Tim Spicer, many congratulations on the new book. Tell us why you chose to write a biography of Brian Franks?
I was asked by the Franks family to write it after they had read my book on Biffy Dunderdale, A Suspicion of Spies. I agreed provided we also got the approval of the Special Air Service (SAS).
Why do you think Franks is not a better-known figure among military history readers?
He was a very modest and self-effacing man who although not afraid to get stuck in when he needed to, did not seek the limelight and kept a low profile.
If you’d had the opportunity to interview him, what would you have asked him?
I would have welcomed the opportunity and asked him many questions. The key ones would have been:
- Why did you decide to join Operation LOYTON?
- Tell me about details of the operation on the ground.
- Why did you opt for the hotel trade?
- How was it going back to it after the war?
I would also have asked about Yemen, the boardroom battle and what happened in the immediate aftermath of Bill Stirling’s resignation.
During your research did anything surprise you about Franks’ life?
His fortitude in adversity when he was told about his father’s death.
How did your own experience in the army help you to research and understand Franks’ life?
Very much – you immediately understand the operational environment, the frustrations of other people’s incompetence and also small points like terminology, nomenclature etc.
When writing about a distinguished figure who do you ensure that you create a fully rounded portrait of them as a person? Do you have to be careful not to gloss over their weaknesses and mistakes?
It is important if you are writing a biography to firstly get things right, but also points of weaknesses and vulnerabilities, as well as strengths. Luckily Brian Franks didn’t have many weaknesses.
Do you feel drawn to exploring the lives of senior army officers, and do you feel that helps you understand your own career?
Not necessarily senior army officers, but I am drawn to those who are unconventional but very effective in an operational environment, who are not necessarily from a traditional background. Hence David Birkin, Biffy Dunderdale and Brian Franks.
If you could meet any figure from history, who would it be and why?
That’s a hard one. Hard to choose between Churchill, Lawrence or Nelson and of course my three subjects. Of all six runners, probably Biffy because of his involvement with history between the Russian Revolution and the Cold War.
Have you started thinking about or working on your next writing project? If so, could you tell us a bit about it?
Not yet – some ideas but probably someone in a similar vein. Or, I am under a lot of pressure to write an autobiography. Not sure I am ready for that yet.
Tim Spicer is a historian and the author of An Axe and Four Balloons: The Biography of Brian Franks DSO MC, the Man Who Saved The SAS.
Greg Lewis is a writer with a keen interest in resistance, evasion, and escape, and the author of The Nazi Ghost Train, his most recent book.
