Acknowledgements


My thanks go, as always, to Julian Alexander and Peta Nightingale at LAW, without whom I would have neither contracts, nor manuscripts; to my editor Simon Thorogood – with special kudos for being such a gent over ‘that difficult chapter’ along with so much else – and to Daniel Balado-Lopez, who copyedited with such care and perception. In addition I must credit the original Flattie (you know who you are) for providing me with both a character and an ear for the rich and colourful obscenity of ex-Rhodesian Army conversation. The shooting scene would have been impossible without the technical advice and vivid imagination of Jonathan Irby at the West London Shooting School, not to mention the inspiration of Ian Fleming, to whose golf match in Goldfinger it is an admiring and respectful homage … Speaking of which, the character of Lobengula the lion was inspired in part by the many mighty cats that appear in the works of Wilbur Smith, for whose encouragement and support I remain enormously grateful. I should, however, add that the behaviour of a lion confronted by a truck when trying to get some sleep was taken directly from my own experience one memorable night in the Pilanesburg game reserve, South Africa – and you should have seen what the lion’s mates and girlfriends were getting up to … Caroline Driggs sparked my imagination with her recollections of Chinese grocery stores.

David Hart’s hospitality at his magnificent home in Suffolk was similarly inspirational, though I should say that he bears no resemblance whatsoever to the character of Wendell Klerk. Finally, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Jamie Allday, my office landlord, who has had to put up with me describing, acting out and asking for endless advice on scenes from this and other books. And of course, above all, to my wife Clare and my children, who have had to put up with everything, for ever …

TC, West Sussex, March 2010

Dictator
titlepage.xhtml
Dictator_split_000.html
Dictator_split_001.html
Dictator_split_002.html
Dictator_split_003.html
Dictator_split_004.html
Dictator_split_005.html
Dictator_split_006.html
Dictator_split_007.html
Dictator_split_008.html
Dictator_split_009.html
Dictator_split_010.html
Dictator_split_011.html
Dictator_split_012.html
Dictator_split_013.html
Dictator_split_014.html
Dictator_split_015.html
Dictator_split_016.html
Dictator_split_017.html
Dictator_split_018.html
Dictator_split_019.html
Dictator_split_020.html
Dictator_split_021.html
Dictator_split_022.html
Dictator_split_023.html
Dictator_split_024.html
Dictator_split_025.html
Dictator_split_026.html
Dictator_split_027.html
Dictator_split_028.html
Dictator_split_029.html
Dictator_split_030.html
Dictator_split_031.html
Dictator_split_032.html
Dictator_split_033.html
Dictator_split_034.html
Dictator_split_035.html
Dictator_split_036.html
Dictator_split_037.html
Dictator_split_038.html
Dictator_split_039.html
Dictator_split_040.html
Dictator_split_041.html
Dictator_split_042.html
Dictator_split_043.html
Dictator_split_044.html
Dictator_split_045.html
Dictator_split_046.html
Dictator_split_047.html
Dictator_split_048.html
Dictator_split_049.html
Dictator_split_050.html
Dictator_split_051.html
Dictator_split_052.html
Dictator_split_053.html
Dictator_split_054.html
Dictator_split_055.html
Dictator_split_056.html
Dictator_split_057.html
Dictator_split_058.html
Dictator_split_059.html
Dictator_split_060.html
Dictator_split_061.html
Dictator_split_062.html
Dictator_split_063.html
Dictator_split_064.html
Dictator_split_065.html
Dictator_split_066.html
Dictator_split_067.html
Dictator_split_068.html
Dictator_split_069.html
Dictator_split_070.html
Dictator_split_071.html
Dictator_split_072.html
Dictator_split_073.html
Dictator_split_074.html
Dictator_split_075.html
Dictator_split_076.html
Dictator_split_077.html
Dictator_split_078.html
Dictator_split_079.html
Dictator_split_080.html
Dictator_split_081.html
Dictator_split_082.html
Dictator_split_083.html
Dictator_split_084.html
Dictator_split_085.html
Dictator_split_086.html
Dictator_split_087.html
Dictator_split_088.html
Dictator_split_089.html
Dictator_split_090.html
Dictator_split_091.html
Dictator_split_092.html
Dictator_split_093.html
Dictator_split_094.html
Dictator_split_095.html
Dictator_split_096.html
Dictator_split_097.html
Dictator_split_098.html
Dictator_split_099.html
Dictator_split_100.html
Dictator_split_101.html
Dictator_split_102.html
Dictator_split_103.html
Dictator_split_104.html
Dictator_split_105.html
Dictator_split_106.html
Dictator_split_107.html
Dictator_split_108.html
Dictator_split_109.html
Dictator_split_110.html
Dictator_split_111.html