I love reading an author’s notes at the back of a novel, especially in historical fiction. It’s great to understand how an author treats the facts, what elements of the story come from the author’s research and what parts they have made up.
I’ve put my historical notes from The Mapmaker’s Secret on my blog so readers who love history can ask questions. I’ll be updating this page regularly, so feel free to contact me to ask questions about what is fact, what is fiction and why I decided to mix them up.
PLEASE NOTE: Before you continue, understand that this post may contain spoilers!
The Truth Behind Bartondale
I chose the location for the Deroy estate when I was writing Heart in the Clouds and modeled the house of Belton Estate in Grantham. But the story that captured my imagination was that of Hughenden in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, once the country house of Victorian-era politician Benjamin Disraeli. Renamed “Hillside” during the war, the house was used as a place to make maps for RAF Bomber Command. The purpose of the work was so secret that it wasn’t until the 1990s, when a National Trust tour guide overheard a grandfather telling the story of his war work to his grandchildren, that the story became widely known.
While Grace’s home is inspired by Belton House near Grantham, the institution “Bartondale” is inspired by Hillside. I did borrow details from the accounts of people who worked there, including the idea that very few knew the entire story of the work. I also borrowed details from accounts of workers in other photographic intelligence units like RAF Medmenham (including the fact that they had both RAF and US Army personnel) to create the world within Bartondale’s walls.
The Firestorm in Hamburg
Operation Gomorrah was the official name of the seven days and nights of bombings by Allied forces on the city of Hamburg in July 1943. This was a military victory for the Allies, more or less concluding the ‘Battle of the Ruhr’ that began with the operation over Essen after which Alec crash lands in Heart in the Clouds. As I mentioned in the book, everything went right for the Allies. From the new radar-jamming technology called window (literally aluminum foil strips dumped out the window of the aircraft) to coordinated nighttime bombings by the RAF and daylight bombings by the USAAF.
The results were devastating. Incendiary bombs caused a blaze that needed a new word to describe it: Firestorm. Around 40,000 Germans died, and hundreds and thousands of non-combatants were injured. But the raid crippled the industrial heartland of Germany.
My grandfather was part of this operation and it lived in his memory. I don’t think he thought he could ever be forgiven for his role in it, which was what I wanted to explore with Teddy’s character.
The Savoy Hotel
Ok, I just adore The Savoy, and any time I can get it into a book I will. It was one of Chruchill’s favourite wartime haunts and it really did pull out all the stops to cater to its exclusive clientele. The Savoy’s American Bar is the longest-running cocktail bar in the world. The famous 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, written by one-time head bartender Harry Craddock is still in print today. Head bartender Eddie Clarke really did invent a cocktail for each branch of the British armed forces during WWII, before joining the navy. I never found the recipes for the RAF cocktail called “Wings” but I reimagined it as the version of the aviation in the Savoy Cocktail Book which doesn’t have the creme de violette. Instead, the bartender drops in an inky food colouring … which may or may not be booze what with rations and all that!
Have you got any questions about the history in The Mapmaker’s Secret? I love talking about the history behind the book! So feel free to reach out via the contact page and ask.
