Along with fiction books like his first novel “The Frat Wagon”, Whiting’s 70 odd non-fiction books covered individual battles, German espionage, war leaders – particularly General George Patton and SS Colonel Jochen Peiper – and the war on the home front. The Battle of Hurtgen Forest, The Bannatyne Books Patton, and more Charles Whiting books are now available on Amazon Kindle. Read them for free with Amazon Unlimited. Charles Whiting Novels – Fiction Frat Wagon – Publisher: Jonathan Cape, 1956, Magna Large Print, 2008. A frightening novel of post-war Germany and of men and women tasting the degradation of defeat. Lest I Fall – Publisher: Jonathan Cape, 1956, Magna Large Print, 2010. This was the Germany of 1955, freed from the shackles of Nazism yet still in the iron grip of corruption and misery. Here is a story of a young man who, against his will, is swept along the tide of degradation to a point of no return. Journey to No End – Publisher: Jonathan Cape, 1957, Magna Large Print, 2010. A professional revolutionary is sent to help a group of working men holding an important factory from going into the hands of East Germany. He soon realises that even […]

Leo Cooper tells an interesting story about the creation of Leo Kessler, Charles’ first pseudonym. The following is an extract from Leo’s book, “All my Friends will Buy it”: “I recall the name Leo Kessler which was a pun on my name and the double S in the title was the SS badge. This was an in-joke. As Charles remembers, I suggested that Anthony Cheetham had a project for him. We met in Halle 7 at the Frankfurt Book Fair that year and Anthony said, as it was lunchtime, that we ought to eat something. Being a very canny man with a penny, he didn’t invite us to one of the inside places (too expensive). Instead we went outside to one of the booths where he generously ordered Bratwurst and Bier. Then we sat in the freezing cold on a bench, with the early snow falling lightly, enjoying this splendid meal and thought of a name for the new author who would write about the SS (according to Anthony), rather like the good and bad guys in the old westerns! Then came the name. I had already brought up ‘Leo’ then both Anthony and I remarked that at that time […]

Charles needed a very English name for his Duncan Harding books covering the British Navy war-time adventures around the world. Thus Duncan Harding was born! Praise for Charles writing as Duncan Harding “As always, recommended.” Library Journal “His special gift to carry the reader along can be simultaneously dramatic and objective.” Publishers Weekly Fiction Novels as Duncan Harding Torpedo Boat – Futura 1976 Tug of War – Futura 1975 The Destroyer Series Assault on St. Nazaire – Severn House 1997 Attack New York! – Severn House 1994 Come Hell or Highwater! – Severn House 1993 The Finland Mission – Severn House 1999 Flotilla Attack – Futura 1976, GH Smith & Son 2007 Operation Chariot – Futura 1977 Operation Judgement – Severn House 1994 Operation Stormwind – Severn House 1996 Sink the Ark Royal – Severn House 1997 Sink the Graf Spee – Severn House 1998 Sink the Prince of Wales – Severn House 1998 The Tobruk Rescue – Severn House 1995 Special Boat Squadron Series Duncan Harding’s Special Boat Squadron is now partly available as ebooks. Click here to check out his Author Page on Amazon. Assault on the Rock – Severn House 2006 Clash in the Baltic – Severn […]

In order to write novels from the Russian point of view, K.N. Kostov was created. The series covered a group of the roughest, wildest band of fighting men ever to draw blood: The Gulag Rats. Fiction Novels as K.N. Kostov Punishment Battalion 333 Series Baptism of Blood – Arrow Books 1981 Blood on the Baltic – Arrow Books 1981 Cossack Attack – Arrow Books 1982 The Gulag Rats – Arrow Books 1981 The Steppe Wolves – Arrow Books 1981

It is obvious here that Charles and his publishers liked the name Duncan and just chose Stirling as a very English sounding surname. The character ‘Iron Mike’ and his US 101st Airborne unit of ‘bad boys’ was an acknowledgement to Major General Michael MacDonald of the US Army who was nicknamed ‘Iron Mike’. Fiction Novels as Duncan Stirling The Screaming Eagles – Arrow Books 1983. As Leo Kessler, Severn House 2001. The 101st Airborne Division had been nicknamed “the battered bastards of Bastogne” after the German breakthrough into the Ardennes. Now, on Christmas Eve 1944, “Iron Mike” MacDonald and his men are ordered out on a desperate mission to save what’s left of their crippled division.      

Charles wrote just one book as Richard Douglas. This was his chosen pseudonym for writing about another division of the British Army. Fiction Novels as Richard Douglas The Rig – Futura 1975

Again Charles and his publishers agreed more novels to be written from the German perspective. Hence Klaus Konrad. The main character here was Major von Dietz leading his raw recruits into battle. Fiction Novels as Klaus Konrad Russian Series First Blood – Futura 1980 Front Swine – London, Futura 1982 March on Moscow – Futura 1981

The then publishers Century thought Charles should create another pseudonym for a new series of books about Assault Troop, a specially armoured infantry with Captain Jim Corrigan as the main character. With a Harding already in place why not just change the Christian name. So it was! Fiction Novels as Ian Harding Assault Troop Series Blood Beach – New English Library 1983 Clash on the Rhine – New English Library 1984 Death in the Forest – New English Library 1983 End Run – New English Library 1984

Kerrigan’s books focus on the British Special Boat Service and the Special Air Service. Charles’ grandfather’s surname was Kerrigan and he just added the name John which seemed to go well together. His main characters under the John Kerrigan pseudonym was Mallory and the O’Sullivans of the SAS. Fiction Novels as John Kerrigan The Phoenix Assault – Arrow Books 1980, Signet Dec 1980, as The Bormann Mission by Leo Kessler, Severn House 1997 SBS Series Bluebeard – Arrow Books 1984 Fireball – Arrow Books, 1983 Kill Rommel – Severn House, 1995 Revenge! – Severn House, 1996 Vermin – Arrow Books, 1984 Watchdog – Century, 1984 The O’Sullivans of the SAS Series Kill Rommel – Severn House 1995 Revenge! – Severn House 1996 Surprise Attack – Severn House 1996