Building a Historical Fiction World
The Mysterious Death of Leslie Howard
There are several mysteries at the heart of A Betrayal of Heroes, but the most contentious is the yarn surrounding the death of actor Leslie Howard. Star of Stage and Screen In the early 1940s, Howard was a star of stage and screen, famous for his role as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind. But famous also for his anti-Nazi morale-boosting … [Read more...] about The Mysterious Death of Leslie Howard
Ten Top Hits from Telford’s Travels
As usual, there are plenty of musical references in A Betrayal of Heroes. No room for all of them, so these are Jack Telford's Top Ten choices, the tracks of his years through the Second World War. All you need to do is click on the images, which will take you to a YouTube clip. Skip any advertisements and enjoy the songs. At Number Ten, … [Read more...] about Ten Top Hits from Telford’s Travels