Full immersion for bestselling results

 

“I write novels, mostly historical ones, and I try hard to keep them accurate as to historical facts, milieu and flavor.” – Gary Jennings

Born in Virginia on this date in 1928, Jennings wrote both children's and adult tales up until 1980.  But after writing his bestselling historical novel Aztec, he switched entirely to historical fiction up until his death in 1999.  

 

A self-taught writer, he started as a war correspondent, documenting the Korean War and being awarded a Bronze Star for heroism in the process.   After the war he combined writing for newspapers with his creative work before deciding in 1968 to devote himself full time to fiction.

 

Known for immersing himself in his topics, his sometimes massive novels were lauded for their historical detail.   He spent 12 years in Mexico researching Aztec and its sequel Aztec Autumn; and he joined 9 different circus troupes to write his bestseller Spangle. 

 

In the course of his writing he learned that many words modern writers take for granted simply didn’t exist in the time periods he wanted to represent and thought that might be a book project in the making.

 

 “There is a real need for a good, thick, complete-as-possible dictionary of 'What People Used to Call Things,’ ” Jennings said.  “I could list hundreds of words I've come up against in the course of my work that did not exist in the era of which I was writing and for which I never could find a suitably old-time, archaic or obsolete substitute.”