ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It’s hard to write in a vacuum, and talking to other writers seems to ease things along on the tough days— especially when you have to raise your game to keep up with them. Thanks to the game-raisers for the help, provocation, and support over the years and across the disciplines—Alex “Nander” Cary, Fergus Fleming, Jonatan Darby, Al Whiting, Katie Pearson, Patrick Harbinson, Robert Harris, Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, Kate Bucknell, Rose Baring, Mary Miers, Barnaby Rogerson, and Mary and Philip Contini. Special thanks to my family, consiglieri, and other secret readers for all the help and support in getting Ironhand on the page— Kate Jones, Ron Bernstein at ICM, Michael McCoy at ITG, Jack, Ariadne, Zillah More Gordon, Finn Younger, and Charlie Harris. Much belated gratitude to the photographer Andrew Errington for taking a fantastic portfolio of images of London statues to get me going, and apologies to my dad for the bits where the Gunner was trapped underground—I forgot about the claustrophobia. Honest . . .