The Wellington Factor By Percy Cross

Major General Wellesley by Robert Home: thanks to Wikipedia 

Title: The Wellington Factor 

Author: Percy Cross

Publisher: not known 

Source book: Whips by Cleo Watson

Scandal ridden ex-Prime Minister Percy Cross makes a living writing poorly researched hagiographies of his favourite historical figures. He also pens articles in a variety of newspapers and magazines; some of them of higher repute than others. Does he remind you of anyone?

At one point Percy says he really ought to get on with writing his book about [the Duke of] Wellington. Cue lots of careful research into the Peninsula War and the battle of Waterloo… or will he just read An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer and Elizabeth Longford’s masterly biographies of the Iron Duke? Perhaps he simply casts an eye over the Wikipedia page which is packed with useful facts.

Cleo Watson tells us firmly that Whips is about purely fictional characters so don’t blame her that I have pinched part of a book title from scandal ridden ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s book about Churchill. I have only read an extract from Whips, and several reviews, so I don’t know if Percy’s Wellington book is given a title. And willy nilly I’m going to call it The Wellington Factor. 

I know that’s cheating but there we are. If I ever read the book (not sure it’s really my style of book, yes, yes, you’ve seen that excuse before) and find out any different, well, I promise I will change this post.

I have actually read quite a number of books about the Duke of Wellington. So perhaps I should write this fictional book myself?

The Duke of Wellington engraved by William Say* after Thomas Phillips: thanks to Wikipedia 

*I was very surprised to find this engraving by William Say because he was my great great grandfather. Or do I mean great great great grandfather?