Someone once said that there are only three really enjoyable parts of creating a book: the first royalty payment, the second royalty payment, and the third royalty payment, usually made on signature, manuscript delivery, and publication. Although this is one of those rather bitter jokes that authors like to make to show off their world-weary qualities, it is not without accuracy. Every author of non-fiction worries about whether they are going to find something really incendiary and exciting in their research, as otherwise, it is all too easy to find their book being ignored. But how do you make a discovery that’s going to change people’s perceptions about a subject?
I first started thinking about my fourth book in 2018, when I began researching the life story of Sir Walter Monckton, lawyer, politician, and adviser to Edward VIII during and after the abdication crisis of 1936. Monckton was a fascinating figure, and distinctly overlooked from a biographical perspective. Thirty years ago, I would have written a book about him and I could have expected blanket review coverage and decent sales. But now, with more books published than ever before, it takes something quite special to stand out from the throng. Thankfully, I found it.
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