This is a review of a new book by Derek Robinson, one of my favorite authors. The book’s title is Never Mind the Facts, and it’s a mind opener that explores common historical personages and events that go unchallenged. But, before I dig into this enigmatic book that will spin your mind, I need to say a bit about this fabulous writer and his earlier works.
I have read all of Derek Robinson’s novels, the most famous of which are aviation thrillers that span both world wars. His novels are appealing page-turners and it’s no secret why. His stories, as he likes to say, are good cracking yarns, with indelible characters and stimulating plots. Page-turner is not the right description. In his novels, you don’t even know you’re turning pages.
I misspoke. I’ve read all of his novel at least twice, and a few I’ve read more than that. His protagonists float through my brain almost daily.
I was once an aviator in American Air Force fighter squadrons, so I view novels that incorporate the lives of fighter pilots with skepticism. So often they just don’t ring true. The dialogue is stilted or the terminology misdirected or the attitudes contrived.
None of that is true about Derek Robinson’s flying novels. Fighter pilots and fighter crews are dedicated participants in one of the world’s most dangerous professions, and their personalities laced with humor that pummels danger and allows them to focus on flying and fighting. His descriptions are deadly accurate. He puts you in the cockpit, revs up your engine and takes you into the fickle storm of war.
But there’s more to Robinson’s talents and points of view than thrilling tales. He’s also a careful and creative thinker, with an imagination and eye for detail that Earnest Hemingway called a built in bullshit detector. His prior forays into history include Why 1914 and Invasion 1940, both of which investigate historical facts versus patently accepted myths.
The subtitle of Never Mind the Facts is Ten major myths and why they survive. Prepare yourself to reopen your memories of high school history books and be astonished. Take a fresh look at some very old and fairly recent pages of British history, the Armada and Dunkirk. “Gosh,” you’re thinking, “I know all that.” Do you? Really? Let Derek show you, as Paul Harvey used to call it, The Rest of the Story. Or, how about Laurence of Arabia, or further back in the annals of time, the Nativity.
“But,” you say, “I’m no fan of history, and don’t try to tell me anything about religion. I know what I believe.”
Never Mind the Facts is not an attempt to treat you to yet another conspiracy theory, or hit religion with a wrecking ball; it’s about tossing aside your preconceptions and examining what you think you know. How about the abolitionist, John Brown? You probably know about the famous raid on Harper’s Ferry, but do you know John Brown, the man?
I’ve only just scratched the cover of this short, but fabulously interesting book. Never Mind the Facts is about opening your mind and once again, Derek Robinson opens it wide.
This book was self-published by the author and is available on his web site: http://www.derekrobinson.info
Besides Never Mind the Facts, a new book is on the horizon: Odds and Sods.
My three faithful readers may have noticed I’ve written about Derek Robinson’s novel many times. Here are some links to my blog entries. These books are available on Amazon:
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