Author Dudley Pope was born in Ashford, Kent, England on December 29, 1925. At the age of 16, he joined the Navy as a midshipman, but was invalided out when his ship was torpedoed the next year. He became a journalist for a newspaper in Kent and in 1944, became the naval and defense correspondent for the London Evening News. In 1954, he published his first book, Flag 4, which was followed by other books on historical accounts. He is best known for his Nicholas Ramage series, which follows the exploits of Lord Nicholas Ramage during the Napoleonic Wars. The first book of this 18-book series was published in 1965. He died on April 25, 1997.
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