Jack Whyte Books

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Jack Whyte was a renowned Scottish-Canadian author that wrote historical fiction. Born in 1940, Whyte spent a significant portion of his life in Scotland before migrating to Canada nearly three decades later.

Some people know him only as a teacher and an author, unaware of the one-man show from the 1970s he wrote, directed, and starred in. Even though the show explored the life of a Scotland national poet (Robert Burns), he crafted it in a way that appealed to non-Scots.

The author took the show on tour in Canada, hoping to introduce new audiences to Burns’ obscure works. The project was such a success that CBC National Television invited him to write episodes for a Variety Series, paving the way for his advertising career.

White contributed his talents (Head Writer and Creative Director) to numerous advertising agencies. He also worked for several private and public companies as a Corporate Communications director.

At the time, Whyte wrote fiction in secret. This habit continued for fifteen years, producing multiple unpublished novels. Eventually, Whyte came out of hiding and exposed himself to the horrors of potential rejection by submitting his manuscripts.

Surprisingly, he landed a deal with Penguin Canada which bought the author’s books and launched his career.

Whyte never made a conscious decision to pursue publishing. The thought of writing fiction crossed his mind one random day after he seemingly solved the mystery of the Arthurian legend.

The author did not believe in supernatural magic. He was convinced that King Arthur’s story had a historical basis. As a six-year-old, a flash of intuitive conviction had shown him how thousands of witnesses could have twisted the adventures of the real-life King Arthur to produce the myth people know today.

Whyte forgot that particular revelation until several years later when a conversation with a friend reminded him of that seminal incident. His initial objective as an aspiring author in 1975 was to tell a short story chronicling the actual events behind the Arthurian legend.

He had no idea that two decades would pass before he wrote the final volume in the series. He was equally unaware of the considerable joy and bliss the journey would inject into his life.

Whyte’s novels are set in post-Roman Britain. Arthur must overcome the anarchy that descends after the Romans depart. Many popular Arthurian characters and places appear, but their names have a Gaelic or Latin form.

The books also mention historical figures that supposedly inspired King Arthur’s stories. They go to great lengths to present Whyte’s narrative as an accurate telling of King Arthur’s legend. Even though the tales are fiction, Whyte conducted significant amounts of research.

In fact, some of his plots came from the ancillary details he discovered while conducting research. When it comes to writing, he gives his characters free rein. Some listen to his commands, taking the paths he has chosen.

Others prefer to rebel. Whyte keeps writing until he discovers a gap in his knowledge. This pushes him to do additional research until he knows enough to write like an expert about subjects he just discovered.

Best Jack Whyte Books

The author died in 2021 at 80. He was living a relatively obscure existence in Kelowna at the time. Cancer was the most probable cause. Whyte’s best books include:

The Skystone: The Skystone differs from many retellings of the Arthurian legend because it starts by introducing readers to Publius Varrus, the last legionnaire in Britain. The soldier (and ironsmith) is watching as the Roman world crumbles.

Rather than resting on his laurels, Publius sets out to establish a refuge where like-minded people can pursue the old Roman virtues.

The Singing Sword: The stories speak of King Arthur’s exploits and the peace he brought to a land ravaged by war. They mention the strength of his father, Uther, who built a mighty kingdom out of the Roman Empire’s ashes.

They sing songs about Excalibur, the magical sword pulled from stone by a mighty King and swung in battle against the forces of evil.

But those stories ignore the truth. They don’t mention Publius Varrus, King Arthur’s great-grandfather who lit the flame that birthed a new Empire. They ignore his wife, Luceila, a passionate beauty dedicated to the law and honor.

When Does The Next Jack Whyte book come out?

Jack Whyte doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Burning Stone and was released on September, 25th 2018. It is the newest book in the Camulod Chronicles Series.

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