James Dover Grant CBE, primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, has revealed that a Bible story from his childhood significantly influenced his writing and served as the inspiration for his famous character, Jack Reacher.

Child, who has sold over 100 million books worldwide, shared that the Old Testament story of David and Goliath, found in a children's scripture book, left a lasting impact on him.

In an interview with the BBC, Child recounted how he first encountered the story in a Ladybird Books publication titled The shepherd boy of Bethlehem.

As a young child, he was "captivated" by the story, particularly by the character of Goliath. Despite the story's outcome, Child admitted that he often imagined a different ending where Goliath emerged victorious.

"I loved the pictures and the story, but Goliath was my favourite," Child recalled.

"I would read the book over and over again, hoping that one day Goliath would win! I realised later that I was more drawn to the big guy than the underdog. In my mind, Goliath would win – even though he never did in the story."

This fascination with the underappreciated strength of Goliath later translated into the creation of Jack Reacher, a towering, formidable ex-military policeman who embodies strength and resilience.

Child explained: "Jack Reacher is Goliath. My entire premise for the Reacher books is based on the idea of whether Goliath can be the good guy and how we can make readers worry about him."