A. J. Quinnell based Creasy on several people he knew from Africa and Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.
ˈeɪ. dʒˈeɪ. kwˈɪnəl bˈeɪst kɹˈiːzi ˌɔn sˈɛvɹəl pˈiːpəl hiː nˈuː fɹʌm ˈæfɹɪkə ænd vˌiːətnˈɑːm ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti z.