PHOTO: Dr. Gary Kidney at home in Pearland, Texas, where he continues writing historical fiction after a career in higher education.
From Education To Espionage Fiction
Dr. Gary Kidney discusses the inspiration and research behind The Eagle Scout Picture, revealing how real events and historical accuracy shaped his compelling WWII spy novel.
Gary Kidney writes with the instinct of a storyteller and the discipline of a scholar. His debut novel, The Eagle Scout Picture, threads a fragile, human story through the chaos of Nazi Germany—following a boy-turned-spy whose mission balances youth, fear and purpose with razor-sharp tension. But beneath the cloak-and-dagger premise is a writer deeply committed to accuracy, place, and emotional truth.
Kidney’s career before fiction was one of education and inquiry, shaping how others learn and interact with technology, and it’s clear that same intellectual rigour feeds his fiction. His meticulous research—conducted across the very cities and streets his characters move through—imbues his work with a tactile authenticity. History is not merely backdrop here; it is terrain to be navigated and felt.
What sets Kidney apart is not only the intensity of his historical vision, but the sensitivity with which he renders character. Whether portraying the internal doubts of a young spy or the darkness coiled within a Gestapo officer, his writing confronts moral ambiguity without flinching. The Eagle Scout Picture is not simply a war novel—it’s a meditation on courage, identity, and the haunting cost of deception.
As he ventures into sequels and broader Cold War territory, Kidney’s commitment to craft and research promises even deeper explorations. His literary journey—rooted in education, refined through experience, and guided by conscience—is one we are fortunate to witness.
Your debut novel, The Eagle Scout Picture, is based on a real WWII espionage story. What inspired you to bring this particular narrative to life?
I have always been fascinated with unknown WWII stories from the time my older brothers told me theirs. When the man who claimed to have lived this one shared the tale with me, I knew it had to be a book. So, I committed to write it after his death.
The protagonist, Fred Brown, assumes the identity of Zelly Zellner. How did you approach writing from the perspective of a young American spy in Nazi Germany?
The American in It was a challenge that had me struggling. Then, I realized my character would be going through the same troubles—so I gave those issues to the character and let him figure out a solution. In the end, that strategy made the story’s emotional resonance so much deeper, and my readers seem to appreciate it.
You extensively researched locations in Germany, Austria, and Poland for your novel. How did visiting these sites influence the authenticity of your storytelling?
It kept me true to the times. I wrote many scenes while sitting in the place where they happened. Often, I interviewed a local who remembered what the spot was like before. Other times, I used old pictures or newsreels to bring accuracy to the setting. I enjoyed digging through the archives and using interlibrary loans to get old books. I caught the love of travel bug in researching this book, so I’m still off to far flung places.
In your writing process, you mentioned adopting the mindset of a Nazi officer to portray the antagonist. Can you elaborate on how this affected your character development?
Oskar Stengler, the Gestapo Officer antagonist, was the hardest part to write. I originally wrote the story without an antagonist then added his part. It took three major re-writes to get it right. First was what he did, second was why he did it, and third was how it affected him. My wife tells me that on nights after I wrote Stengler, I would often yell in German in my sleep. He left me with nightmares.
The Eagle Scout Picture has been compared to works by Ken Follett and Anthony Doerr. What elements of their writing do you admire and aim to emulate?
I love Follet’s ability to blend plot with history. I tried to double down and make my history pin-point accurate, which he doesn’t do. Doerr’s All the Light… came out after my first draft (I’ve been writing this book for ten years). I loved the parallels between my Fred/Zelly and his Werner Pfennig. I read extensively in books that showed German life: Hans Fallada, Harris’s Fatherland, Kerr’s Berlin Noir, Heck’s A Child of Hitler, Elton’s Two Brothers, and an unpublished novel by an ex-Hiter Youth member.
You’re working on a sequel set in post-war Germany. How do you plan to evolve Fred’s character and the narrative in this new context?
The beginning of the Cold War in 1946 is a perfect follow-on for Fred/Zelly. In The Eagle Scout Picture, Zelly makes too many mistakes. I consider it a coming-of-age novel. In the sequel, he will be a mature, wizened spy with somewhat less youthful exuberance. I enjoyed writing his stumbling all over himself in the first book, but the new book challenges trust more than anything. As allies become enemies and spies outnumber soldiers, the landscape of a spy’s life becomes quicksand.
Having transitioned from a career in higher education to writing, what aspects of your academic background have most influenced your approach to historical fiction?
In the world of academe, I learned to research. My approach to historical fiction is built on that. I try to blend accurate ounces of fact into my fiction. Sometimes that’s a challenge because fiction often compresses and expands time for plot flow. To search for the right blend, I did a Master of Fine Arts degree as a post-doc. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide all the answers, but a good editor who had mastered thrillers helped greatly. One wouldn’t call most academic writing a thriller, in fact probably the opposite.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to write compelling historical fiction based on real events?
Immerse yourself in the history and culture of those times. Read all you can from the period and point of view (Amazon probably thinks I’m a Nazi from all the German books I ordered used). Never assume that your modern life is anything like the life of people back then except for one thing—the motivations of people never change. Make yourself a list of words to never use because they don’t fit the times. I had to outlaw such simple words as pants, zipper, plastic, bathroom, OK. Travel to the locations. The air of authenticity it brings is priceless. Pay attention to details. One can find the time of sunrise and setting, moon phases, and a host of other details on-line these days, so don’t skimp.
