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