Conn Iggulden author of The Dangerous Book for Boys signs his latest book in St Albans

11:36am Friday 29th May 2009

By Melanie Dakin

Boys will be boys and no one has proved that more of late than Chorleywood author Conn Iggulden whose children’s book written with younger brother Hal, The Dangerous Book for Boys inspired nearly a million readers to acts of daring and adventure back in 2006 and went on to win Best Book of the Year award at the Galaxy Book Awards the following year.

Now Conn is back with a follow-up book aimed at ages 12 and up titled The Dangerous Book of Heroes, co-written by his elder brother David.

Among the more topical heroes in the book are Sir Ranulph Fiennes and The Gurkhas. Conn says he has been keeping an eye on the Gurkha situation since he began writing the book last year but, he says lightheartedly, Sir Ranulph got the better of him.

“He’s a force of nature. I didn’t know he’d go and put the book out of date the minute it’s published,” Conn remarks of Sir Ranulph’s recent Everest ascent. “He couldn’t have waited a couple of weeks for the book to be out, oh no, but I guess it raises the bar for all of us. If he can climb Everest at his age we have to accept that 65 is no longer old.

“As for the Gurkhas it’s a wonderful outcome that they’ve won the right to stay in this country. While researching the book, I went to the Gurkha Museum in Winchester. They’re very welcoming and very fierce and proud of their heritage.”

Heroes is not all about boys either, as well as the must-have chapter on Florence Nightingale, Conn’s book includes accounts of the heroic efforts of World War One nurse Edith Cavell, Civil War novelist and spy Aphra Behn and the incredible bravery shown by Wolverhapton nursery school teacher Lisa Potts, who saved several children from a brutal attack by a machete-wielding maniac.

“Lisa is the perfect example,” says Conn. She escaped from the playground and then went back out. It’s that sheer naked courage that links the stories. That moment when you have to do or die.”

Conn grew up in Eastcote, near Hillingdon and attended St Martins School in Northwood before moving on to Merchant Taylors’ School. He went to study English at the University of London.

A former headteacher and father of four, Conn began his career writing historical books about the Roman Empire and has gone on to write about another hero, Genghis Khan.

Of all the people in his new book, Conn says he would most like to have been Winston Churchill or Nelson.

“David undertook the In The Footsteps of Scott Expedition to the South Pole and his ship was crushed between two icebergs.

“People often assume that I had a rural childhood but I didn’t. There was a park and woods where we climbed trees and fell in the pond. It was enough of a different age back then that my parents trusted me to be out all day.”

Conn will be book signing at Waterstone’s, St Peters Street, St Albans, at 7pm on Monday, June 22. The Dangerous Book of Heroes, published by HarperCollins is out now, price £20.