African-born author whose work pertains to the discovery and colonization of African territories. His works include the Ballantyne, Courtney, and Egyptian series.
He graduated from Rhodes University in South Africa in 1954. He worked as an accountant before publishing his first novel, When the Lion Feeds, in 1964.
He spent a portion of his childhood working on a cattle ranch in his native Northern Rhodesia (modern-day Zambia).
He was married and divorced twice and had three children before he wed his third wife, Danielle Thomas, in 1971. He dedicated all of his books to her until her death in 1999.
His novel, The Diamond Hunters, was adapted into a film starring Alyssa Milano.
