Onward and Upward!

Cara/Andrea here, welcoming a new month . . . and a new book! Yes, yes, I know I was talking last month about a new release too, but that was while wearing my romance hat, and today I’m tipping my Deerstalker cap at a jaunty angle as I give you a little backstory on RECIPE FOR TREASON, the third book in my Lady Arianna Regency-set mystery series. Actually, I should be wearing a heavy fleece-line sheepskin helmet because the story involves balloons. Not the modern-day birthday kind of helium-filled orbs, but the mammoth flying balloons that launched the very first generation of aviators or—as they were called in that era—aeronauts.

The book involves several aspects of Regency-era science. The era was a time of great advances in the understanding of chemistry, and a great many discoveries were made in the field—the precursor of anesthesia, the first early batteries for energy storage, the first high-powered explosives, to name just a few. My husband-and-wife sleuthing duo reluctantly undertake a clandestine mission to Scotland to investigate whether university professor there is working on a deadly new formula that may fall into the hands of the French. His death, and the disappearance of his notebooks send them back to London, where they become involved with the Royal Institution, which at the time was led by the charismatic Humphrey Davy.

I won’t give away how ballooning figures into the plot, but I will mention that along with mentioning a few actual people like Davy, I feature a real-life aeronaut as one of the secondary characters in the action.

James Sadler is a historic figure in British aviation history. He was the first Englishman to fly, ascending from Oxford’s Christ Church meadow on October 4, 1784, in a 170-ft hot air balloon that he made out of silk  lined with paper. (He was the second man to launch a balloon in England—the first being the legendary Italian, Vincent Lunardi.) Here’s how the Oxford Journal recorded his feat:

Early on Monday Morning the 4th instant, Mr. Sadler of this City, tried the Experiment of his Fire Balloon, raised by means of rarefied air. The Process of filling the Globe began at three o’clock, and about Half past Five as all was complete, and every Part of the Apparatus entirely adjusted, Mr. Sadler, with Firmness and Intrepidity, ascended into the Atmosphere, and the Weather being calm and serene, he rose from the Earth in a vertical direction to a Height of 3,600 Feet. In his elevated Situation he perceived no Inconvenience; and, being disengaged from all terrestrial Things, he contemplated a most charming distant View. After floating for near Half an Hour, the machine descended, and at length came down upon a small Eminence betwixt Islip and Wood Eaton, about six Miles from this City.

Sadler was born in Oxford, where his father owned several pastry shops. Baking apparently did not leave a sweet taste in his mouth—his passion was science and he went to work in one of the university’s chemistry laboratories, where he began experimenting with small gas-filled balloons. The exploits of the Montgolfier brothers and other French aeronauts inspired him to dream of being the first Englishman to rise above terra firma.

Through his professional work as a chemist, Sadler was appointed n 1796 to a position within the the newly created Naval Works Department, and served under Sir Samuel Bentham. He invented a table steam engine, but he didn’t get along well with Bentham and his career stalled—which was probably just as well because his real passion was flying.

He was something of a daredevil, and performed a number of feats that left other aviators in awe—he was the first to land a balloon in the ocean and then manage to relaunch it from the churning waves. On another occasion when he landed in the drink, he directed a passing ship to come maneuver its bowsprit through his rigging to prevent his balloon from sinking. (Among the other aeronautical feats he has to his credit are setting a speed record in gale-force winds in 1811, when he traveled over 100 miles in 80 minutes.) He also experimented with the idea of oceanic air currents, and thought they could possibly be mapped and used for navigation, just like sea currents. Despite the tragic death of his son Windham—also an avid aeronaut—in a balloon accident, Sadler remained fascinated by flying until he passed away of natural causes in 1828.

As you can see, Sadler is just the sort of swashbuckling character to help Arianna in her quest to capture a cunning traitor. Are you wondering what exploits he performs?  Well, you'll just have to read the book!

So, how do you feel about having real-life people make a cameo appearance in historical fiction? Do you feel it adds realism to the times? Or is it distracting? And have you a favorite example of a book that features a real historical person as part of the story? I’ll be giving away a copy of RECIPE FOR TREASON to one lucky reader who leaves a comment here between now and Tuesday evening.

Comments

[Shelley Munro]

Congrats on your new release. I enjoy a real historic figure making a cameo appearance and grounding the book in reality. I prefer them as a secondary character most.
The ballooning part sounds intriguing.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

I agree, Shelley—I like seeing real people in the background, but not dominating the story

[Ella Quinn]

I do have real people in small roles. The trick is to make them true to their personalities. Love hot air balloons. Thanks for the post.

[diane]

This adds another dimension to the story and is always interesting.

[LilMissMolly]

I love it when real-life people make a cameo appearance in historical fiction. It addes realism to the times. Even if it's only a reference to knowing the person.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Ella, yes, it's tricky to capture their personalities (requires research, of course, but I love to do that!) That's what can throw off a reader. I know I've read some books where I felt the characterization of the real person wasn't very accurate, and that affected my enjoyment of the story.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Glad you feel that real people add an enjoyable dimension, Diane and LilMissMolly.

[Anne]

I was fascinated with this post and learning about the book. Real people make the novel captivating.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Glad you enjoyed it, Anne. I find it fun to weave real history, like the details of early ballooning, into my plots (and sometimes real people too!)

[Minna]

Also I like seeing real people in the background.

[Gail Mallin]

Thanks for an interesting post, Cara. Your new book sounds intriguing. I've always thought ballooning in those early days must have been very exciting. I enjoy stories featuring real historical people and think having them can add realism, but I only like seeing them depicted as secondary characters. Using a real person as the main hero or heroine takes away a bit of the magic for me because the story then has to stick to facts rather than surprising me - I mean, unless it is a fantasy, Anne Boleyn always has to lose her head! One of my favourite books with real historical characters is Forever Amber. I think Kathleen Winsor really brought the Restoration Court to life and Amber's determined rise to the top is enhanced by her vivid descriptions of people like the Countess of Castlemaine.

[Kylanma]

I love it! I think it's fun and ties you into the time. I absolutely adore this series!! I have been anxiously waiting for this book. :) Well, I am always tracking when ANY of your books are coming out! :)

[Susan/DC]

Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe novels use Wellington as a secondary character, and he does it well. Cornwell makes it work because, while Wellington appears fairly often, he remains a secondary character and he acts true to what we know of his personality and actions. Hilary Mantel takes Thomas Cromwell, a much shadowier (is that a word?) historical figure and places him front and center, and it works in part for that reason -- he left fewer personal records and so she has a freer creative hand. I've also read books where I did not like how the historical figure was portrayed, and it detracted from the fictional ones. As with so many things, it comes down to the author's skill.

I look forward to the third installment in this series, as I've enjoyed the first two.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Gail, I tend to agree on not having a main character in a novel be a real person. I feel it creates problems with readers in that they wonder "how does the author know he/she is thinking like that/" I'd rather make my her/heroine my own creation.

And thanks for the book recommendation. Don't know that one, but it sounds interesting.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks so much, Kaylanma! I appreciate that!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

SusanDC, yes, Cornwell does Wellington extremely well! I've just started Wolf Hall, but have heard Cromwell is also brought to life in a fascinating way. You're right in that the author's skill has much to do with it.

So glad to hear you are enjoying the mystery series.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Sadler sounds fascinating! Maybe he's reincarnated at Richard Branson. *G*

I've seen Christ Church meadow, and I'm now imaginag a balloon rising there....

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Mary Jo, Sadler really does sound fascinating. Apparently they did a modern-day recreation of his flight from Christ Church meadow. Must have been fun to see!(As if the spot isn't atmospheric enough,

[Jane]

I love running across real people in historical novels, as long as their appearance is both true-to-life, and does not distract from the story. Can't wait to read this one, I really enjoy the series!

[Janice]

I too like having real historical people in books, as long as they aren't 'stunt casting' - shoved in for no real reason than to name drop - and the author's version of them doesn't contradict whatever I might know about them from before.

For instance, in Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer had Beau Brummel befriend the heroine. She was famed for meticulous research and I'm sure her version of his wit and his celebrity status were accurate, but otherwise I didn't care for her version - in her novel, granted, the Beau took up Miss Taverner to demonstrate his power to make or break socially, but he also treated her more kindly and with more warmth than I would have expected from the biographies I had read about him. I also had to wonder whether Worth stuck by the Beau after his fall, if they were such great friends. I was left with unanswered questions and I think that's one of the weaknesses (horrors! criticizing Heyer!) in the book.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks, Jane!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Very interesting observation, Jane. My impression is that Brummel was not a warm and fuzzy guy . . .and you're right that his portrayal in Regency Buck seems out of character. If he would have chosen to "make" a young lady, it probably would have been because he wished to tweak Society, not out of the goodness of his heart. It didn't quite pull me out of the story, as it did for you, but I noticed it. So yes, there are definite pitfalls to adding real people to a work of fiction.

[Tempest]

Having just finished the book -- yes, I did devour it like a gluttonous child --I have to say that the historical figures as minor characters is wonderfully done. I tend to prefer them used that way. Would be happy to see this continued in more adventures of Lady Arianna & co. (Hint,hint)