The Speedicut Papers Book 9 (1900–1915)

About the Book

In this, the final volume of the memoirs of Jasper Speedicut, the old soldier and courtier is deeply—and often hilariously—involved in the 1900 siege of the Peking legations, the death and funeral of Queen Victoria, the final days of Oscar Wilde, the removal to safety of the personal correspondence of the Dowager Empress of Germany, the sinking of RMS Titanic, the start of the First World War, and the fates of Mata Hari and Edith Cavell. The Speedicut Papers Book 9 (1900–1915): Boxing Icebergs also solves the mystery of the manacled skeleton found on a building site in Leicestershire, first revealed in Flashman’s Secret, and the existence of an illegitimate son to carry on the Speedicut family’s adventures.

About the Author

After serving time at Oxford University and the RMA Sandhurst, Christopher Joll spent his formative years as an officer in The Life Guards. On leaving the Army, Joll worked first in investment banking, then as an arms salesman before moving into public relations. From his earliest days Joll has written articles, features, short stories and reportage. In 2014, Joll wrote the text for Uniquely British: A Year in the Life of the Household Cavalry, an illustrated account of the Household Cavalry from the Royal Wedding to the Diamond Jubilee. Since leaving the Army in 1975, Joll has also been involved in devising, writing and directing events for military charities; recent events include the Household Cavalry Pageant, the Royal Hospital Chelsea Pageant, the acclaimed British Military Tournament, a military tattoo in Hyde Park for the Diamond Jubilee, the Gurkha 200 Pageant, the Waterloo 200 Service of Commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral and the Shakespeare 400 Gala Concert. In 2018 he is presenting The Great War Symphony in partnership with Classic FM. When not writing, directing or lifting the lid on the cess pits of British history, Joll gives lectures on topics related to the British Empire.