Some Thoughts…
Twenty five years ago I found myself beside a swimming pool in a foul mood. I was bruised and sulking from a brutal encounter with Maggie Thatcher, so I sat down with a writing pad and a bottle of wine and began scribbling some thoughts. Three bottles later I discovered I had an idea for a book. The concept was based around a character with two initials – FU. That book became House of Cards, a tale of recrimination and revenge. Prime Minister John Major later said it 'has done for my job what Dracula has done for babysitting'. It started as no more than a holiday distraction yet it changed my life.
Now, all these years later, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, David Fincher and a host of other glittering Hollywood stars are changing my life once again with their brilliant television adaptation. It's wicked, funny, stunning and sometimes rather scary. It follows in the footsteps of the BBC's iconic version starring Ian Richardson that aired two decades ago and leaves me feeling as though I've just won two Olympic gold medals.
Spacey is simply magnificent. So is the entire production. I've no doubt you'll enjoy every moment. You can watch a trailer by clicking here, and read about how House of Cards came about by clicking here.
And if you'd like to know a little more about me and what I do, click this link and watch a three-minute video clip.
2013 is going to be a huge year for me. The Spacey television series, another book – and plans for my theatre play about Winston Churchill and Guy Burgess just keep growing. It's called The Turning Point, and you can see a terrific television preview with Benedict Cumberbatch and Matthew Marsh on this link.
I can't promise that my weekly appearances in the House of Lords on Parliament TV will be quite as gripping, but if you're interested there's a link for that, too.
Yet first and foremost I'm a story teller and I haven't given up the day job. My latest Harry Jones thriller, A Sentimental Traitor, has had a great reception and you can read the first chapter by clicking the link in the panel to the left. The book's had some wonderful accolades. The one I liked most was from a political opponent. Nigel Farage is the leader of UKIP and I guess we'll be fighting each other at the next election, but he was kind enough to say that 'Harry Jones is just great. Would it be possible to have lunch with him?'
I hope you'll enjoy his company, too.
