James Dunford Wood, what first attracted you to the 1930s and beyond?
I inherited a set of war diaries written by my father, covering 1939-1946 and RAF campaigns in Iraq, Burma and North-West Europe.
Can you tell us a little about your research?
For my book The Big Little War, I spent many weeks in the National Archives, as well as reading widely around the subject. For my fiction writing, I make more use of the internet, as well as reading other authors in the same genre.
The common phrase is that history is written by the victors. Do you think this is true?
All too often, yes – at least in the short term. However, over time I believe that the real story can come out.
If you could meet any figure from history, who would it be and why? Also, if you could witness any event throughout history, what would it be?
Alexander the Great and the Battle of Britain
Are there any historians who helped shaped your career? Similarly, can you recommend three history books which budding historians should read?
My history tutor at school, Michael Kitson (David Cameron’s favourite history teacher too, about whom a book has been written), inspired me to love history. He would typically take us all outdoors on a sunny day, out of the classroom, and teach us under a huge oak tree.
Three books to read:
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William Shirer
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
If you could add any period or subject to the history curriculum, what would it be?
The Qing Dynasty or the Cultural Revolution.
If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, either as a student or when you first started out as a writer, what would it be?
There is genius in starting. Just get the words down on paper. You can’t edit a blank page.
Can you tell us about the project you are working on at the moment?
I am working on a fictionalised version of The Big Little War (on the Battle of Habbaniya in 1941).
James Dunford Wood is a writer and the author of The Big Little War.
