Caradog by Byron Jones

Thanks to History Hit

Title: Caradog

Author: Byron Jones

Publisher: not known and only published in the United States, at $10.50

Source book: The Secrets of Pain by Phil Rickman (Merrily Watkins #11)

Byron (actually Colin) Jones is ex SAS. When he leaves the army he decides to write books about the Ancient Britains fighting the Roman invasion. To his fury, Byron can’t find a publisher the UK interested in his books. He can only find one in the US, and then they are only prepared to print one book of a planned series of three and insist on it being aimed at the YA or children’s market, and demand a lot of changes. 

The eventual paperback has a Roman soldier on the cover with his short sword raised over a cowering man in rags against a background of fire. The blurb reads ‘They came, they saw, they slaughtered…’. Hmmn… this doesn’t sound very suitable for children.

The brief biographical note in the book tells us that ‘Byron was a Special Forces soldier in the British Army. He is now an expert on Roman and Ancient British warfare.’

Byron is not a nice man. His wife has married again but apparently hasn’t recovered from living with him; the wife of an army colleague has accused him of rape; Barry, bartender at The Swan and also ex SAS, says Byron isn’t to be trusted, and he’s not wrong. The story ends with murder, Mithras and mayhem.

Also mentioned in The Secrets of Pain is Risking All, the SAS Experience by Trooper Z. It’s a large format, lavishly illustrated hardback book and it features a photograph of Greg, Syd, Jocko and Nasal; characters we have come across but who are all now dead.

Thanks to Facts and Details