INTRODUCTION“Sapper” was the pseudonym of British author Herman Cyril McNeile (1888–1937), commonly known as Cyril McNeile. He also published under the name H. C. McNeile.
McNeile was a British soldier and author. Drawing on his experiences in the trenches during the First World War, he started writing short stories for publication in the Daily Mail. As serving officers in the British Army were not permitted to publish under their own names, he was given the pen name “Sapper” by Lord Northcliffe, the owner of the Daily Mail. This nickname was based on that of his corps, the Royal Engineers.
After the war, McNeile left the army and continued writing, although he changed from war stories to thrillers. In 1920 he published Bulldog Drummond to great acclaim. Drummond, based in part on McNeil
