Is Anybody Else Working On A WWII Novel?

Hi Tony, I've written on WWII novel about the RAF Bomber campaign, but I had the enormous privilege to have many chats and cups of tea with a Lancaster pilot - I got it from the horse's mouth! I've also written a WWI novel and this case I found it way better to refer to history books written in the 1950 & 1960's (and earlier), because a lot of these again used a lot of personal interviews and living memories as sources. So I'm suggesting maybe you can do the same? Look for older history books, because they were written by people who actually talked to veterans (although from memory only a few members of one crew survived the Doolittle raid and subsequent capture?).
I find that a lot of WWI and WWII histories these days are over-analysed to crap and apply almost forensic, 21st century thinking and analysis to what was in reality a very confusing time, and people acted accordingly. The most important aspect to any history of conflict for me is to always remember - during the war, for most of the time, no one knew who was going to win! In 1916 the British War Office estimated the war would probably last until 1921...
Good luck with it.

TonyWrites said:

To paraphrase John Wayne from The Longest Day, is anybody in this outfit working on a WWII novel besides me?
For the past decade, I have been working on a historical novel which dramatizes the story of the Doolittle Raid. Bascially, it is "Band of Brothers" meets Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, but in dramatic prose format:

http://www.tonyheld.hoboandbowser.net/the-eagles-of-shangri-la-a-world-war-two-novel/

The reason my project has taken so long is due to two things: lack of information, and bouts with writer's block (something I hate). I am working on curing the latter, but the former is still holding me up. However, I refuse to barge ahead and make stuff up a la Calvin's report to his class on bats. This WWII saga has had enough bull written about it already, and I will not insult the memory of these heroes by fabricating more lies just to complete my book.

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It is commendable that you are committed to not altering any of the facts of the lead up, operation and aftermath of the incredible Doolittle raid. Where you may have difficulty is in dialogue where you may be putting fictional utterances in the mouths of the actual participants in the drama. When I read books or watch films of this kind, I often find myself asking out loud things like: "Yes, but did Patton actually say that?"

However, you can avoid any such factual distortion by:

1. For the actual historical characters, limit their dialogue to things they are recorded as actually having said (from diaries, news reports, debriefing transcripts, etc.)

2. Limit all fictional dialogue to your invented characters. Same with any invented drama/conflicts between characters. For example, I could imagine an argument and a resultant bet between a group of fictitious sailors on the aircraft carrier in which an arrogant, self-declared 'expert' insists that the incredibly short take off of the first bomber in the line (Doolittle's plane) was impossible. Same thing with arguments about the wisdom of going earlier in the raid than planned (due to the carrier having possibly being 'discovered' by a Japanese ship), resulting in the raiders not having enough fuel to reach their safe landing areas beyond Japanese lines. I'd suggest only having dialogue of such arguments between the actual participants if you can find factual records of the words actually spoken at the time. Otherwise, leave such arguments to your fictional characters if you intend not to mess with historical accuracy.

Best of luck with this! I think it could be a great story. Definitely one worth telling.

(By the way, I note that Bookbub say World War II books always do well with their readers. Not that they accept mine, but that's probably because of the odd format of my books.)

Keep us informed as to progress/research, etc. Best of luck!

Philip

TonyWrites said:

Hi Phillip,

As far as my reconstructions of dialogue go, one of my favorite authors, Jeff Shaara, always carefully researches his historical characters before reconstructing conversations involving them. This is so none of the dialogue sounds out of character, or downright phony. I am following Jeff's lead on this.

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No fictional characters at all? Sounds really challenging if you are to cover the drama and internal conflicts before and during the mission assigning authentic dialogue and attitudes to the real characters, especially during conflicts and arguments (I imagine there were many). I guess it could be done with the required extensive research into the personalities of the individuals concerned. That should be possible with the main players like Roosevelt, Doolittle, Admiral King and General Hap Arnold whose words and actions have been well documented over the years. Not sure how it would work (in an authentic and historically accurate way) for the less well-documented participants though.

If you can make the invented dialogue reflect what the real characters could believably have said given who they were, what they knew and where they were at each point in the drama, it should work though if you can put in the required research. In the book description of one of my books, I include this passage:

The book follows the thoughts and actions of the main participants in the drama based on what those participants actually reported, or could have believably reported, given who they were, what they knew and where they were at the time.

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Were ALL the characters portrayed in Band of Brothers really actual men who served in E Company? That had never occurred to me.

I'd be interested to know where you see the main points of drama in the mission. As well as the obvious ones like the original Washington discussions over the feasibility of such a mission, the failures and eventual success of the intensive short take off training, the scramble to take off from the carrier much earlier than they wanted, the crash landings in enemy territory, etc., I'm sure there were many lesser dramas and internal conflicts up and down the line.

Damn! I'm getting quite excited about your project now. Please try to complete it before I kick the bucket.

Best of luck!

Philip