Jack Ludlow

Writing under a variety of different pseudonyms, the Scottish writer of largely nautical historical novels David Donachie, writes from an informed perspective, something which definitely shows within his writing. Producing stories of camaraderie and derring-do on the open seas, he definitely knows the codes and conventions of his genre, something which he plays with over the course of his novels and their narratives. He is also known for his unique take on history, as he has managed to provide an insight into such eras as the Roman era, as he mainly focuses on the Roman Republic, along with his fascination in the nautical history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This passion for history is what has lead to him becoming one of the most prolific authors currently working within the industry to date, with a whole host of long-running series and novels behind him. It is not just his attention to detail, though, that has the critics talking, but also his passion for character development and how people overcome particular hardships and obstacles throughout their lives. Writing under the pen-names of ‘Tom Connery’, whereby he writes about the Naval Marines, as well as ‘Johnny ‘Two Combs’ Howard’, which he largely uses to focus on more contemporary SAS fare. One pseudonym that he’s particularly well known for is ‘Jack Ludlow’, which he mainly uses to write about the Roman Republic at the rise of the Caesars. Creating five different series under this particular name, he has produced perhaps his most extensive backlog of work to date under this specific name. Featuring not just history, but adventure and action too, he really takes the reader on a journey into another world filled with danger and excitement, as well as detail. Despite its period setting, he also ensures that his characters have fully developed personalities, along with arcs that progress over the course of the novels, as they are easy to relate to for the reader whoever they are.