I spent time this week with excellent writer and all round tidy bloke* Rob McLaren, discussing novels, marketing and other literary stuff.

Oh, and Napoleonic cavalry, of course.

Rob’s interest in Napoleon’s horsemen grew from following reenactment events and his great enthusiasm for tabletop wargamimg, something you might expect of a former Tactical Officer in the military. His series of books featuring Dragoon officer Andre Jobert’s career in the French revolutionary army have now reached 1802, when the short-lived Peace of Amiens was signed with Britain. Hence his research trip visiting the UK, France and Germany, though he wouldn’t divulge details of his latest plot!

An Australian army Armoured Cavalry veteran who has ridden since childhood and keeps native Stock horses at home, it would have been remiss of me not to offer Rob a ride out while he visited, to take a quick peek at the Vale of Glamorgan over the hedge-tops on my Westphalian warmblood Esskay. Many thanks to Ann for her kind loan of Freddie as escort because I didn’t much fancy having to walk.

If you already follow the adventures of my British cavalrymen Joshua Lock and John Killen you’ll find Rob’s series an exciting addition to Napoleonic period fiction. Looking at the wars from a (rare) French perspective, I guarantee you’ll love these gritty, action-packed adventures as much as I have. Click on the link below for the whole story so far!

Jobert Site


*Note: For the uninitiated, the term ‘tidy bloke‘ is colloquial South Walian for ‘jolly decent fellow.’