Biography

Writing historical fiction combines the first great love of Alan Bardos’ life, making up stories, with the second, researching historical events and characters. He currently lives in Oxfordshire with his wife… the other great love of his life.

There is still a great deal of mystery and debate surrounding many of the events of the First World War, which he explores in his Johnny Swift historical fiction series. The series starts with the pivotal event of the twentieth century, the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The second book The Dardanelles Conspiracy is based on an attempt by Naval Intelligence to bribe Turkey out of the First World War. In the third book Enemies and Allies Johnny is employed as a useful idiot to flush out a traitor working to undermine the Allies.

His new World War 2 series follows Daniel Nichols, a former pacifist turned crusader, as he moves from the Fleet Air Arm to Intelligence and Special Operations. The first book Rising Tide is set against the backdrop of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; as Nichols is embroiled in a conspiracy to keep the USA bogged down in the Pacific and out of the war in Europe.

The next novel, Hunter Class, is set in 1943. Nichols has been recruited into 30 Commando by Ian Fleming and takes part in the invasion of Sicily, to collect top secret enemy material before it is destroyed. After the fall of Mussolini, Nichols joins forces with Giacomo Moretti, a combat swimmer in the Italian Navy’s elite Decima Flottiglia MAS. As the fate of the war hangs in the balance, they embark on a treasure hunt that will require all their skill and guile to ‘pinch’ a German T52 teleprinter, used by Hitler to communicate with his senior commanders.

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Praise for his books

‘A gripping wartime thriller with more plot twists and turns than a snake with an itch!’ Damien Lewis, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and SAS Forged in Hell.

‘Written with polished panache, it kept me gripped from the first to last.’ A.A. Chaudhuri, She’s Mine

‘As far as writing humorous cads and bounders goes, I am not sure I want the competition…, but this is a brilliant book that kept me gripped to the end, and I bought the next one straight away.’ Jemahl Evans, A Rake’s Progress

‘Political intrigue, an enthralling account of the assault on the beaches of Gallipoli and romantic comedy… it’s all in this highly entertaining romp.’ Shaun Lewis, The Custom of the Trade series

‘I have to say that I think Bardos has really cracked it. Johnny Swift is an excellent drunken anti-hero, somewhat debauched, but with a good heart.’ David Boyle, Before Enigma

‘Gives a carefully-researched and graphically real insight into the doomed campaign, as well as telling a gripping story of courage and redemption.’ Allan Martin, Death in Tallinn

‘With its war-damaged, womanising, loose cannon of an anti-hero, Johnny Swift, The Dardanelles Conspiracy vividly captures the flux and uncertainty – as well as the horror – of war.’ R.N. Morris, A Gentle Axe

‘A thrilling romp through the delights and dangers of WW1 espionage.’ Matthew Willis, The Fortress of Malta series

Home » Authors » Alan Bardos

Books

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Danger Society - The Young Bond Dossier
Danger Society - The Young Bond Dossier
Danger Society - The Young Bond Dossier
Danger Society - The Young Bond Dossier
Danger Society - The Young Bond Dossier

Articles

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Clown Town by Mick Herron – Review

Clown Town by Mick Herron – Review

Clown Town, Mick Herron’s latest addition to his Slough House series, is an unputdownable thriller that encompasses all the elements we have come to love in these books, blending satire and pathos with whimsy and action. The heart of the book (and series) is the wonderful ensemble cast of the ...
Blood Vengeance Douglas Jackson – Review

Blood Vengeance Douglas Jackson – Review

Blood Vengeance is the third book in Douglas Jackson’s excellent Warsaw Quartet, featuring Investigator Jan Kalisz of the Warsaw Kripo. This is a fascinating “fish out of water” crime story that takes Kalisz from war torn Poland savaged by years of Nazi occupation and brought to the Scottish ...
Writing a Conspiracy

Writing a Conspiracy

In January 1915 Captain ‘Blinker’ Hall, Director of British Naval Intelligence, launched an operation to bribe members of the Ottoman Government into making peace. It was hoped that would open the Dardanelles Strait to the Allies. Allowing them to supply Russia and bypass the stalemate on the ...
The Ladoux Mystery – the spy who framed Mata Hari?

The Ladoux Mystery – the spy who framed Mata Hari?

Marguerite Zelle MacLeod, better known as Mata Hari, was a sensation in the last years of the ‘Belle Epoque’ with her wild and exotic dances. However, it was her espionage activities that have ensured her name is a household word over a hundred years after her execution in 1917 as a spy. The ...
Hunter Class Alan Bardos

Hunter Class Alan Bardos

Hunter Class is Alan Bardos' second Daniel Nichols WWII spy thriller. Readers may remember that in Rising Tide Nichol, forced out of active service by injury, joined naval intelligence. Working for Ian Fleming he uncovered information on the Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbour. It's now ...
Evil in High Places by Rory Clements – Review

Evil in High Places by Rory Clements – Review

Evil in High Places by Rory Clements Evil in High Places continues Rory Clements’ new crime series featuring Detective Sebastian Wolff, set in pre-war Nazi Germany. It is a complex and well-researched story of lost love and resilience, set against the backdrop of the 1936 Winter ...
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