Pirates of the Mediterranean Book

Which of the following people actually existed and which is fictional: Queen Boudicca, Queen Dido, Sydney Sheraton, Cesar Ritz, Sgt Edward Niland, Private Ryan, The Count of Monte Cristo, Giacoma Casanova, Horatio Hornblower, Captain Cook, Dr. Thomas Addison, Dr. John Watson? How much does it really matter? Infinitely more words have been written analysing Hamlet, who didn't exist, than John Hampden, who did - he overthrew Charles 1. When it comes to history the divide between fact and fiction is easily blurred and frequently the lives of people who didn't exist assume greater importance than those who actually did. In the list above, half the people are real and half fictional. It's all in the mind. What happened in the past is our perception of what happened, not some empirical truth. The classic 1951 film 'Last Year in Marienbad" entirely revolves around the question of whether Delphine Seyrig believes she was in Marienbad the previous year or not. Her conclusion will colour the course of her future life. Iain Johnstone's entertaining romantic thriller touches on some of these themes. Put simply, it's about a film critic who walks into a film. In the traditional Hollywood style of a leading man, he goes through a character arc - in his case from lazy cynic to decisive action hero. Johnstone's other books include: 'Streep' - the first biography for 20 years, published in February 2009, Tom Cruise: All the World's a Stage, Richard (Whiteley), The Man with No Name, Cannes: The Novel and Wimbledon 2000 (also a novel). He wrote 'Fierce Creatures' with John Cleese.Read More