I have also leaned on other former members of the British armed forces. The character of Harry Jones was largely stirred by my old friend, Ian Patterson, who has helped with many books, but none more than this. His friend (and mine), David Foster, has also been extremely supportive, and I owe a considerable debt to Justin Priestley, who was introduced to me by my cousin, Peter Dobbs. If on the military side I have got any of the technical bits wrong, is it simply because I am not bright enough to follow the sharp minds of these extraordinarily resourceful, retired officers.
Another former Army officer who has unwittingly helped is Colonel Tim Collins. I have plundered the glorious yet perceptive words he gave to his men on the eve of their action in Iraq to inspire one of Harry’s own speeches.
Fellow graduates from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy have shown their friendship and support in all sorts of ways. The name of Andrei Vandoros appears frequently in my roll calls of thanks, and once again he has been the best of supporters, introducing me to Andrew Popper who guided me through many of the financial bits. Mian Zaheen is another Fletcher classmate who has been splendid in trying to make me understand the extraordinarily complex nature of the Afghan-Pakistan frontier region, as has been his exceptionally graceful wife, Adi, and her mother, Mamoona Taskinud-Din. Rear Admiral Jim Stark, a retired senior US Navy officer and yet another Fletcher friend and graduate, also threw himself into the ring on my behalf, and brought with him other former senior colleagues from the US military, Captain Bill Cameron, Rear Admiral Phil Anselmo and Major Ed Dogwillo. With their help I hope I have been able to describe the flight from Diego Garcia to Afghanistan with reasonable accuracy.
As for information about Diego Garcia itself, I am deeply indebted to another former US military man, Ted A. Morris Jr., a self-styled Yankee Air Pirate (retired) and President of the People’s Provisional Democratic Republic of Diego Garcia. He now lives in New Mexico (a state governed by yet another Fletcher graduate, Bill Richardson). New Mexico is a long way to go to take up Ted’s offer of a cold beer, but at some stage in my life, I intend to make the trip.
Daniel Brittain-Catlin helped me to speculate about what might happen to the BBC’s parliamentary affairs producer throughout such a crisis, and he should know, for he has been the man himself. I am indebted to his enthusiasm and sense of mischief.
Many others deserve my thanks for their unstinting enthusiasm, such as Jane Chalmers, Dilwyn Griffiths and Colonel Cliff Walters of the Royal Signals. I hope I have been able to do justice to their expertise.
Inevitably I have taken dramatic liberties with some details – for instance, the role taken by Mike Tibbetts would almost certainly be split between two officers. Moreover, the State Opening is never held on the 5th of November. The ghost of Guy Fawkes is still at large. There are many other such instances for which I hope my friends and informants will forgive me.
Finally, I’m delighted that we have been able to raise a very substantial sum of money for charity through the new book. I was speaking at a fundraising dinner last Christmas for the benefit of Students’ Partnership Worldwide (www.spw.org) and ZAMCOG, charities that undertake educational work in the developing world, when a wonderful lady named Linda Harrison Edwards asked if she could help. Linda is a direct descendant of the two President Harrisons, and I was just about to embark upon sketching out the character of my fictional President. So, in recognition of her very generous support for the charities, I have named my character after her daughter, Blythe. That is the only reason why I have made my President a woman. I am not in the business of gambling on election results.
Michael Dobbs,
Wylye.
www.michaeldobbs.com
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