I have wanted to publish a novel for many years and although my mind was bubbling with ideas none appealed to me sufficiently to make the time to write it. I then read "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara, a splendid telling of the American Civil War battle of Gettysburg. The story is told from the viewpoint of those who took part in the battle. I was intrigued by the structure of the book and it inspired me to put aside the time to write my own novel. Fortunately I had the prefect subject to hand. The Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) has always held a fascination for me, especially the Battle of Paardeberg, which was, arguably, the turning point of the war. My debut novel Paardeberg: Lord Robert’s Gambit is my attempt to understand the thoughts, values and convictions of some of those involved in the battle and to write down their story. Of French Huguenot stock, I was born in Kitwe, Zambia and spent most of my childhood in South Africa. I now live in England.