NEIL HANSON

Neil Hanson is the author of an acclaimed series of popular histories - The Custom of the Sea; The Dreadful Judgement; The Confident Hope of a Miracle; The Unknown Soldier; First Blitz; Priestley's Wars; and Monk Eastman: The Gangster Who Became A War Hero. Critics around the world have hailed them as “astonishing”, “brilliant”, “compelling”, “gripping”, “extraordinary”, “marvellous”, “superb”, “a triumph” and “a masterpiece”. A more unusual tribute was paid to his work when the American folk/rock band The Avett Brothers based an entire album, "Mignonette", on Neil's book The Custom of the Sea.

As a professional "ghostwriter" Neil Hanson has also written over forty other books, published under a variety of different names, including a New York Times Number One best-seller. He's also a very experienced radio and television broadcaster, a journalist, a travel writer, and a critic, working for media in Britain, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

He has lectured on his writing around the world and, as an award winning after-dinner speaker, he has also entertained audiences at every type of occasion - corporate events, conferences, festivals, luncheon clubs, dinners and banquets - throughout the UK and in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, New Orleans, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland and Wellington.

He was elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Literary Fund in 2007