History isn't just what happened—it's who had fun, who took risks, who broke the rules when no one was looking. I write to meet the people behind the facts, the ones whose stories still run through our veins like quicksilver.

My great-granduncle left his fashion empire to his female manager in 1906. One single photograph of their storefront sent me on a twelve-year discovery of delights through archives, museums, and private collections. Each artefact whispered another secret, each document revealed another layer of a world where merit trumped convention and talent carved its own path.

I bring three lenses to historical narrative: those of a family detective, a design professional, and a storyteller. Twenty years building my own business in retail design—creating marketing gems for Unilever, Heineken, and the leading Dutch supermarket chain, Albert Heijn—taught me how commerce really works. I've navigated the same pressures my ancestors faced: tight deadlines, sceptical clients, the constant need to prove "it can be done." Working closely with marketing teams (often female) to solve complex problems showed me how business relationships actually function when talent meets opportunity.

I write like a Yestersmith. A craftsman who works like a blacksmith, but whose anvil is his keyboard. He forges historical narratives that shine with the brightness of yesterday—not dusty academic treatises, but living stories where the rustle of silk skirts and the clink of teacups sound out from his page. He writes for people who want history that satisfies curiosity, entertains the mind, and enriches the soul.

Facts matter. They bolster every story. Yet, behind every fact lived someone who laughed, schemed, loved, and dared, or remained cautious. Those are the peoplewhose stories refuse to stay buried.

My first group biography, 'A Legacy of Grandeur', is essential reading for anyone who's ever felt their abilities overlooked. A glorious testament to what becomes possible when someone dares to see value where others see only fear. And all set against a backdrop reminiscent of the Downton-abbey epoch.