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Matthew Harffy flies solo this week to welcome back bestselling historical novelist David Gilman — former firefighter, professional photographer, and Parachute Regiment reconnaissance soldier turned acclaimed author of the Master of War series.

David joins the show to talk about his new standalone novel, The Knife Maker of Venice, the story of a brother and sister torn apart by Barbary pirates in 1604 Devon and sold into slavery across the Mediterranean. David reveals the strange true story behind the book's origins — a half-remembered plaque in Dartmouth that seemingly no longer exists — and shares the deep research that took him from blacksmith's forges to the back streets of Venice with a professional historian guide.

Along the way: the brutal economics of the Barbary slave trade, why sword fights are more terrifying than gunfights, David's "pantser" approach to plotting, his wariness of AI for research, and a hair-raising true story about a parachute malfunction. It's a wide-ranging, funny, and fascinating conversation with one of Britain's most reliably thrilling historical novelists.

The Knife Maker of Venice is out in hardback and audiobook on 13th August — pre-order now.

Keywords: historical fiction, historical novel, Barbary pirates, Venice history, Master of War series, Thomas Blackstone, Hundred Years War, slavery history, Mediterranean slave trade, adventure novel, swashbuckling, author interview, historical fiction podcast