You write
historical NONfiction, primarily about American history (politics, military,
and more). What led to this love of
history in general? American history in
particular? Were you a history major?
My
father and family were great historians and loved nothing better than crowding
around a fire and telling the old stories of mystical and rebellious Ireland.
My Grandmother was very proud of being English and again, she always was proud
to talk about English history, the Royal Family and wider English heritage.
In terms
of American History, my love of all things American came when former President
Ronald Reagan visited Ireland in 1984. He was a fantastic speaker & leader,
oozes care and compassion for the people from the podium. He really inspired my
desire to learn more about America and the Irish connection. Naturally, my
interest over the years extended far beyond the Irish-American historical
aspect alone. What has always impressed me most on my many visits to the USA,
is how patriotic Americans are about their heritage and history, and so they
should be.
No, I
majored in Business, but I have started the long and hopefully, eventual
successful road towards acquiring a PhD in American History & Politics.
We’ll discuss your published
books in a moment, but I’d like to know a little a bit about your current work
in progress (or pending release).
My next
release (April, 2013) is a book all about the recent 2012 presidential race in
America. It starts back in January 2010, and follows the initial primary race,
wider general election race, the relevance and importance of the race and what
the next four years are likely to hold for America. It’s quite a comprehensive
piece of work, but I believe it will be pretty reader friendly even for the
neutral.
Not counting
anything you are working, on or plan to work on someday, what historical story do
you think really needs to be told? Or
better yet: What story needs to be retold, from a different angle? What aspect of American History is
under-represented or under-reported?
I
actually think we need to better educate and inform people regarding the
intricacies of the history of the Middle East. I base this not on any potential
terrorist threat but rather, on a need to better understand the immense amount
of history associated with the region.
I think
a story the needs to be retold is about the partition of India. It caused such
an upheaval at the time and a vast amount of bloodshed, I feel the very
human element to the story and how families
were/have been affected even to this day has been lost.
I think
the War of 1812 is very-under represented in American history. It is amazing
how close America came to defeat, in this second war of independence. The
consequences such a defeat would have had on the future of what we now call the
United States of America and other issues like slavery potentially could have
been massive.
This is probably a
too-big question with a too-big answer, but how do you do your research for
your books?
I do my
research through a combination of visits to the USA, historical associations
& societies including the Library of Congress, The British National
Library, Internet, newspapers etc. It all depends on the exact nature of the
book I’m writing. For example, I’ve spent the last two years researching,
writing and commentating on my next book which will be released in April 2013. I’ve
incorporated a lot of a political blog I wrote during that period into the
book.
I tend
to do a strategic plan of the research required and best sources before I even
start writing a book. I spend at least 3-6 month researching each book.
Name three nonfiction
history books that might turn a nonfiction reader into a fan? Or that might pique a non-history buff’s
interest?
The
Prince by Nicolo Machiiavelli – This is an exceptional little book and people
can learn a great deal both personally and professionally from reading and
studying it.
Team of
Rivals – Doris Kearns Goodwin – Always been a favourite of mine and long before
the movie Lincoln. It really did depict the challenges facing President Lincoln
and his cabinet at the time of the American Civil War. There were possibly the
greatest assembled cabinet in American history until President Nixon’s first
cabinet, this statement being a matter of much debate over the years.
The
Clash of Civilisations & the Remaking of World Order – Samuel P. Huttington
– This book has become more and more relevant in recent times and is an
absolute must for any student of politics or international relations. It
captures many of the challenges we are now facing in the modern world.
We “met” each other
via Twitter. What do you think of social
media and being a writer? How has it
helped you as an author?
Social
media has become an absolute must for Indie authors. Firstly, you get to meet
and interact with many other wonderful authors and share your experiences,
frustrations and celebrations collectively. Writing can be a lonely experience
at times for some, so social media can be a good means to gather feedback or
advice from other authors.
Secondly,
I would also say having a good network makes spreading the work about your work
easier, but it is also important that you support other authors too as far as
possible.
I often ask fiction
author interviewees what fictional character they’d like to have dinner with,
so I’ll twist that question a bit for you: What Historical person would you
like to bring back to life for just a day?
Without
a doubt President Lincoln. He was such an amazing character from his mainly
self-taught self, political shrewdness and ability to learn military tactics.
He wasn’t naturally gifted, but he seemed more determined than anybody else in
his time to work to become skilled and competent in what he did. He truly did sacrifice
everything about himself to save the Union. He strikes me as very much a deep
and visionary thinker and I would have loved an hour of his time over dinner to
get an insight into his mind and pressures and how he dealt with them.
What is your process
when it comes to writing, revising, and editing?
I
generally write without worrying about the accuracy of dates etc first. I then
do at least two extensive reviews inserting any missing details and making any
corrections to my earlier drafts. I then undertake one final review/edit,
before sending my work off to an independent editor for one comprehensive
review. Always ensure you get at least one other pairs of eyes to review your
work. Even the best people make honest, simple mistakes and I think it is good
practice.
What is the one
piece of advice you would give to an aspiring writer?
NEVER GIVE UP! It is easy to get discouraged or doubt yourself. Just keep going and
pace yourself, you will succeed in the end.
Do you have any
plans to write fiction at some point?
I do a
lot of creative writing in the marketing/business sense. This requires a lot of
flair and energy, so my non-fiction writing is a welcome change away from that
style of writing. I don’t have any plans to write a fictional piece However; I
will definitely write some true life stories at some stage away from
history/Politics.
The last question
is a bit of a freebie: What is the one question you wish I had asked you, but
didn’t? Now go ahead and ask and answer
that question.
Kindle
or Traditional books, which do you prefer? Absolutely, traditionally formatted
books, I got a kindle and although it is a great form of technology and useful
when on the move. I still think you can’t beat the feel of reading a good old
fashioned book.
Follow him on Twitter @PolitiBooks
