Alive, I seemed, arriving instantly nearing eight years old, in a family destined to change abruptly and quickly became used to expecting the unexpected.

Christmas 1959 proved no different – not extraordinary, so it seemed – yet then the seed of great change arrived as a single book, a gift to my mother from her eldest son, my half-brother Joseph, known in our family as Sep, a nick-name acquired during his time in the military.

That book, once read by Mother and Father, would end a long search for them and open spiritual doors long closed by the conflicting dogmas of one religion against another.

Here, in the form of an epic poem, lies the story which is “The Queen’s Adventurer”. Please know that there is no specific reference to the contents of this all important book itself, its author, nor its title, this is done out of respect for his wishes and the need to protect the copyright and support the organization that has grown from his decades long effort, with the assistance of many others.

For all that, there is a story here of amazing importance which was only authorized to a single official biographer to tell. Yet I feel the need to speak, to tell of what I came to understand in the twenty-five years following the arrival of that book and its insights. Now and ever through all the years after the arrival of that propitious Christmas gift, it has been a driving element bordering on being a compulsion, to write and speak out, but to do so with honor and respects as guidance.

It took me many years, literally decades, of reading, learning to study effectively and practical writing practice, to bring my abilities to the level where poetry became an important part of my life, my being. Once I understood clearly this creative effort of mine was to continuing, surviving beyond the momentary flash that other forms of art endured, only then did the inspiration of how to convey this epic saga come to me, as abruptly as had the book, the inspiration bring on change as surely as the changes it wrought in my life and the world that surrounded me because of this now world renowned work.

Within “The Queen’s Adventurer” are not heroic deeds nor descriptions of great leadership by a grand monarch, but only the story of those sometimes near, sometimes far off and unknowing, who were and still remain affected by these two extraordinary individuals. The queen, who held social ground while the adventurer built from scratch that which could become the salvation of Mankind’s future.

“The Queen’s Adventurer” began as a rather longish poem of nearly five thousand words, was published, re-edited, and re-published. An author is not unlike a painter, returning to retouch this or that portion of their work until it appears as near perfect as possible, though perfection is impossible in our world. Improvement is possible, however, and the search for perfection is always there, so I thought much more about the story and determined that it could best be told in such a way as to better express the impact of the deeds of each individual within the tale.

So, in a rush during a quiet period of my life, the story has expanded until it is a series of many short books or to become a few longer tomes, each intended to be published sequentially once the previous installment finds a happy audience longing for a hopeful future and a happy life for them as they grow old and for their progeny as they make their acquaintance with each new tomorrow.

Regarding the content of “The Queen’s Adventurer” there is much to be learned and understood, but also questions for each reader about what is most important to each of us within our lives.

Finding personal freedom? Living well? Finding happiness? An interesting and eventful life experience? Or maybe the actuality of all of these things in your own life?

It is my belief that all of these are important and that many would agree.

These are the concepts expressed in this human and humane epic exploring how our desire to do well for oneself and others is opposed with great purpose and effort by the few with a drive to enslave and to suppress any success of others. This is the conflict within the story.

“The Queen’s Adventurer” revolves around a leading life-researcher of the 20^th   century and a contemporary influential political leader, each destined to affect this world to a great extent. The story dramatically displays how and in what manner the many they affected were changed by each of them over the full 33-year and more covered by this anthology.

The adventurer moves in and out of the Crown’s watchful interest and that of the general populace while researching and discovering the human condition, often just ahead of those wolfish villains determined for their own reasons to stop such efforts. His work is just as often hampered and opposed by the weight of history and tradition. Nonetheless, Adventurer doggedly and with true purpose pours his life energy into successfully discovering and developing workable life improvement techniques, despite the odds against him.

“Good use” is the intent for the knowledge and techniques discovered regarding survival itself. Although mostly unknowing, Mankind prays for greater opportunity and survival success against steep odds they do not understand.

Copyright©2024 Jacob Harvey Redloh, Editor Clifford Heseltine