ABOUT RICHARD A. BASQUILL
Hi, I’m Richard Basquill—writer, football fan, gardener, gamer, and lifelong military history buff. I grew up in Essex, where I’ve lived for most of my life, and I’m the second of four sons. My dad served in the Royal Air Force, and my mum had a real fascination with World War II. Between the two of them—and a steady stream of old war films on TV—I developed a deep interest in all things military from a young age.
As a kid, I was utterly army barmy. Summers were spent in the woods with my friends, playing war games and living out grand adventures. One summer, we even formed a gang we called “6th Platoon,” (you may recognise this), with our headquarters in a mate’s shed. Looking back, it’s no surprise I ended up writing war stories.
I left school with barely a qualification to my name, but eventually found my way to university and qualified as a Quantity Surveyor. Commuting into London gave me time to read—and what started as a way to pass the time soon turned into a full-blown obsession with World War II history.
From Daydreams to Drafts
Though I’d always daydreamed of being the hero in my own wartime story, I only began writing seriously in the last 12 months. After finishing a job last summer—and with the garden harvest in and gaming only getting me so far—I decided to finally give it a go. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.
I’ve always been inspired by the ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations during WWII. Their courage, resilience, and humanity never fail to move me. My stories aim to capture what it might have felt like to be there, stuck between a rock and a hard place, doing your best to survive.
Literary Influences
Authors like Bernard Cornwell played a huge role in shaping my approach to storytelling—especially his Sharpe series and the Saxon saga featuring Uhtred of Bebbanburg. But I’ve also devoured memoirs and first-hand accounts. George G. Blackburn’s The Guns of Normandy and The Guns of Victory brought the brutal realism of war to life like nothing else I’ve read. And James Holland’s Brothers in Arms—with its vivid portrayal of the Sherwood Rangers—made me feel like I was riding in the tank with the crew.
When I’m Not Writing…
I’ve got two season tickets—one for Arsenal and one for my local team, Colchester United. I’m also a keen gardener, with an allotment I love to potter around in (though, full disclosure: I grow a lot of veg but don’t eat much of it). And yes, even in my fifties, I’m still a big gamer. I might not be the best, but I put the effort in!
My Work
My first novel, Under Fire, Under Command, follows the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, caught up in the chaos of France and the evacuation at Dunkirk. It’s the first step in what I hope will be a full wartime journey through the eyes of one young officer: Tom Archer.
My second book, Under Fire and Fury, is already written and currently in the editing phase. It’s due for release in summer 2025. I’ve also started on the third instalment, which picks up in the immediate aftermath of Dunkirk.
Some of the characters are named after people I know, but the stories are entirely fictional—set around the kinds of events and situations I’ve come across in wartime diaries, memoirs, and battlefield reports
Looking Ahead
The dream? To keep writing stories people enjoy—enough that I can maybe retire a little earlier than planned and focus on this full-time. I’d love to follow Tom Archer’s journey all the way through the war. Exactly how far he’ll get? Well, that’s a story for another day.
RICHARD A. BASQUILL
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