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Derek was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand where he still has strong family ties.
For many years he taught history in a secondary school in Berkshire but took early retirement several years ago to concentrate on his writing.
Apart from writing, he spends his time gardening, travelling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa.
Feud is his first book and a sequel is already in preparation.
Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite
"Feud" tells of an old family rivalry between the Yorkshire noble families of the Elders and the Radcliffes. It is set back in those tumultuous years of 1459-1461 when the War of the Roses, the fight for the throne of England between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, was raging. Young Ned Elder and his friend Will go to the side of Ned's older brother, Tom, who has been mortally wounded by the Radcliffes. Tom tells Ned to take his sisters Emma and Eleanor and run to Lord Salisbury for protection. But it is too late. Eleanor is kidnapped and taken to a nunnery run by Edwina Radcliffe and Emma is taken off to marry Richard Radcliffe but is first raped by Richard's brother, Edmund. Edmund is an extremely strong opponent in battle and, with his French right hand man Mordeur,is a supporter of Henry VI. Ned Elder and his backers favor King Edward and the House of York. Ned falls in love with Amelie who carries with her a scrap of silk that all desire for the truths it tells. Eleanor breaks free of the nunnery and falls in love with Will. Emma despises the Radcliffes and how she was beaten and raped even though one of Edmund's followers promises her freedom. Bloody battles rage across the English landscape and brave men die in battle as this long ago part of history comes to life on the pages of "Feud".
Derek Birks has written an engrossing novel of long ago British history that will keep the reader going until the story's final pages with promises of future Ned Elder stories. All the characters, both major and minor, are believable. The plot flows well along with prodigious amounts of blood and gore to the story's conclusion. In this age of violence and needless deaths, it is worthwhile to read "Feud" and know that times were even deadlier hundreds of years ago. A great read for readers everywhere.
