I‘m an English writer currently based in Eastern Europe. My day jobs have included journalist, legal representative for asylum seekers, and English language teacher. In off-the-clock adventures I’ve interviewed retired mercenaries about African wars, discussed lost causes with political extremists, and got drunk with an ex-mujahidin who knew Osama Bin Laden.
My first book, ‘Franco’s International Brigades: Adventurers, Fascists, and Christian Crusaders in the Spanish Civil War’, has been published in four editions, including an English ebook, an Oxford University Press paperback, and a Spanish hardback with Destino of Barcelona. My second book ‘Katanga: Mercenaries, Spies and the African Nation that Waged War on the World’ was published by The History Press in the autumn of 2015. The third book, ‘Lost Lions of Judah: Haile Selassie’s Mongrel Foreign Legion’, about foreign involvement in Ethiopia’s battle against Fascism, was published by Amberley on 15 June 2017.
This blog is a home for the cultural and military weirdness I’ve come across while researching my books.
Email me: brightreview [at] aol [dot] com .
My name is pronounced “O-Thun”, if you were wondering.
I was born in the Belgian Congo and my father died as military during the Katanga Secession. I have some comments and additional information for you. How can I mail my comments to you?
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Hi Patrick. You can email me at brightreview[at]aol[dot]com, replacing the words in brackets with their symbols. If you have any problems getting through then let me know here and I’ll provide another email address. Look forward to hearing from you.
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