Sam Llewellyn is the author of several hugely successful nautical thrillers, including 'Hell Bay' and 'The Iron Hotel'. An experienced sailor, he has sailed all over the world and now lives with his wife and family in Herefordshire.
Alistair MacLean, the son of a minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy. After the war he read English at Glasgow University and became a teacher.
Two and a half years spent aboard a wartime cruiser gave him the background for HMS Ulysses, his remarkably successful first novel, published in 1955. He is now recognized as one of the outstanding popular writers of the 20th century, the author of 29 worldwide bestsellers, many of which have been filmed.