Doctor and Amateur Historian
With a broad range of historical interests from ancient (up to and including A-level Classical Civilisation) to modern, the general “interest” is aided by applying skills, experience, and training from actual work. These skills include an appreciation of (if not full understanding of!) a lot of the science involved, an ability to read and critique scientific academic publications, and an appreciation of having to function and make decisions with incomplete information.
Dan also has a love of “what if” scenarios whether labelled as counter-factual, historical fiction, alternate history or something else. This most likely arose from enjoying books such as those of Rosemary Sutcliffe, the Hornblower series, and Biggles at an impressionable age – and then having a mother work as researcher for some of Bernard Cornwell’s books! At work Dan has to grapple with a somewhat related problem as in many ways he views himself as a “diagnostician”*, having to collate information available to make at least interim guesses of what is wrong with someone, so that the right treatments can then be offered. (*a term taken from House but he assures everyone he lacks both the limp/cane and substance misuse problems)
Outside of history
So, what is Dan’s actual work? He is a doctor working in the NHS. He currently (as of 2023) is mostly working in an Orthogeriatric Service, which means looking after older people with broken hips – going around looking at older ships therefore makes for a suitable change of pace, while only changing a few letters! Dan also has an interest in “systems” and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Leadership which is really Organisational Psychology – again linking into wanting to get behind problems and work out how they developed and how to change them.
So, what does Dan offer the group and audience? Apart from rounding out the DnD adventuring party requirement for a healer/cleric, he would argue he plays the “Doctor Who Companion” role of being able to ask basic questions that the audience might want answering – aka the excuse for the info-dump. More seriously, the slightly different approach / background means that Dan hopes to offer additional breadth to the analysis, assessment, and explanations of the subjects covered by the group.
Dan is also still somewhat bewildered at being included in and accepted by the group but believes the root of this is down to Raleigh (the Fluffy Research Assistant) approving of him.